Patent · US Expired

Tunable, multi-port optical add-drop multiplexer

US6950609B2 · kind B2 · utility

14Cited by
4References
9Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventor

Key dates

Filing dateAug 31, 2001
Grant dateSep 27, 2005
Priority date
Expiry dateMay 21, 2023

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
  • CPC primaryH04Q2011/0016
  • WIPO fieldTelecommunications
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

A tunable (reconfigurable) OADM provides multiple drop ports and multiple add ports by which desired channels can be removed from, or added to, a composite optical signal. In one embodiment, a programmable demultiplexer is arranged to receive an input signal containing components at x different wavelengths from an optical input port, and distribute the input signal components among K output ports. K−1 of the output ports are the “drop” ports of the OADM, and cumulatively contain w different wavelengths. The remaining port, which is the “through port” that carries the z wavelengths not dropped from the original input signal, is connected to the first port of an M port programmable multiplexer having M−1 other input ports. The remaining M−1 ports are the “add” ports of the OADM, which cumulatively receive v different wavelengths to be added by the OADM.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.