Patent · US Expired

Method and system for monitoring multiple optical communications lines

US7257325B1 · kind B1 · utility

10Cited by
11References
20Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventor

Key dates

Filing dateMay 16, 2003
Grant dateAug 14, 2007
Priority date
Expiry dateApr 29, 2025

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
  • CPC primaryH04B10/0795
  • WIPO fieldTelecommunications
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

The present invention provides a method and system for monitoring composite optical signals carried over plural fiber-optic lines within an optical network. Methods and systems in accordance with the present invention each utilize a single OPM to monitor each one of a set of sample proportions of composite signals split off from respective fiber-optic lines. In one embodiment, an optical performance monitoring system comprises a plurality of fiber-optic lines, each fiber-optic line carrying a respective composite optical signal, a plurality of optical taps, each optical tap being optically coupled to a respective one of the fiber-optic lines and splitting a portion of the composite optical signal thereof, a plurality of optical switches, each optical switch being optically coupled to a respective one of the optical taps and comprising either an Open configuration and a Closed configuration, an optical coupler, and an Optical Performance Monitor (OPM).

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