Optical add/drop multiplexer having a banded channel configuration
US7286763B2 · kind B2 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Jun 16, 2004 |
| Grant date | Oct 23, 2007 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Dec 22, 2025 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
- CPC primaryH04J14/0219
- WIPO fieldTelecommunications
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
An optical add/drop multiplexer (OADM) adapted to route optical signals having at least two different bit rates. The OADM has at least two sets of DWDM channels, e.g., with channels in a first set having a first bandwidth value suitable for the transmission of 10-Gb/s signals and channels in a second set having a second bandwidth value suitable for the transmission of 40-Gb/s signals. The first and second sets occupy two different spectral bands and the first set has two subsets of interleaved channels. In one embodiment, the OADM has first and second optical branches adapted to process optical signals corresponding to first and second groups of channels, respectively. The first group includes a first subset from the first set while the second group includes the second set and a second subset from the first set. Advantageously, OADMs of the invention may be used to create independent processing paths for different groups of channels. As a result, a communication system having those OADMs can be upgraded, e.g., to add a new 40-Gb/s service and/or to populate additional 10-Gb/s channels substantially without interrupting the 10-Gb/s service already in place.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.