Patent · US Active

Flexible branching unit and system including the same

US8401392B2 · kind B2 · utility

2Cited by

21References

12Claims

0Family size

Assignee

TYCO ELECTRONICS SUBSEA COMMUNICATIONS LLC · US

Inventors

Dmitriy Kovsh · Hoboken, US
Stuart M. Abbott · Marlboro, US
Haifeng Li · Zhejiang, CN

Key dates

Filing date	Feb 17, 2010
Grant date	Mar 19, 2013
Priority date	—
Expiry date	May 7, 2031

Classification

Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
CPC primaryH04J14/0221
WIPO fieldTelecommunications
WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

Fault tolerance may be achieved in a branched optical communication system such that a fault in one optical path may not affect optical signals coupled from a healthy optical path. In general, a flexible branching unit is configured, when adding and dropping channels, to select channels from a healthy path and not from the faulty path (e.g., a trunk path or a branch path) to prevent non-uniform channel loading on the trunk path after the branching unit. In this manner, a fault detected on the trunk path may not affect signals from the branch path and a fault detected on the branch path may not affect signals from the trunk path, thereby providing fault tolerance. A flexible branching unit may also be capable of adjusting the number and selection of channels that are added and dropped at the branching unit.

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