In-band optical-link monitoring for a WDM network
US9960845B2 · kind B2 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Jun 30, 2016 |
| Grant date | May 1, 2018 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Jun 30, 2036 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
- CPC primaryH04L27/223
- WIPO fieldDigital communication
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
We disclose embodiments of a WDM transmitter having an in-band OTDR capability for at least a subset of the WDM channels thereof. In an example embodiment, an OTDR-enabled WDM channel of the WDM transmitter is implemented using an optical transceiver that comprises an optical transmitter and a coherent optical receiver. The optical transmitter is configured to generate a modulated optical signal by modulating a respective carrier wavelength, transmit the modulated optical signal through an optical link as a component of the corresponding WDM signal, and provide the respective carrier wavelength to the coherent optical receiver for being used therein as an optical local oscillator. The optical receiver is configured to estimate an impulse response of the optical link by coherently detecting and processing a return optical signal produced within the optical link due to distributed reflection and/or backscattering of the modulated optical signal.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.