# US 11,994,728 B2 · Junction device, and undersea cable system > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 11,994,728 B2 - Document ID: US11994728B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 17/618,610 - Filed: 2020-06-04 - Published: 2022-08-18 - Granted: 2024-05-28 - Earliest claimed: 2019-06-24 - Assignees: NEC Corporation - Applicants: NEC Corporation - Inventors: Yoshinari Takigawa - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11994728B2 ## CPC - G02B 6/4427: {Pressure resistant cables, e.g. undersea cables} - H04J 14/0289: {Optical multiplex section protection} - H01B 7/14: Submarine cables - H04B 10/03: Arrangements for fault recovery - H04B 10/038: using bypasses - G02B: OPTICAL ELEMENTS, SYSTEMS OR APPARATUS - H04J: MULTIPLEX COMMUNICATION (transmission in general H04B; peculiar to transmission of digital information H04L5/00; systems for the simultaneous or sequential transmission of more than one television signal H04N7/08; in exchanges H04Q11/00; stereophonic systems H04S) - H01B: CABLES; CONDUCTORS; INSULATORS; SELECTION OF MATERIALS FOR THEIR CONDUCTIVE, INSULATING OR DIELECTRIC PROPERTIES (selection for magnetic properties H01F1/00; waveguides H01P {; printed circuits H05K}) - H04B: TRANSMISSION ## Abstract Provided are a junction device and an undersea cable system capable of saving a branch line when a problem involving ground fault occurs in a power feed line on a branch station side. This junction device is inserted into a power feed line and a transmission line connecting first and second trunk stations and a branch station, and includes a switching means for controlling a switch so as to connect the transmission line between the branch station and the first or second trunk station when a current detection means detects that there is no longer current flowing through the power feed line between a junction unit and the branch station and when a first optical signal detection means detects an optical signal in the transmission line connecting the junction unit and the branch station. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A branching device inserted into a transmission path and a power supply path connecting a first trunk station and a second trunk station, the branching device comprising: a branching unit that is connected to a branch station by a transmission path and a power supply path, and switches a route by controlling a switch inserted into the transmission path and the power supply path; and a reconfigurable optical add/drop multiplexer (ROADM) device that is inserted into a transmission path and a power supply path connecting the branch station and the branching unit, and supplies, to the branching unit, a control signal for controlling the switch of the branching unit, wherein the branching device further comprises a current detection unit for detecting that there is no current flowing through a power supply path between the branch station and the branching unit, a first optical signal detection unit for detecting an optical signal in a transmission path connecting the branch station and the branching unit, and a switching unit for controlling the switch in such a way as to connect a transmission path between either of the first trunk station and the second trunk station, and the branch station, when the current detection unit detects that there is no current flowing through a power supply path between the branch station and the branching unit, and the first optical signal detection unit detects an optical signal in a transmission path connecting the branch station and the branching unit. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The branching device according to claim 1, wherein the first optical signal detection unit includes a first optical signal detection unit that detects an optical signal in a transmission path directing from the branch station to the first trunk station, and a second optical signal detection unit that detects an optical signal in a transmission path directing from the branch station to the second trunk station. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The branching device according to claim 2, wherein the switching unit controls the switch in such a way as to connect a transmission path between the first trunk station and the branch station, when the current detection unit detects that there is no current flowing through a power supply path between the branch station and the branching unit, and a first optical signal detection unit of the first optical signal detection unit detects an optical signal in a transmission path directing from the branch station to the first trunk station. ### Claim 4 (depends on 2) The branching device according to claim 2, wherein the switching unit controls the switch in such a way as to connect a transmission path between the second trunk station and the branch station, when the current detection unit detects that there is no current flowing through a power supply path between the branch station and the branching unit, and a second optical signal detection unit of the first optical signal detection unit detects an optical signal in a transmission path directing from the branch station to the second trunk station. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The branching device according to claim 1, further comprising a second optical signal detection unit for detecting an optical signal in a transmission path connecting the first trunk station and the second trunk station, wherein the second optical signal detection unit includes a third optical signal detection unit that detects an optical signal in a transmission path directing from the first trunk station to the second trunk station, and a fourth optical signal detection unit that detects an optical signal in a transmission path directing from the second trunk station to the first trunk station. ### Claim 6 (depends on 3) The branching device according to claim 3, wherein the switching unit controls the switch in such a way as to connect a transmission path between the first trunk station and the branch station, when the current detection unit detects that there is no current flowing through a power supply path between the branch station and the branching unit, a first optical signal detection unit of the first optical signal detection unit detects an optical signal in a transmission path directing from the branch station to the first trunk station, and a fourth optical signal detection unit of the second optical signal detection unit does not detect an optical signal in a transmission path directing from the second trunk station to the first trunk station. ### Claim 7 (depends on 5) The branching device according to claim 5, wherein the switching unit controls the switch in such a way as to connect a transmission path between the second trunk station and the branch station, when the current detection unit detects that there is no current flowing through a power supply path between the branch station and the branching unit, a second optical signal detection unit of the first optical signal detection unit detects an optical signal in a transmission path directing from the branch station to the second trunk station, and a third optical signal detection unit of the second optical signal detection unit does not detect an optical signal in a transmission path directing from the first trunk station to the second trunk station. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The branching device according to claim 1, wherein the current detection unit and the first optical signal detection unit are integrated. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) A submarine cable system comprising: the first trunk station and the second trunk station installed on land; a submarine cable connecting the first trunk station and the second trunk station; the branching device according to claim 1, the a branch station connected to the branching device, and installed on land. ### Claim 10 A control method of a branching device inserted into a transmission path and a power supply path connecting a plurality of trunk stations and a branch station, the control method comprising: detecting that there is no current flowing through a power supply path between the branch station and the branching device; detecting an optical signal in a transmission path connecting the branch station and the branching device; and, when current flowing through a power supply path between the branch station and the branching device is detected, and an optical signal in a transmission path connecting the branch station and the branching device is detected, switching an optical switch on a route of a transmission path in such a way as to connect a transmission path between one of the plurality of trunk stations and the branch station. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The control method of the branching device according to claim 10, further comprising, when it is detected that there is no current flowing through a power supply path between the branch station and the branching device, and an optical signal in a transmission path directing from the branch station to the first trunk station is detected, controlling an optical switch on a route of a transmission path in such a way as to connect a transmission path between the first trunk station and the branch station. ### Claim 12 (depends on 10) The control method of the branching device according to claim 10, further comprising, when it is detected that there is no current flowing through a power supply path between the branch station and the branching device, an optical signal in a transmission path directing from the branch station to the first trunk station is detected, and an optical signal in a transmission path directing from the second trunk station to the first trunk station is not detected, controlling an optical switch on a route of a transmission path in such a way as to connect a transmission path between the first trunk station and the branch station. ### Claim 13 (depends on 10) The control method of the branching device according to claim 10, further comprising, when it is detected that there is no current flowing through a power supply path between the branch station and the branching device, and an optical signal in a transmission path directing from the branch station to the second trunk station is detected, controlling an optical switch on a route of a transmission path in such a way as to connect a transmission path between the second trunk station and the branch station. ### Claim 14 (depends on 10) The control method of the branching device according to claim 10, further comprising, when current flowing through a power supply path between the branch station and the branching device is detected, an optical signal in a transmission path directing from the branch station to the second trunk station is detected, and an optical signal in a transmission path directing from the first trunk station to the second trunk station is not detected, controlling an optical switch on a route of a transmission path in such a way as to connect a transmission path between the second trunk station and the branch station.