# US 12,763,851 B2 · Optical channel monitor (OCM) with spectrally-multiplexed wavelength reference for monitoring of wavelength division multiplexed (WDM) signals

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- Number: US 12,763,851 B2
- Document ID: US12763851B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 18/127,200
- Filed: 2023-03-28
- Published: 2024-10-03
- Granted: 2026-10-13
- Earliest claimed: 2023-03-28
- Assignees: II-Vi Delaware, Inc.
- Applicants: II-VI Delaware, Inc.
- Inventors: Michael Cahill
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12763851B2

## CPC

- H04B 10/0775: {Performance monitoring and measurement of transmission parameters}
- H04J 14/02126: {Multicast switch arrangements}
- H04B: TRANSMISSION
- 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)

## Abstract

Systems and methods are provided for optical channel monitoring (OCM) with an spectrally-multiplexed wavelength reference for monitoring of wavelength division multiplexing (WDM) spectrum.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A system for processing optical signals, the system comprising:
an optical channel monitor (OCM) processing block configured for optical channel monitoring, the processing block comprising:
a wavelength reference (WLREF) circuit configured to generate a wavelength reference (WLREF) signal for use in wavelength calibration for optical channel monitoring;
an optical channel monitor (OCM) circuit configured for monitoring WDM channels, the monitoring comprising measuring one or more characteristics associated with WDM signals communicated via the WDM channels; and
a wavelength division multiplexing (WDM) combiner circuit configured to generate a combined signal based on combining of a first combining input signal and a second combining input signal;
wherein the first combining input signal comprises an input WDM signal;
wherein the second combining input signal comprises the WLREF signal or a signal generated based on the WLREF signal;
wherein the OCM circuit is configured to apply the monitoring to the combined signal; and
wherein the optical channel monitor (OCM) processing block further comprises an optical switch (OSW) circuit configured to select one signal from a plurality of switching input signals, and to output the selected one signal, and wherein the selected one signal is inputted into combiner circuit as the first combining input signal.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The system according to claim 1, wherein the optical channel monitor (OCM) processing block further comprises an optical splitter circuit configured to split a splitting input signal to a plurality of splitting output signals via a corresponding plurality of split ports, and wherein the splitting input signal comprises the WLREF signal.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The system according to claim 1, wherein the WDM combiner circuit comprises one or more filters configured to apply filtering to one or both of the first combining input signal and the second combining input signal when generating the combined signal.

### Claim 4 (depends on 3)

The system according to claim 3, wherein the one or more filters comprise one or both of an optical edge-pass filter and an optical bandpass filter.

### Claim 5

A method for optical channel monitoring, the method comprising:
generating a wavelength reference (WLREF) signal for use in wavelength division multiplexing (WDM) measurement;
applying optical channel monitoring of WDM channels, the optical channel monitoring comprising measuring one or more characteristics associated with WDM signals communicated via the WDM channels;
generating a combined signal based on combining of a first combining input signal and a second combining input signal;
wherein:
the first combining input signal comprises an input WDM signal;
the second combining input signal comprises the WLREF signal or a signal generated based on the WLREF signal; and
the optical channel monitoring is applied to the combined signal;
applying switching, wherein the switching comprises selecting one signal from a plurality of switching input signals, and outputting the selected one signal; and
inputting the selected one signal as the first combining input signal.

### Claim 6 (depends on 5)

The method according to claim 5, further comprising applying splitting to a splitting input signal, and outputting a plurality of splitting output signals, wherein the splitting input signal comprises the WLREF signal.

### Claim 7 (depends on 5)

The method according to claim 5, wherein generating the combined signal comprises applying one or more filtering functions.

### Claim 8 (depends on 7)

The method according to claim 7, wherein the one or more filtering functions comprise one or both of optical edge-pass filtering and optical bandpass filtering.

### Claim 9

A system for processing optical signals, the system comprising:
an optical channel monitor (OCM) processing block configured for optical channel monitoring, the processing block comprising:
a wavelength reference (WLREF) circuit configured to generate a wavelength reference (WLREF) signal for use in wavelength calibration for optical channel monitoring;
an optical channel monitor (OCM) circuit configured for monitoring WDM channels, the monitoring comprising measuring one or more characteristics associated with WDM signals communicated via the WDM channels; and
a wavelength division multiplexing (WDM) combiner circuit configured to generate a combined signal based on combining of a first combining input signal and a second combining input signal;
wherein the first combining input signal comprises an input WDM signal;
wherein the second combining input signal comprises the WLREF signal or a signal generated based on the WLREF signal;
wherein the OCM circuit is configured to apply the monitoring to the combined signal;
wherein the optical channel monitor (OCM) processing block further comprises an optical splitter circuit configured to split a splitting input signal to a plurality of splitting output signals via a corresponding plurality of split ports, and wherein the splitting input signal comprises the WLREF signal; and
wherein the splitter circuit is further configured to apply optically broadband splitting, and wherein the optically broadband splitting comprises outputting the entire splitting input signal via each of the plurality of split ports.

### Claim 10 (depends on 9)

The system according to claim 9, wherein the WDM combiner circuit comprises one or more filters configured to apply filtering to one or both of the first combining input signal and the second combining input signal when generating the combined signal.

### Claim 11 (depends on 10)

The system according to claim 10, wherein the one or more filters comprise one or both of an optical edge-pass filter and an optical bandpass filter.

### Claim 12

A system for processing optical signals, the system comprising:
an optical channel monitor (OCM) processing block configured for optical channel monitoring, the processing block comprising:
a wavelength reference (WLREF) circuit configured to generate a wavelength reference (WLREF) signal for use in wavelength calibration for optical channel monitoring;
an optical channel monitor (OCM) circuit configured for monitoring WDM channels, the monitoring comprising measuring one or more characteristics associated with WDM signals communicated via the WDM channels; and
a wavelength division multiplexing (WDM) combiner circuit configured to generate a combined signal based on combining of a first combining input signal and a second combining input signal;
wherein the first combining input signal comprises an input WDM signal;
wherein the second combining input signal comprises the WLREF signal or a signal generated based on the WLREF signal;
wherein the OCM circuit is configured to apply the monitoring to the combined signal;
wherein the optical channel monitor (OCM) processing block further comprises an optical splitter circuit configured to split a splitting input signal to a plurality of splitting output signals via a corresponding plurality of split ports, and wherein the splitting input signal comprises the WLREF signal; and
wherein the splitter circuit is further configured to apply spectral splitting, and wherein the spectral splitting comprises outputting variably, via each of the plurality of split ports, portions of an optical spectrum corresponding to the splitting input signal or a splitting output signal comprising a portion of the splitting input signal.

### Claim 13 (depends on 12)

The system according to claim 12, wherein the WDM combiner circuit comprises one or more filters configured to apply filtering to one or both of the first combining input signal and the second combining input signal when generating the combined signal.

### Claim 14 (depends on 13)

The system according to claim 13, wherein the one or more filters comprise one or both of an optical edge-pass filter and an optical bandpass filter.

### Claim 15

A system for processing optical signals, the system comprising:
an optical channel monitor (OCM) processing block configured for optical channel monitoring, the processing block comprising:
a wavelength reference (WLREF) circuit configured to generate a wavelength reference (WLREF) signal for use in wavelength calibration for optical channel monitoring;
an optical channel monitor (OCM) circuit configured for monitoring WDM channels, the monitoring comprising measuring one or more characteristics associated with WDM signals communicated via the WDM channels; and
a wavelength division multiplexing (WDM) combiner circuit configured to generate a combined signal based on combining of a first combining input signal and a second combining input signal;
wherein the first combining input signal comprises an input WDM signal;
wherein the second combining input signal comprises the WLREF signal or a signal generated based on the WLREF signal;
wherein the OCM circuit is configured to apply the monitoring to the combined signal;
wherein the optical channel monitor (OCM) processing block further comprises an optical splitter circuit configured to split a splitting input signal to a plurality of splitting output signals via a corresponding plurality of split ports, and wherein the splitting input signal comprises the WLREF signal; and
wherein the splitter circuit is further configured to apply wavelength division multiplexing (WDM) splitting, and wherein:
applying the WDM splitting comprises outputting a first splitting output signal via a first one of the plurality of split ports and a second splitting output signal via a second one of the plurality of split ports,
the first splitting output signal comprises an in-band portion of the WLREF signal corresponding to a WDM spectrum of the input WDM signal, and
the second splitting output signal comprises an out-band portion of the WLREF signal corresponding to one or more spectrum portions outside the WDM spectrum of the input WDM signal.

### Claim 16 (depends on 15)

The system according to claim 15, wherein the WDM combiner circuit comprises one or more filters configured to apply filtering to one or both of the first combining input signal and the second combining input signal when generating the combined signal.

### Claim 17 (depends on 16)

The system according to claim 16, wherein the one or more filters comprise one or both of an optical edge-pass filter and an optical bandpass filter.

### Claim 18

A system for processing optical signals, the system comprising:
an optical channel monitor (OCM) processing block configured for optical channel monitoring, the processing block comprising:
a wavelength reference (WLREF) circuit configured to generate a wavelength reference (WLREF) signal for use in wavelength calibration for optical channel monitoring;
an optical channel monitor (OCM) circuit configured for monitoring WDM channels, the monitoring comprising measuring one or more characteristics associated with WDM signals communicated via the WDM channels; and
a wavelength division multiplexing (WDM) combiner circuit configured to generate a combined signal based on combining of a first combining input signal and a second combining input signal;
wherein the first combining input signal comprises an input WDM signal;
wherein the second combining input signal comprises the WLREF signal or a signal generated based on the WLREF signal;
wherein the OCM circuit is configured to apply the monitoring to the combined signal;
wherein the optical channel monitor (OCM) processing block further comprises an optical splitter circuit configured to split a splitting input signal to a plurality of splitting output signals via a corresponding plurality of split ports, and wherein the splitting input signal comprises the WLREF signal; and
wherein one of the plurality of splitting output signals is inputted into the WDM combiner circuit as the second combining input signal.

### Claim 19 (depends on 18)

The system according to claim 18, wherein the WDM combiner circuit comprises one or more filters configured to apply filtering to one or both of the first combining input signal and the second combining input signal when generating the combined signal.

### Claim 20 (depends on 19)

The system according to claim 19, wherein the one or more filters comprise one or both of an optical edge-pass filter and an optical bandpass filter.

### Claim 21

A system for processing optical signals, the system comprising:
an optical channel monitor (OCM) processing block configured for optical channel monitoring, the processing block comprising:
a wavelength reference (WLREF) circuit configured to generate a wavelength reference (WLREF) signal for use in wavelength calibration for optical channel monitoring;
an optical channel monitor (OCM) circuit configured for monitoring WDM channels, the monitoring comprising measuring one or more characteristics associated with WDM signals communicated via the WDM channels; and
a wavelength division multiplexing (WDM) combiner circuit configured to generate a combined signal based on combining of a first combining input signal and a second combining input signal;
wherein the first combining input signal comprises an input WDM signal;
wherein the second combining input signal comprises the WLREF signal or a signal generated based on the WLREF signal;
wherein the OCM circuit is configured to apply the monitoring to the combined signal;
wherein the optical channel monitor (OCM) processing block further comprises an optical splitter circuit configured to split a splitting input signal to a plurality of splitting output signals via a corresponding plurality of split ports, and wherein the splitting input signal comprises the WLREF signal; and
wherein the optical channel monitor (OCM) processing block further comprises an optical switch (OSW) circuit configured to select one signal from a plurality of switching input signals, and wherein one of the plurality of splitting output signals is inputted into the OSW circuit as one of the plurality of switching input signals.

### Claim 22 (depends on 21)

The system according to claim 21, wherein the combined signal is inputted into the OSW circuit as another one of the plurality of switching input signals.

### Claim 23 (depends on 21)

The system according to claim 21, wherein the selected one signal is inputted into the OCM circuit.

### Claim 24 (depends on 21)

The system according to claim 21, wherein the WDM combiner circuit comprises one or more filters configured to apply filtering to one or both of the first combining input signal and the second combining input signal when generating the combined signal.

### Claim 25 (depends on 24)

The system according to claim 24, wherein the one or more filters comprise one or both of an optical edge-pass filter and an optical bandpass filter.

### Claim 26

A system for processing optical signals, the system comprising:
an optical channel monitor (OCM) processing block configured for optical channel monitoring, the processing block comprising:
a wavelength reference (WLREF) circuit configured to generate a wavelength reference (WLREF) signal for use in wavelength calibration for optical channel monitoring;
an optical channel monitor (OCM) circuit configured for monitoring WDM channels, the monitoring comprising measuring one or more characteristics associated with WDM signals communicated via the WDM channels; and
a wavelength division multiplexing (WDM) combiner circuit configured to generate a combined signal based on combining of a first combining input signal and a second combining input signal;
wherein the first combining input signal comprises an input WDM signal;
wherein the second combining input signal comprises the WLREF signal or a signal generated based on the WLREF signal;
wherein the OCM circuit is configured to apply the monitoring to the combined signal;
wherein the optical channel monitor (OCM) processing block further comprises an optical splitter circuit configured to split a splitting input signal to a plurality of splitting output signals via a corresponding plurality of split ports, and wherein the splitting input signal comprises the WLREF signal; and
wherein the splitting input signal comprises the WLREF signal.

### Claim 27 (depends on 26)

The system according to claim 26, wherein the WDM combiner circuit comprises one or more filters configured to apply filtering to one or both of the first combining input signal and the second combining input signal when generating the combined signal.

### Claim 28 (depends on 27)

The system according to claim 27, wherein the one or more filters comprise one or both of an optical edge-pass filter and an optical bandpass filter.

### Claim 29

A method for optical channel monitoring, the method comprising:
generating a wavelength reference (WLREF) signal for use in wavelength division multiplexing (WDM) measurement;
applying optical channel monitoring of WDM channels, the optical channel monitoring comprising measuring one or more characteristics associated with WDM signals communicated via the WDM channels;
generating a combined signal based on combining of a first combining input signal and a second combining input signal;
wherein:
the first combining input signal comprises an input WDM signal;
the second combining input signal comprises the WLREF signal or a signal generated based on the WLREF signal; and
the optical channel monitoring is applied to the combined signal;
applying splitting to a splitting input signal, and outputting a plurality of splitting output signals, wherein the splitting input signal comprises the WLREF signal; and
applying optically broadband splitting, wherein the optically broadband splitting comprises outputting the entire splitting input signal as each one of the plurality of splitting output signals.

### Claim 30 (depends on 29)

The method according to claim 29, wherein generating the combined signal comprises applying one or more filtering functions.

### Claim 31 (depends on 30)

The method according to claim 30, wherein the one or more filtering functions comprise one or both of optical edge-pass filtering and optical bandpass filtering.

### Claim 32

A method for optical channel monitoring, the method comprising:
generating a wavelength reference (WLREF) signal for use in wavelength division multiplexing (WDM) measurement;
applying optical channel monitoring of WDM channels, the optical channel monitoring comprising measuring one or more characteristics associated with WDM signals communicated via the WDM channels;
generating a combined signal based on combining of a first combining input signal and a second combining input signal;
wherein:
the first combining input signal comprises an input WDM signal;
the second combining input signal comprises the WLREF signal or a signal generated based on the WLREF signal; and
the optical channel monitoring is applied to the combined signal;
applying splitting to a splitting input signal, and outputting a plurality of splitting output signals, wherein the splitting input signal comprises the WLREF signal; and
applying spectral splitting, wherein the spectral splitting comprises outputting variably the entire splitting input signal or a splitting output signal comprising a portion of the splitting input signal.

### Claim 33 (depends on 32)

The method according to claim 32, wherein generating the combined signal comprises applying one or more filtering functions.

### Claim 34 (depends on 33)

The method according to claim 33, wherein the one or more filtering functions comprise one or both of optical edge-pass filtering and optical bandpass filtering.

### Claim 35

A method for optical channel monitoring, the method comprising:
generating a wavelength reference (WLREF) signal for use in wavelength division multiplexing (WDM) measurement;
applying optical channel monitoring of WDM channels, the optical channel monitoring comprising measuring one or more characteristics associated with WDM signals communicated via the WDM channels;
generating a combined signal based on combining of a first combining input signal and a second combining input signal;
wherein:
the first combining input signal comprises an input WDM signal;
the second combining input signal comprises the WLREF signal or a signal generated based on the WLREF signal; and
the optical channel monitoring is applied to the combined signal;
applying splitting to a splitting input signal, and outputting a plurality of splitting output signals, wherein the splitting input signal comprises the WLREF signal; and
applying wavelength division multiplexing (WDM) splitting, wherein applying the WDM splitting comprises outputting a first splitting output signal and a second splitting output signal, and wherein:
the first splitting output signal comprises an in-band portion of the WLREF signal corresponding to a WDM spectrum of the input WDM signal, and
the second splitting output signal comprises an out-band portion of the WLREF signal corresponding to one or more spectrum portions outside the WDM spectrum of the input WDM signal.

### Claim 36 (depends on 35)

The method according to claim 35, wherein generating the combined signal comprises applying one or more filtering functions.

### Claim 37 (depends on 36)

The method according to claim 36, wherein the one or more filtering functions comprise one or both of optical edge-pass filtering and optical bandpass filtering.

### Claim 38

A method for optical channel monitoring, the method comprising:
generating a wavelength reference (WLREF) signal for use in wavelength division multiplexing (WDM) measurement;
applying optical channel monitoring of WDM channels, the optical channel monitoring comprising measuring one or more characteristics associated with WDM signals communicated via the WDM channels;
generating a combined signal based on combining of a first combining input signal and a second combining input signal;
wherein:
the first combining input signal comprises an input WDM signal;
the second combining input signal comprises the WLREF signal or a signal generated based on the WLREF signal; and
the optical channel monitoring is applied to the combined signal;
applying splitting to a splitting input signal, and outputting a plurality of splitting output signals, wherein the splitting input signal comprises the WLREF signal; and
inputting one of the plurality of splitting output signals as the second combining input signal.

### Claim 39 (depends on 38)

The method according to claim 38, wherein generating the combined signal comprises applying one or more filtering functions.

### Claim 40 (depends on 39)

The method according to claim 39, wherein the one or more filtering functions comprise one or both of optical edge-pass filtering and optical bandpass filtering.

### Claim 41

A method for optical channel monitoring, the method comprising:
generating a wavelength reference (WLREF) signal for use in wavelength division multiplexing (WDM) measurement;
applying optical channel monitoring of WDM channels, the optical channel monitoring comprising measuring one or more characteristics associated with WDM signals communicated via the WDM channels;
generating a combined signal based on combining of a first combining input signal and a second combining input signal;
wherein:
the first combining input signal comprises an input WDM signal;
the second combining input signal comprises the WLREF signal or a signal generated based on the WLREF signal; and
the optical channel monitoring is applied to the combined signal;
applying splitting to a splitting input signal, and outputting a plurality of splitting output signals, wherein the splitting input signal comprises the WLREF signal; and
applying switching, wherein the switching comprises selecting one signal from a plurality of switching input signals, and wherein one of the plurality of splitting output signals is inputted as one of the plurality of switching input signals.

### Claim 42 (depends on 41)

The method according to claim 41, further comprising inputting the combined signal as another one of the plurality of switching input signals.

### Claim 43 (depends on 41)

The method according to claim 41, further comprising applying the optical channel monitoring to the selected one signal.

### Claim 44 (depends on 41)

The method according to claim 41, wherein generating the combined signal comprises applying one or more filtering functions.

### Claim 45 (depends on 44)

The method according to claim 44, wherein the one or more filtering functions comprise one or both of optical edge-pass filtering and optical bandpass filtering.

### Claim 46

A method for optical channel monitoring, the method comprising:
generating a wavelength reference (WLREF) signal for use in wavelength division multiplexing (WDM) measurement;
applying optical channel monitoring of WDM channels, the optical channel monitoring comprising measuring one or more characteristics associated with WDM signals communicated via the WDM channels;
generating a combined signal based on combining of a first combining input signal and a second combining input signal;
wherein:
the first combining input signal comprises an input WDM signal;
the second combining input signal comprises the WLREF signal or a signal generated based on the WLREF signal; and
the optical channel monitoring is applied to the combined signal;
applying splitting to a splitting input signal, and outputting a plurality of splitting output signals, wherein the splitting input signal comprises the WLREF signal, wherein the splitting input signal comprises the WLREF signal.

### Claim 47 (depends on 46)

The method according to claim 46, wherein generating the combined signal comprises applying one or more filtering functions.

### Claim 48 (depends on 47)

The method according to claim 47, wherein the one or more filtering functions comprise one or both of optical edge-pass filtering and optical bandpass filtering.