Method for remodulating an optical stream with independent data
AssigneeLucent Technologies Inc.
InventorBrandon C. Collings
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A method and apparatus for remodulating an optical data stream such that a second modulated data stream is optically transported along with a first modulated data stream. In one embodiment, an optical signal having modulated thereon a first data stream is split into a plurality of reduced power optical signals, wherein at least one of the reduced power optical signals is remodulated to additionally include a second data stream. The first data stream is preferably Manchester encoded, the data rate of the second data stream is preferably one half the data rate of the first data stream.
Claims29
A method, comprising:
- splitting, into a plurality of reduced power optical signals, an optical signal having modulated thereon a first data stream, said first data stream having associated with it a first data rate;
- and
- modulating at least one of said reduced power optical signals according to a second data stream, said second data stream having associated with it a second data rate, said second data rate being less than said first data rate.
A computer readable medium having computer executable instructions for performing steps comprising:
- splitting, into a plurality of reduced power optical signals, an optical signal having modulated thereon a first data stream, said first data stream having associated with it a first data rate;
- and
- modulating at least one of said reduced power optical signals according to a second data stream, said second data stream having associated with it a second data rate, said second data rate being less than said first data rate.
Apparatus, comprising:
- a first power tap, for splitting into a first plurality of reduced power optical signals, an optical signal having modulated thereon a first data stream, said first data stream having associated with it a first data rate;
- and
- a first modulator, for modulating at least one of said first plurality of reduced power optical signals according to a second data stream to form a remodulated optical signal, said second data stream having associated with it a second data rate, said second data rate being less than said first data rate.
Apparatus, comprising:
- a first power tap, for receiving an optical signal having modulated thereon a first data stream, said first data stream having associated with it a first data rate;
- a second power tap, in communication with said first power tap via an optical medium, for splitting said optical signal having modulated thereon said first data stream into a plurality of reduced power optical signals;
- a reflective modulator, for remodulating at least one of said reduced power optical signals according to a second data stream and conveying said remodulated reduced power optical signal back to said first power tap via said optical medium, said second data rate being less than said first data rate;
- said first power tap splitting said remodulated optical signal into a plurality of reduced power remodulated optical signals, each of said reduced power remodulated optical signals being suitable for processing by a receiver to extract therefrom either said first or second data streams.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.