Optical fiber system
AssigneeCORNING INCORPORATED, a New York corporation
InventorMartin Hempstead
Life of this patent
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Abstract
The optical fiber system includes a connector that is adapted to selectively communicate with an external pump system. The connector communicates with an onboard pump multiplexer which also receives input from an on-board pump via a connector. The on-board pump may be hot swapped by connecting an external pump system to the connector and coordinating the power up of the external pump system with the power down of the on-board pump to replace a failed on-board pump with a new pump.
Claims11
An optical fiber system, said system capable of providing both pump and signal light to another system comprising:
- a first, internal optical pump;
- a pump multiplexer in communication with said first, internal optical pump;
- an external connector in communication with said pump multiplexer
- a pump/signal multiplexer in communication said pump multiplexer and a signal line;
- and
- at least one external optical pump, optically and mechanically independent from said first, internal optical pump and, detachably connectable to said external connector so that said first, internal optical pump can be replaced with another pump without interrupting output from said optical fiber system.
An external pump system adapted to communicate with an optical fiber system that includes a first, internal optical pump, a pump multiplexer in communication with said first internal, optical pump, and an external connector in communication with said pump multiplexer, said external pump system comprising:
- a second optical pump;
- a connector in communication with said second optical pump, wherein said connector is adapted to detachably connect to said external connector on said optical fiber pumping system;
- and
- a gain control system in communication with said first and second pumps that coordinate a shutdown of said first, internal optical pump with a powering up of said second pump, such as to enable continued provision of multiplexed signal and pump light from an output port of said pump signal multiplexer.
A method for replacing an optical pump in an optical fiber system that includes a first optical pump, a pump multiplexer in communication with said first optical pump, and an external connector in communication with said pump multiplexer, said method comprising the steps of:
- (i) providing an external pump system that includes a second optical pump;
- (ii) detachably connecting said external pump system to said external connector;
- (iii) powering up said second optical pump;
- (iv) removing the power from said first optical pump;
- (v) removing said first optical pump from said optical fiber system;
- (vi) providing a third optical pump;
- (vii) installing said third optical pump in said optical fiber system;
- wherein said powering up said second optical pump is done while said first pump is powered down such that a selected gain level is maintained;
- removing the power from said second optical pump is done while said third optical pump is powered up such that said selected gain level is maintained;
- and
- (viii) disconnecting said external pump system from said external connector, such that said first optical pump is removed without interrupting operation of said optical fiber system.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.