Wavelength-division multiplex system and a method of automatically setting conversion wavelengths of such a system

A wavelength-division multiplexing (WDM) device comprising:

• a multiplexing part having a plurality of input terminals that are capable of receiving fixed wavelengths, respectively, and an output terminal, said fixed wavelengths being multiplexed onto a multiplexed signal and output via said output terminal;
• a plurality of wavelength-converting parts each connected to an optical transmission device so as to convert an input wavelength from said optical transmission device into a converted wavelength corresponding to said fixed wavelength;
• and
• a plurality of interface parts each connected between said input terminal of said multiplexing part and said wavelength-converting part, said interface part having a specific wavelength that matches the fixed wavelength of said input terminal of said multiplexing part,
• wherein said interface part includes an encoder/modulator that encodes and modulates an optical signal in a pattern specific to its specific wavelength and said interface part transmits the encoded and modulated optical signal to the wavelength-converting part connected thereto,
• said specific wavelength of said interface part being detected by reading said specific wavelength from a modulated component of said encoded and modulated optical signal.

A wavelength-division multiplexing (WDM) device comprising:

• a multiplexing part having a plurality of input terminals that are capable of receiving fixed wavelengths, respectively, and an output terminal, said fixed wavelengths being multiplexed onto a multiplexed signal and output via said output terminal;
• a plurality of wavelength-converting parts each connected to an optical transmission device so as to convert an input wavelength from said optical transmission device into a converted wavelength corresponding to said fixed wavelength;
• and
• a plurality of interface parts each connected between said input terminal of said multiplexing part and said wavelength-converting part, said interface part having a specific wavelength that matches the fixed wavelength of said input terminal of said multiplexing part,
• wherein said specific wavelength of said interface part is detected by said interface part transmitting optical signals of its specific wavelength to the wavelength-converting part connected thereto, and said wavelength-converting part analyzing the wavelength of the transmitted optical signal to detect the specific wavelength of said interface part.

A wavelength-division multiplexing (WDM) device comprising:

• a multiplexing part having a plurality of input terminals that are capable of receiving fixed wavelengths, respectively, and an output terminal, said fixed wavelengths being multiplexed onto a multiplexed signal and output via said output terminal;
• a plurality of wavelength-converting parts each connected to an optical transmission device so as to convert an input wavelength from said optical transmission device into a converted wavelength corresponding to said fixed wavelength;
• and
• a plurality of interface parts each connected between said input terminal of said multiplexing part and said wavelength-converting part, said interface part having a specific wavelength that matches the fixed wavelength of said input terminal of said multiplexing part,
• wherein said specific wavelength of said interface part is determined by said interface part transmitting optical signals of its specific wavelength to the wavelength-converting part connected thereto, and said optical signals of the specific wavelength being supplied to a variable wavelength filter provided in said wavelength-converting part while varying the pass-band wavelength of said variable wavelength filter so as to obtain the pass-band wavelength of said filter when said optical signal is allowed to pass through.

A wavelength-division multiplexing (WDM) device comprising:

• a multiplexing part having a plurality of input terminals that are capable of receiving fixed wavelengths, respectively, and an output terminal, said fixed wavelengths being multiplexed onto a multiplexed signal and output via said output terminal;
• a plurality of wavelength-converting parts each connected to an optical transmission device so as to convert an input wavelength from said optical transmission device into a converted wavelength corresponding to said fixed wavelength;
• and
• a plurality of interface parts each connected between said input terminal of said multiplexing part and said wavelength-converting part, said interface part having a specific wavelength that matches the fixed wavelength of said input terminal of said multiplexing part,
• wherein said plurality of interface parts simultaneously generate and output a plurality of signals with different wavelengths, respectively, by wavelength conversion,
• each of said plurality of interface parts being provided with a filter that only allows a signal having its specific wavelength to pass through out of said plurality of signals.

A method of automatically setting a converted wavelength output from each of a plurality of wavelength-converting parts of a wavelength-division multiplexing (WDM) device, said WDM device including:

• a multiplexing part having a plurality of input terminals that are capable of receiving fixed wavelengths, respectively, and an output terminal, said fixed wavelengths being multiplexed onto a multiplexed signal and output via said output terminal;
• a plurality of wavelength-converting parts each connected to an optical transmission device so as to convert an input wavelength from said optical transmission device into a converted wavelength corresponding to said fixed wavelength;
• and
• a plurality of interface parts each connected between said input terminal of said multiplexing part and said wavelength-converting part, said interface part having a specific wavelength that matches the fixed wavelength of said input terminal of said multiplexing part,
• wherein said interface part is provided with a filter that allows said specific wavelength to pass through and an encoder/modulator that encodes and modulates the filtered signal into a pattern specific to said interface part,
• said specific wavelength of said interface part being detecting by sequentially altering the converted wavelength, analyzing wavelengths of the multiplexed signal to detect said encoded and modulated signal wherefrom said pattern specific to said interface part is obtained and identifying said interface part and its specific wavelength.

A method of automatically setting a converted wavelength output from each of a plurality of wavelength-converting parts of a wavelength-division multiplexing (WDM) device, said WDM device including:

• a multiplexing part having a plurality of input terminals that are capable of receiving fixed wavelengths, respectively, and an output terminal, said fixed wavelengths being multiplexed onto a multiplexed signal and output via said output terminal;
• a plurality of wavelength-converting parts each connected to an optical transmission device so as to convert an input wavelength from said optical transmission device into a converted wavelength corresponding to said fixed wavelength;
• and
• a plurality of interface parts each connected between said input terminal of said multiplexing part and said wavelength-converting part, said interface part having a specific wavelength that matches the fixed wavelength of said input terminal of said multiplexing part,
• wherein said interface part encodes and modulates an optical signal in a pattern specific to its specific wavelength and transmits the encoded and modulated optical signal to the wavelength-converting part connected thereto,
• said specific wavelength of said interface part being detected by reading said specific wavelength from a modulated component of said encoded and modulated optical signal.

A method of automatically setting a converted wavelength output from each of a plurality of wavelength-converting parts of a wavelength-division multiplexing (WDM) device, said WDM device including:

• a multiplexing part having a plurality of input terminals that are capable of receiving fixed wavelengths, respectively, and an output terminal, said fixed wavelengths being multiplexed onto a multiplexed signal and output via said output terminal;
• a plurality of wavelength-converting parts each connected to an optical transmission device so as to convert an input wavelength from said optical transmission device into a converted wavelength corresponding to said fixed wavelength;
• and
• a plurality of interface parts each connected between said input terminal of said multiplexing part and said wavelength-converting part, said interface part having a specific wavelength that matches the fixed wavelength of said input terminal of said multiplexing part,
• wherein said specific wavelength of said interface part is detected by said interface part transmitting optical signals of its specific wavelength to the wavelength-converting part connected thereto, and said wavelength-converting part analyzing the wavelength of the transmitted optical signal to detect the specific wavelength of said interface part.

A method of automatically setting a converted wavelength output from each of a plurality of wavelength-converting parts of a wavelength-division multiplexing (WDM) device, said WDM device including:

• a multiplexing part having a plurality of input terminals that are capable of receiving fixed wavelengths, respectively, and an output terminal, said fixed wavelengths being multiplexed onto a multiplexed signal and output via said output terminal;
• a plurality of wavelength-converting parts each connected to an optical transmission device so as to convert an input wavelength from said optical transmission device into a converted wavelength corresponding to said fixed wavelength;
• and
• a plurality of interface parts each connected between said input terminal of said multiplexing part and said wavelength-converting part, said interface part having a specific wavelength that matches the fixed wavelength of said input terminal of said multiplexing part,
• wherein said specific wavelength of said interface part is determined by said interface part transmitting optical signals of its specific wavelength to the wavelength-converting part connected thereto, and said optical signals of the specific wavelength being supplied to a variable wavelength filter provided in said wavelength-converting part while varying the pass-band wavelength of said variable wavelength filter so as to obtain the pass-band wavelength of said filter when said optical signal is allowed to pass through.

A method of automatically setting a converted wavelength output from each of a plurality of wavelength-converting parts of a wavelength-division multiplexing (WDM) device, said WDM device including:

• a multiplexing part having a plurality of input terminals that are capable of receiving fixed wavelengths, respectively, and an output terminal, said fixed wavelengths being multiplexed onto a multiplexed signal and output via said output terminal;
• a plurality of wavelength-converting parts each connected to an optical transmission device so as to convert an input wavelength from said optical transmission device into a converted wavelength corresponding to said fixed wavelength;
• and
• a plurality of interface parts each connected between said input terminal of said multiplexing part and said wavelength-converting part, said interface part having a specific wavelength that matches the fixed wavelength of said input terminal of said multiplexing part,
• wherein said plurality of interface parts simultaneously generate and output a plurality of signals with different wavelengths, respectively, by wavelength conversion,
• each of said plurality of interface parts being provided with a filter that only allows a signal having its specific wavelength to pass through out of said plurality of signals.