US 5,822,474 A · Optical branching apparatus and transmission line setting method therefor

Abstract

An optical branching apparatus for branching optical transmission lines as reverse and forward links through a plurality of ports includes a plurality of demultiplexing units, a plurality of multiplexing units, and a plurality of optical transmission media. Each of the plurality of demultiplexing unit is arranged in each of the ports to demultiplex a light beam input from the optical transmission line in accordance with one of a wavelength and a wavelength band. Each of the plurality of multiplexing units is arranged in the each port to multiplex light beams having different wavelengths or wavelength bands demultiplexed by the demultiplexing units of remaining ports and outputs a multiplexed light beam to the optical transmission line. One of the wavelength and the wavelength band is determined in accordance with a combination of an optical transmission source and an optical transmission destination. Each of the plurality of optical transmission media connects the each demultiplexing unit to at least one of the multiplexing units of the remaining ports to perform optical transmission.

Claims10

Dependent claims

An optical branching apparatus for branching optical transmission lines as reverse and forward links through a plurality of ports, comprising:

a plurality of demultiplexing means, each arranged in each of said ports, each for demultiplexing a light beam input from said optical transmission line in accordance with one of a wavelength and a wavelength band;
a plurality of multiplexing means, each arranged in said each port, each for multiplexing light beams having pre-selected wavelengths or wavelength bands demultiplexed by said demultiplexing means of remaining ports and outputting a multiplexed light beam to said optical transmission line, wherein each one of the wavelength and the wavelength band having been pre-selected in accordance with a combination of an optical transmission source and an optical transmission destination;
and
a plurality of optical transmission media, each for connecting said each demultiplexing means to at least one of said multiplexing means of the remaining ports to perform optical transmission of said preselected one of a wavelength and a wavelength band.

1 more element

An optical branching apparatus for efficiently directing multiplexed optical signals of plural wavelengths to desired destinations comprising:

N ports, each said port comprising a demultiplexing/multiplexing unit, N-1 output terminals and N-1 input terminals each said terminal for transmitting and receiving a light beam having a single wavelength respectively;
a plurality of optical transmission media for connecting each said unit through said input and output terminals with two optical pathways serving as forward and reverse links to each remaining said unit;
each said unit adapted for receiving a multiplexed optical signal and demultiplexing and outputting said signal as N-1 wavelengths through said forward links according to assigned wavelengths, each of said N-1 wavelengths to one of said other units;
and
each said unit adapted to receive said N-1 wavelengths from said other units through said forward links and multiplex and output said N-1 wavelengths to a destination on an optical cable.

2 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Optical branching apparatus and transmission line setting method therefor

Life of this patent

Optical branching apparatus and transmission line setting method therefor

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims10