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US 6,324,318 B1Granted
Redundant optical source switching method and wavelength division multiplexing transmission apparatus using the same
AssigneeFujitsu Limited
InventorYasuo Suzuki
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A redundant switch method includes a step of producing a substitute light of a wavelength identical to that of a faulty working light source which is one of working light sources having different wavelengths by optical four-wave mixing using a protection light from a protection light source and a branch light which is one of branch lights obtained from the working light sources and has a given relationship with the faulty working light source. A transmission light of the faulty working light source is replaced by the substitute light.
Claims18
A redundant switch method comprising the steps of:
- producing a substitute light of a wavelength identical to that of a faulty working light source which is one of working light sources having different wavelengths by optical four-wave mixing using a protection light from a protection light source and a branch light which is one of branch lights obtained from the working light sources and has a given relationship with the faulty working light source;
- and
- replacing a transmission light of the faulty working light source by the substitute light.
A WDM apparatus comprising:
- working light sources having different wavelengths;
- a protection light source having a wavelength different from those of the working light sources;
- photocouplers which cause lights from the working light sources to branch and add substitute lights to optical transmission routes of the working light sources;
- a branch light selecting part which selects one of branch lights from the photocouplers in accordance with a control signal externally supplied;
- a wavelength converting part which produces the substitute lights by optical four-wave mixing using the branch lights from the photocouplers and the protection light from the protection light source;
- a substitute light delivery part which deliver the substitute lights to the photocouplers;
- and
- a switching control part which controls the branch light selecting part and the wavelength converting part so that one of the substitute lights which has a wavelength identical to that of a faulty one of the working light sources is produced and applied to a corresponding one of the photocouplers.
5 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.