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US 6,647,174 B2Granted
Optical fiber transmission bypass device
AssigneeInternational Business Machines Corporation
InventorsThomas Michael Gooding, Jeffrey Joseph Ruedinger, Christopher Paul Schieffer, Michael Arthur Snyder
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An optical transmission bypass device attaching a network device to a fiber optic network allows fiber optic transmissions to bypass the network device when not powered, thereby maintaining continuity of the fiber network. A first and second actuating optical reflector has a reflective face that, in an un-powered state, is disposed to place the reflective face of the actuating optical reflector in a first position with respect to an optical path of an optical port, and, in a powered state, is disposed to place the reflective face of the actuating optical reflector in a second position with respect to the optical path of the optical port.
Claims20
An optical transmission bypass device, comprising:
- a first optical port optically coupled to a first optical transmission line, wherein the first optical port receives optical transmission data provided by the first optical transmission line;
- a first actuating optical reflector with a reflective face that, in a first state, is disposed to place the reflective face of the first actuating optical reflector in a first position with respect to an optical path of the received optical transmission data, and, in a second state, is disposed to place the reflective face of the first actuating optical reflector in a second position with respect to the optical path of the received optical transmission data, wherein the first actuating optical reflector is in the first state when the first actuating optical reflector is not electrically powered;
- a second optical port optically coupled to a second optical transmission line, wherein the second optical port provides optical transmission data for transmission by the second optical transmission line;
- a second actuating optical reflector with a reflective face that, in the first state, is disposed to place the reflective face of the second actuating optical reflector in a first position with respect to an optical path of the optical transmission data provided by the second optical port to the second optical transmission line, and, in the second state, is disposed to place the reflective face of the second actuating optical reflector in a second position with respect to the optical path of the optical transmission data provided by the second optical port to the second optical transmission line, wherein the second actuating reflector is in the first state when the second actuating optical reflector is not electrically powered;
- and
- a third optical transmission line positioned between the first actuating reflector and the second actuating reflector;
- wherein, in the first state:
- the third optical transmission line is optically coupled at a first end to the first optical port by the reflective face of the first actuating optical reflector and optically coupled at a second end to the second optical port by the reflective face of the second actuating optical reflector, such that received optical transmission data at the first optical port is reflected from the first reflective face of the first actuating optical reflector into the first end of the third optical transmission line and out of the second end of the third optical transmission line and reflected from the second reflective face of the second actuating optical reflector to the second optical port to provide the received optical transmission data for transmission by the second optical transmission line.
5 more elements
A system for transmitting data, comprising:
- an optical network having a plurality of devices optically coupled thereto, wherein at least one of the plurality of devices includes an optical transmission bypass device, comprising:
- a first optical port optically coupled to a first optical transmission line, wherein the first optical port receives optical transmission data provided by the first optical transmission line;
- a first actuating optical reflector with a reflective face that, in a first state, is disposed to place the reflective face of the first actuating optical reflector in a first position with respect to an optical path of the received optical transmission data, and, in a second state, is disposed to place the reflective face of the first actuating optical reflector in a second position with respect to the optical path of the received optical transmission data, wherein the first actuating optical reflector is in the first state when the first actuating optical reflector is not electrically powered;
- a second optical port optically coupled to a second optical transmission line, wherein the second optical port provides optical transmission data for transmission by the second optical transmission line;
- a second actuating optical reflector with a reflective face that, in the first state, is disposed to place the reflective face of the second actuating optical reflector in a first position with respect to an optical path of the optical transmission data provided by the second optical port to the second optical transmission line, and, in the second state, is disposed to place the reflective face of the second actuating optical reflector in a second position with respect to the optical path of the optical transmission data provided by the second optical port to the second optical transmission line, wherein the second actuating reflector is in the first state when the second actuating optical reflector is not electrically powered;
- and
- a third optical transmission line positioned between the first actuating reflector and the second actuating reflector, wherein, in the first state:
- the third optical transmission line is optically coupled at a first end to the first optical port by the reflective face of the first actuating optical reflector and optically coupled at a second end to the second optical port by the reflective face of the second actuating optical reflector, such that received optical transmission data at the first optical port is reflected from the first reflective face of the first actuating optical reflector into the first end of the third optical transmission line and out of the second end of the third optical transmission line and reflected from the second reflective face of the second actuating optical reflector to the second optical port to provide the received optical transmission data for transmission by the second optical transmission line.
5 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.