US 8,787,771 B2 · All-optical regenerator and optical network incorporating same

Abstract

The present invention provides an optical networking device for re-amplifying, re-shaping, and re-timing an optical signal, as well as providing distortion compensation and performance monitoring of the optical signal. The optical networking device includes an all-optical regenerator device for one or more of re-amplifying, re-shaping, and re-timing the optical signal; a distortion compensator device for compensating for distortion associated with the optical signal; and a quality-of-signal monitoring device for measuring the quality of the optical signal. Preferably, the all-optical regenerator device, the distortion compensator device, and the quality-of-signal monitoring device are disposed within a single module. The quality-of-signal monitoring device measures the optical signal subsequent to distortion compensation. Alternatively, the quality-of-signal monitoring device measures the optical signal subsequent to distortion compensation and all-optical regeneration. In various embodiments, the quality-of-signal monitoring device provides feedback to the distortion compensator device, a distortion compensator device disposed along a line system, one or more of an optical amplifier and a distortion compensator device disposed along the line system, and a transmitter device disposed along the line system.

Claims25

Dependent claims

An optical networking device for re-amplifying, re-shaping, and re-timing an optical signal, as well as providing distortion compensation and performance monitoring of the optical signal, comprising:

an all-optical regenerator device for two or more of re-amplifying, re-shaping, and re-timing the optical signal;
a distortion compensator device for compensating for distortion associated with the optical signal;
and
a quality-of-signal monitoring device for measuring the quality of the optical signal, wherein the quality of the optical signal is measured subsequent to demultiplexing and after the all-optical regenerator device and the distortion compensator device and before subsequent multiplexing and amplification of the optical signal, and wherein the quality-of-signal monitoring device is operable for performing fault isolation on a per channel basis;
wherein the quality-of-signal monitoring device provides feedback to the distortion compensator device subsequent to demultiplexing and then the feedback-modified optical signal is provided to the all-optical regenerator device;
and
wherein the distortion compensator device compensates for one or more of chromatic dispersion, polarization mode dispersion, bandwidth limiting, and self-phase modulation associated with the optical signal.

4 more elements

An optical network, comprising:

a node for two or more of re-amplifying, re-shaping, and re-timing an optical signal, as well as providing distortion compensation and performance monitoring of the optical signal, comprising:
an all-optical regenerator device for two or more of re-amplifying, re-shaping, and re-timing the optical signal;
a distortion compensator device for compensating for distortion associated with the optical signal;
and
a quality-of-signal monitoring device for measuring the quality of the optical signal, wherein the quality of the optical signal is measured subsequent to demultiplexing and after the all-optical regenerator device and the distortion compensator device and before subsequent multiplexing and amplification of the optical signal, and wherein the quality-of-signal monitoring device is operable for performing fault isolation on a per channel basis;
wherein the quality-of-signal monitoring device provides feedback to the distortion compensator device subsequent to demultiplexing and then the feedback-modified optical signal is provided to the all-optical regenerator device;
and
wherein the distortion compensator device comprises a tunable dispersion compensator device.

5 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

All-optical regenerator and optical network incorporating same

Life of this patent

All-optical regenerator and optical network incorporating same

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims25