# US 8,787,771 B2 · All-optical regenerator and optical network incorporating same > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 8,787,771 B2 - Document ID: US8787771B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 11/544,237 - Filed: 2006-10-06 - Published: 2008-04-10 - Granted: 2014-07-22 - Earliest claimed: 2006-10-06 - Assignees: Ciena Corporation - Applicants: Michael Y. Frankel - Inventors: Michael Y. Frankel - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US8787771B2 ## CPC - H04B 10/25133: {including a lumped electrical or optical dispersion compensator (H04B10/2519, H04B10/2525 takes precedence)} - H04B 10/0795: {Performance monitoring; Measurement of transmission parameters} - H04B 10/299: Signal waveform processing, e.g. reshaping or retiming - H04B: TRANSMISSION ## 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. ## Claims ### Claim 1 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. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The optical networking device of claim 1, wherein the all-optical regenerator device, the distortion compensator device, and the quality-of-signal monitoring device are disposed within a single module. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The optical networking device of claim 1, wherein the all-optical regenerator device comprises one or more of a cross-gain modulation device, a cross-phase modulation device, a four-wave-mixing device, and a self-phase modulation device. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The optical networking device of claim 1, wherein the all-optical regenerator device comprises a semiconductor optical amplifier device comprising a Mach-Zehnder interferometer with a semiconductor optical amplifier in each arm, wherein degraded data signal and control signal inputs are received. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The optical networking device of claim 1, wherein the all-optical regenerator device comprises one or more of a semiconductor optical amplifier, an electroabsorption modulator, a nonlinear optical loop mirror, a Mach-Zehnder interferometer, and a section of highly nonlinear optical fiber. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The optical networking device of claim 1, wherein the distortion compensator device comprises a tunable dispersion compensator device. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The optical networking device of claim 1, wherein the distortion compensator device comprises one or more of an optical lattice filter, an etalon filter, a polarization controller, and a modulator. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The optical networking device of claim 1, wherein the quality-of-signal monitoring device measures one or more of cumulative systematic signal distortion on each data bit and cumulative noise on each data bit. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The optical networking device of claim 1, wherein the quality-of-signal monitoring device comprises one or more of an optical sensor means for detecting an optical signal, an optical to electrical conversion means, and an electrical processing means for providing a control signal to the distortion compensator device. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The optical networking device of claim 1, wherein the quality-of-signal monitoring device provides feedback to a distortion compensator device disposed along a line system prior to demultiplexing. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The optical networking device of claim 1, wherein the quality-of-signal monitoring device provides feedback to one or more of an optical amplifier and a distortion compensator device disposed along a line system. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The optical networking device of claim 1, wherein the quality-of-signal monitoring device provides feedback to a transmitter device disposed along a line system. ### Claim 13 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. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The optical network of claim 13, wherein the all-optical regenerator device comprises one or more of a cross-gain modulation device, a cross-phase modulation device, a four-wave-mixing device, and a self-phase modulation device. ### Claim 15 (depends on 13) The optical network of claim 13, wherein the all-optical regenerator device comprises a semiconductor optical amplifier device comprising a Mach-Zehnder interferometer with a semiconductor optical amplifier in each arm, wherein degraded data signal and control signal inputs are received. ### Claim 16 (depends on 13) The optical network of claim 13, wherein the all-optical regenerator device comprises one or more of a semiconductor optical amplifier, an electroabsorption modulator, a nonlinear optical loop mirror, a Mach-Zehnder interferometer, and a section of highly nonlinear optical fiber. ### Claim 17 (depends on 13) The optical network of claim 13, 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. ### Claim 18 (depends on 13) The optical network of claim 13, wherein the distortion compensator device comprises one or more of an optical lattice filter, an etalon filter, a polarization controller, and a modulator. ### Claim 19 (depends on 13) The optical network of claim 13, wherein the quality-of-signal monitoring device measures one or more of cumulative systematic signal distortion on each data bit and cumulative noise on each data bit. ### Claim 20 (depends on 13) The optical network of claim 13, wherein the quality-of-signal monitoring device comprises one or more of an optical sensor means for detecting an optical signal, an optical to electrical conversion means, and an electrical processing means for providing a control signal to the distortion compensator device. ### Claim 21 (depends on 13) The optical network of claim 13, wherein the quality-of-signal monitoring device provides feedback to a distortion compensator device disposed along a line system of the optical network prior to demultiplexing. ### Claim 22 (depends on 13) The optical network of claim 13, wherein the quality-of-signal monitoring device provides feedback to one or more of an optical amplifier and a distortion compensator device disposed along a line system of the optical network. ### Claim 23 (depends on 13) The optical network of claim 13, wherein the quality-of-signal monitoring device provides feedback to a transmitter device disposed along a line system of the optical network. ### Claim 24 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; 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. ### Claim 25 (depends on 24) The optical networking device of claim 24, wherein the quality-of-signal monitoring device is operable for performing fault isolation on a per channel basis.