Optical path switching signal transmission/reception apparatus and corresponding method

An apparatus including a combination of an optically controlled optical path switching type optical signal transmission/reception apparatus and a reflection-type star coupler based bidirectional optical communication apparatus that uses a part of control light to drive the optically controlled optical path switching apparatus, comprising:

• a host optical signal transmission/reception apparatus;
• a one-to-seven compatible optically controlled optical path switching apparatus connected to the host optical signal transmission/reception apparatus via a first optical path constructed by an optical fiber or an optical waveguide;
• a total of seven subordinate optical communication adapters connected to the one-to-seven compatible optically controlled optical path switching apparatus via second optical paths constructed by an optical fiber or an optical waveguide and configured to transmit and receive signal light to and from the one-to-seven compatible optically controlled optical path switching apparatus via the second optical paths;
• user side devices connected to the total of seven subordinate optical communication adapters via an electric circuit;
• an optical transmission/reception control circuit provided in each of the total of seven subordinate user side optical communication adapters, and including at least an uplink optical signal transmission mechanism, a downlink optical signal reception mechanism, a control light source that can generate control light to drive the one-to-seven compatible optically controlled optical path switching apparatus, in which a wavelength of the generated control light is different from a wavelength of the signal light, and an optical communication oriented transmission/reception mechanism using the wavelength of the control light source;
• third optical paths dedicated to the control light and constructed by an optical fiber or an optical waveguide to connect the one-to-seven compatible optically controlled optical path switching apparatus and the total of seven subordinate user side optical communication adapters;
• a plurality of distributors provided on respective third optical paths dedicated to the control light;
• and
• a reflection-type star coupler including a multiplexer that binds fourth optical paths extending from respective distributors and constructed by an optical fiber or an optical waveguide, and a mirror provided at a bound emission terminal of the multiplexer.

An optical signal transmission/reception method combining a method for optically controlling switching of an optical path of signal light to one of a total of N (N being an integer equal to or greater than 2) different directions using control light, wherein a wavelength of the signal light is different from a wavelength of the control signal and the signal light has at least one type of wavelength, and a method for performing bidirectional optical communication with the wavelength of the control light by superposing an optical communication signal on the control light, partly distributing the signal light, multiplexing the distributed signal light, and then reflecting the multiplexed signal light with a mirror,

• wherein, when a subordinate optical communication adapter connected to a user side device requests optical communication to be performed via the host optical signal transmission/reception apparatus, the subordinate optical communication adapter performs:
• monitoring a communication status of another user in a reflection-type star coupler based optical LAN;
• performing synchronization processing for time division multiplexing transmission/reception;
• further, checking a time slot for time division multiplexing to transmit an uplink signal to the host optical signal transmission/reception apparatus;
• driving a control light source mounted on the subordinate optical communication adapter according to the time slot allocated to itself for time division multiplexing;
• performing an optical path switching operation to connect an optical path of itself to an optically controlled optical path switching apparatus that switches the optical path of the signal light having at least one type of wavelength different from that of the control light to one of a total of N different directions;
• transmitting a sync signal to another subordinate optical communication adapter;
• transmitting the uplink signal to the host optical signal transmission/reception apparatus, together with an identification code given to the uplink signal for a corresponding returning/downlink signal;
• and
• meanwhile, receiving a downlink signal from the host optical signal transmission/reception apparatus, deciphering the received downlink signal, determining a user house addressing signal and an identification code of an in-house user side device, transmitting a signal addressed to itself to a user side device connected to itself, and distributing a signal addressed to another in-house user side device, via a control light source, to a corresponding user side device connected to the reflection-type star coupler based optical LAN.