US 9,285,267 B2 · Optical communication reception system

Abstract

A system configured to maintain a consistent local-oscillator-power-to-primary-signal-power ratio (LO/SIG ratio). The system may be configured to: receive the voltages for a plurality of optical signal components split from a combined SIG and LO signal; determine individual factors for the plurality of optical signal components; average the individual factors; determine whether the averaged output is less than an existing minimum reference value for a variable optical attenuator; determine whether the averaged output is greater than an existing maximum reference value for the variable optical attenuator; change the existing minimum reference value to a new value associated with the averaged output, due to determining that the averaged output is less than the existing minimum reference value; change the existing maximum reference value to a new value associated with the averaged output, due to determining that the averaged output is greater than the existing maximum reference value; and change a new value associated with the averaged output to be transmitted to the variable optical attenuator.

Claims20

Dependent claims

A method, comprising:

receiving an optical signal, via an attenuator;
receiving a local oscillator signal from a local oscillator source;
identifying voltages for optical signal components of the optical signal and of the local oscillator signal, wherein the voltages for the optical signal components are analog signal components;
identifying voltages for additional signal components associated with optical noise and electrical noise;
determining a ratio representing a relationship between signal power of the optical signal and signal power of the local oscillator signal based on the voltages for the analog signal components and the additional signal components;
and
transmitting a control signal to the attenuator, the control signal configured to control the optical signal to maintain the ratio.

4 more elements

An apparatus, comprising:

a local oscillator source configured to output a local oscillator signal;
an attenuator configured to:
receive an optical signal;
attenuate the optical signal;
and output the attenuated optical signal;
a dual polarization receiver communicatively coupled to the local oscillator source and the attenuator, the dual polarization receiver configured to receive the attenuated optical signal from the attenuator and the local oscillator signal from the local oscillator source;
and
a control unit communicatively coupled to the dual polarization receiver and configured to:
identify voltages for optical signal components of the attenuated optical signal and of the local oscillator signal, wherein the voltages for the optical signal components are analog signal components;
identify voltages for additional signal components associated with optical noise and electrical noise;
determine a ratio representing a relationship between signal power of the attenuated optical signal and signal power of the local oscillator signal based on the voltages for the analog signal components and the additional signal components;
and
transmit a control signal to the attenuator, the control signal configured to maintain the ratio.

10 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Optical communication reception system

Life of this patent

Optical communication reception system

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims20