The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Apr. 12, 1977
Filed:
Nov. 17, 1975
Charles K Kao, Southwest Roanoke, VA (US);
International Telephone and Telegraph Corporation, Nutley, NJ (US);
Abstract
A multiple access fiber optical bus system having superior features as compared to the prior art is provided in which single fibers may be used as transmission lines in a closed loop system. A plurality of optical transmission mixers are provided, each of which mixes the inputs from one or more transmission lines to provide outputs to a multiplicity of transmission lines. Each of the mixers independently operates a plurality of transmission lines. Various degrees of reliability terminals are provided. A high reliability terminal has inputs from and outputs to the last one of the transmission lines on the output side of each of the independent mixers. A low reliability terminal has connections to only one of the independent mixers transmission lines. Any degree of reliability between the lowest and highest can be obtained depending upon the number of independent mixer loops to which such a terminal is connected.