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:
Feb. 03, 1987
Filed:
Feb. 05, 1985
Harold B Shutterly, Edgewood Boro, PA (US);
Westinghouse Electric Corp., Pittsburgh, PA (US);
Abstract
A T-connection fiber-optic repeater is used in a fiber-optic network wherein the repeaters are connected by optical fibers to other repeaters and the repeaters are also connected to stars, in such a manner that an optical signal can move from repeater to repeater without having to traverse a star. Each repeater includes optical receivers for receiving optical signals from the adjacent repeaters and from a nearby star and optical transmitters for emitting optical signals to the adjacent repeaters and the nearby star. Since signal reflections from the nearby star arrive almost immediately after signals from the adjacent repeaters, an inhibit circuit is used to gate signals from the nearby star when signals are being received from either of the adjacent repeaters. This avoids instability arising from repeated signal reflection without imposing a significant time delay as reflected signals propagate through long lengths of fiber. Modified embodiments permit a repeater to support more than one nearby star or to be used in a branching fiber-optic network.