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:
May. 02, 1989
Filed:
Dec. 14, 1987
Homer W Heinzman, Arlington, TX (US);
LTV Aerospace and Defense Company, Dallas, TX (US);
Abstract
Optical communication system having repeater amplifiers cascaded with plurality of optical star couplers wherein each star coupler is coupled to an associated set of terminals. Each star coupler has two mixing sections serially disposed between its input and output terminal ports. Star couplers receive optical signals from their associated terminals, mix the received signals and retransmit the mixed signals to each terminal in its associated set and to each of the repeater amplifiers. Star couplers also receive amplified signals from the repeater amplifiers, mix the received amplified signal and retransmit the mixed optical signals only to their associated terminals. Star couplers, thus, enable optical signals transmitted by their associated terminals to be transmitted to each terminal in the system without permitting the same signal to be returned to the same star coupler, thereby avoiding the formation of continuous optical loops and hence avoiding the problem of optical lockup.