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:
Jun. 19, 1990
Filed:
Sep. 17, 1986
John W Hicks, Boston, MA (US);
Other;
Abstract
An optical communications systems, e.g. a telephone system, comprising means to accept even electrical communication signals from transmitting stations, modulate an optical signal with said signal from the transmitting station and, using time-division-multiplexing (TDM), provide a resultant optical communication signal to a central station which utilizes a frequency-division-multiplexing (FDM) system for handling incoming optical signals before passing the optical communication signals on to a receiving station which utilizes time-division-demultiplexing means and, where necessary, reconverts the optical signal to an electrical communication signal. Particular advantages of the system are that it can handle and switch a very large number of signals and that it can be utilized in a hybrid communications system wherein, for example, users of the system can maintain conventional electrical entrance wiring connections and conventional non-optical telephones and yet interface readily with optical street lines of the system. Particular aspects of the invention are novel modulating and signal-selection devices.