Passive bypass for fiber optic ring network

Abstract

A bypass for an optical fiber ring network, including a first partially reflective and partially transmissive surface and a second substantially reflective surface located behind the first surface. Each node of the network includes a transmitting device and a receiving device, each of which is served by an optical fiber. There is also an incoming fiber that supplies signals from the network and an outgoing fiber that is used to place signals on the network. With this invention, the transmitting, incoming, receiving, and outgoing fibers are arranged such that the signal from the transmitting fiber is reflected off the first surface onto the outgoing fiber. The signal from the incoming fiber is reflected off the first surface onto the receiving fiber and also reflected from the second surface onto the outgoing fiber. This feature allows incoming signals to be both received at the node and also passed onto the next node of the ring, which is especially important when the node is inoperable.