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. 19, 1998
Filed:
Sep. 16, 1996
Ingrid Zulma Van De Voorde, Wilrijk, BE;
Gert Van Der Plas, Merchtem, BE;
Alcatel N.V., Rijswijk, NL;
Abstract
The optical amplifier combiner arrangement is used in a tree-like optical network (APON) comprising a cascade connection of dedicated branches, of the arrangement and of a common branch. The arrangement is coupled between a plurality of optical network users and an optical line terminator, via the dedicated branches and the common branch respectively. The network enables upstream transmission of information signals from the optical network users to the optical line terminator. The optical amplifier combiner arrangement includes for each branch of the dedicated branches (1) an optical amplifier to amplify an information signal with a gain value and to thereby generate an amplified information signal with a predetermined power level, (2) an optical on/off switch coupled between the optical amplifier and an optical combiner to pass the amplified information signal when the information signal is present and to interrupt the branch when the information signal is not present. The optical combiner is included in the arrangement to combine all amplified information signals according to a multiple access technique and to thereby generate an outgoing optical signal for application to the optical line terminator.