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:
Dec. 15, 1998
Filed:
Nov. 13, 1997
David M Braun, Santa Rosa, CA (US);
Hewlett-Packard Company, Palo Alto, CA (US);
Abstract
A wavelength monitor detects wavelength drifts of component channel signals within multi-wavelength light signals. Multiwavelength light incident on the wavelength monitor is cascaded along a multipoint travel path. Within the travel path, the component channel signals are incident on a series of wavelength discriminators arranged on an optically transmissive member. Each wavelength discriminator is selectively transmissive to a predetermined one of the channel signals and is reflective to the remaining component channel signals of the multi-wavelength light signal. According to a first preferred embodiment of the present invention, the optical transmission through each wavelength discriminator varies monotonically according to variations in the wavelength of the predetermined channel signal. Each selectively transmitted channel signal is intercepted by a detector which produces an output current that is mapped to corresponding signal wavelengths. According to a second preferred embodiment of the present invention, the wavelength discriminator includes a dispersive element that maps the applied channel signal to spatial locations dependent upon the signal wavelength. The dispersed signal is intercepted by a split-detector responsive to the spatial location of the dispersed signal. The output currents produced by the split-detector are used to monitor wavelength deviations of the incident channel signal from the predefined channel wavelength.