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:
Sep. 07, 1999
Filed:
May. 14, 1997
Oichi Kubota, Atsugi, JP;
Masao Majima, Isehara, JP;
Canon Kabushiki Kaisha, Tokyo, JP;
Abstract
A wavelength control method controls a wavelength of output light from an optical transmitter used in an optical communication system for performing wavelength-multiplexing. The method includes steps of causing light-output means of the optical transmitter to output light and guiding the output light of the light-output means and light used in the optical communication system to a wavelength tunable filter. The method also includes sweeping a selective wavelength of the wavelength tunable filter, and detecting, based on the sweeping, if a wavelength spacing between a wavelength of the output light, which is output from the light-output means, and a wavelength of the light used in the optical communication system, which is adjacent to the wavelength of the output light on a wavelength axis on either a longer wavelength side or a shorter wavelength side, is wider or narrower than a predetermined wavelength spacing. The method also includes performing control in which the wavelength of the output light is caused to approach the adjacent wavelength when the wavelength spacing is detected to be wider than the predetermined wavelength in said detecting step and the wavelength of the output light is caused to be away from the adjacent wavelength when the wavelength spacing is detected to be narrower than the predetermined wavelength.