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:
Oct. 23, 2001
Filed:
Apr. 28, 1998
Mohammed Fassih-Nia, Austin, TX (US);
Ernest A. Cisneros, Pflugerville, TX (US);
Milton E. Cram, Austin, TX (US);
Donald Ray Taylor, Austin, TX (US);
Weed Instrument Company, Incorporated, Round Rock, TX (US);
Abstract
An optical communication system (,) includes a plurality of nodes (,), each node connected in a first optical communication path (,) and a second optical communication path (,) extending parallel to the first optical communication path. The first optical communication path (,) is joined to each node by a first receiver (,) and first transmitter (,), while the second optical communication path (,) is joined to each node by a second receiver (,) and second transmitter (,). One of the nodes comprises a control unit node (,) having a control unit (,) associated therewith. The other nodes of the communication system comprise data unit nodes, each having a data unit (,) associated therewith. The communication system (,) normally operates with the control unit (,) in an open mode of operation in which data is not transferred across the node. Thus, in normal operation, the communication system (,) operates in an open ring configuration. When a fault occurs on the optical communication path (,) between adjacent data units, the system detects the fault and switches the control unit (,) to a closed mode of operation in which data is transferred along both optical communication paths (,) across the control unit node (,).