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:
Jan. 01, 2002
Filed:
Dec. 31, 1999
Kok-Wai Chang, Sunnyvale, CA (US);
Kuochou Tai, Freemont, CA (US);
JDS Uniphase Corporation, San Jose, CA (US);
Abstract
Interleaver/deinterleaver apparatuses for combining/separating optical channels are described. An interleaver/deinterleaver apparatus is described as folded when an optical signal is directed through a single crystal multiple times. Double-pass refers to the optical signal following a (folded) path through the apparatus twice. When operating as an deinterleaver, the interleaver/deinterleaver separates an optical signal (e.g., WDM signal) into subsets of optical signals (e.g., channels). In one embodiment, deinterleaving optical signals separates an optical signal into even and odd International Telecommunications Union (ITU) channels. When operating as an interleaver, the interleaver/deinterleaver mixes subsets of optical signals (e.g., channels) into a multiplexed (e.g., WDM) optical signal. The interleaver/deinterleaver apparatus can be used to increase the bandwidth of an optical network. For example, the interleaver/deinterleaver can be used to interface components designed for a first channel spacing (e.g., 100 GHz) to components designed for a second channel spacing (e.g., 200 GHz). In one embodiment, interleaveing combines even and odd ITU channels into a single optical signal.