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. 15, 2002
Filed:
Dec. 22, 2000
Yongzhang Leng, Damascus, MD (US);
John Lynn Shanton, III, Middleton, MD (US);
Seneca Networks, Inc., Rockville, MD (US);
Abstract
The present invention provides a bidirectional wavelength division multiplexed optical communication system having bidirectional optical service channels. The bidirectional WDM optical communication system includes a bidirectional optical waveguide configured to carry a bidirectional optical communication signal comprising counterpropagating WDM optical signals. Each WDM optical signal includes plural optical channels and an optical service channel. A bidirectional optical add-drop multiplexer optically communicates with the waveguide. A first optical service channel selector optically communicates with the first bidirectional optical add-drop multiplexer input/output port. The first optical service channel selector is configured to separate the first optical service channel from the first WDM optical communication signal such that the first WDM signal enters the first input/output port of the bidirectional optical add-drop multiplexer and the first optical service channel is routed to a service channel module. Similarly, a second optical service channel selector optically communicates with the second input/output port of the bidirectional optical add-drop multiplexer and routes the second optical service channel to a service channel module. The bidirectional WDM optical communication system may advantageously by deployed in metropolitan networks requiring high volumes of add-drop multiplexing.