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:
May. 14, 2002
Filed:
Jul. 31, 2001
Graham R. Allan, Columbia, MD (US);
Seneca Networks, Rockville, MD (US);
Abstract
The present invention improves the performance of optical networks, particularly optical ring networks, by reducing amplified spontaneous emission thereby increasing the available gain of optical amplifiers within that network. In one embodiment, the invention provides a WDM optical communication system having an optical fiber ring with optical fiber amplifiers interposed along the ring. An optical wavelength is injected into the optical fiber ring at a first location; the optical wavelength is selected to be located within a region of amplified spontaneous emission for the optical fiber amplifier. The optical wavelength is dropped from the optical fiber ring at a second location positioned such that the injected optical wavelength is dropped at or prior to returning to the first location within the ring. The optical wavelength passes through at least two of the plurality of optical amplifiers before being dropped from the optical fiber ring.