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. 28, 2002
Filed:
Dec. 02, 1997
Manfred Kaiser, Hemmingen, DE;
Frank Hehl, Murr, DE;
Rainer Hausser, Fellbach, DE;
Jürgen Anhorn, Kornwestheim, DE;
Alcatel, Paris, FR;
Abstract
An optical switching unit is disclosed which permits switching from faulty components to standby components in optical transmission systems. A component in this connection may be a transmit laser or an optical fiber, for example. The optical switching unit (OSE) according to the invention contains an n×m optical space switch (ORS) whose ports (P A . . . PNA; P B . . . PMB) are monitored by photodiodes (M A, M B). The photodiodes provide a control unit (SE) with information as to whether and, if so, what signals are arriving at the ports. The control unit (SE) controls the position of the optical switch (ORS) in accordance with program instructions. The switching unit controls itself, i.e., incorporation of a higher-level control center is not necessary. It thus allows very short switching times and has many applications; it is particularly suitable for use in modular optical transmission systems.