Channel monitor and method for estimating optical power

1. A method for estimating optical power in an optical channel, the method comprising:

a. determining a tunable filter full-width, FW F , by measuring a frequency response of the tunable filter to a known signal;

b. coupling a portion of an optical channel to an input of the tunable optical filter with an optical coupler;

c. determining a peak power response, P R , and a response full-width, FW R , to the optical channel by measuring a response of the tunable filter to the optical channel and mapping the response to frequency; and

d. calculating a signal power, P s , from the peak power response, P R , and a ratio of the response full-width, FW R , to the tunable filter full-width, FW F .

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the tunable filter full-width, FW F , is determined by measuring a response of the tunable filter to an unmodulated signal and mapping the response to frequency.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein the unmodulated signal comprising a signal that estimates a delta function.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising determining a power factor that calibrates the calculated signal power, P S .

5. The method of claim 4 wherein the power factor relates the peak power response P R measurement to the response full-width, FW R .

6. The method of claim 4 wherein the power factor is predetermined through experiments.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the tunable filter full-width, FW F , and the response full-width, FW R , are measured at the same percentage down from their peak response.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the calculating the signal power, P S , comprises performing a deconvolution of the peak power response, P R , with the ratio of the response full-width, FW R , to the tunable filter full-width, FW F .

9. The method of claim 1 further comprising changing a passband of the tunable optical filter and then determining a peak power response, P R , and a full width tunable filter response, FW R , by measuring the response of the tunable filter and mapping the response to frequency; and calculating a new signal power, P S , from the peak power response, P R , and a ratio of the response full-width, FW R , to the tunable filter full-width, FW F .

10. The method of claim 1 further comprising determining a systematic power detuning error and then compensating the signal power, P S , for the systematic power detuning error.

11. An optical channel monitor comprising:

a. an optical filter having an optical input that is coupled to an optical channel, the optical filter having a known filter full-width, FW F , that passes a desired optical channel;

b. a detector having an input that is optically coupled to an output of the optical filter, the detector generating an electrical signal proportional to a peak power response, P R , and a response full-width, FW R , of the desired optical channel; and

c. an electronic processor having an input that is coupled to the output of the detector, the processor calculating a signal power, P S , from the peak power response, P R , and a ratio of the full width filter response, FW R , to the filter full-width, FW F .

12. The optical channel monitor of claim 11 wherein the optical filter has an approximate Gaussian filter response.

13. The optical channel monitor of claim 11 wherein the processor stores calibration data for a power factor that relates the peak power response P R measurement to the response full-width, FW R .

14. The optical channel monitor of claim 11 wherein the processor stores calibration data for the filter response, FW F .

15. The optical channel monitor of claim 11 further comprising a network management system that is electrically coupled to the processor, the network management system receiving signal power, P S , data from the processor.

16. An optical channel monitor comprising:

a. a tunable optical filter having an optical input that is coupled to an optical channel and an electrical control input, the tunable optical filter having a known filter full-width, FW F , that passes a desired optical channel;

b. a detector having an input that is optically coupled to an output of the tunable optical filter, the detector generating an electrical signal proportional to a peak power response, P R , and a response full-width, FW R , of the desired optical channel; and

c. an electronic processor having an input that is coupled to the output of the detector and an output that is coupled to the electrical control input of the a tunable optical filter, the processor calculating a signal power, P S , from the peak power response, P R , and a ratio of the response full-width, FW R , to the filter full-width, FW F , and generating a signal at the output that instructs the tunable optical filter to pass a desired optical channel.

17. The optical channel monitor of claim 16 wherein the tunable optical filter comprises an electrically controllable thermally tunable optical filter.

18. The optical channel monitor of claim 16 wherein the processor stores calibration data for a power factor that relates the peak power response P R measurement to the response full-width, FW R .

19. The optical channel monitor of claim 16 wherein the processor stores calibration data for the filter response, FW F .

20. The optical channel monitor of claim 16 further comprising a network management system that is electrically coupled to the processor, the network management system receiving signal power, P S , data from the processor and generating instructions for the processor to select desired optical channels.