IP Library Granted Patent US 10,056,976
Granted Patent B2
US 10,056,976 · App. 15/551,810 · Granted Aug 21, 2018

Optical signal monitor, optical wavelength multiplexing transmitter, and method for monitoring optical signal

Inventor: Yoshirou Satou (Tokyo, JP)
Assignee: NEC CORPORATION
H04B10/0795H04B10/572H04J14/02
View Patent ↗
Loading inventors, assignments & file history…
Monitor This Case
Get email alerts when status or documents change.
Order Certified Copies
Most orders are placed with the USPTO same day — all within 24 business hours.
Order via The Patent Place →
Pre-filled with this patent's details
Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 10,056,976
App. No.
15/551,810
Granted
Aug 21, 2018
Kind
B2
Abstract

An optical signal monitor, including: a storage that holds a threshold value set for each of determination areas having a bandwidth set in accordance with an average grid of dummy light; a measurement section that sequentially measures an optical intensity of an inputted wavelength-multiplexed optical signal with respect to each of measurement areas obtained by dividing the determination area into areas with a bandwidth sufficiently smaller than a grid width of a monitoring-target optical signal composing the wavelength-multiplexed optical signal, and output measured values; and a section that determines that dummy light corresponding to the determination area needs introducing if each of measured values in the determination area is smaller than a threshold value, and, determines that dummy light corresponding to the determination area does not need introducing if at least one of the measured values in the determination area is equal to or larger than the threshold value.

Claims (46)

1. An optical signal monitor, comprising:

a storage configured to hold a threshold value i (i=1 to N) set for each of N determination areas i (i=1 to N) having a bandwidth n set in accordance with an average grid of dummy light;

a measurement section configured to sequentially measure an optical intensity of an inputted wavelength-multiplexed optical signal with respect to each of measurement areas 1 to M obtained by dividing the determination area i into M areas with a bandwidth m (M=n/m) sufficiently smaller than a grid width of a monitoring-target optical signal composing the wavelength-multiplexed optical signal, and output M×N measured values; and

a determination section configured to determine that dummy light corresponding to the determination area i needs introducing if each of M measured values in the determination area i is smaller than a threshold value i, and, determine that dummy light corresponding to the determination area i does not need introducing if at least one of the M measured values in the determination area i is equal to or larger than the threshold value i.

2. The optical signal monitor according to claim 1 ,

wherein the bandwidth m is equal to or smaller than one third of the grid width of the monitoring-target optical signal.

3. An optical wavelength multiplexing transmitter, comprising:

a plurality of optical output sections configured to output optical signals with wavelengths differing from each other having a plurality of grids;

a wavelength multiplex section configured to wavelength-multiplex the optical signals output from the plurality of optical output sections, and output a wavelength-multiplexed optical signal;

an optical splitting section configured to split the wavelength-multiplexed optical signal having output into two signals, and output split wavelength-multiplexed optical signals;

an optical signal monitor configured to receive input of one of the split wavelength-multiplexed optical signals and make a judgment of necessity to introduce dummy light into a corresponding determination area i based on an optical intensity of the one of the split wavelength-multiplexed optical signals,

the optical signal monitor including

a storage configured to hold a threshold value i (i=1 to N) set for each of N determination areas i (i=1 to N) having a bandwidth n set in accordance with an average grid of dummy light;

a measurement section configured to sequentially measure an optical intensity of an inputted wavelength-multiplexed optical signal with respect to each of measurement areas 1 to M obtained by dividing the determination area i into M areas with a bandwidth m (M=n/m) sufficiently smaller than a grid width of a monitoring-target optical signal composing the wavelength-multiplexed optical signal, and output M×N measured values; and

a determination section configured to determine that dummy light corresponding to the determination area i needs introducing if each of M measured values in the determination area i is smaller than a threshold value i, and, determine that dummy light corresponding to the determination area i does not need introducing if at least one of the M measured values in the determination area i is equal to or larger than the threshold value i;

a dummy light source configured to output dummy light corresponding to the determination area i based on the judgment; and

an optical coupling section configured to couple another of the split wavelength-multiplexed optical signals with the dummy light having output and output a transmission signal.

4. The optical wavelength multiplexing transmitter according to claim 3 ,

wherein the dummy light corresponding to the determination area i is equivalent in optical intensity to the optical signal.

5. The optical wavelength multiplexing transmitter according to claim 4 ,

wherein the dummy light source includes

an amplifier configured to amplify an amplitude of spontaneous emission light having inputted,

an optical demultiplexer configured to demultiplex the spontaneous emission light having amplified with respect to each band corresponding to the determination areas i and send output to N lines, and

a control switch configured to control the output from the N lines.

6. The optical wavelength multiplexing transmitter according to claim 3 ,

wherein the dummy light source includes

an amplifier configured to amplify an amplitude of spontaneous emission light having inputted,

an optical demultiplexer configured to demultiplex the spontaneous emission light having amplified with respect to each band corresponding to the determination areas i and send output to N lines, and

a control switch configured to control the output from the N lines.

7. The optical wavelength multiplexing transmitter according to claim 3 ,

wherein the bandwidth m is equal to or smaller than one third of the grid width of the monitoring-target optical signal.

8. The optical wavelength multiplexing transmitter according to claim 7 ,

wherein the dummy light corresponding to the determination area i is equivalent in optical intensity to the optical signal.

9. The optical wavelength multiplexing transmitter according to claim 8 ,

wherein the dummy light source includes

an amplifier configured to amplify an amplitude of spontaneous emission light having inputted,

an optical demultiplexer configured to demultiplex the spontaneous emission light having amplified with respect to each band corresponding to the determination areas i and send output to N lines, and

a control switch configured to control the output from the N lines.

10. The optical wavelength multiplexing transmitter according to claim 7 ,

wherein the dummy light source includes

an amplifier configured to amplify an amplitude of spontaneous emission light having inputted,

an optical demultiplexer configured to demultiplex the spontaneous emission light having amplified with respect to each band corresponding to the determination areas i and send output to N lines, and

a control switch configured to control the output from the N lines.

11. A method for monitoring optical signal, using a threshold value i (i=1 to N) set for each of N determination areas i (i=1 to N) having a bandwidth n set in accordance with an average grid of dummy light, comprising:

measuring sequentially an optical intensity of an inputted wavelength-multiplexed optical signal with respect to each of measurement areas 1 to M obtained by dividing the determination area i into M areas with a bandwidth m (M=n/m) sufficiently smaller than a grid width of a monitoring-target optical signal composing the wavelength-multiplexed optical signal, and outputting M×N measured values; and

determining that dummy light corresponding to the determination area i needs introducing if each of M measured values in the determination area i is smaller than a threshold value i, and, determining that dummy light corresponding to the determination area i does not need introducing if at least one of the M measured values in the determination area i is equal to or larger than the threshold value i.

Assignments (6)
CORRECTIVE ASSIGNMENT TO CORRECT THE APPLICATION AND PATENT NUMBERS FOR PATENT NUMBERS 10924188, 10581518, 10200117 AND 12009865, WHICH WERE ERRONEOUSLY RECORDED AS APPLICATION NUMBERS PREVIOUSLY RECORDED ON REEL 70575 FRAME 77. ASSIGNOR(S) HEREBY CONFIRMS THE ASSIGNMENT. Recorded Nov 13, 2025
From: IP WAVE PTE. LTD.
To: PLS XLIV LLC
Reel/Frame 073349/0966 →
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Oct 1, 2025
From: PLS XLIV LLC
To: RADIANT PATENTS LLC
Reel/Frame 072987/0619 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Mar 20, 2025
From: IP WAVE PTE. LTD.
To: PLS XLIV LLC
Reel/Frame 070575/0077 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Oct 3, 2024
From: NEC ASIA PACIFIC PTE LTD.
To: IP WAVE PTE. LTD.
Reel/Frame 068783/0632 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Mar 21, 2024
From: NEC CORPORATION
To: NEC ASIA PACIFIC PTE LTD.
Reel/Frame 066867/0886 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Aug 17, 2017
From: SATOU, YOSHIROU
To: NEC CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 043322/0994 →
Priority Claims (1)
JP 2015-042535 · Mar 4, 2015 · national
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20180034544A1 · Feb 1, 2018
Cited By (2)
US 12,609,782 US 12,695,505