IP Library Granted Patent US 12,556,285
Granted Patent B2
US 12,556,285 · App. 18/024,853 · Granted Feb 17, 2026

Optical transmitter and frequency control method in optical transmission

Inventors: Ryo Igarashi (Musashino, JP); Masamichi Fujiwara (Musashino, JP); Junichi Kani (Musashino, JP)
Assignee: NTT, Inc.
H04B10/516H04B10/503H04B10/572H04B10/64H04J14/02
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,556,285
App. No.
18/024,853
Granted
Feb 17, 2026
Kind
B2
Abstract

An optical transmission apparatus includes an optical transmitter that generates an optical signal in an uplink direction by modulating output light of a laser that outputs light of a first frequency with a subcarrier on which transmission data is superimposed, a heterodyne detection unit that receives an optical signal in a downlink direction by heterodyne detection, a control unit that calculates a first intermediate frequency based on the frequency of the downlink signal received by the heterodyne detection and the first frequency of the laser, and controls the first frequency of the laser when there is a difference between the calculated first intermediate frequency and a reference second intermediate frequency by a threshold or more.

Claims (32)

1 . An optical transmission apparatus comprising:

an optical transmitter configured to generate an optical signal in an uplink direction by modulating output light of a laser that outputs light of a first frequency with a subcarrier on which transmission data is superimposed;

a heterodyne detector configured to receive an optical signal in a downlink direction by heterodyne detection, wherein the optical signal in a downlink direction being an optical signal of a same frequency transmitted from an opposing apparatus to a plurality of optical transmission apparatuses; and

a controller configured to calculate a first intermediate frequency based on a frequency of a downlink signal received by the heterodyne detection and the first frequency of the laser, and controls the first frequency of the laser when there is a difference between the calculated first intermediate frequency and a reference second intermediate frequency by a threshold or more, wherein

the heterodyne detector receives, by the heterodyne detection, an optical signal in the downlink direction transmitted from an optical transmitter that generates the optical signal in the downlink direction by performing single side band modulation or vestigial sideband modulation of output light of a laser that outputs light of a second frequency different from the first frequency with the subcarrier on which transmission data is superimposed,

wherein the optical signal in an uplink direction is a double sideband modulated signal,

wherein the first intermediate frequency is a value satisfying a condition indicated in the following Equation (1), where B 0 being a bandwidth of one sideband of the optical signal in the uplink direction, B 1 being a bandwidth of one sideband of the optical signal in the downlink direction, and f IF being the first intermediate frequency

B 0 +B 1 >f IF >B 1   Equation (1).

2 . The optical transmission apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein

the controller controls the first frequency of the laser so that the first intermediate frequency and the second intermediate frequency becomes the same value when a deviation equal to or more than the threshold occurs.

3 . The optical transmission apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising

a brancher configured to branch the output light of the laser and input the branched light to the heterodyne detector, wherein

the heterodyne detector uses the branched output light of the laser as local light to be used for the heterodyne detection, and

the controller calculates a difference between the frequency of the branched output light of the laser and the frequency of the downlink signal received by the heterodyne detection as the first intermediate frequency.

4 . The optical transmission apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein

the first intermediate frequency is equal to or more than a value obtained by adding a bandwidth of one side band of the uplink signal subjected to both side band modulation and a bandwidth of one side band of the downlink signal.

5 . A frequency control method in optical transmission comprising:

generating an optical signal in an uplink direction by modulating output light of a laser that outputs the light of a first frequency with a subcarrier on which transmission data is superimposed;

receiving an optical signal in a downlink direction by heterodyne detection, wherein the optical signal in a downlink direction being an optical signal of a same frequency transmitted from an opposing apparatus to a plurality of optical transmission apparatuses; and

calculating a first intermediate frequency based on a frequency of a downlink signal received by the heterodyne detection and the first frequency of the laser and controlling the first frequency of the laser when there is a difference between the calculated first intermediate frequency and a reference second intermediate frequency by a threshold or more, wherein

receiving, by the heterodyne detection, an optical signal in the downlink direction transmitted from an optical transmitter that generates the downlink optical signal by performing single side band modulation or vestigial sideband modulation of output light of a laser that outputs light of a second frequency different from the first frequency with the subcarrier on which transmission data is superimposed,

wherein the optical signal in an uplink direction is a double sideband modulated signal,

wherein the first intermediate frequency is a value satisfying a condition indicated in the following Equation (1), where B 0 being a bandwidth of one sideband of the optical signal in the uplink direction, B 1 being a bandwidth of one sideband of the optical signal in the downlink direction, and f IF being the first intermediate frequency

B 0 +B 1 >f IF >B 1   Equation (1).

6 . An optical transmission system comprise a plurality of first optical transmission apparatuses and a second optical transmission apparatus that communicates with each of the plurality of first optical transmission apparatuses,

wherein the second optical transmission apparatus include a transmitter configured to transmit an optical signal in a downlink direction which is an optical signal of a same frequency to the plurality of first optical transmission apparatuses,

wherein the plurality of first optical transmission apparatuses include an optical transmitter configured to generate an optical signal in an uplink direction by modulating output light of a laser that outputs light of a first frequency with a subcarrier on which transmission data is superimposed;

a heterodyne detector configured to receive the optical signal in the downlink direction by heterodyne detection; and

a controller configured to calculate a first intermediate frequency based on a frequency of a downlink signal received by the heterodyne detection and the first frequency of the laser, and controls the first frequency of the laser when there is a difference between the calculated first intermediate frequency and a reference second intermediate frequency by a threshold or more, wherein

the heterodyne detector receives, by the heterodyne detection, an optical signal in the downlink direction transmitted from an optical transmitter that generates the downlink optical signal by performing single side band modulation or vestigial sideband modulation of output light of the laser that outputs light of a second frequency different from the first frequency with the subcarrier on which transmission data is superimposed, wherein the optical signal in an uplink direction is a double sideband modulated signal,

wherein the first intermediate frequency is a value satisfying a condition indicated in the following Equation (1), where B 0 being a bandwidth of one sideband of the optical signal in the uplink direction, B 1 being a bandwidth of one sideband of the optical signal in the downlink direction, and f IF being the first intermediate frequency

B 0 +B 1 >f IF >B 1   Equation (1).

Assignments (2)
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Oct 3, 2025
From: NIPPON TELEGRAPH AND TELEPHONE CORPORATION
To: NTT, INC.
Reel/Frame 072996/0032 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Mar 6, 2023
From: IGARASHI, RYO; FUJIWARA, MASAMICHI; KANI, JUNICHI
To: NIPPON TELEGRAPH AND TELEPHONE CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 062892/0783 →
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20230318713A1 · Oct 5, 2023
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