Optical device, optical distribution network and respective methods performed thereby

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016112136-A1
Application number	US-201314893923-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	May 24, 2013
Priority date	May 24, 2013
Publication date	Apr 21, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

An optical device, OD, for partitioning a received signal and outputting the partitions via two outputs. An optical distribution network comprising at least two Optical Network Terminations, ONTs, the ONTs being connected to the CO by the fibre ring structure, wherein each ONT is connected to the fibre ring structure by means of a respective OD is provided. The OD has a first port, a second port and a third port, each port being operable as both an input and an output interface. The first and second ports are adapted to receive an input signal, to split the signal and to output a first respective portion of the received signal through the second or first port respectively and to output a respective second portion of the received signal through the third port, the first portion of the received signal being larger than the second portion of the received signal.

First claim

1 . An optical device comprising:
a first port; a second port; and
a third port, wherein each port being operable as both an input and an output interface, and wherein:
the first port is adapted to receive a first input signal, to split the first input signal and to output a first portion, A, of the received first input signal through the second port and to output a second portion, B, of the received first input signal through the third port, wherein the first portion, A, of the received first input signal is larger than the second portion, B, of the received first input signal; the second port is adapted to receive a second input signal, to split the received second input signal and to output a first portion, C, of the received second input signal through the first port and to output a second portion, D, of the received second input signal through the third port, wherein the first portion, C, of the received second input signal is larger than the second portion, D, of the received second input signal; and the third port is adapted to receive a third input signal, to split the third input signal and to output a first portion, E, of the received third input signal through the first port and to output a second portion, F, of the received third input signal through the second port.

2 . The optical device according to claim 1 , wherein each respective received input signal has a respective signal power, wherein the optical device is adapted for splitting the received input signals into the first portion A, C or E and the second portion B, D or F by directing a fraction of the respective signal power to the second portion B, D or F and the remaining respective signal power to the first portion A, C or E, wherein the power of the fraction of the respective signal power directed to the second portion B or D is smaller than the power of the remaining respective signal power directed to the first portion A or C.

3 . The optical device according to claim 2 , wherein the second portion B or D of the respective received input signal or a fraction of a respective signal power directed to the second portion B or D is maximum 40% of the respective signal power, wherein the first portion A or C of the respective received input signal or the remaining respective signal power directed to the first portion A or C is minimum 60% of the respective signal power.

4 . The optical device according to claim 1 , wherein the second portion B or D of the respective received input signal or a fraction of a respective signal power directed to the second portion B or D is maximum 10% of the respective signal power, wherein the first portion A or C of the respective received input signal or the remaining respective signal power directed to the first portion A or C is minimum 90% of the respective signal power.

5 . The optical device according to claim 1 , wherein each respective received input signal comprises a plurality of wavelengths, wherein the optical device is adapted for splitting the respective received input signal into the first portion A, C or E and the second portion B, D or F by directing some of the wavelengths of the respective received input signal to the first portion A, C or E and the remaining wavelength or wavelengths of the respective received input signal to the second portion B, D or F, wherein the number of wavelengths in portion A or C is respectively higher than the number of wavelengths in portion B or D.

6 . The optical device according to claim 5 , wherein the number of wavelengths directed to the second portion B or D is at least 1.

7 . An optical distribution network comprising a Central Office (CO) connected to a fibre ring structure and at least two Optical Network Terminations (ONTs), the ONTs being connected to the CO by the fibre ring structure, wherein each ONT is connected to the fibre ring structure by means of a respective optical device, wherein the CO is adapted to transmit a signal to the ONTs in either direction of the fibre ring structure, wherein the optical devices are adapted to receive the signal from the CO, to direct a fraction of the signal to a respective ONT and to direct a remaining portion of the signal to the ring structure.

8 . The optical distribution network according to claim 7 , wherein at least one of the optical devices is operable as both an input and an output interface, and wherein the at least one optical device comprises:
a first port; a second port; and a third port, and wherein:
the first port is adapted to receive a first input signal, to split the first input signal and to output a first portion, A, of the received first input signal through the second port and to output a second portion, B, of the received first input signal through the third port, wherein the first portion, A, of the received first input signal is larger than the second portion, B, of the received first input signal;
the second port is adapted to receive a second input signal to split the received second input signal and to output a first portion, C, of the received second input signal through the first port and to output a second portion, D, of the received second input signal through the third port, wherein the first portion, C, of the received second input signal is larger than the second portion, D, of the received second input signal; and
the third port is adapted to receive a third input signal, to split the third input signal and to output a first portion, E, of the received third input signal through the first port and to output a second portion, F, of the received third input signal through the second port.

9 . The optical distribution network according to claim 8 , wherein the first port and the second port of the at least one optical device are connected to the fibre ring structure and the third port of the at least one optical device is connected to a respective one of the ONTs.

10 . The optical distribution network according to claim 9 , wherein the CO is adapted to detect a fault or failure on the fibre ring structure, and in response to detecting the fault or failure to change a transmission direction of at least a part of the signal on the fibre ring structure.

11 . The optical distribution network according to claim 10 , wherein the CO is adapted to, in response to detecting the fault or failure, transmitting a first part of the signal in a first direction of the fibre ring structure and transmitting a second part of the signal in the opposite direction on the fibre ring structure.

12 . The optical distribution network according to claim 11 , wherein the signal is transmitted with an original transmission power before detection of the fault or failure and in the first direction, wherein transmitting the first part of the signal in the first direction of the fibre ring structure corresponds to transmitting the signal at a fraction of the original transmission power in the first direction and transmitting the second part of the signal in the opposite direction on the fibre ring structure corresponds to transmitting the signal with a transmission power equal to the original transmission power minus the fraction of the original transmission power in the opposite direction on the fibre ring structure.

13 . The optical distribution network according to claim 11 , wherein the signal transmitted before detection of the fault or failure comprises a plurality of wavelengths and the signal is transmitted in the first direction, wherein transmitting the first part of the signal in the first direction on the fibre ring structure corresponds to transmitting some of the wavelengths of the plurality of wavelengths in the first direction and

Assignees

• Ericsson Telefon Ab L M

Inventors

• Urban Patryk

Classifications

• H04J14/0217

  Multi-degree architectures, e.g. having a connection degree greater than two · CPC title

• G02B6/2934 Primary

  Fibre ring resonators, e.g. fibre coils · CPC title

• H04B10/27 Primary

  Arrangements for networking · CPC title

• H04B10/25891 Primary

  Transmission components (H04B10/40 takes precedence) · CPC title