Optical coupler device and an optical monitoring device for monitoring one or more optical point-to-point transmission links

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9917640-B2
Application number	US-201514750225-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 25, 2015
Priority date	Jun 26, 2014
Publication date	Mar 13, 2018
Grant date	Mar 13, 2018

Abstract

Disclosed is an optical coupler device, especially for monitoring purposes in an optical point-to-point transmission link, which includes a first, a second and a third optical port and is configured to transmit a first optical signal received at the first optical port to the second optical port and to transmit a second optical signal received at the second optical port to the first and third optical port according to a monitoring split ratio with respect to the optical power of the second optical signal, the first and second optical signal having a wavelength lying in a first optical band. The device is further configured to transmit a third and a fourth optical signal received at the third and the second optical port to the respective other optical port, the third and fourth optical signal having a wavelength lying in a second optical band. The device is controllable with respect to the monitoring split ratio and includes a control means adapted to receive a control signal. The control means controls the optical coupler device with respect to the monitoring split ratio such that in a first work the second optical signal is transmitted to the first optical port, only, and in a second work mode a major portion of the optical power of the second signal is transmitted to the first optical port and a minor portion of the optical power of the second signal is transmitted to the third optical port.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An optical coupler device, especially for monitoring purposes in an optical point-to-point transmission link, comprising:
(a) a first, a second and a third optical port;
(i) the optical coupler device being configured to transmit a first optical signal received at the first optical port to the second optical port and to transmit a second optical signal received at the second optical port to the first and third optical port according to a monitoring split ratio with respect to the optical power of the second optical signal the first and second optical signal having a wavelength lying in a first optical band; and
(ii) the optical coupler device being further configured to transmit a third and a fourth optical signal received at the third and the second optical port to the respective other optical port, the third and fourth optical signal having a wavelength lying in a second optical band;

wherein
(b) the optical coupler device is configured to be controllable with respect to the monitoring split ratio,
(c) the optical coupler device further comprises a control means adapted to receive a control signal and configured to control the optical coupler device with respect to the monitoring split ratio in such a way that
(i) in a first work mode the second optical signal is transmitted to the first optical port, only, and
(ii) in a second work mode a major portion of the optical power of the second signal is transmitted to the first optical port and a minor portion of the optical power of the second signal is transmitted to the third optical port,

(d) the optical coupler device further comprises:
(i) a wavelength-independent optical power splitter having a common port and a first and a second splitting port, the optical power splitter being controllable with respect to the splitting ratio, and
(ii) a first and a second optical diplexer each having a WDM port and a first and a second band port each optical diplexer being configured to receive an optical signal in the first and second optical band at the first and second band port, respectively, and to output the optical signals at the WDM port, and to output optical signals in the first and second optical band which are received at the WDM port at the first and a second band port, respectively,
wherein the first splitting port of the optical power splitter is connected to or defines the first optical port of the optical coupler device, wherein the second splitting port is connected to the first band port of the first optical diplexer, wherein the common port of the optical power splitter is connected to the first band port of the second optical diplexer, wherein the second band port of the second optical diplexer is connected to the second band port of the first optical diplexer, wherein the WDM port of the second optical diplexer is connected to or defines the second optical port of the optical coupler device, and wherein the WDM port of the first optical diplexer is connected to or defines the third optical port of the optical coupler device.

2. The optical coupler device according to claim 1 , wherein it comprises a wavelength-dependent 1×2 coupler.

3. The optical coupler device according to claim 2 , wherein the wavelength-dependent 1×2 coupler is a temperature sensitive coupler and the control means is a heating and/or cooling device, which is thermally coupled with the temperature-sensitive coupler and configured to switch the optical coupler device between the two work modes depending on the control signal received.

4. The optical coupler device according to claim 2 , wherein the wavelength-dependent 1×2 coupler is a fused silica or polymer-based 1×2 coupler.

5. The optical coupler device according to claim 1 , wherein the controllable optical power splitter is a temperature-sensitive power splitter and the control means is a heating and/or cooling device, which is thermally coupled with the temperature-sensitive power splitter and configured to switch the optical coupler device between the two work modes depending on the control signal received.

6. The optical coupler device according to claim 1 , wherein the wavelength-independent optical power splitter is asymmetrical.

7. An optical monitoring device for monitoring an optical point-to-point transmission link comprising:
an optical coupler device comprising:
(a) first, a second and a third optical port;
(i) the optical coupler device being configured to transmit a first optical signal received at the first optical port to the second optical port and to transmit a second optical signal received at the second optical port to the first and third optical port according to a monitoring split ratio with respect to the optical power of the second optical signal the first and second optical signal having a wavelength lying in a first optical band; and
(ii) the optical coupler device being further configured to transmit a third and a fourth optical signal received at the third and the second optical port to the respective other of the third and the second optical port, the third and fourth optical signal having a wavelength lying in a second optical band;

wherein
(b) the optical coupler device is configured to be controllable with respect to the monitoring split ratio, and
(c) the optical coupler device further comprises a control means adapted to receive a control signal and configured to control the optical coupler device with respect to the monitoring split ratio in such a way that
(i) in a first work mode the second optical signal is transmitted to the first optical port, only, and
(ii) in a second work mode a major portion of the optical power of the second optical signal is transmitted to the first optical port and a minor portion of the optical power of the second optical signal is transmitted to the third optical port;

the optical monitoring device further comprising:
(a) a first and a second optical port being connected to or defined by the first and second optical port of the optical coupler device;
(b) an optical transmitter adapted to create an optical monitoring signal at a wavelength lying in the second optical band of the optical coupler device;
(c) an optical receiver capable of receiving signals lying in the first and second optical bands; and
(d) a passive optical splitter/combiner having a common port and a first and a second splitting port, the common port being connected to the third optical port of the optical coupler device, the first splitting port being connected to an optical output port of the optical transmitter and the second splitting port being connected to an optical input port of the optical receiver,
(e) with the passive optical splitter/combiner being configured to transmit to the common port at least a portion of the optical power of the optical monitoring signal created by the optical transmitter and supplied to the first splitting port and to transmit to the second splitting port at least a portion of the optical power of an optical signal supplied to the common port.

8. The optical monitoring device according to claim 7 , further comprising a control unit configured to be able to control the optical transmitter and the optical coupler device to work in a first and a second monitoring mode, wherein in the first monitoring mode the optical transmitter creates a monitoring signal and the optical coupler device is in the first work mode, and in the second monitoring mode the optical transmitter is deactivated and the at least one optical coupler device is in the second work mode.

9. An optical monitoring device for monitoring a plurality of optical point-to-point transmission links comprising:
a plurality of optical coupler devices each comprising:
(a) a f

Assignees

• Adva Optical Networking Se

Inventors

• Grobe Klaus

Classifications

• G02B6/355

  1x2 switch, i.e. one input and a selectable single output of two possible outputs · CPC title

• H04B10/07955 Primary

  Monitoring or measuring power · CPC title

• H04B10/075

  using an in-service signal (H04B10/071 takes precedence) · CPC title

• H04L5/14

  Two-way operation using the same type of signal, i.e. duplex · CPC title

• G02B6/29395

  configurable, e.g. tunable or reconfigurable (switching G02B6/35) · CPC title