Patent ID: 9705598
Date: 2017-07-11
CPC Classifications: H04B,H04J

Claim:
1. A method of reducing optical beat interference in a fiber optic network in which a first optical network unit and a second optical network unit communicate with a shared receiver over respective first and second optical transmission paths that both include a shared optical fiber, the method comprising: transmitting a first optical signal from the first optical network unit to the receiver over the first optical transmission path where the first optical signal has a first polarization state when transmitted over the shared optical fiber; transmitting a second optical signal from the second optical network unit to the receiver over the second optical transmission path where the second optical signal has a second polarization state when transmitted over the shared optical fiber, the second polarization state being angularly separated from the first polarization state by at least about 120 degrees; using a first temperature control system of the first optical network unit to vary a temperature of a first laser that is included in the first optical network unit according to a first algorithm to change the wavelength of the first optical signal continuously or discretely; and using a second temperature control system of the second optical network unit to vary a temperature of a second laser that is included in the second optical network unit according to a second algorithm that is different than the first algorithm to change the wavelength of the second optical signal continuously or discretely.