Patent ID: 7440701
Filing Date: 2008-10-21
Classification: H04B,H04J

Abstract:
1. An optical communication system, comprising: a) a first wavelength filter, comprising: a plurality of first branching ports each associated with a specific wavelength channel, wherein each of the first branching ports is in connection with a transceiver port and is configured to receive a downstream broad-spectrum signal from the transceiver port; and a first common port configured to output a downstream spectrum-sliced signal in response to the downstream broad-spectrum signal, wherein the spectrum of the downstream spectrum-sliced signal is a portion of the spectrum of the downstream broad-spectrum signal and the spectrum of the downstream spectrum-sliced signal is distributed in a wavelength channel specifically associated with the first branching port at which the downstream broad-spectrum signal is received; b) a bidirectional amplifier configured to receive the downstream spectrum-sliced signal from the first common port and to send an amplified downstream spectrum-sliced signal to a remote node, wherein the bidirectional amplifier is configured to receive an upstream spectrum-sliced signal from the remote node and to send an amplified upstream spectrum-sliced signal to the first common port of the first wavelength filter, and wherein the first wavelength filter is configured to route the amplified upstream spectrum-sliced signal to one of the first branching ports in accordance with the wavelength channel of the amplified upstream spectrum-sliced signal; and c) a plurality of transceiver ports each comprising: a first transmitter configured to produce the downstream broad-spectrum signal to be received by the first branching port in connection with the transceiver port, wherein the downstream broad-spectrum signal has a spectral full-width at half the maximum broader than the spectral range of the downstream spectrum-sliced signals in three adjacent wavelength channels each associated with one of the plurality of first branching ports; and a first receiver configured to receive the amplified upstream spectrum-sliced signal from the first branching port.