Patent ID: 7864411
Filing Date: 2011-01-04
Classification: H04B

Abstract:
1. An optical amplifier comprising: a detecting section configured to detect a part of an input optical signal from a first node on an input side optical fiber; a rare earth element doped optical fiber amplifier configured to amplify a remaining part of the input optical signal supplied from said input side optical fiber by using an excitation optical signal supplied from a second node and to output the amplified optical signal as an output optical signal to an output side optical fiber; a control unit configured to control said excitation optical signal based on the detected part of the input optical signal by said detecting section without real time control based on the output optical signal; a monitoring section configured to monitor a reflection level of an optical reflection signal sent from said output side optical fiber; and a characteristic monitoring section configured to generate a characteristic data based on the detected part of the input optical signal by said detecting section and the reflection level of the optical reflection signal to indicate a change of a characteristic of said optical amplifier.