Patent ID: 6633690
Filing Date: 2003-10-14
Classification: G02F,H04B,H04J

Abstract:
An apparatus, comprising:a first and a second electrical carrier source producing electrical carriers with different frequencies; a first and a second electrical modulator connected to the first electrical carrier source that modulate a first and a second baseband electrical signal onto the first electrical carrier; a third and a fourth electrical modulator connected to the second electrical carrier source that modulate a third and a fourth baseband electrical signal onto the second electrical carrier; a first electrical coupler having two outputs connected to the first and third electrical modulators; a second electrical coupler having two outputs connected to the second and fourth electrical modulators; an optical carrier source; an optical splitter connected to the optical carrier source and having first and second outputs producing a split optical carrier; a first optical upconverter having an optical input connected to the first output of the optical splitter, having two electrical signal inputs connected to the outputs of the first electrical coupler, and having an optical output, wherein the first optical upconverter/modulator upconverts the first and third baseband electrical signals onto the first optical sideband of the first split optical carrier; a second optical upconverter/modulator having an optical input connected to the second output of the optical splitter, having two electrical signal inputs connected to the outputs of the second electrical coupler, and having an optical output, wherein the second optical upconverter/modulator upconverts the second and fourth baseband electrical signals onto the second optical sideband of the second split optical carrier; an optical combiner having two inputs connected to the optical outputs of the first and second optical upconverters/modulators.