Patent ID: 9143229
Filing Date: 2015-09-22
Classification: H04B

Abstract:
1. A method of monitoring optical power in an optical channel, the method comprising: a) directing a portion of a broadband optical signal propagating through an optical channel to an optical input of an electrically controllable tunable optical filter having a response function; b) filtering the portion of the broadband optical signal with the electrically controllable tunable filter to select an optical channel for optical power monitoring, a bandwidth of the electrically controllable tunable optical filter being broadband; c) detecting the selected optical channel and generating an electrical signal that represents the selected optical channel; d) estimating an optical power of the selected optical channel from the electrical signal that represents the selected optical channel by performing an iterative deconvolution of optical peak powers of the selected optical channel signals with the response function of the electrically controllable tunable optical filter; and e) identifying a signal bit rate of the selected optical channel from the electrical signal that represents the selected optical channel by performing an iterative deconvolution of optical peak powers of the selected optical channel signals with the response function of the electrically controllable tunable optical filter.