Patent ID: 6348985
Filing Date: 2002-02-19
Classification: H04J

Abstract:
A bidirectional optical network including a bridge for selectively transferring information from an optical channel carried on a first bidirectional wavelength division multiplexed optical waveguide to at least two optical channels on a second bidirectional wavelength division multiplexed optical waveguide comprising:a first bidirectional optical waveguide carrying a first bidirectional wavelength division multiplexed optical communication signal, the first bidirectional wavelength division multiplexed optical communication signal comprising a first wavelength division multiplexed optical communication signal including a plurality of first optical channels propagating in a first direction and further comprising a second wavelength division multiplexed optical communication signal comprising a plurality of second optical channels propagating in a second direction; a second bidirectional optical waveguide carrying a second bidirectional wavelength division multiplexed optical communication signal, the second bidirectional wavelength division multiplexed optical communication signal comprising a third wavelength division multiplexed optical communication signal including a plurality of third optical channels propagating in a third direction and further comprising a fourth wavelength division multiplexed optical communication signal comprising a plurality of fourth optical channels propagating in a fourth direction; a bridge interposed between the first bidirectional optical waveguide and the second bidirectional optical waveguide, the bridge comprising: a first optical add-drop multiplexer optically communicating with the first bidirectional optical waveguide for selecting at least a first optical channel from the first wavelength division multiplexed optical signal, the first optical channel including at least a first series of data bits and a second series of data bits encoded on the optical channel; a first optical network interface optically communicating with the first optical add-drop multiplexer, the first optical network interface including optical to electrical conversion means for converting the selected first optical channel to a first electrical signal which includes the first series of data bits; at least two electrical to optical conversion elements configured such that the first electrical signal encoded with the first series of data bits is used to modulate a second optical channel and the second electrical signal encoded with the second series of data bits is used to modulate a third optical channel; one or more electrical communication paths for routing the first and second electrical signals to the electrical to optical conversion elements; a second optical add-drop multiplexer optically communicating with the second bidirectional optical waveguide; a second optical path between the second optical add-drop multiplexer and the second optical network interface for receiving the second and third optical channel and supplying them to the second optical add-drop multiplexer such that they and added to the second bidirectional optical waveguide.