Patent ID: 7274876
Filing Date: 2007-09-25
Classification: H04B

Abstract:
1. A communication system comprising: an optical communication path; an electrical communication path; a controller, the controller comparing a characteristic of an optical receive signal to at least one optical threshold signal, the controller comparing a characteristic of an electrical receive signal to at least one electrical threshold signal, the controller generating a first control signal representing the comparison of the characteristic of the optical receive signal to the at least one optical threshold signal, the controller generating a second control signal representing the comparison of the characteristic of the electrical receive signal to the at least one electrical threshold signal; and at least one switch, the at least one switch routing at least one of the optical receive signal and an optical transmit signal through at least a portion of at least one of the optical communication path and the electrical communication path in response to the first control signal without requiring user intervention, the at least one switch routing at least one of the electrical receive signal and an electrical transmit signal through at least a portion of at least one of the optical communication path and the electrical communication path in response to the second control signal without requiring user intervention, the at least one switch comprising: an optical hybrid, the optical hybrid comprising a first port, a second port, and a third port, the first port of the optical hybrid being adapted to at least one of transmit the optical receive signal to a modem and receive the optical transmit signal from the modem; an optical switch, the optical switch comprising a first port, a second port, and a third port, the second port of the optical switch being operatively coupled to the second port of the optical hybrid, the first port of the optical switch being adapted to at least one of receive the optical receive signal from an optical transceiver and transmit the optical transmit signal to the optical transceiver; an electrical hybrid, the electrical hybrid comprising a first port, a second port, and a third port, the first port of the electrical hybrid being adapted to at least one of transmit the electrical receive signal to the modem and receive the electrical transmit signal from the modem; an electrical switch, the electrical switch comprising a first port, a second port, and a third port, the third port of the electrical switch being operatively coupled to the third port of the electrical hybrid, the first port of the electrical switch being adapted to at least one of receive the electrical receive signal from an electrical transceiver and transmit the electrical transmit signal to the electrical transceiver; and an electrical/optical converter, the electrical/optical converter comprising a first port, a second port, a third port, and a fourth port, the first port of the electrical/optical converter being operatively coupled to the third port of the optical hybrid, the second port of the electrical/optical converter being operatively coupled to the second port of the electrical switch, the third port of the electrical/optical converter being operatively coupled to the third port of the optical switch, the fourth port of the electrical/optical converter being operatively coupled to the second port of the electrical hybrid.