Patent ID: 7174069

Claim:
A multiplexed optical communication system comprising: a plurality of chopping modulators associated with a first plurality of communication channels to receive input optical pulses having a first width and a first pulse rate and to produce therefrom chopped optical pulses having said first pulse rate and a second width narrower than said first width; a multiplexer to multiplex said chopped optical pulses of said first plurality of communication channels into a serial bit stream in which the chopped optical pulses do not overlap each other, the serial bit stream having said second width and a second pulse rate higher than said first pulse rate; an optical medium to transport said serial bit stream in which the chopped optical pulses do not overlap each other; and a demultiplexer to demultiplex said serial bit stream into output optical pulses corresponding to said chopped optical pulses, to be carried by a second plurality of communication channels, the output optical pulses having said narrower second width and said first pulse rate.