Patent ID: 7274841

Claim:
An optical signal storage device, storing an optical signal input from an input optical transmission path and enabling taking out of the optical signal at an arbitrary time, comprising: a control light generator, generating control light for converting the optical signal input from the input optical transmission path to wavelengths, which correspond to the transmission destinations contained in the input signal and are the same as or different from that of the optical signal; a main optical signal amplifying triode unit, receiving the optical signal that has been input and the control light and converting the optical signal that has been input to optical signals of the wavelengths of the control light; an optical distributor, distributing the optical signals, output from the main optical signal amplifying triode unit, in accordance with the wavelengths of the optical signals; an optical buffer memory element, temporarily storing an optical signal of a storage wavelength that has been distributed by the optical distributor; an optical feedback transmission path, feeding back the optical signal output from the optical buffer memory element to the input optical transmission path to re-input the optical signal into the main optical signal amplifying triode unit; and an optical signal storage control means, making the control light generator output control light for conversion of the optical signal, which is repeatedly circulated through the main optical signal amplifying triode unit, optical distributor, optical buffer memory element, and the optical feedback transmission path, to an output wavelength at the main optical signal amplifying triode unit.