Patent ID: 8111454

Claim:
An optical apparatus for use in an optical communications system, the optical apparatus comprising: a discrete optical amplification unit within the optical apparatus and configured to amplify optical signals that travel a particular direction; a first optical pump unit configured to output optical pump power for use in powering optical amplifiers; a first optical coupler configured to allocate a first portion of the optical pump power from the first optical pump unit for use in first distributed Raman amplification that amplifies optical signals travelling in the particular direction and allocate a second portion of the optical pump power from the first optical pump unit to the discrete optical amplification unit; a second optical pump unit configured to output optical pump power for use in powering optical amplifiers; and a second optical coupler configured to allocate a first portion of the optical pump power from the second optical pump unit for use in second distributed Raman amplification that amplifies optical signals travelling in the particular direction and allocate a second portion of the optical pump power from the second optical pump unit to the discrete amplification unit.