Patent ID: 8798465

Claim:
An optical path switching type optical signal transmission/reception apparatus comprising: a host optical signal transmission/reception apparatus; a one-to-N compatible optically controlled optical path switching apparatus connected to the host optical signal transmission/reception apparatus via a first optical path constructed by an optical fiber or an optical waveguide; a total of N subordinate optical communication adapters connected to the one-to-N compatible optically controlled optical path switching apparatus via second optical paths constructed by an optical fiber or an optical waveguide and configured to transmit and receive signal light to and from the one-to-N compatible optically controlled optical path switching apparatus via the second optical paths; user side devices connected to the total of N subordinate optical communication adapters via an electric circuit; an optical transmission/reception control circuit provided in each of the total of N subordinate optical communication adapters, and including at least an uplink optical signal transmission mechanism, a downlink optical signal reception mechanism, and a control light source that can generate control light to drive the one-to-N compatible optically controlled optical path switching apparatus, in which a wavelength of the generated control light is different from a wavelength of the signal light; third optical paths dedicated to the control light and constructed by an optical fiber or an optical waveguide to connect the one-to-N compatible optically controlled optical path switching apparatus and the total of N subordinate optical communication adapters; and a subordinate data transmission/reception inter-apparatus bidirectional communication unit configured to transmit, to another subordinate optical communication adapter, information indicating a state where the control light is transmitted from the optical transmission/reception control circuit of one subordinate optical communication adapter, in which the control light serves to open one of the second optical paths that connects the one subordinate optical communication adapter to the host optical signal transmission/reception apparatus, and further configured to prevent any conflict of control lights, wherein the numerical value N is an integer that is equal to or greater than 2.