Patent ID: 7660534

Claim:
An optical network for carrying communication signals to or from at least two end points in optical form, the network being adapted to provide voice communications and comprising: i) at least first and second end points, each comprising transmitting/receiving apparatus and having an address in the network; and ii) at least one optical source for delivering optical power to the transmitting/receiving apparatus of at least said first end point for conversion to electrical power at the transmitting/receiving apparatus and for transmitting an optical signal carrier to the transmitting/receiving apparatus of at least said first end point, wherein: (iii) the transmitting/receiving apparatus of the first end point comprises an interferometer for applying interferometric modulation comprising a voice signal and the address of the second end point to the optical signal carrier to provide an optical communication signal comprising the voice signal for subsequent transmission over the network to the second end point; at least one power conversion device for converting received optical power to electrical power; and at least one electrical storage device for storing at least a portion of the converted optical power; and (iv) the transmitting/receiving apparatus of the second end point comprises an interferometer for detecting interferometric modulation in said information-carrying optical communication signal received over the network so as to receive said voice signal.