Patent ID: 7305153

Claim:
A sensor array system comprising: a signal source providing a query signal; a plurality of sensor array ladders, each sensor array ladder having a plurality of sensors connected in parallel; an optical coupler coupled to the signal source; a first wavelength division multiplexer coupled to the optical coupler and to a first end of each of the plurality of sensor array ladders, the first wavelength division multiplexer receiving the query signals from the signal source and splitting the query signal into a plurality of non-overlapping signals that are each narrower than the initial query signal; a second wavelength division multiplexer coupled to the optical coupler; a first set of optical detectors, each optical detector of the first set being coupled to the second wavelength division multiplexer; a third wavelength division multiplexer coupled to the optical coupler; a second set of optical detectors, each optical detector of the second set being coupled to the third wavelength division multiplexer; a fourth wavelength division multiplexer coupled to a second end of each of the plurality of sensor array ladders; and an optical delay coupled between the fourth wavelength division multiplexer and the optical coupler.