Bidirectional loopback amplifier for optical sensing applications

Abstract

A bi-directional loopback amplifier for optical sensing applications is disclosed. An apparatus and method for transmitting an optical signal. The apparatus includes a bidirectional amplification device communicatively coupled between a first communication terminal and a second communication terminal. The first and second communication terminals are communicatively coupled using an optical communication link. The bidirectional amplification device is configured to transmit and amplify one or more optical sensing signals transmitted in either direction between the first communication terminal and the second communication terminal. The optical sensing signal is indicative of a state of one or more portions of the optical communication link.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates generally to optical communication systems and, more particularly, to a loopback bidirectional amplifier for optical sensing applications. Background Art

[0002] Submarine fiber optic cables are laid on the seabed or ocean floor between land-based terminals to carry optical signals over long distances of ocean and sea. Fiber optic cables typically include several fiber pairs and other components, such as strength members, power conductors, electrical insulators, and protective shields. The optical fibers can be single-core / mode fibers or multi-mode / core fibers. The first fiber of the fiber pair can be coupled in a system for transmitting signals along a first direction on the cable, and the second fiber of the fiber pair can be configured to transmit signals in a second direction on the cable opposite to the first direction to support bidirectional communication. Some existing systems use various amplification devices to amplify sensing signals that can be reflected on the optical communication path. The sensing signals can indicate various conditions on the path, such as cable breaks, interference, seismic events, etc. Conventional systems use separate amplifiers to amplify the sensing signals sent in the reverse direction, which greatly increases the structural and functional complexity and cost of the optical communication system, and increases the occurrence of signal loss, signal errors, and other undesirable problems. Summary of the Invention

[0003] In some embodiments, the present subject matter relates to an apparatus for transmitting optical signals. The apparatus may include a bidirectional amplification device communicatively coupled between a first communication terminal and a second communication terminal. The first and second communication terminals may be communicatively coupled using an optical communication link. The bidirectional amplification device may be configured to transmit and amplify one or more optical sensing signals transmitted in either direction between the first communication terminal and the second communication terminal. The optical sensing signals may indicate a status of one or more portions of the optical communication link.

[0004] In some implementations, the current subject matter can include one or more of the following optional features: The optical communication link can be configured to transmit one or more optical data signals.

[0005] In some embodiments, a bidirectional amplification device may be configured to transmit a first optical sensing signal from one or more optical sensing signals in a first direction from a first communication terminal to a second communication terminal, and amplify a first reflected optical sensing signal transmitted from the second communication terminal to the first communication terminal in a second direction. The device may also transmit a second optical sensing signal from the second communication terminal to the first communication terminal in a second direction, and amplify a second reflected optical sensing signal transmitted from the first communication terminal to the second communication terminal in the first direction.

[0006] In some embodiments, a bidirectional amplification device may include an active gain medium optical component. The active gain medium optical component may be configured to amplify at least one of the following signals: a first reflected optical sensing signal, a second reflected optical sensing signal, a first optical sensing signal, a second optical sensing signal, and any combination thereof. The bidirectional amplification device may include at least one of the following: one or more isolators, one or more wavelength division multiplexing (WDM) optical components, one or more circulators, one or more bandpass filters, one or more optical couplers, and any combination thereof. The one or more WDM optical components may be coupled to one or more pumps. The one or more pumps may be laser pumps. The one or more isolators may be configured to isolate the one or more pumps from one or more optical signals backscattered from the active gain medium optical component.

[0007] In some embodiments, the active gain medium optical component may include at least one of: one or more erbium-doped amplifiers, one or more doped fiber amplifiers, one or more Raman amplifiers, one or more semiconductor optical amplifiers, and any combination thereof.

[0008] In some embodiments, the bidirectional amplification device can be communicatively coupled to one or more circulators. The one or more circulators can be configured to direct transmission of at least one of the following to and / or away from the bidirectional amplification device: the one or more optically sensed signals, the one or more optically sensed signals amplified by the bidirectional amplification device, and any combination thereof.

[0009] In some embodiments, the present subject matter relates to a method for transmitting optical signals. The method may include providing a bidirectional amplification device communicatively coupled between a first communication terminal and a second communication terminal, wherein the first and second communication terminals may be communicatively coupled using an optical communication link; amplifying, using the bidirectional amplification device, one or more optical sensing signals transmitted in either direction between the first communication terminal and the second communication terminal, wherein the one or more optical sensing signals may indicate a status of one or more portions of the optical communication link; and transmitting, using the bidirectional amplification device, the one or more optical sensing signals amplified by the bidirectional amplification device. The optical communication link may be configured to transmit one or more optical data signals.

[0010] In some embodiments, the method may further include using a bidirectional amplification device to transmit a first optical sensing signal of the one or more optical sensing signals from the first communication terminal to the second communication terminal in a first direction, and amplifying a first reflected optical sensing signal transmitted from the second communication terminal to the first communication terminal in a second direction. The method may further include using a bidirectional amplification device to transmit a second optical sensing signal of the one or more optical sensing signals from the second communication terminal to the first communication terminal in a second direction, and amplifying a second reflected optical sensing signal transmitted from the first communication terminal to the second communication terminal in the first direction.

[0011] Also described are non-transient computer program products (i.e., physically implemented computer program products) storing instructions that, when executed by one or more data processors of one or more computing systems, cause at least one data processor to perform the operations described herein. Similarly, also described are computer systems that may include one or more data processors and a memory coupled to the one or more data processors. The memory may temporarily or permanently store instructions that cause at least one processor to perform one or more operations described herein. In addition, the methods may be implemented by one or more data processors within a single computing system or distributed between two or more computing systems. Such computing systems may be connected and may exchange data and / or commands or other instructions, etc., via one or more connections, including but not limited to connections via a network (e.g., the Internet, a wireless wide area network, a local area network, a wide area network, a wired network, etc.), via direct connections between one or more of the multiple computing systems, etc.

[0012] The details of one or more variations of the subject matter described herein are set forth in the accompanying drawings and the description below. Other features and advantages of the subject matter described herein will be apparent from the description and drawings, and from the claims. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0013] The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification, illustrate certain aspects of the subject matter disclosed herein and, together with the description, help explain some of the principles associated with the disclosed embodiments.

[0014] Figure 1 An exemplary optical communication system is shown;

[0015] Figure 2 shows an example of a bidirectional optical sensing system for bidirectionally amplifying optical sensing signals according to some embodiments of the current subject matter;

[0016] Figure 3 shows an example of a bidirectional optical sensing system for bidirectionally amplifying optical sensing signals according to some embodiments of the current subject matter;

[0017] Figure 4A An example of a bidirectional amplification system according to some embodiments of the current subject matter is shown;

[0018] Figure 4B Another example of a bidirectional amplification system according to some embodiments of the current subject matter is shown;

[0019] Figure 5 shows an example of an optical communication system that can be configured to perform bidirectional amplification of optical sensing signals according to some embodiments of the current subject matter; and

[0020] Figure 6 An exemplary system according to some implementations of the current subject matter is shown. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0021] To address these and potentially other deficiencies of currently available solutions, one or more embodiments of the current subject matter are directed to methods, systems, articles of manufacture, etc. that can provide, among other possible advantages, a loopback bidirectional amplifier for optical sensing applications.

[0022] In some embodiments, the present subject matter relates to an optical communication system that can be configured to provide bidirectional amplification for optical sensing signals that can be transmitted on an outbound and / or inbound communication path that communicatively couples one or more transmitters (and / or transceivers) to one or more receivers (and / or transceivers). The system can include a bidirectional amplification device that can be communicatively coupled between a first communication terminal and a second communication terminal. The first and second communication terminals can be communicatively coupled using an optical communication link. The communication terminals can include transmitting and / or receiving components and / or both capable of transmitting and receiving various optical sensing signals (e.g., optical signals used to detect the condition of the optical communication link) and / or optical data signals (e.g., optical signals used to transmit data, information, etc.). The bidirectional amplification device can be configured to transmit and amplify one or more optical sensing signals transmitted in either direction between the first communication terminal and the second communication terminal.

[0023] In some embodiments, a bidirectional amplification device may be configured to transmit a first optical sensing signal in a first direction (e.g., from a first communication terminal to a second communication terminal) and amplify a first reflected optical sensing signal transmitted in a second direction (e.g., from the second communication terminal to the first communication terminal). The first reflected optical sensing signal may be an optical signal reflected on an optical communication link in response to detecting a condition on the link (e.g., a cable break, interference, a seismic event, etc.). The first reflected optical sensing signal may be a reflection of the first optical sensing signal and / or any other signal.

[0024] In some embodiments, the bidirectional amplification device may further transmit a second optical sensing signal from the second communication terminal to the first communication terminal in a second direction. The bidirectional amplification device may further amplify a second reflected optical sensing signal transmitted from the first communication terminal to the second communication terminal in the first direction. The second reflected optical sensing signal may be a reflection of the second optical sensing signal and / or any other signal. It may also be an optical signal reflected from the optical communication link in response to detecting a condition on the link.

[0025] To amplify the optical sensing signal, the bidirectional amplification device may include an active gain medium optical component. The active gain medium optical component may be configured to amplify at least one of the following signals: a first reflected optical sensing signal, a second reflected optical sensing signal, a first optical sensing signal, a second optical sensing signal, and any combination thereof. The bidirectional amplification device may also include at least one of the following: one or more isolators, one or more wavelength division multiplexing (WDM) optical components, and any combination thereof. The WDM optical component may be coupled to one or more pumps, wherein the pump may be a laser pump. In addition, the isolator may be configured to isolate the one or more pumps from one or more optical signals backscattered from the active gain medium optical component. In addition, the active gain medium optical component may include at least one of the following: one or more doped fiber amplifiers, one or more erbium-doped fiber amplifiers, one or more Raman amplifiers, one or more semiconductor optical amplifiers, and any combination thereof.

[0026] In some embodiments, the bidirectional amplification device can be communicatively coupled to one or more circulators. The circulators can be configured to direct transmission of at least one of the following: one or more optical sensing signals, one or more optical sensing signals amplified by the bidirectional amplification device, and any combination thereof. The circulators can direct such signals toward and / or away from the bidirectional amplification device.

[0027] Figure 1 An exemplary optical communication system 100 is shown. System 100 can use high-bandwidth optical fibers to transmit and receive large amounts of data over long distances. Bidirectional optical communication system 100 can also be referred to as a long-haul optical communication system. Bidirectional data transmission can be implemented by constructing fiber pairs within a fiber optic cable and / or transmitting one or more channels (e.g., wavelength division multiplexing channels) per fiber pair.

[0028] System 100 may include terminals 103 and 105 communicatively coupled using (e.g., unidirectional) optical pathways 111 and 121. Terminal 103 may include a transmitter 113 and a receiver 123. Similarly, terminal 105 may include a receiver 115 and a transmitter 125. Transmitter 113 of terminal 103 may be communicatively coupled to receiver 115 of terminal 105 via pathway 111. Transmitter 125 of terminal 105 may be communicatively coupled to receiver 123 of terminal 103 via pathway 121. Paths 111 and 121 may form a bidirectional fiber pair. For example, optical pathway 111 may transmit one or more signals, data, information, etc., and / or any combination thereof, in one direction (e.g., from transmitter 113 to receiver 115). Optical pathway 121 may transmit one or more signals, data, information, etc., and / or any combination thereof, in another direction (e.g., from transmitter 125 to receiver 123).

[0029] Thus, for terminal 103, optical path 111 can be referred to as an outbound path, and optical path 121 can be referred to as an inbound path. Optical path 111 can include one or more optical fibers 117-1 to 117-n and one or more optical amplifiers 119-1 to 119-n, the latter of which are positioned within respective repeaters 131-1 to 131-n. Similarly, optical path 121 can include one or more optical fibers 127-1 to 127-n and one or more optical amplifiers 129-1 to 129-n, the latter of which are positioned within respective repeaters 131-1 to 131-n. Optical fibers 117-1 to 117-n and 127-1 to 127-2 can be separate segments of a single optical fiber 117 and / or a single optical fiber 127, respectively, wherein the segments can be formed in such a way that amplifiers are coupled to the optical fibers 117 and 127, as shown. Figure 1 shown.

[0030] For example, one or more optical amplifiers 119-1 to 119-n and / or 129-1 to 129-n may be erbium-doped fiber amplifiers (EDFAs) and / or any other optical amplifiers. Furthermore, while the transmitters 113, 115 and the receivers 123, 125 are shown as separate components, it is understood that the transmitter 113 and / or the receiver 123 may be housed together in a single housing and may form a transponder and / or a transceiver at the terminal 103. Similarly, the transmitter 115 and the receiver 125 may also be housed together in a single housing and may form a transponder and / or a transceiver at the terminal 105.

[0031] As described above, the optical path pairs (e.g., optical paths 111, 121) can be configured to be communicatively coupled to a set of amplifier pairs 119-1 to 119-n and 129-1 to 129-n within repeaters 131-1 to 131-n using optical fiber pairs 117 (e.g., using optical fibers 117-1 to 117-n) and 127 (e.g., using optical fibers 127-1 to 127-n), and the optical fibers 117 and 127 can be included in a fiber optic cable along with other optical fibers and / or optical fiber pairs supporting additional path pairs. As described above and Figure 1 As shown, for example, each repeater 131-1 to 131-n may include at least one pair of respective amplifiers 119-1 to 119-n, 129-1 to 129-n for each path pair and / or may include additional amplifiers for additional path pairs. Figure 1 As shown, for example, repeater 131 - 1 may include amplifiers 119 - 1 and 129 - 1 .

[0032] The optical amplifiers 119-1 to 119-n, 129-1 to 129-n may include EDFAs and / or other rare-earth doped fiber amplifiers, Raman amplifiers, semiconductor optical amplifiers (SOAs), and / or other types of amplifiers. Each repeater 131-1 to 131-n may also include a corresponding coupling path 133-1 to 133-n that may be communicatively coupled between the optical paths 111, 121. It will be understood that the terms "coupling" and / or "coupled" or "communicatively coupled" as used herein may broadly refer to any connection, connecting, coupling, linking and / or linking, direct and / or indirect and / or wired and / or wireless connection, etc., but do not necessarily mean that the coupled components and / or elements are directly connected to each other.

[0033] Underwater fiber optic cables transmit and receive multi-terabit optical traffic. Sensing applications can use the deployed optical fibers to detect intrusions, cable cuts, and failures, minimizing restoration efforts. Optical data traffic flows bidirectionally within these networks. Sensing applications can be supplemented and configured to monitor each span bidirectionally. Sensing signals reflected after Rayleigh scattering may require amplification to regenerate power and be transmitted back to the sensing receiver. Existing systems typically require two different optical amplifiers to amplify one or more sensing signals from opposite spans and propagate the signals toward the receiver.

[0034] In some embodiments, the current subject matter provides a bidirectional fiber amplifier for multi-span underwater optical network sensing. A bidirectional loopback amplifier can be configured to amplify reflected sensing signal wavelengths propagating from opposite spans.

[0035] Figure 2An example of a bidirectional optical sensing system 200 for bidirectionally amplifying optical sensing signals according to some embodiments of the present subject matter is shown. System 200 may include terminals 203 and 205 communicatively coupled using (e.g., unidirectional) optical paths 211, 221, where terminals 203 and 205 may include respective transmitters 213, 215 and respective receivers 223, 225. Transmitter 213 and receiver 215 may be communicatively coupled using optical communication path 211, and transmitter 225 and receiver 223 may be communicatively coupled using optical communication path 221. Optical paths 211, 221 may transmit one or more signals, data, information, etc., and / or any combination thereof, in one direction (e.g., path 211: from transmitter 213 to receiver 215; and path 221: from transmitter 225 to receiver 223).

[0036] One or more repeaters 231-1 to 231-n may be positioned across the optical paths 211 and 221. The repeater 231 may include respective amplifiers (e.g., erbium-doped fiber amplifiers (EDFAs)) 219-1 to 219-n and 229-1 to 229-n for amplifying the optical signals transmitted on the paths 211, 221. For example, the repeater 231-1 may include an EDFA 219-1 for amplifying the signal transmitted on the optical communication path 217-1; the repeater 231-2 may include an EDFA 219-2 for amplifying the signal transmitted on the optical communication path 217-2, and so on. In addition, the repeater 231-1 may include an EDFA 229-1 for amplifying the signal transmitted on the optical communication path 227-1; the repeater 231-2 may include an EDFA 229-2 for amplifying the signal transmitted on the optical communication path 227-2, and so on.

[0037] In addition, the repeater 231 may also include corresponding optical sensing signal amplifiers 233-1 to 233-n (e.g., the repeater 231-1 may include the amplifier 233-1, etc.). The amplifier 233 may be configured as a bidirectional amplifier and may be configured to amplify the reflected or returned corresponding optical sensing signal 235. For example, the repeater 231-1 may include the amplifier 233-1 that may be configured to amplify the reflected or returned corresponding optical sensing signal 235. The reflected signal 237-1 may be reflected back in response to the optical sensing signal transmitted from the transmitter 213 to the receiver 215 and / or as a result of an event and / or condition (e.g., a break, damage, interference, etc.) detected on the optical communication path 217-2 (e.g., due to Rayleigh scattering of the optical fiber). The sensing optical signal may be transmitted (in either direction) on the optical communication path used to transmit the optical data signal and / or on a separate optical communication path dedicated to transmitting the optical sensing signal. The optical sensing signal can be transmitted using the same transmitter (e.g., transmitter 213) that transmits the optical data signal and / or using a separate optical sensing signal transmitter. Similarly, amplifier 233-1 can be configured to amplify reflected signal 235-1, which can be reflected back in response to the optical sensing signal transmitted from transmitter 225 to receiver 223 and / or as a result of an event and / or condition detected on optical communication path 227-1 (e.g., due to Rayleigh scattering of the optical fiber, etc.). As described herein, amplifier 233 can be configured to bidirectionally amplify the reflected / returned optical sensing signal in both directions, thereby eliminating the need for a separate amplifier and thus reducing the amount of hardware, power, etc. that may be required. In some embodiments, the present subject matter can monitor any and / or all reflected signals (e.g., continuously, periodically, etc.). One or more (or none) of such signals can be amplified (e.g., by one or more amplifiers discussed herein) for transmission. Any changes in such signals can correspond to changes in the reflected signal phase, amplitude, polarization, and / or any other signal parameter and / or any combination of parameters.

[0038] For example, one or more optical amplifiers 219-1 to 219-n and / or 229-1 to 229-n may be erbium-doped fiber amplifiers (EDFAs), other rare-earth-doped fiber amplifiers, Raman amplifiers, semiconductor optical amplifiers (SOAs), and / or any other optical amplifiers. Furthermore, while transmitters 213, 215 and receivers 223, 225 are shown as separate components, it is understood that transmitter 213 and / or receiver 223 may be housed together in a single housing and may form a transponder and / or transceiver at terminal 203. Similarly, transmitter 215 and receiver 225 may also be housed together in a single housing and may form a transponder and / or transceiver at terminal 205.

[0039] In addition, if Figure 2 As shown, optical pathways 211, 221 can be configured as a set of respective amplifier pairs 219 and 229 within a respective repeater 231 communicatively coupled using respective fiber pairs 217 and 227. Fibers 217, 227 can be included in a fiber optic cable along with other optical fibers and / or fiber pairs that support additional pathway pairs.

[0040] Figure 3 An example of a bidirectional optical sensing system 300 for bidirectionally amplifying optical sensing signals according to some embodiments of the current subject matter is shown. The system 300 may be Figure 2 , 327-n). Path 317 may be configured to transmit optical sensing signals between sensing signal sources 302 (via wavelength division multiplexer (WDM) 303) to receiver 306 (via filter 307), and path 327 may be configured to transmit optical sensing signals between sensing signal sources 304 (via WDM 305) to receiver 308 (via filter 309). Sensing signals 302 may be sent to determine Figure 2 The optical transmission path 211 ( Figure 3 The sensing signal 304 may be sent to determine the state of one or more of the following: Figure 2 The optical transmission path 221 shown in Figure 3 The state of one or more of the sense signals is shown as 321 in FIG and / or span 327. It will be appreciated that a single source of the sense signal or multiple sources may be used to transmit the sense signal.

[0041] Repeater 331 may be repeater 231 and / or may be incorporated into Figure 2 Each of the repeaters 331 may have a similar or identical structure and / or one or more functions. Therefore, for ease of illustration and description, the following discussion will be directed to repeater 331-1, but it will be understood that it applies to the remaining repeaters 331-2, ..., 331-n.

[0042] Repeater 331-1 may include one or more sensing signal branches 336 and 338 communicatively coupled to each other via bidirectional optical amplification device 330. Branch 336 may be configured to transmit and process sensing signal 302 and reflected optical sensing signals on optical communication path 317, which may be reflected (e.g., due to Rayleigh scattering of the optical fiber, etc.) in response to sensing signal 302 encountering a reflection point (e.g., a disturbance, a break, damage, and / or any other reflection event) in one or more of optical communication paths 317. As described above, one or more reflected signals may be monitored (e.g., continuously, periodically, etc.), with one or more (or none) of such signals being amplified (e.g., by one or more amplifiers discussed herein). The phase, amplitude, polarization, and / or any other signal parameter and / or any combination of parameters of the one or more reflected signals may be ascertained to determine any changes in the reflected signals. Branch 338 can be configured to transmit and process the sensing signal 304 and the reflected optical sensing signals on the optical communication path 327, which can be reflected in response to the sensing signal 304 encountering one or more reflection points in the optical communication path 327 (e.g., interference, breakage, damage and / or any other reflection events).

[0043] Branch 336 can include circulators 341, 349, bandpass filters 342, 343, a coupler (e.g., a WDM) 345, and an inline EDFA amplifier 347. Each of circulators 341, 349 can include one or more ports (labeled "1," "2," and "3") that can be configured to pass the optical sensing signal and / or the reflected optical sensing signal to optical communication components that can be coupled thereto. In particular, on port 1, circulator 341 can be communicatively coupled to bandpass filter 343; on port 2, circulator 341 can be communicatively coupled to bidirectional amplification device 330; and on port 3, circulator 341 can be communicatively coupled to filter 342, which can in turn be communicatively coupled to coupler 345. Coupler 345 can be configured to receive optical sensing signal 302 via span or optical communication path 317-0 and can also be communicatively coupled to the input of EDFA 347. The output of the EDFA 347 can be communicatively coupled to port 1 of a circulator 349. Port 2 of the circulator 349 can be communicatively coupled to the optical communication path 317-1 and can be configured to receive the reflected optical sensing signal transmitted on the path 317-1 toward the repeater 331-1. Port 3 of the circulator 349 can be communicatively coupled to the bandpass filter 343. The circulators 341 and 349 can be configured to direct the transmission of the optical sensing signal in a counterclockwise manner. It will be appreciated that the circulators 341 and 349 can be arranged and configured to direct the transmission of the optical sensing signal in any desired direction.

[0044] Similarly, branch 338 may include circulators 351, 359, bandpass filters 353, 358, a coupler (e.g., a WDM) 355, and an inline EDFA amplifier 357. Branch 338 may be configured to receive a signal from source 304 and pass it to receiver 309. It may also be configured to receive a reflected signal and pass it to branch 336 for transmission to receiver 306. Each of circulators 351, 359 may include one or more ports (labeled "1," "2," and "3") that may be configured to pass the optical sensing signal and / or the reflected optical sensing signal to optical communication components that may be coupled thereto. In particular, at port 1, circulator 351 may be communicatively coupled to bandpass filter 353. At port 2, circulator 351 may be communicatively coupled to bidirectional amplification device 330. At port 3, circulator 351 may be communicatively coupled to bandpass filter 358, which in turn may be communicatively coupled to coupler 355. Coupler 355 can be configured to receive optical sensing signal 304. It can also be communicatively coupled to the input of EDFA 357. The output of EDFA 357 can be communicatively coupled to port 1 of circulator 359. Port 2 of circulator 359 can be communicatively coupled to optical communication path 327-0 and can be configured to receive the reflected optical sensing signal transmitted on path 327-1 toward repeater 331-1. Port 3 of circulator 359 can be communicatively coupled to bandpass filter 353. Circulators 351 and 359 can be configured to direct the transmission of the optical sensing signal in a counterclockwise manner. It will be appreciated that circulators 351 and 359 can be arranged and configured to direct the transmission of the optical sensing signal in any desired direction.

[0045] During transmission of the optical sensing signal (e.g., to determine the status of the optical communication path (e.g., the optical sensing path and / or the optical data path)), the optical sensing signal 302 can be transmitted to the repeater 331-1 via the communication path 317-0 and received by the coupler 345. The coupler 345 can then transmit the sensing signal to the EDFA 347, which can amplify the signal and transmit it to port 1 of the circulator 349. The circulator 349 can then direct the amplified sensing signal to port 2 and pass the signal as an output to the optical communication path 317-1. The signal can then be received by the coupler of the repeater 331-2 (similar to the coupler 345).

[0046] When a reflection event (e.g., an interruption, a fracture, a seismic event, etc.) is encountered on one of the optical communication paths (e.g., path 317-1), a sensing signal may be reflected back to repeater 331-1. As described above, one or more reflected signals may be continuously monitored (e.g., regardless of whether any event occurs and / or whether an event is encountered). The reflected optical signal may be received at port 2 of circulator 349. Circulator 349 may then direct the reflected sensing signal to its port 3, which may then be passed to bandpass filter 343. Bandpass filter 343 may remove noise and / or limit the bandwidth of the reflected sensing signal, and / or perform any other signal processing functions. The processed reflected sensing signal may then be received at port 1 of circulator 341. Circulator 341 may then direct the reflected sensing signal to bidirectional amplification device 330 via its port 2. Amplification device 330 may amplify the reflected sensing signal and transmit it to port 2 of circulator 351.

[0047] The circulator 351 can then direct the amplified reflected sensing signal to its port 3 and, via a bandpass filter 358 (which can remove noise and / or limit the bandwidth of the reflected sensing signal, etc.), to the coupler 355. The coupler 355 can provide the signal to the EDFA 357. The EDFA 357 can further amplify the amplified reflected sensing signal. Such a signal can then be sent toward the receiver 309 via the circulator 359 (from its port 1 to port 2) and the communication path 327-0, where it can ultimately be received by the receiver 309.

[0048] The processing of the sensing signal 304 and any reflected signals thereof is similar to the processing of the sensing signal 302. Specifically, the optical sensing signal 304 can be sent to the repeater 331-1 and received by the coupler 355. The coupler 355 can then send the sensing signal to the EDFA 357. The EDFA 357 can amplify the signal and send it to port 1 of the circulator 359, which can direct the amplified sensing signal to port 2 and pass the signal as an output to the optical communication path 327-0, which can then be received by the receiver 309.

[0049] Any reflected optical sensing signals on one or more paths 327 can be received, for example, from communication path 327-0 (and / or in the case of repeater 331-2, such as communication path 327-1, etc.) at port 2 of circulator 359, which can direct the transmission of the reflected sensing signals to its port 3 and pass them to bandpass filter 353 for processing. The processed reflected sensing signals can be received at port 1 of circulator 351, which can direct the reflected sensing signals to bidirectional amplification device 330 via its port 2. Amplification device 330 can amplify the reflected sensing signals and send them to port 2 of circulator 341.

[0050] Circulator 341 can then direct the amplified reflected sensing signal to its port 3 and to coupler 345 via bandpass filter 342. Bandpass filter 342 (and similar bandpass filter 358) can be configured to filter noise and / or limit the bandwidth of the reflected sensing signal, among other things. Coupler 345 can provide the signal to EDFA 347. EDFA 347 can also amplify the amplified reflected sensing signal. The signal can then be transmitted toward receiver 306 via circulator 349 (from its port 1 to port 2) and communication path 317. It will be appreciated that the signal can also be amplified by one or more EDFAs in repeater 331 (e.g., similar to EDFA 347 of repeater 331-1).

[0051] Figure 4A An example of a bidirectional amplification system 400 according to some embodiments of the current subject matter is shown. One or more components of the system 400 and / or the entire system 400 may be included and / or incorporated into Figure 3 The system 400 can be used for bidirectional amplification of optical sensing signals, for example, in response to a signal that can be received from either source of the optical sensing signal (e.g., Figure 3 The optical sensing signal may be reflected when a reflection event of an optical sensing signal transmitted by the sources 302 and / or 304 as shown and / or continuous monitoring of the reflection signal is performed (irrespective of any event or condition).

[0052] System 400 may include a bidirectional optical amplification device 330 (e.g., a device that is communicatively coupled to circulators 351 and 341). Figure 3 circulator 351 can be configured to receive the reflected optical sensing signal 304 (e.g., the “western sensing signal”) and direct / redirect the transmission of the reflected optical sensing signal (e.g., reflected in a direction opposite to the direction of the optical sensing signal 304) to the eastern sensing receiver 306 (e.g., the “western sensing signal”). Figure 3 Similarly, the circulator 341 can be configured to receive the reflected optical sensing signal 302 (e.g., the “eastern sensing signal”) and direct / redirect the transmission of the reflected optical sensing signal (e.g., reflected in a direction opposite to the direction of the optical sensing signal 302) to the western sensing receiver 308 (e.g., the “eastern sensing signal”). Figure 3 It will be understood that the designations of “East” and “West” provided herein are for illustrative purposes only and are not intended to limit the scope of the current subject matter.

[0053] The bidirectional optical amplification device 330 may include an active gain medium 402 that may be communicatively coupled between WDM1 404 and WDM2 406. WDM1 404 may be communicatively coupled to a circulator 351 and an isolator ("Iso 1") 408. WDM2 406 may be communicatively coupled to a circulator 341 and an isolator ("Iso2") 410. Isolators 408 and 410 may be coupled to a coupler 412, which may in turn be communicatively coupled to lasers L1 414 ("Laser 1") and L2 416 ("Laser 2"). Lasers 414 and 416 may be coupled to a laser driver 418. Lasers 414, 416 may be pump lasers that may be driven by a common laser driver 418 and may be coupled together using coupler 412, which may be a fused fiber coupler and / or any other type of coupler. Isolators 408 , 410 may be configured to protect lasers 414 , 416 from high power back reflections and / or high pump powers through the active gain medium 402 .

[0054] In operation, the reflected optical sensing signals 304 can be configured to be routed by the circulator 351 from its port 1 to port 2 and sent to the WDM1 404, which can use one or more lasers 414, 416 to multiplex one or more reflected optical sensing signals 304 that can co-propagate in either direction (e.g., from east to west or from west to east). The multiplexed optical sensing signals can be provided to the active gain medium 402 for amplification. The active gain medium 402 can include a rare-earth doped fiber amplifier, a Raman amplifier, a semiconductor optical amplifier (SOA), and / or any other optical amplifier that can be configured to amplify the multiplexed optical signals before passing them through the WDM2 406. The output of the WDM2 406 can be sent to the circulator 341 and received at its port 2. The circulator 341 can then direct these signals to port 3 for transmission to the receiver 308 (e.g., "west sensing signals").

[0055] Similarly, the reflected optical sensing signal 302 can be routed from port 1 to port 2 by the circulator 341 and passed to WDM2 406. WDM2 406 can multiplex these optical sensing signals using one or more pump lasers 414, 416. The signals can also co-propagate in either direction (e.g., from east to west or from west to east). The multiplexed optical sensing signals can be amplified using the active gain medium 402 and passed to WDM1 404. WDM1 404 can send the amplified signals to port 2 of the circulator 351. The circulator 351 can then direct these signals to its port 3 and send them to the receiver 306 (e.g., "Eastern sensing signals").

[0056] In some embodiments, a single laser (414 or 416) may be used to pump WDM1 404 and WDM2 406. Alternatively or additionally, each WDM may be operated by a specific laser 414, 416, and / or either laser.

[0057] In some embodiments, the bidirectional optical amplification device 330 includes, in addition to Figure 4A In addition to the components shown in , it can also be configured to include circulators 341 and 351, such as Figure 4B Thus, circulators 341 and 351 can form Figure 4B 406 and WDM1 404) are communicatively coupled to the bidirectional optical amplification device 330 in FIG. Figure 4A The connections between the circulators 341, 351 and the components inside and outside the bidirectional optical amplifying device 330 are similar to those described above with respect to the bidirectional optical amplifying device 330. Figure 4A Likewise, the operation (eg, optical signal processing) of the bidirectional optical amplification device 330 including the circulators 341, 351 may be similar to that of Figure 4A Operation of the components in system 400 is shown.

[0058] Figure 5 An example of an optical communication system 500 that can be configured to perform bidirectional amplification of optical sensing signals according to some embodiments of the current subject matter is shown. The system 500 can be similar to the one described above in conjunction with Figure 1-4B System under discussion.

[0059] The system 500 may include a west sensing transmitter 502 configured to transmit one or more optical sensing signals to an east sensing receiver 506, and an east sensing transmitter 508 configured to transmit one or more optical sensing signals to a west sensing receiver 504. The transmitter 502 and the receiver 506 may be communicatively coupled using an optical communication path 511, which may be configured to transmit one or more optical sensing signals and / or one or more optical data signals. The communication path 511 may include one or more repeaters (e.g., one or more repeaters 531), which may be located thereon (e.g., at predetermined intervals (e.g., 50 km, 100 km, etc.)), which may include one or more amplifiers (e.g., EDFAs, etc.) 519-1, 519-2, 519-3, etc. (for simplicity, Figure 5Only three amplifiers are shown in the figure) to amplify the optical signals sent over the spans or portions 517-1, 517-2, 517-3, etc. of the communication path 511. Similarly, the communication path 521 may include one or more repeaters (e.g., one or more repeaters 531) that may be located thereon (e.g., every predetermined distance (e.g., 50 km, 100 km, etc.) that may include one or more amplifiers (e.g., EDFAs, etc.) 529-1, 529-2, 529-3, etc. (again, for simplicity, Figure 5 Only three amplifiers are shown in the figure) to amplify the optical signals transmitted on the spans or sections 527-1, 527-2, 527-3, etc. In addition, the same repeater housing (e.g., the housing of repeater 531) can be located across the communication paths 511 and 521. It is understood that the respective amplifiers 519 (e.g., 519-1) and 529 (e.g., 529-1) can be included in the same respective repeater housing 531 (e.g., Figure 1-3 As shown) and / or in a separate housing, which can form a repeater. Figure 5 As shown, the housing of repeater 531 can include amplifier 519-2 located on communication line 511 and amplifier 529-2 located on communication line 521. Furthermore, transmitter 502 and receiver 504 can also be located in a common housing. Similarly, a common housing can be used to house receiver 506 and transmitter 508. Alternatively or additionally, the transmitter and receiver on each side can be housed separately from each other.

[0060] In some embodiments, as Figure 5 As shown, the bidirectional amplification device 530 can be communicatively coupled to one or more of the amplifiers 519-2 and 529-2 so that bidirectional amplification of the optical sensing signal (including the reflected optical sensing signal) can be performed. The other amplifiers 519 and 529 can also be communicatively coupled using corresponding bidirectional amplification devices 530 disposed in the repeater housing. Figure 5 As shown, the bi-directional amplification device 530 can communicatively couple the output of the amplifier 529-2 and the input of the amplifier 519-2. Additionally, the bi-directional amplification device 530 can communicatively couple the output of the amplifier 519-2 and the input of the amplifier 529-2.

[0061] The bidirectional amplification device 530 may be similar to Figure 34 and may include a bidirectional amplifier 534 (e.g., similar to the active gain medium 402 shown in FIG. 4 ). Optionally, the bidirectional amplifier 530 may include one or more bandpass filter combinations 532 a and 532 b that may be communicatively coupled to the bidirectional amplifier 534 and process the optical sensing input and / or output signals processed by the respective amplifiers 519, 529 and the bidirectional amplifier 534.

[0062] During operation, if Figure 5 As shown, optical sensing signal 539 may be optionally processed by a filter in combination 532b, amplified by bidirectional amplifier 534, optionally processed by a filter in combination 532a, and output by bidirectional amplification device 530 as amplified optical sensing signal 535, which may then be input to amplifier 519-2. Optical sensing signal 539 may include a reflected optical sensing signal, which may be a reflected optical sensing signal output by amplifier 529-2 and may be caused by encountering a reflective event (e.g., a break, interference, etc.). Amplified optical sensing signal 535 may be multiplexed with one or more optical sensing signals (and / or optical data signals) that may be input to amplifier 519-2 for transmission to sensing receiver 506. As described herein, if desired, one or more reflected signals may be continuously monitored (e.g., regardless of any (one or more) reflective events) and / or amplified.

[0063] Similarly, the optical sensing signal 533 can be optionally processed by the filter in the combination 532a, amplified by the bidirectional amplifier 534, optionally processed by the filter in the combination 532b, and can be output by the bidirectional amplification device 530 as an amplified optical sensing signal 537. The optical sensing signal 533 can include a reflected optical sensing signal, which can be a reflected optical sensing signal output by the amplifier 519-2 and can be the result of encountering a reflection event (e.g., a break, interference, etc.) and / or can be continuously monitored (e.g., regardless of the reflection event). The amplified optical sensing signal 537 can be multiplexed with one or more optical sensing signals (and / or optical data signals) that can be input to the amplifier 529-2 for transmission to the sensing receiver 504.

[0064] In some embodiments, the current subject matter can be configured to provide various technical advantages over existing systems. In particular, existing amplifier designs typically require two different fiber amplifiers to act as loopback amplifiers to amplify the counter-propagating sensing signal. This is problematic because it requires additional hardware and connections, complex signal routing, etc., which can lead to signal loss, incorrect readings, and other problems. The current subject matter provides bidirectional loopback amplification that solves the above problems by completely eliminating the requirement for additional amplifiers. In addition, the bidirectional amplification system of the current subject matter also solves the problem of crosstalk between signals, which is a problem for some bidirectional amplifiers, by using only passive filtering at the sensing wavelength. In addition, the active gain medium can include rare-earth doped fiber, Raman gain fiber, semiconductor optical amplifier (SOA) devices, and / or any other fiber amplifier. For unidirectional signal amplification, the bidirectional scheme can also be used for unidirectional amplification only. In addition, the current subject matter can also simplify the structural components by using a single pump laser, thereby eliminating additional pump requirements.

[0065] Figure 6 shows a method for processing and / or controlling Figure 2-5 600 of an exemplary system for one or more operations of the system shown in FIG. Figure 5 As shown, the system 600 can be incorporated into one or more of the sensing receivers 504, 506 and / or the sensing transmitters 502, 508 and / or the one or more repeaters 531. Alternatively or additionally, the system 600 can be incorporated into one or more separately provided devices and / or components that can be configured to provide a plurality of Figure 2-5 One or more optical communication systems shown in provide control functionality. It will be appreciated that system 600 may be incorporated into any other device and / or component.

[0066] like Figure 6As shown, processing system 600 may include input / output (I / O) devices 601, processor 603, memory 605, storage 607, and one or more communication components 611. Each of components 601-807 may be interconnected using a system bus 609. Processor 603 may be configured to process instructions for execution within system 600. In some embodiments, processor 603 may be a single-threaded processor. Alternatively or additionally, processor 603 may be a multi-threaded processor. Processor 603 may also be configured to process instructions stored in memory 605 and / or storage 607, including, but not limited to, receiving and / or sending information via I / O devices 601. Memory 605 may store information within system 600. In some embodiments, memory 605 may be a computer-readable medium. Alternatively or additionally, memory 605 may be a volatile memory unit. In certain embodiments, memory 605 may be a non-volatile memory unit. Storage 607 may provide mass storage for system 600. In some embodiments, storage 607 may be a computer-readable medium. Alternatively or additionally, storage 607 may be a floppy disk device, a hard disk device, an optical disk device, a magnetic tape device, a non-volatile solid-state memory, or any other type of storage device. I / O device 601 may provide input / output operations for system 600. In some embodiments, I / O device 601 may include a keyboard and / or a pointing device. Alternatively or additionally, I / O device 601 may include a display unit for displaying a graphical user interface.

[0067] In some example embodiments, one or more components of system 600 may include any combination of hardware and / or software. In some embodiments, one or more components of system 600 may be located on one or more computing devices, such as one or more servers, one or more databases, one or more personal computers, one or more laptops, one or more cellular phones, one or more smartphones, one or more tablet computers, a virtual reality device, and / or any other computing device and / or any combination thereof. In some example embodiments, one or more components of system 600 may be located on a single computing device and / or may be components of a single communication network. Alternatively or additionally, such services may be located separately from one another.

[0068] In some embodiments, one or more components of system 600 may include a network-enabled computer. As described herein, a network-enabled computer may include, but is not limited to, a computer device or a communication device, including, for example, a server, a network appliance, a personal computer, a workstation, a phone, a smartphone, a handheld PC, a personal digital assistant, a thin client, a fat client, an Internet browser, or other device. One or more components of system 600 may also be a mobile computing device, such as iPhone, iPod, iPad and / or running Apple Any other suitable device running Microsoft's Any device running Google's mobile operating system Any device running the Windows XP operating system and / or any other suitable mobile computing device, such as a smartphone, tablet computer, or similar wearable mobile device.

[0069] One or more components of system 600 may include a processor and memory, and it should be understood that the processing circuitry may include additional components required to perform the functions described herein, including a processor, memory, error and parity / CRC checker, data encoder, anti-collision algorithm, controller, command decoder, security primitives, and anti-tampering hardware. One or more components of system 600 may also include one or more displays and / or one or more input devices. A display may be any type of device for presenting visual information (such as a computer monitor, flat panel display, and mobile device screen), including a liquid crystal display, a light emitting diode display, a plasma panel, and a cathode ray tube display. An input device may include any device for inputting information into a user device that is available and supported by the user device, such as a touch screen, keyboard, mouse, cursor control device, touch screen, microphone, digital camera, video recorder, or camcorder. These devices may be used to input information and interact with the software and other devices described herein.

[0070] In some example embodiments, one or more components of system 600 may execute one or more applications (such as software applications) capable of, for example, engaging in network communications with one or more components of system 600 and sending and / or receiving data.

[0071] One or more components of system 600 may include one or more servers and / or communicate with one or more servers via one or more networks, and may operate as corresponding front-end to back-end pairs with one or more servers. One or more components of system 600 may, for example, send one or more requests to one or more servers from a mobile device application (e.g., executed on one or more user devices, components, etc.). These requests may be associated with retrieving data from a server. A server may receive requests from a component of system 600. Based on these requests, the server may be configured to retrieve the requested data from one or more databases. Based on receiving the requested data from the database, the server may be configured to send the received data to one or more components of system 600, where the received data may be in response to one or more requests.

[0072] System 600 may include and / or be communicatively coupled to one or more networks. In some embodiments, the network may be one or more of a wireless network, a wired network, or any combination of a wireless network and a wired network, and may be configured to connect components of system 600 and / or components of system 600 to one or more servers. For example, the network may include one or more of: a fiber optic network, a passive optical network, a cable network, the Internet, a satellite network, a wireless local area network (LAN), a metropolitan area network (MAN), a wide area network (WAN), a virtual local area network (VLAN), an extranet, an intranet, a global system for mobile communications, a personal communications service, a personal area network, a wireless application protocol, a multimedia messaging service, an enhanced messaging service, a short message service, a time division multiplexing-based system, a code division multiple access-based system, D-AMPS, Wi-Fi, fixed wireless data, IEEE 802.11b, 802.15.1, 802.11n, and 802.11g, Bluetooth, NFC, radio frequency identification (RFID), Wi-Fi, and / or any other type of network and / or any combination thereof.

[0073] In addition, the network may include, but is not limited to, telephone lines, optical fibers, IEEE Ethernet 802.3, wide area networks, wireless personal area networks, LANs, or global networks such as the Internet. In addition, the network may support the Internet, wireless communication networks, cellular networks, etc., or any combination thereof. The network may also include a network, or any number of the exemplary types of networks described above, operating as independent networks or in cooperation with each other. The networks may utilize one or more protocols of one or more network elements to which they are communicatively coupled. The networks may convert from other protocols to one or more protocols of network devices. The network may include multiple interconnected networks, such as the Internet, a service provider's network, a cable television network, a corporate network, and a home network.

[0074] System 600 may include and / or be communicatively coupled to one or more servers, which may include one or more processors that may be coupled to memory. The servers may be configured as a central system, server, or platform to control and access various data at different times to perform multiple workflow actions. The servers may be configured to connect to one or more databases. The servers may be incorporated into at least one component of system 600 and / or communicatively coupled to the component.

[0075] As previously referenced Figure 2-Figure 5 The various elements of the described components may include various hardware elements, software elements, or a combination of the two. Examples of hardware elements may include devices, logic devices, components, processors, microprocessors, circuits, processors, circuit elements (e.g., transistors, resistors, capacitors, inductors, etc.), integrated circuits, application specific integrated circuits (ASICs), programmable logic devices (PLDs), digital signal processors (DSPs), field programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), memory cells, logic gates, registers, semiconductor devices, chips, microchips, chipsets, etc. Examples of software elements may include software components, programs, applications, computer programs, applications, system programs, software development programs, machine programs, operating system software, middleware, firmware, software modules, routines, subroutines, functions, methods, processes, software interfaces, application program interfaces (APIs), instruction sets, computing codes, computer codes, code segments, computer code segments, words, values, symbols, or any combination thereof. However, determining whether an embodiment is implemented using hardware elements and / or software elements may vary depending on many factors, such as desired computational rate, power levels, thermal tolerances, processing cycle budget, input data rate, output data rate, memory resources, data bus speed, and other design or performance constraints desired for a given embodiment.

[0076] One or more aspects of at least one embodiment may be implemented by representative instructions stored on a machine-readable medium, which represents various logic within a processor, and when read by a machine, the instructions cause the machine to manufacture logic to perform the technology described herein. Such representations, referred to as "IP cores", may be stored on tangible machine-readable media and supplied to various customers or manufacturing facilities to be loaded into manufacturing machines that manufacture logic or processors. Some embodiments may be implemented, for example, using a machine-readable medium or article, which may store instructions or instruction sets that, if executed by a machine, may cause the machine to perform methods and / or operations according to the embodiments. Such a machine may include, for example, any suitable processing platform, computing platform, computing device, processing device, computing system, processing system, computer, processor, etc., and may be implemented using any suitable combination of hardware and / or software. The machine-readable medium or article may include, for example, any suitable type of memory unit, memory device, memory article, memory medium, storage device, storage article, storage medium and / or storage unit, such as memory, removable or non-removable media, erasable or non-erasable media, writable or rewritable media, digital or analog media, hard disk, floppy disk, Compact Disk Read Only Memory (CD-ROM), Compact Disk Recordable (CD-R), Compact Disk Rewriteable (CD-RW), optical disk, magnetic media, magneto-optical media, removable memory cards or disks, various types of Digital Versatile Disks (DVDs), magnetic tape, tape cassettes, etc. The instructions may include any suitable type of code, such as source code, compiled code, interpreted code, executable code, static code, dynamic code, encrypted code, etc., implemented using any suitable high-level, low-level, object-oriented, visual, compiled and / or interpreted programming language.

[0077] The components and features of the above-described devices may be implemented using any combination of discrete circuits, application specific integrated circuits (ASICs), logic gates, and / or single-chip architectures. Furthermore, where appropriate, features of the devices may be implemented using microcontrollers, programmable logic arrays, and / or microprocessors, or any combination thereof. It should be noted that hardware, firmware, and / or software elements may be collectively or individually referred to herein as "logic" or "circuitry."

[0078] It should be understood that the exemplary devices shown in the above block diagrams may represent one functional description example of many potential implementations. Therefore, the division, omission, or inclusion of block functions depicted in the drawings does not necessarily mean that the hardware components, circuits, software, and / or elements used to implement these functions will necessarily be divided, omitted, or included in the implementation.

[0079] At least one computer-readable storage medium may include instructions that, when executed, cause the system to perform any of the computer-implemented methods described herein.

[0080] Some embodiments may be described using the expression "one embodiment" or "an embodiment" and its derivatives. These terms mean that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic described in connection with the embodiment is included in at least one embodiment. The phrase "in one embodiment" appearing in different places in the specification does not necessarily refer to the same embodiment. In addition, unless otherwise stated, the above-mentioned features are considered to be able to be used together in any combination. Therefore, unless it is noted that these features are incompatible with each other, any features discussed separately can be used in combination with each other.

[0081] It is emphasized that the abstract of the present disclosure is provided to allow the reader to quickly ascertain the nature of the technical disclosure. This document is submitted with the understanding that it will not be used to interpret or limit the scope or meaning of the claims. In addition, in the above detailed description, it can be seen that various features are combined in a single embodiment for the purpose of simplifying the disclosure. This disclosed method should not be interpreted as reflecting an intention that the claimed embodiments require more features than expressly recited in each claim. On the contrary, as reflected in the following claims, the inventive subject matter lies in a single disclosed embodiment having fewer than all features. Therefore, the following claims are hereby incorporated into the detailed description, with each claim standing on its own as a separate embodiment. In the appended claims, the terms "including" and "in which" are used as the plain English equivalents of the respective terms "comprising" and "wherein." In addition, the terms "first," "second," "third," etc. are used merely as labels and are not intended to impose numerical requirements on their objects.

[0082] The foregoing includes examples of the disclosed architecture. It is, of course, not possible to describe every conceivable combination of components and / or methodologies, but one skilled in the art will recognize that many other combinations and permutations are possible. Accordingly, the novel architecture is intended to embrace all such alterations, modifications, and variations that fall within the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

[0083] The foregoing description of example embodiments has been presented for purposes of illustration and description. It is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the disclosure to the precise forms disclosed. Many modifications and variations are possible in light of the present disclosure. It is intended that the scope of the present disclosure be limited not by this detailed description, but rather by the appended claims. Future applications claiming priority to the present application may claim the disclosed subject matter in different ways and may generally include any combination of one or more limitations as disclosed herein or otherwise demonstrated.

Claims

1. A device for transmitting an optical signal, comprising: a bidirectional amplification device communicatively coupled between a first communication terminal and a second communication terminal, the first communication terminal and the second communication terminal being communicatively coupled using an optical communication link; The bidirectional amplification device is configured to transmit and amplify one or more optical sensing signals transmitted in either direction between the first communication terminal and the second communication terminal, the one or more optical sensing signals indicating states of one or more portions of the optical communication link. 2 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the optical communication link is configured to transmit one or more optical data signals.

3. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the bidirectional amplification device is configured to: transmitting a first optical sensing signal among the one or more optical sensing signals from the first communication terminal to the second communication terminal along a first direction, and amplifying a first reflected optical sensing signal transmitted from the second communication terminal to the first communication terminal along a second direction; A second optical sensing signal among the one or more optical sensing signals is transmitted from the second communication terminal to the first communication terminal along the second direction, and a second reflected optical sensing signal transmitted from the first communication terminal to the second communication terminal along the first direction is amplified.

4. The device according to claim 3, wherein The bidirectional amplification device includes an active gain medium optical component configured to amplify at least one of: the first reflected optical sensing signal, the second reflected optical sensing signal, the first optical sensing signal, the second optical sensing signal, and any combination thereof.

5. The apparatus of claim 4 , wherein the bidirectional amplification device comprises at least one of: one or more isolators, one or more wavelength division multiplexing (WDM) optical components, one or more circulators, one or more bandpass filters, one or more optical couplers, and any combination thereof.

6. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the one or more WDM optical components are coupled to one or more pumps.

7. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the one or more pumps are laser pumps.

8. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the one or more isolators are configured to isolate the one or more pumps from one or more optical signals backscattered from the active gain medium optical component.

9. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the active gain medium optical component comprises at least one of: one or more erbium-doped amplifiers, one or more doped fiber amplifiers, one or more Raman amplifiers, one or more semiconductor optical amplifiers, and any combination thereof.

10. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the bidirectional amplification device is communicatively coupled to one or more circulators configured to direct transmission of at least one of the following to and / or away from the bidirectional amplification device: the one or more optical sensing signals, the one or more optical sensing signals amplified by the bidirectional amplification device, and any combination thereof.

11. A method for transmitting an optical signal, comprising: providing a bidirectional amplification device communicatively coupled between a first communication terminal and a second communication terminal, wherein the first communication terminal and the second communication terminal are communicatively coupled using an optical communication link; amplifying one or more optical sensing signals sent in either direction between the first communication terminal and the second communication terminal using the bidirectional amplification device, wherein the one or more optical sensing signals indicate a status of one or more portions of the optical communication link; and The one or more optical sensing signals amplified by the bidirectional amplification device are transmitted using the bidirectional amplification device.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the optical communication link is configured to transmit one or more optical data signals.

13. The method according to claim 11, further comprising: using the bidirectional amplification device to transmit a first optical sensing signal of the one or more optical sensing signals from the first communication terminal to the second communication terminal along a first direction, and amplify a first reflected optical sensing signal transmitted from the second communication terminal to the first communication terminal along a second direction; and The bidirectional amplification device is used to transmit a second optical sensing signal from the second communication terminal to the first communication terminal along the second direction, and amplify a second reflected optical sensing signal transmitted from the first communication terminal to the second communication terminal along the first direction.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the bidirectional amplification device comprises an active gain medium optical component configured to amplify at least one of: the first reflected optical sensing signal, the second reflected optical sensing signal, the first optical sensing signal, the second optical sensing signal, and any combination thereof.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the bidirectional amplification device comprises at least one of: one or more isolators, one or more wavelength division multiplexing (WDM) optical components, one or more circulators, one or more bandpass filters, one or more optical couplers, and any combination thereof.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the one or more WDM optical components are coupled to one or more pumps.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the one or more pumps are laser pumps.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the one or more isolators are configured to isolate the one or more pumps from one or more optical signals backscattered from the active gain medium optical component.

19. The method of claim 14, wherein the active gain medium optical component comprises at least one of: one or more Raman amplifiers, one or more erbium-doped fiber amplifiers, one or more doped fiber amplifiers, one or more semiconductor optical amplifiers, and any combination thereof.

20. The method of claim 11, wherein the bidirectional amplification device is communicatively coupled to one or more circulators, the one or more circulators configured to direct transmission of at least one of the following to and / or away from the bidirectional amplification device: the one or more optical sensing signals, the one or more optical sensing signals amplified by the bidirectional amplification device, and any combination thereof.

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