Optical chip, and optical communication system
Through the highly integrated design of the optical chip, signal light shorting and power adjustment are realized in the event of optical communication equipment failure, which solves the problems of high cost and single function of existing optical switches, and improves the robustness of the network and the utilization efficiency of signal light.
Patent Information
- Authority / Receiving Office
- WO · WO
- Patent Type
- Applications
- Current Assignee / Owner
- HUAWEI TECH CO LTD
- Filing Date
- 2025-11-04
- Publication Date
- 2026-05-21
AI Technical Summary
Existing optical switches cannot effectively reduce the cost of short-circuiting equipment when optical communication equipment fails, and cannot integrate multiple functions, resulting in the inability to utilize signal light and affecting network robustness.
Design an optical chip with a highly integrated structure including an optical switch and a beam splitter. In the event of a device failure, the control unit short-circuits the signal light to the output of the beam splitter, and the detection unit adjusts the power to achieve further utilization of the signal light.
It reduces the cost of short-circuiting equipment, enhances network robustness, ensures network connectivity, and protects equipment from damage by adaptively adjusting signal optical power.
Smart Images
Figure CN2025132314_21052026_PF_FP_ABST
Abstract
Description
An optical chip and an optical communication system
[0001] This application claims priority to Chinese Patent Application No. 202411613616.6, filed on November 12, 2024, entitled "An Optical Chip and an Optical Communication System", the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. Technical Field
[0002] This application relates to the field of optical communication technology, and in particular to an optical chip and an optical communication system. Background Technology
[0003] In industrial switch network scenarios with a single ring connection, considering the costs of fiber optic cables and cabling, most networks are single-ring linked. Because industrial switch network setups are typically serial or ring-based, any equipment failure or power outage within the ring network will impact the entire network's traffic. To improve network robustness, faulty devices in the network need to be bypassed.
[0004] Optical switches are often used to short-circuit faulty equipment. Current technologies include mechanical optical switches, micro-electro-mechanical system (MEMS) optical switches, and liquid crystal optical switches. However, these optical switches all require additional components and can only achieve a single switching function, lacking integration capabilities and incurring high costs. Furthermore, the signal light after the switch cannot be utilized, limiting the application of optical switches in networks. Therefore, designing an optical switch for optical networks that can switch the transmission path of signal light after a failure in optical communication equipment and further utilize the signal light transmitted after the switch is a pressing technical problem. Summary of the Invention
[0005] This application provides an optical chip and an optical communication system, which reduces the cost of device short-circuiting through an on-chip structure design.
[0006] In a first aspect, an optical chip is provided, comprising an optical switch, a first beam splitter, and a control unit, wherein: the optical switch includes a first input port, a first output port, and a second output port, the first input port being used to connect to an optical communication device, or the first output port being used to connect to an optical communication device; the first beam splitter includes a second input port and a third output port, wherein the second input port is connected to the second output port; wherein the first input port is used to receive a first signal light; when the optical communication device is operating normally, the control unit is used to control the optical switch to output part or all of the first signal light through the first output port; when the optical communication device malfunctions, the control unit is also used to control the optical switch to output the first signal light through the second output port, and the control unit is also used to control the first beam splitter to output part or all of the first signal light through the third output port.
[0007] In the above optical chip structure, a highly integrated structure design is used to connect an on-chip optical switch to a beam splitter. When the optical communication equipment fails, the first signal light is output along the output port of the beam splitter without passing through the optical communication equipment, thus short-circuiting the optical communication equipment. The power of the first signal light is further adjusted by the beam splitter, so that the signal light transmitted through the switched port can be further utilized, protecting the smooth operation of the entire network.
[0008] In conjunction with the first aspect, in some implementations of the first aspect, the first beam splitter further includes a fourth output port, which is used to connect to a detection unit. In the above optical chip structure, by connecting the output port of the beam splitter to the detection unit, the power detection results of the detection unit are used to feedback adjust the signal light transmitted in the optical chip, thereby achieving power adaptation.
[0009] In conjunction with the first aspect, in certain implementations of the first aspect, before the control unit controls the optical switch to output part or all of the first signal light through the first output port: the control unit controls the optical switch to output the second signal light through the second input port, the second signal light being part or all of the first signal light; the control unit controlling the optical switch to output part or all of the first signal light through the first output port includes: after the detection unit determines that the third signal light satisfies the first condition, the control unit further controls the optical switch to output all of the first signal light through the first output port, wherein the third signal light is a signal light output through the fourth output port, and the third signal light is part or all of the second signal light; after the detection unit determines that the third signal light does not satisfy the first condition, the control unit further controls the optical switch to output part of the first signal light through the first output port.
[0010] That is, the control unit can control the optical switch to adjust the output ratio of the first signal light at the first output port and the second output port according to the detection result of the signal light received by the detection unit from the fourth output port, so as to adjust the power of the first signal light (or it can also be understood as power attenuation), thereby controlling the power of the signal light received by the optical communication device.
[0011] In conjunction with the first aspect, in some implementations of the first aspect, the first case is that the power of the third signal light is less than or equal to the first threshold. That is, when the detection unit determines that the power of the signal light (third signal light) received from the fourth output port is greater than a preset value, an optical switch is used to attenuate the signal light (first signal light) received from its first input port, thereby preventing the power of the signal light received by the optical communication device from exceeding the threshold and causing damage to the device.
[0012] In conjunction with the first aspect, some implementations of the first aspect also include a second beam splitter, wherein the second beam splitter includes a third input port and a fifth output port, and the third input port and the third output port are connected. That is, when signal light is output from the third output port of the first beam splitter, the second beam splitter can be used for further beam splitting, i.e., power adjustment.
[0013] In a second aspect, an optical communication system is provided, comprising a first optical fiber assembly, a second optical fiber assembly, an optical communication device, a first optical chip, a second optical chip, and an optical channel, wherein: either the first optical chip or the second optical chip includes at least one input port and at least two output ports, and the first optical chip and the second optical chip are optical chips of the first aspect and any possible implementation thereof; the first optical fiber assembly is connected to the input port of the first optical chip, one output port of the first optical chip is connected to the optical communication device, and the other output port of the first optical chip is connected to one end of the optical channel; the input port of the second optical chip is connected to the optical communication device, one output port of the second optical chip is connected to the second optical fiber assembly, and the other output port of the second optical chip is connected to the other end of the optical channel.
[0014] In optical communication systems, the configuration of the first and second optical chips provides a short-circuit function for the optical communication network, ensuring that the failure of a single device does not affect the entire network path, while also enhancing the robustness of the network.
[0015] In conjunction with the second aspect, some implementations of the second aspect further include a first detection unit and / or a second detection unit, wherein: the first optical chip further includes an output port connected to the first detection unit; and the second optical chip further includes an output port connected to the second detection unit. This allows for the adjustment of the signal light transmitted in the network based on the power of the signal light detected by the detection unit, thereby achieving self-feedback adjustment of the optical communication system.
[0016] In conjunction with the second aspect, in some implementations of the second aspect, a first isolator is further provided at one end of the optical channel; and / or a second isolator is further provided at the other end of the optical channel. This ensures the continuous, non-abrupt transmission of the signal light throughout the optical network.
[0017] In conjunction with the second aspect, some implementations of the second aspect also include a third beam splitter, which is disposed in the optical channel and is used to split the signal light transmitted in the optical channel. That is, it further splits the signal light transmitted in the optical channel.
[0018] In conjunction with the second aspect, some implementations of the second aspect also include a third detection unit, which is used to detect the power of the signal light transmitted in the optical channel. Therefore, the signal light transmitted in the network is adjusted based on the power of the signal light detected by the detection unit, realizing self-feedback adjustment of the optical communication system.
[0019] In conjunction with the second aspect, some implementations of the second aspect further include: an optical transmitting unit connected to the first optical fiber assembly; and / or an optical receiving unit connected to the second optical fiber assembly. Attached Figure Description
[0020] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of the structure of an optical chip provided in an embodiment of this application.
[0021] Figure 2 is a schematic diagram of another optical chip structure provided in an embodiment of this application.
[0022] Figure 3 is a schematic diagram of an optical communication system provided in an embodiment of this application.
[0023] Figure 4 is a schematic diagram of a self-feedback adjustment method provided in an embodiment of this application.
[0024] Figure 5 is a schematic diagram of the performance results of power regulation using the optical chip of this invention. Detailed Implementation
[0025] The technical solutions in this application will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.
[0026] Hereinafter, the terms "first" and "second" are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly specifying the number of technical features indicated. Thus, a feature defined as "first" or "second" may explicitly or implicitly include one or more of that feature.
[0027] References to "one embodiment" or "some embodiments" as described in this specification mean that one or more embodiments of this application include a specific feature, structure, or characteristic described in connection with that embodiment. Therefore, the phrases "in one embodiment," "in some embodiments," "in other embodiments," "in still other embodiments," etc., appearing in different parts of this specification do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment, but rather mean "one or more, but not all, embodiments," unless otherwise specifically emphasized. The terms "comprising," "including," "having," and variations thereof mean "including but not limited to," unless otherwise specifically emphasized.
[0028] In the description of the embodiments of this application, the terms "upper," "lower," "vertical," "horizontal," etc., indicate the orientation or positional relationship relative to the orientation or position of the components shown in the drawings. It should be understood that these directional terms are relative concepts, used for relative description and clarification, and not to indicate or imply that the device or component referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation. They can change accordingly depending on the orientation of the components in the drawings, and therefore should not be construed as limiting this application.
[0029] The terms “comprising” and “having” and any variations thereof used in the embodiments of this application shown below are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion, for example, a process, method, system, product or device that includes a series of steps or units is not necessarily limited to those steps or units that are explicitly listed, but may include other steps or units that are not explicitly listed or that are inherent to such processes, methods, products or devices.
[0030] In the embodiments of this application, the words "exemplary" or "for example" are used to indicate examples, illustrations, or descriptions. Embodiments or designs described as "exemplary" or "for example" should not be construed as being more preferred or advantageous than other embodiments or designs. The use of the words "exemplary" or "for example" is intended to present the relevant concepts in a specific manner to facilitate understanding.
[0031] In the embodiments of this application, the same reference numerals are used to denote the same component or part. Furthermore, the parts in the drawings are not drawn to scale, and the dimensions and sizes of the parts shown are merely exemplary and should not be construed as limiting this application.
[0032] In industrial switch network scenarios with a single ring connection, considering the costs of fiber optic cables and cabling, most networks are single-ring linked. Because industrial switch network setups are typically serial or ring-based, any equipment failure or power outage within the ring network will impact the entire network's traffic. To improve network robustness, faulty devices in the network need to be bypassed.
[0033] Optical switches are often used to short-circuit faulty equipment. Current technologies include mechanical optical switches, micro-electro-mechanical system (MEMS) optical switches, and liquid crystal optical switches. However, these optical switches all require additional components and can only provide a single switching function, lacking integration capabilities and resulting in high costs. Adding a bypass function often doubles the cost, limiting the application of optical switches in networks. Therefore, designing an optical switch for optical networks that reduces bypass costs when optical communication equipment fails is a pressing technical problem.
[0034] In view of this, embodiments of this application provide an optical chip and an optical communication system, which reduce the cost of device short-circuiting through an on-chip structure design.
[0035] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of the structure of an optical chip provided in an embodiment of this application. As shown in Figure 1, the optical chip includes an optical switch 110, a first beam splitter 120, and a control unit.
[0036] The optical switch 110 includes a first input port 111, a first output port 112, and a second output port 113. Figure 1(a) specifically illustrates the optical chip structure of the first output port 112 for connecting to the optical communication device 130. Figure 1(b) specifically illustrates the optical chip structure of the first input port 111 for connecting to the optical communication device 130.
[0037] The optical switch 110 can also be understood as a coupler or beam splitter, depending on the specific implementation. In some implementations, the optical switch 110 can be an interference-type optical switch, such as a Mach-Zehnder interferometer or a micro-ring. When the optical switch is a beam splitter, it can also split the received signal light (e.g., the first signal light) according to a set configuration and output the light from the first output port 112 and / or the second output port 113 according to a set splitting ratio.
[0038] The optical communication device 130 can be an optical cross-connector, optical module, router, or other equipment, depending on the specific circumstances. When the optical communication device 130 is connected to the first input port 111 of the optical switch 110, a transmitting module can be provided in the optical communication device 130 for transmitting the first signal light. When the optical communication device 130 is connected to the first output port 112 of the optical switch 110, a receiving module can also be provided in the optical communication device 130 for receiving the first signal light and processing it to obtain the data carried on the first signal light.
[0039] The first beam splitter 120 includes a second input port 121 and a third output port 122, wherein the second input port 121 of the optical switch 110 is connected to the second output port 113 of the first beam splitter 120.
[0040] It should be understood that the input and output ports of the optical switch 110 and the first beam splitter 120 are labeled here only according to actual functional requirements. In addition, the optical switch 110 and the first beam splitter 120 may be equipped with more input and output ports, depending on the actual situation.
[0041] The control unit includes multiple electrodes, such as the first electrode 114 and the second electrode 124 in FIG1, which are disposed around the optical switch 110 or the first beam splitter 120 to control the optical switch 110 or the first beam splitter 120 (e.g., by thermo-optical effect).
[0042] The first input port 111 is used to receive the first signal light.
[0043] When the optical communication device 130 is operating normally, the control unit controls the optical switch 110 to output part or all of the first signal light through the first output port 112. That is, when the optical communication device 130 is operating normally, the first signal light is still output into the optical communication device 130 through the first output port 112 of the optical switch 110.
[0044] When the optical communication device 130 malfunctions, the control unit is also used to control the optical switch 110 so that the first signal light is output through the second output port 113, and the control unit is also used to control the first beam splitter 120 so that part or all of the first signal light is output through the third output port 122. That is, when the optical communication device 130 malfunctions, the first signal light is output through the third output port 122 of the beam splitter.
[0045] In the optical chip structure shown in Figure 1, a highly integrated structure design is used to connect an on-chip optical switch to a beam splitter. In the event of a failure in the optical communication equipment, the first signal light is output along the output port of the beam splitter without passing through the optical communication equipment, thus short-circuiting the optical communication equipment. The power of the first signal light is further adjusted by the beam splitter, so that the signal light transmitted through the switched port can be further utilized, thus protecting the smooth operation of the entire network.
[0046] Furthermore, the first beam splitter 120 may also include a fourth output port 123, which is used to connect to the detection unit 140. The detection unit 140 may include a photo detector (PD) for detecting the power of the signal light received from the fourth output port 123. In the above optical chip structure, by connecting the output port of the beam splitter to the detection unit 140, the power detection results of the detection unit 140 are used to perform feedback adjustment of the signal light transmitted in the optical chip, thereby achieving power adaptation.
[0047] That is, as described in Figure 1 above: the control unit is used to control the optical switch so that part or all of the first signal light is output through the first output port, which can specifically refer to:
[0048] Before the control unit controls the optical switch 110 to output part or all of the first signal light through the first output port 112:
[0049] The control unit is used to control the optical switch 110 so that the second signal light is output through the second input port 121, and the second signal light is part or all of the first signal light.
[0050] The control unit is used to control the optical switch 110 so that part or all of the first signal light is output through the first output port 112, including:
[0051] After the detection unit 140 determines that the third signal light meets the first condition, the control unit is also used to control the optical switch 110 so that all of the first signal light is output through the first output port 112, wherein the third signal light is the signal light output through the fourth output port 123, and the third signal light is part or all of the second signal light.
[0052] After the detection unit 140 determines that the third signal light does not meet the first condition, the control unit is also used to control the optical switch 110 so that a portion of the first signal light is output through the first output port 112.
[0053] That is, the control unit can control the optical switch 110 to adjust the output ratio of the first signal light at the first output port 112 and the second output port 113 according to the detection result of the signal light received by the detection unit 140 from the fourth output port 123, so as to adjust the power of the first signal light (or it can also be understood as power attenuation), thereby controlling the power of the signal light received by the optical communication device 130.
[0054] In the first case, the power of the third signal light can be less than or equal to the first threshold. That is, when the detection unit 140 determines that the power of the signal light (third signal light) received from the fourth output port 123 is greater than a preset value, the optical switch 110 is used to attenuate the signal light (first signal light) received from the first input port 111, thereby preventing the power of the signal light received by the optical communication device 130 from exceeding the threshold and causing damage to the device.
[0055] In some implementations, the third signal light is the entirety of the first signal light. That is, before the aforementioned optical switch 110 completes power adjustment, no signal light is output through the first output port 112; instead, all signal light is output through the second output port 113 connected to the beam splitter. In other words, the optical communication device 130 does not operate until the power of the third signal light is confirmed, thereby further protecting the optical communication device 130.
[0056] In some implementations, the aforementioned third output port 122 can be connected to a discarded optical path. In some implementations, the optical chip also includes a backup optical path, and the third output port 122 is connected to the backup optical path to continue transmission in the optical communication system.
[0057] Figure 2 is a schematic diagram of another optical chip structure provided in an embodiment of this application.
[0058] The optical switch 210, the first beam splitter 220, and the control unit in the optical chip are similar to the optical switch 110, the first beam splitter 120, and the control unit in Figure 1, and will not be described again here.
[0059] In addition, the optical chip also includes a second beam splitter 230. The second beam splitter 230 includes a third input port 231 and a fifth output port 232. The third input port 231 of the second beam splitter 230 is connected to the third output port 222 of the first beam splitter 220. That is, even when signal light is output from the third output port 222 of the first beam splitter 220, the second beam splitter 230 can be used for further beam splitting, i.e., power adjustment.
[0060] It should be understood that the above description only lists some of the input and output ports of the second optical splitter. The second optical splitter may also include more input and output ports, and this application does not impose any limitations on this.
[0061] It should be understood that the positions of the input and output ports in Figures 1 and 2 are merely illustrative examples. For instance, the fifth output port 222 can also be located on the right side of the optical chip, and this application does not impose any limitations on this.
[0062] Furthermore, this application also provides an optical communication system, which is equipped with the optical chip described in FIG1 or FIG2, so as to discard the optical communication equipment in the optical communication system when a failure occurs.
[0063] Figure 3 is a schematic diagram of an optical communication system provided in an embodiment of this application. As shown in Figure 3, the system includes a first optical fiber assembly 310, a second optical fiber assembly 350, an optical communication device 330, a first optical chip 320, a second optical chip 340, and an optical channel 360.
[0064] As shown in Figure 3(a), any one of the first optical chip 320 and the second optical chip 340 includes at least one input port and at least two output ports. The specific structures of the first optical chip 320 and the second optical chip 340 have been described in conjunction with Figures 1 and 2, and will not be repeated here.
[0065] The first optical fiber assembly 310 is connected to the input port of the first optical chip 320, one output port of the first optical chip 320 is connected to the optical communication device 330, and the other output port of the first optical chip 320 is connected to one end of the optical channel 360.
[0066] The input port of the second optical chip 340 is connected to the optical communication device 330, one output port of the second optical chip 340 is connected to the second optical fiber assembly 350, and the other output port of the second optical chip 340 is connected to the other end of the optical channel 360.
[0067] The optical communication device 330 can be an optical cross-connector, optical module, router, or other equipment, depending on the specific requirements. The optical communication device 330 may include a receiving module, which processes the signal light received from another output port of the first optical chip 320 to obtain corresponding data. The optical communication device 330 may also include a transmitting module, which transmits another signal light carrying another set of data to the input port of the second optical chip 340.
[0068] Among them, the optical channel 360 can be in the form of an optical fiber link or an optical waveguide, depending on the actual situation.
[0069] In some implementations, the optical communication system further includes an optical transmitting unit connected to the first optical fiber assembly 310 to transmit signal light to the first optical fiber assembly 310. In some implementations, the optical communication system further includes an optical receiving unit connected to the second optical fiber assembly 350 to transmit signal light output from the second optical fiber assembly 350.
[0070] In the optical communication system shown in Figure 3, the configuration of the first optical chip and the second optical chip provides a short-circuit function for the optical communication network, ensuring that the failure of a single device does not affect the entire network path, while enhancing the robustness of the network.
[0071] In some implementations, as shown in Figure 3(b), a first isolator 371 is provided at one end of the optical channel 360; and / or a second isolator 372 is provided at the other end of the optical channel 360. The first isolator 371 enhances the isolation between the signal light transmitted in the first optical transmission path and the signal light transmitted in the optical channel 360. This first optical transmission path is the optical transmission path between the first optical chip 320 and the optical communication device 330. The second isolator 372 enhances the isolation between the signal light transmitted in the second optical transmission path and the signal light transmitted in the optical channel 360. This second optical transmission path is the optical transmission path between the second optical chip 340 and the optical communication device 330. This ensures the continuous, non-abrupt transmission of the signal light throughout the optical network.
[0072] In some implementations, as shown in Figure 3(c), the optical communication system further includes a first detection unit 381 and / or a second detection unit 382. The first optical chip 320 includes an output port connected to the first detection unit 381, and the second optical chip 340 includes an output port connected to the second detection unit 382. This allows for the adjustment of the transmitted signal light in the network based on the power of the signal light detected by the detection units, achieving self-feedback adjustment of the optical communication system. The specific method for self-feedback adjustment will be explained later with reference to Figure 4.
[0073] In some implementations, as shown in Figure 3(d), the optical communication system further includes a third beam splitter 391. The third beam splitter 391 is disposed in the optical channel 360 and is used to split the signal light transmitted in the optical channel 360. The third beam splitter 391 includes at least two output ports. One of the output ports is connected to the optical channel 360, and the other output port is connected to a third detection unit 392. The third detection unit 392 is used to detect the power of the signal light transmitted in the optical channel 360. Based on the power of the signal light detected by the detection unit, the signal light transmitted in the network is adjusted, realizing self-feedback adjustment of the optical communication system. The specific method of self-feedback adjustment will be explained later with reference to Figure 4.
[0074] Figure 4 is a schematic diagram of a self-feedback adjustment method provided in an embodiment of this application. This self-feedback adjustment method is applied to the optical communication system shown in Figure 3. As shown in Figure 4, the method may include steps S410-S432.
[0075] S410 detects the power of the signal light transmitted in an optical communication system.
[0076] In this optical communication system, the transmitted signal light can specifically refer to the signal light output from the output port of the first optical chip. In this case, the first detection unit connected to the output port of the first optical chip can be used to detect the power of the signal light. Alternatively, the transmitted signal light can also specifically refer to the signal light output from the output port of the second optical chip. In this case, the second detection unit connected to the output port of the second optical chip can be used to detect the power of the signal light. Furthermore, the transmitted signal light can also specifically refer to the signal light transmitted through the optical path in the optical communication system. In this case, the third detection unit can be used to detect the power of the signal light.
[0077] In an optical communication system, the specific splitting ratios of the beam splitters in the first optical chip, the second optical chip, and the third beam splitter in the optical path can be preset. Therefore, the signal optical power in multiple output and input ports of the optical communication system can be calculated using the same detection unit, and the overall adjustment of the optical communication system can be performed.
[0078] S420 determines whether the transmitted signal light in the optical communication system exceeds a threshold.
[0079] S421: If the signal light transmitted in the optical communication system does not exceed the threshold, the power of the signal light transmitted in the optical communication system is not adjusted.
[0080] S422, when the power of the signal light transmitted in the optical communication system exceeds the threshold, adjusts the power of the signal light transmitted in the optical communication system so that the power of the signal light transmitted in the optical communication system is less than or equal to the threshold.
[0081] In an optical communication system, the power of the signal light transmitted in the optical communication system can be adjusted by specifically adjusting at least one of the following: the signal light transmission power of the optical transmitting unit connected to the first optical fiber assembly, the signal light receiving power of the optical receiving unit connected to the second optical fiber assembly, the signal light output power of the multiple output ports of the optical switch included in the first optical chip, the signal light output power of the multiple output ports of the optical switch included in the second optical chip, the receiving power of the receiving module included in the optical communication device, the transmission power of the transmitting module included in the optical communication device, or the splitting ratio of the third optical splitter. The specific adjustment is determined according to the actual situation.
[0082] S430 detects whether the optical communication equipment in the optical communication system is malfunctioning.
[0083] S431, when an optical communication device malfunctions, the device is short-circuited, and the signal light of the optical communication system is switched to be transmitted along the optical path in the system.
[0084] S432, when the optical communication equipment is not malfunctioning, continues to transmit signal light from the optical communication system to the optical communication equipment and receives signal light sent by the optical communication equipment.
[0085] It should be understood that the above sequence of steps is for illustrative purposes only and does not constitute a restriction on the actual execution order of the steps. For example, steps S430, S431, and S432 may occur before steps S420, S421, and S422, and this application does not impose any restrictions on this.
[0086] It should be understood that "for connection" and "connection" in this application do not refer to a direct connection between two structures, but rather to the ability for signal light transmission between the two structures. Waveguides, optical fibers, or other optical connection structures can also be provided between the two structures, depending on the actual situation.
[0087] Figure 5 is a schematic diagram of the performance results of an optical communication system provided using an embodiment of this application.
[0088] The second curve in Figure 5 specifically represents the corresponding loss of the signal light received by the receiving unit of the optical communication device, that is, the corresponding loss of the signal light output from the first output port.
[0089] Figure 5 shows the corresponding loss of the signal light transmitted through the optical path, corresponding to the case where no isolator is installed in the optical communication system. Figure 5 also shows the corresponding loss of the signal light transmitted through the optical path, corresponding to the case where an isolator is installed in the optical communication system. It is evident that the installation of an isolator can improve the signal-to-noise ratio.
[0090] Those skilled in the art will recognize that the units and algorithm steps of the various examples described in conjunction with the embodiments disclosed herein can be implemented in electronic hardware, or a combination of computer software and electronic hardware. Whether these functions are implemented in hardware or software depends on the specific application and design constraints of the technical solution. Those skilled in the art can use different methods to implement the described functions for each specific application, but such implementation should not be considered beyond the scope of this application.
[0091] Those skilled in the art will understand that, for the sake of convenience and brevity, the specific working processes of the systems, devices, and units described above can be referred to the corresponding processes in the foregoing method embodiments, and will not be repeated here.
[0092] In the several embodiments provided in this application, it should be understood that the disclosed systems, apparatuses, and methods can be implemented in other ways. For example, the apparatus embodiments described above are merely illustrative; for instance, the division of units is only a logical functional division, and in actual implementation, there may be other division methods. For example, multiple units or components may be combined or integrated into another system, or some features may be ignored or not executed. Furthermore, the coupling or direct coupling or communication connection shown or discussed may be through some interfaces; the indirect coupling or communication connection between apparatuses or units may be electrical, mechanical, or other forms.
[0093] The units described as separate components may or may not be physically separate. The components shown as units may or may not be physical units; that is, they may be located in one place or distributed across multiple network units. Some or all of the units can be selected to achieve the purpose of this embodiment according to actual needs.
[0094] In addition, the functional units in the various embodiments of this application can be integrated into one processing unit, or each unit can exist physically separately, or two or more units can be integrated into one unit.
[0095] If the aforementioned functions are implemented as software functional units and sold or used as independent products, they can be stored in a computer-readable storage medium. Based on this understanding, the technical solution of this application, in essence, or the part that contributes to the prior art, or a portion of the technical solution, can be embodied in the form of a software product. This computer software product is stored in a storage medium and includes several instructions to cause a computer device (which may be a personal computer, server, or network device, etc.) to execute all or part of the steps of the methods described in the various embodiments of this application. The aforementioned storage medium includes various media capable of storing program code, such as USB flash drives, portable hard drives, read-only memory (ROM), random access memory (RAM), magnetic disks, or optical disks.
[0096] The above description is merely a specific embodiment of this application, but the scope of protection of this application is not limited thereto. Any variations or substitutions that can be easily conceived by those skilled in the art within the scope of the technology disclosed in this application should be included within the scope of protection of this application. Therefore, the scope of protection of this application should be determined by the scope of the claims.
Claims
1. An optical chip, characterized by, Includes an optical switch, a first beam splitter, and a control unit, wherein: The optical switch includes a first input port, a first output port, and a second output port. The first input port is used to connect to an optical communication device, or the first output port is used to connect to the optical communication device. The first beam splitter includes a second input port and a third output port, wherein the second input port is connected to the second output port; The first input port is used to receive the first signal light; When the optical communication device is working normally, the control unit is used to control the optical switch so that part or all of the first signal light is output through the first output port; When the optical communication equipment fails, the control unit controls the optical switch to output all of the first signal light through the second output port, and the control unit also controls the first beam splitter to output part or all of the first signal light through the third output port.
2. The optical chip of claim 1, wherein, The first beam splitter also includes a fourth output port, which is used to connect to the detection unit.
3. The optical chip according to claim 2, characterized in that, Before the control unit controls the optical switch to output part or all of the first signal light through the first output port: The control unit is used to control the optical switch so that the second signal light is output through the second input port, wherein the second signal light is part or all of the first signal light; The control unit is used to control the optical switch so that part or all of the first signal light is output through the first output port, including: After the detection unit determines that the third signal light meets the first condition, the control unit is further configured to control the optical switch so that all of the first signal light is output through the first output port, wherein the third signal light is the signal light output through the fourth output port, and the third signal light is part or all of the second signal light; After the detection unit determines that the third signal light does not meet the first condition, the control unit is further configured to control the optical switch so that a portion of the first signal light is output through the first output port.
4. The optical chip of claim 3, wherein, The first case is when the power of the third signal light is less than or equal to the first threshold.
5. The optical chip according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein, It also includes a second beam splitter, wherein: The second beam splitter includes a third input port and a fifth output port, and the third input port and the third output port are connected.
6. An optical communication system, characterized by, It includes a first optical fiber assembly, a second optical fiber assembly, an optical communication device, a first optical chip, a second optical chip, and an optical channel, wherein: The first optical chip and the second optical chip each include at least one input port and at least two output ports, and the first optical chip and the second optical chip are optical chips according to any one of claims 1 to 4; The first optical fiber assembly is connected to the input port of the first optical chip, one output port of the first optical chip is connected to the optical communication device, and the other output port of the first optical chip is connected to one end of the optical channel. The input port of the second optical chip is connected to the optical communication device, one output port of the second optical chip is connected to the second optical fiber assembly, and the other output port of the second optical chip is connected to the other end of the optical channel.
7. The system of claim 6, wherein, It also includes a first detection unit and / or a second detection unit, wherein: The first optical chip also includes an output port connected to the first detection unit; The second optical chip also includes an output port connected to the second detection unit.
8. The system of claim 6 or 7, wherein, in: One end of the optical channel is also provided with a first isolator; and / or A second isolator is also provided at the other end of the optical channel.
9. The system of any one of claims 6 to 8, wherein, It also includes a third beam splitter, which is disposed in the optical channel and is used to split the signal light transmitted in the optical channel.
10. The system of any one of claims 6 to 9, wherein, It also includes a third detection unit, which is used to detect the power of the signal light transmitted in the optical channel.
11. The system of any one of claims 6 to 10, wherein, Also includes: An optical transmitting unit, wherein the optical transmitting unit is connected to the first optical fiber assembly; and / or An optical receiving unit is connected to the second optical fiber assembly.