Optical Transmission Routing for In-Line Electric Signal Processing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional optical transmission devices, such as reconfigurable optical add/drop multiplexers (ROADM), lack the ability to perform electric processing on optical signals without converting them to electrical signals, limiting the realization of functions like extraction, insertion, reproduction relay, and wavelength conversion.
Innovation Solution
An optical transmission device that includes multiplexing/demultiplexing units, wavelength multiplexing separation units, and an electric processing unit, allowing optical signals to be processed electrically without conversion, with separate upstream and downstream signal demultiplexing and multiplexing units for efficient signal handling.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If optical signals are transmitted without optical/electrical conversion in conventional optical transmission devices, then transmission efficiency is improved, but the ability to perform electric processing (extraction, insertion, reproduction relay, wavelength conversion) is lost
Solution Approach 1:
The optical transmission device is segmented into multiple functional units: multiplexing/demultiplexing units for optical signal routing, wavelength multiplexing separation units for wavelength management, and electric processing units for electrical signal processing. This segmentation allows each unit to perform its specific function independently while maintaining overall system efficiency and enabling electric processing capabilities without compromising transmission efficiency.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces intermediary units that bridge the optical and electrical domains. The multiplexing/demultiplexing units and wavelength multiplexing separation units act as intermediaries that can route optical signals to electric processing units when needed, while allowing direct optical transmission when electric processing is not required. This intermediary structure enables flexible switching between optical-only transmission and hybrid optical-electrical processing.
2Adaptability or versatility
If electric processing units are added to enable extraction and insertion functions, then adaptability is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The multiplexing/demultiplexing units and wavelength multiplexing separation units are designed with multi-functionality, serving both optical signal routing and electric signal processing functions. These units can dynamically switch between handling purely optical signals and routing signals to electric processing units, eliminating the need for separate dedicated structures for each function and thereby reducing overall device complexity while maintaining high adaptability.
3Productivity
If separate upstream and downstream signal demultiplexing and multiplexing units are added, then signal processing capability is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the functions of upstream and downstream signal demultiplexing and multiplexing into integrated units. The multiplexing/demultiplexing units and wavelength multiplexing separation units perform both upstream and downstream operations within the same structural framework, reducing the number of separate components needed while enhancing signal processing capability for bidirectional communication.
Data Source
AI summary
An optical transmission device which transmits an optical signal between a communication terminal device and a network, without converting the optical signal into an electric signal, the optical transmission device including: a plurality of multiplexing/demultiplexing units which input and output the optical signal to and from the communication terminal device connected to an own device; a plurality of wavelength multiplexing separation units which input and output the optical signal to and from a network connected to the own device; an upstream signal demultiplexing unit which outputs the optical signal in an upstream direction, which is output from the multiplexing/demultiplexing unit, to an electric processing unit that executes predetermined electric processing on the optical signal; and an upstream signal multiplexing unit which outputs the optical signal in the upstream direction subjected to the electric processing by the electric processing unit to the predetermined wavelength multiplexing separation unit.