Optical Sub-band Frequency Diversity for IM/DD Transmission

Resolve Bottlenecks,
Find Innovative Solutions
Generate Solutions

Solution Overview

Problem

Optical access networks face challenges in providing high-speed, wide-coverage connectivity due to signal degradation with increasing transmission speed and distance, especially with intensity-modulation and direct-detection (IM/DD) formats, which suffer from poor transmission performance compared to coherent-detection formats.

Innovation Solution

The method involves partitioning optical signals into frequency sub-bands, generating signal frequency mappings, and using frequency diversity transmission by creating redundant correlated signals with spectrally-inverted sub-bands for digital coherent superposition, which helps equalize the signal-to-noise ratio across the frequency range and increase transmission distances.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of manufacture

If intensity-modulation and direct-detection (IM/DD) formats are used to reduce transceiver cost, then cost is reduced, but transmission performance deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvetransceiver costVSAvoidtransmission performance
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of manufactureVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The optical signal spectrum is divided into multiple frequency sub-bands, and frequency diversity is applied independently to each sub-band. This segmentation allows the system to mitigate frequency-selective fading and signal degradation in each sub-band, thereby improving overall transmission performance while maintaining the cost advantage of IM/DD formats.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The patent applies frequency diversity transmission by changing the frequency parameters of the signal across multiple sub-bands. By transmitting redundant copies of the signal at different frequency locations and using frequency mapping to rearrange sub-bands, the system exploits frequency diversity to improve signal quality and transmission performance without requiring coherent detection.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

2Productivity

If optical transmission speed and transmission distance are increased to provide high-speed wide-coverage connectivity, then connectivity capability is improved, but signal degradation becomes more severe

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveconnectivity capabilityVSAvoidsignal degradation
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The signal is partitioned into multiple frequency sub-bands, allowing independent optimization and diversity transmission for each sub-band. This segmentation enables the system to overcome signal degradation over long distances by transmitting redundant signal copies across different frequency sub-bands, improving overall signal quality and enabling high-speed wide-coverage connectivity.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The patent introduces redundant copies of the signal at different frequency locations before transmission. These redundant copies serve as a cushion against signal degradation by providing alternative signal paths that can compensate for fading and attenuation in the primary transmission path, thereby maintaining signal quality over extended distances.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #11Beforehand cushioning (Prior cushioning)

3Reliability

If frequency diversity transmission with redundant correlated signals is applied to improve transmission performance, then bit error rate and signal-to-noise ratio are improved, but device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvetransmission performanceVSAvoidsignal processing complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The frequency diversity transmission is applied independently to each frequency sub-band, which segments the complex signal processing task into smaller, more manageable units. This segmentation reduces the computational complexity required for each sub-band while maintaining the overall performance benefits of frequency diversity across the entire signal spectrum.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The patent uses frequency mapping to rearrange frequency sub-bands, which simplifies the signal processing by transforming complex frequency-domain operations into simpler parameter transformations. This approach reduces the computational burden compared to traditional frequency diversity methods while achieving similar or improved transmission performance.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

Data Source

PatentEP3134981B1Exploiting frequency diversity on a sub-band basis for optical transmission performance enhancement
Publication Date: 2018.09.19 HUAWEI TECH CO LTD
  • EP3134981B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3134981B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP3134981B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

An optical data transmission method comprising partitioning an optical signal into a plurality of frequency sub-bands, generating a signal frequency mapping that rearranges the plurality of frequency sub-bands, choosing a plurality of frequency components based on the signal frequency mapping to form a set of frequency components, and transmitting the set of frequency components using frequency diversity transmission. An optical data receiving method comprising obtaining a signal frequency mapping for an original signal, receiving an optical signal that comprises a plurality of frequency sub-bands, re-arranging the plurality of frequency sub-bands using the signal frequency mapping to generate a restored original signal, and processing the restored original signal to recover an original data sequence. The signal frequency mapping can be based on digital coherent superposition techniques, and space-time codes such as a silver code can be also used for the generation of new sub-carriers.