Wavelength-division multiplexing device with dummy light control

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Solution Overview

Problem

Wavelength-division multiplexing transmission devices with a pass-through function face instability in output light levels when input is interrupted, leading to potential signal deterioration due to uncontrolled amplification of noise components by optical amplifiers.

Innovation Solution

Incorporating a dummy light source, monitoring unit, and dummy light controller to emit and control dummy light when input interruption is detected, allowing the optical amplifier to maintain stable output without amplifying noise components by multiplexing dummy light with transmission data.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Duration of action of moving object

If the optical amplifier amplifies wavelength-division multiplexed light to compensate for transmission loss, then the transmission distance is extended, but when input light is interrupted the output level becomes unstable and noise components are amplified

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvetransmission distanceVSAvoidoutput level stability
Core Design Contradiction:
Duration of action of moving objectVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs preliminary monitoring of the input light state and proactively switches to dummy light input when interruption is detected, preventing the optical amplifier from amplifying noise components before they can degrade the output signal quality

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

Dummy light serves as an intermediary substance that replaces the actual wavelength-division multiplexed light during interruption events, allowing the optical amplifier to maintain stable operation with a controlled light input that does not contain amplifiable noise components from the interrupted transmission line

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Reliability

If a dummy light source is introduced to stabilize output during interruption, then output stability is improved, but device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveoutput level stabilityVSAvoidsystem configuration
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The system automatically monitors its own input light state and self-regulates by switching between actual light input and dummy light input based on the monitored conditions, eliminating the need for external manual intervention or complex control systems

Inventive Principle:
Principle #25Self-service

Solution Approach 2:

The dummy light source and switching mechanism are extracted as separate, modular components that can be independently controlled and managed, allowing the core wavelength-division multiplexing transmission function to remain simple while adding stability functionality only where needed

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Applied Scientific Principles

This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.

Function Achieved in This Case

This solution stabilizes the output of the optical amplifier, maintaining higher transmission quality even during transmission line failures by avoiding noise amplification and ensuring consistent optical levels.

Implementation Method 1

an optical amplifier optically amplifies wavelength-division multiplexed light input from a transmission channel-a

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectOptical amplification:

Implementation Method 2

The wavelength separator separates the wavelength-division multiplexed light from the 1:2 brancher into light of wavelengths per wavelength

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectOptical filtering: Filter (optical)

Implementation Method 3

The wavelength converter demodulates each of the separated light to generate original signals

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectOptical demodulation:

Implementation Method 4

a wavelength converter modulates transmission data input from a signal transmitter per signal to generate light of wavelengths

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectOptical modulation:

Implementation Method 5

The wavelength-division multiplexer performs wavelength-division multiplexing on the light of the wavelengths from the wavelength converter

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectWavelength-division multiplexing:

Implementation Method 6

The wavelength filter blocks a part of the wavelength-division multiplexed light that should be terminated at the device, whereas passes other part of the light through

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectOptical filtering: Filter (optical)

Data Source

PatentEP2587701B1Wavelength-division multiplexing transmission device
Publication Date: 2018.10.24 MITSUBISHI ELECTRIC CORP
  • EP2587701B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP2587701B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP2587701B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

A wavelength-division multiplexing transmission device includes: a dummy light source (28) configured to emit and quench dummy light; a monitoring unit (26) configured to monitor an optical level relating to the received wavelength-division multiplexed light; a dummy light controller (27) configured to control the dummy light source (28) to emit dummy light in a case where the monitoring unit (26) determines based on the monitored optical level that the wavelength-division multiplexed light is in a condition of input interruption; and a multiplexer (29) configured to multiplex the light of the wavelength modulated based on the transmission data and the dummy light emitted by the dummy light source (28), wherein the transmitter transmits wavelength-division multiplexed light generated by the multiplexer (29).