Terrestrial optical communication system having remotely powered nodes

Abstract

A terrestrial optical communication system including a plurality of optical nodes interconnected by optical links utilizes a hybrid optical/electrical cable to provide electrical power from one or more powered system nodes to one or more remote un-powered nodes that have no access to locally provided electrical power.

1 . A terrestrial optical communication system for providing optical communications over a plurality of optical nodes interconnected by optical links, the system comprising 
 a single powered node connected over a first hybrid optical/electrical cable link to a remote node, said powered node having electrical power thereat;    said remote node being an un-powered node having no local electrical power thereat; and    said first hybrid optical/electrical cable link including an optical cable to provide optical communications between said powered node and said remote un-powered node and an electrical cable to provide electrical power from said powered node to said remote un-powered node.    
     
     
         2 . The terrestrial optical communication system of  claim 1  wherein the nodes are interconnected in one of plurality of network arrangements including a linear node network, a ring node network, or a mesh node network.  
     
     
         3 . The terrestrial optical communication system of  claim 1  wherein said remote un-powered node includes apparatus selected from a group including a repeater, a regenerator, and an amplifier.  
     
     
         4 . The terrestrial optical communication system of  claim 1  wherein said remote un-powered node apparatus includes apparatus selected from a group including, an add/drop circuit, a router, a switch, a laser, a reconfigurable add/drop multiplexer, an optoelectronic circuit, a photonic circuit, an erbium-doped fiber amplifier (EDFA), and a Raman pump laser.  
     
     
         5 . The terrestrial optical communication system of  claim 1  wherein the first hybrid optical/electrical cable link may be implemented using (1) optical and electrical cables that are formed together as one hybrid optical/electrical cable or (2) separate optical and electrical cables that share a common conduit  
     
     
         6 . The terrestrial optical communication system of  claim 1  wherein said powered node connects over the first hybrid optical/electrical cable link to provide power to said remote un-powered node and connects over a second hybrid optical/electrical cable link to provide electrical power to a second remote un-powered node.  
     
     
         7 . The terrestrial optical communication system of  claim 1  including a second powered node wherein said powered node and said second powered node each connect over a separate hybrid optical/electrical cable link to provide electrical power to said remote un-powered node.  
     
     
         8 . The terrestrial optical communication system of  claim 1  including a second powered node wherein said powered node and said second powered node each connect over a separate hybrid optical/electrical cable link to provide electrical power to two or more adjacent remote un-powered nodes.  
     
     
         9 . The terrestrial optical communication system of  claim 1  wherein for any powered node that does not provide electrical power to a remote un-powered node, the hybrid optical/electrical cable links that connect to that powered node can each be replaced by an optical cable.  
     
     
         10 . A method of powering an un-powered remote node of a terrestrial optical communication system including a plurality of optical nodes interconnected by optical links, the method comprising the steps of: 
 connecting an electrical cable as part of the optical link that connects between a powered node of the system and said remote un-powered node and    providing electrical power over that electrical cable from said powered node to said remote un-powered node.