Method and System for Transmitting Information in an Optical Communication System Using Distributed Amplification

Abstract

A method and system for transmitting information in an optical communication system includes modulating a non-intensity characteristic of an optical carrier signal with a data signal to generate an optical information signal. The optical information signal is transmitted over an optical link. The optical information signal is amplified over a length of the optical link with a co-launched amplification signal traveling in the optical link in a same direction as the optical information signal.

1 . A method for tuning an optical signal based on transmission conditions, comprising:
 receiving information indicative of transmission error rate of an optical link; and   adjusting a modulation characteristic of traffic transmitted over the transmission link based on the information.   
   
   
       2 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising adjusting a modulation depth of traffic transmitted over the transmission link based on the information. 
   
   
       3 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising adjusting a phase modulation depth of traffic transmitted over the transmission link based on the information. 
   
   
       4 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising adjusting a frequency modulation depth of traffic transmitted over the transmission link based on the information. 
   
   
       5 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising adjusting a intensity modulation depth of traffic transmitted over the transmission link based on the information. 
   
   
       6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the traffic comprises multi-modulated signals, further comprising adjusting a plurality of modulation depths of the signals based on the information. 
   
   
       7 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein the multi-modulated signals comprise phase and intensity modulated signals. 
   
   
       8 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising adjusting the modulation depth dynamically based on the information. 
   
   
       9 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the information is received from a receiver to which the traffic is transmitted over the transmission link. 
   
   
       10 . A system for tuning an optical signal based on transmission conditions, comprising:
 means for receiving information indicative of transmission error rate of an optical link; and   means for adjusting a modulation characteristic of traffic transmitted over the transmission link based on the information.   
   
   
       11 . The method of  claim 10 , further comprising means for adjusting a modulation depth of traffic transmitted over the transmission link based on the information. 
   
   
       12 . The method of  claim 10 , further comprising means for adjusting a phase modulation depth of traffic transmitted over the transmission link based on the information. 
   
   
       13 . The method of  claim 10 , further comprising means for adjusting a frequency modulation depth of traffic transmitted over the transmission link based on the information. 
   
   
       14 . The method of  claim 10 , further comprising means for adjusting an intensity modulation depth of traffic transmitted over the transmission link based on the information. 
   
   
       15 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein the traffic comprises multi-modulated signals, further comprising means for adjusting a plurality of modulation depths of the signals based on the information. 
   
   
       16 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein the multi-modulated signals comprise phase and intensity modulated signals. 
   
   
       17 . The method of  claim 10 , further comprising means for adjusting the modulation depth dynamically based on the information. 
   
   
       18 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein the information comprises real-time bit error rate information. 
   
   
       19 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein the information is received from a receiver to which the traffic is transmitted over the transmission link. 
   
   
       20 . An optical transmission system, comprising:
 a receiver operable to receive an optical information signal over a transmission link, to determine a bit error rate of the optical information signal and to transmit the bit error rate to a transmitter transmitting the optical information signal over the transmission link; and   the transmitter operable to receive the bit error rate from the receiver, adjust a modulation depth of traffic transmitted over the link to the receiver and transmit the traffic to the receiver.   
   
   
       21 . The system of  claim 20 , wherein the optical information signal is a wavelength division multiplex (WDM) signal.