Optical interface devices having balanced amplification

Abstract

An optical interface devices (OID) routes signals entering each of its ports to all other ports. The OID passively routes the optical signals and performs no conversion of the signals into the electrical domain. In addition to signal routing, the OID also performs bi-directional amplification of the optical signals to compensate for splitting losses, coupling losses, signal variations, and to provide additional gain. As a result, the power level of a signal entering one port is the same power level at which corresponding signals exit all other ports of the OID. The OID is useful in a number of network topologies, including but not limited to bus, point-to-point, star, ring, broken ring, hub, and a tree-like topology. The OID enables signal quality to be maintained throughout the network which is especially beneficial in the transmission of Radio Frequency and other analog signals.

1. An optical interface device, comprising:
 a first port;  
 a second port;  
 a third port;  
 each of the first, second, and third ports for receiving optical signals;  
 a first coupler for splitting optical signals from the first port into a plurality of optical signal components and for routing one of the optical signal components to each of the second and third ports;  
 a second coupler for splitting optical signals from the second port into a plurality of optical signal components and for routing one of the optical signal components to each of the first and third ports;  
 a third coupler for splitting optical signals from the third port into a plurality of optical signal components and for routing one of the optical signal components to each of the first and second ports;  
 a first optical amplifier located between the first and second ports for amplifying optical signals routed between the first and second ports;  
 a second optical amplifier located between the second and third ports for amplifying optical signals routed between the second and third ports;  
 a third optical amplifier located between the first and third ports for amplifying optical signals routed between the first and third ports;  
 wherein each of the first, second, and third optical amplifiers has a gain that is sufficient to compensate for coupling losses associated with the first, second, and third ports, respectively, and splitting losses associated with the first, second, and third splitter, respectively.  
 
     
     
       2. The optical interface device as set forth in  claim 1 , wherein the first, second, and third amplifiers comprise fiber amplifiers. 
     
     
       3. The optical interface device as set forth in  claim 1 , wherein the first, second, and third couplers comprise 50/50 splitters. 
     
     
       4. The optical interface device as set forth in  claim 1 , wherein the optical interface device has more than three ports. 
     
     
       5. The optical interface device as set forth in  claim 1 , wherein the gain is the same for each of the first, second, and third optical amplifiers. 
     
     
       6. The optical interface device as set forth in  claim 1 , wherein the gain in the first optical amplifier differs from the gain in the second and third optical amplifier. 
     
     
       7. The optical interface device as set forth in  claim 1 , further comprising a fourth optical amplifier associated with the first port, the fourth optical amplifier for providing optical amplification of signals traveling between the first port and the first coupler. 
     
     
       8. The optical interface device as set forth in  claim 1 , wherein each of the first, second, and third optical amplifiers receive an excitation signal from a common pump. 
     
     
       9. The optical interface device as set forth in  claim 1 , wherein the first, second, and third optical amplifiers receive excitation signals from different pumps. 
     
     
       10. The optical interface device as set forth in  claim 1 , wherein the first, second, and third optical couplers split the optical signals into equal optical components. 
     
     
       11. An optical interface device, comprising:
 means for receiving an optical signal from a first port;  
 means for separating the optical signal into a plurality of signal components;  
 means for amplifying the optical signal components to compensate for losses associated with the receiving means and the separating means, the amplifying means generating amplified optical signal components; and  
 means for passing the amplified optical signal components from at least a second port and a third port.  
 
     
     
       12. The optical interface device as set forth in  claim 11 , wherein the receiving means comprises a port. 
     
     
       13. The optical interface device as set forth in  claim 11 , wherein the separating means comprises a splitter. 
     
     
       14. The optical interface device as set forth in  claim 11 , wherein the amplifying means comprises a fiber amplifier. 
     
     
       15. The optical interface device as set forth in  claim 11 , wherein the amplifying means amplifies each signal component with the same gain. 
     
     
       16. The optical interface device as set forth in  claim 11 , wherein the amplifying means amplifies the signal components with different gains. 
     
     
       17. The optical interface device as set forth in  claim 11 , further comprising second amplifying means for amplifying the optical signal. 
     
     
       18. A method for routing an optical signal from a first line onto at least a second line and a third line, comprising:
 receiving the optical signal from the first line;  
 splitting the optical signal into a plurality of signal components;  
 amplifying each of the signal components to compensate for coupling and splitting losses, the amplifying of the signal components resulting in amplified signal components; and  
 passing the amplified signal components onto each of the second line and the third line.  
 
     
     
       19. The method as set forth in  claim 18 , wherein splitting comprises splitting the optical signal into equal optical signal components. 
     
     
       20. The method as set forth in  claim 18 , wherein amplifying comprises amplifying the optical signal components to a level greater than a level of the optical signal. 
     
     
       21. The method as set forth in  claim 18 , wherein splitting comprises splitting the optical signal into two optical signal components and the passing comprises passing the two optical signal components onto the second and third lines.