Optical network using remote optical powering of optoelectronic switch
An optical local area network uses modified remote network interface cards (NICs) to provide an optical carrier signal for signaling use by a centralized optoelectronic switch unit. The NIC optical transceiver is modified so that instead of being normally &#8220;off&#8221; during the standby mode, the data signal is logically inverted to be &#8220;on.&#8221; Light from each NIC is used to provide optical power for a corresponding optical modulator on the switch unit.
Lucent Technologies Inc.
G H
G02F H04B
inventional inventional
Joseph Earl Wayne Harvey Martin C. Ashok V.
Ford Knox Nuss Krishnamoorthy