US 11,929,785 B2
Tunable and polarization insensitive optical communication system
Thomas Ducellier, Ottawa (CA); Hugh Podmore, Toronto (CA); and Alan Scott, Arnprior (CA)
Assigned to HONEYWELL LIMITED HONEYWELL LIMITÉE, Mississauga (CA)
Filed by HONEYWELL LIMITED HONEYWELL LIMITÉE, Mississauga (CA)
Filed on Apr. 8, 2022, as Appl. No. 17/716,886.
Prior Publication US 2023/0327772 A1, Oct. 12, 2023
Int. Cl. H04B 10/50 (2013.01); H04B 10/294 (2013.01)
CPC H04B 10/503 (2013.01) [H04B 10/2941 (2013.01); H04B 10/506 (2013.01)] 15 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. An optical communication system, comprising:
an optical bench coupling an optical transmit pathway and an optical receiving pathway to an external pathway, the optical bench comprising:
an optical circulator comprising a first port, a second port and a third port, wherein the first port is coupled to the optical transmit pathway, the second port is coupled to the external pathway, and the third port is coupled to the optical receiver pathway, wherein the optical circulator is polarization insensitive and is configured to:
route a transmitted signal from the first port to the second port, irrespective of the polarization state of the transmitted signal; and
route a received signal from the second port to the third port, irrespective of the polarization state of the received signal,
a tunable component positioned along the optical receiving pathway, wherein the tunable component is operable to enable a first specified subset of wavelengths of the received signal to proceed downstream and to prevent a second subset of wavelengths of the received signal from proceeding downstream; and
a controller coupled to the tunable component, wherein the controller is configured to tune the tunable component to define the first specified subset of wavelengths to correspond to an expected wavelength range corresponding to an external communication terminal coupled to the external pathway from which the received signal is received.