US 10404366

Summary of U.S. Patent 10,404,366

A concise summary of U.S. Patent 10,404,366 is provided below, including details on the title, assignee, inventor, key dates, abstract, and a plain-language overview of the independent claims. No records of litigation in the CAFC dockets for 2026 concerning this specific patent were found as of the date of this analysis.

Title: Optical signal monitor, optical wavelength multiplexing transmitter, and method for monitoring optical signal

Assignee: As of the latest assignment recorded on October 1, 2025, the assignee for US Patent 10,404,366 is RADIANT PATENTS LLC. The original assignee was NEC Corp.

Inventor: Yoshirou Satou

Filing Date: July 19, 2018

Issue Date: September 3, 2019

Abstract:
The patent describes an optical signal monitor that includes a storage unit for holding threshold values for different wavelength bands (determination areas). A measurement section measures the optical intensity of a wavelength-multiplexed signal in smaller segments (measurement areas) within these bands. A determination section then decides whether to introduce "dummy light" into a specific band based on whether the measured intensities fall below the set threshold. The system is designed to work even when the multiplexed signal is composed of optical signals with different frequency grids.

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Plain-Language Overview of Independent Claims

U.S. Patent 10,404,366 has two independent claims: Claim 1 and Claim 10.

Claim 1: An optical communication apparatus

In simple terms, this claim describes a piece of equipment for optical communications. This device includes:

• A wavelength multiplexer that combines multiple optical signals into a single, multiplexed signal.
• A monitor that checks the intensity (or power) of the individual optical signals within that combined signal.
• A controller that uses the intensity information from the monitor to decide whether to add a "dummy light." This decision is based on comparing the monitored intensity to a set of predefined threshold values. A key feature is that these thresholds are different for different wavelength bands.

This allows the system to maintain stable signal power, which is important for reliable communication, especially when some optical signals are not active.

Claim 10: An optical communication method

This claim outlines the process or method used in the optical communication apparatus described in Claim 1. The method involves the following steps:

1. Outputting a multiplexed optical signal: Combining multiple optical signals into one.
2. Monitoring the intensity: Measuring the power of an optical signal within the combined signal.
3. Controlling a dummy light: Based on the monitored intensity, deciding whether to introduce a dummy light. This decision is made by comparing the intensity to a set of thresholds, with at least two different thresholds for different wavelength bands.

Essentially, this claim protects the operational process of the system, not just the physical device itself.