US 10623095

A concise summary of US Patent 10,623,095 is as follows:

Title: Signal detection device and signal detection method

Assignee: As of the latest assignment recorded on October 1, 2025, the assignee for US Patent 10,623,095 is RADIANT PATENTS LLC. The original assignee was NEC Corp.

Inventor: Yoshirou Satou

Filing Date: October 30, 2018

Issue Date: April 14, 2020

Abstract:
The patent describes a signal detection device featuring a comparison unit and an alarm generator. The comparison unit acquires data including the central frequencies of optical signals from multiple transmitters, the interval between these frequencies, and power measurement values of a wavelength-division multiplexed (WDM) signal. This power is measured at specific sampling point frequencies. The unit then selects a power value based on the central frequency interval and the sampling interval and compares it to a predetermined threshold. If the selected value is below the threshold, the alarm generator issues a signal interruption alarm.

Plain-Language Overview of Independent Claims:

As of April 26, 2026, a review of the dockets for the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit (CAFC) for the year 2026 shows no litigation concerning US Patent 10,623,095.

Independent Claim 1:
This claim protects an optical signal monitoring device. The device includes an optical channel monitor that measures the intensity of a combined optical signal at regular intervals. This combined signal is made up of at least two different optical signals, each with its own frequency width. A controller within the device is configured to identify which measurement points correspond to each of the different optical signals and then to separate the intensity values for each signal based on these identified points.

Independent Claim 6:
This claim also covers an optical signal monitoring apparatus. It has an optical channel monitor to measure the intensity of a multiplexed signal, which contains at least a first and a second optical signal with different frequency widths. A controller identifies the intensity values for the first and second signals from the measurements. It then determines the power of the first optical channel based on its identified intensity values and sends out an alert if this power is below a certain level.

Independent Claim 12:
This claim outlines a method for monitoring optical signals. The method involves measuring multiple optical intensity values of a combined signal at a set sampling interval. This signal includes a first and a second optical signal, each having a different frequency width. The next step is to identify the specific sampling points that correspond to the first and second optical signals. Finally, the method involves identifying the intensity values for each of the two signals from the measurements, based on their respective sampling points.

Independent Claim 18:
This claim pertains to a non-transitory computer-readable recording medium that has a program stored on it. When this program is run by the processor of an optical signal monitoring apparatus, it causes the apparatus to perform a specific method. This method includes measuring the optical intensity of a multiplexed signal at a sampling interval, where the signal contains at least two optical signals with different frequency widths. The method then identifies the sampling points corresponding to each signal and, based on these points, identifies the respective intensity values for each signal from the collected measurements.

As of May 6, 2026, US Patent 10,623,095 is involved in at least one known litigation case. This finding is consistent with the information available on the patent's public record and does not contradict the previously generated summary regarding a lack of appellate (CAFC) litigation.

District Court Litigation

A case has been identified in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Texas.

• Case Title: Radiant Patents LLC v. Nokia Corporation et al
• Plaintiff: Radiant Patents LLC
• Defendant(s): Nokia Corporation, Nokia of America Corp
• Jurisdiction: U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Texas
• Case Number: 2:26-cv-00074
• Filing Date: January 26, 2026
• Status: The case is currently active.
• Patents-in-Suit: In addition to US 10,623,095, the complaint asserts other patents, including U.S. Patent Nos. 10,924,188, 10,581,518, and 10,200,117.

The plaintiff, Radiant Patents LLC, is the current assignee of record for US Patent 10,623,095 and is noted by Unified Patents as a non-practicing entity (NPE).

Proceedings overview

As of May 29, 2026, there are no AIA trial proceedings on file for US Patent 10,623,095. This indicates that the patent's claims have not been challenged in an Inter Partes Review (IPR), Post-Grant Review (PGR), or Covered Business Method (CBM) proceeding at the Patent Trial and Appeal Board (PTAB). For a defendant, this means the patent has not been subjected to PTAB scrutiny, and all claims are currently presumed valid as issued by the USPTO.

Strategic summary

All claims of US Patent 10,623,095 (claims 1-18) are currently UNTESTED at the PTAB. There are no claims that have been canceled or sustained through an AIA trial proceeding.

Since no PTAB proceedings have been filed, there is no estoppel landscape under § 315(e)(2) for potential petitioners. All prior-art grounds, including those previously discussed in the "Prior art" section of this analysis (e.g., US20140376909A1, US20150155934A1, US8514390B2), remain available for assertion in a new PTAB petition, assuming statutory deadlines for filing such petitions are met.

The absence of PTAB activity suggests that the patent has not yet been significantly challenged by adverse parties in this forum. This could be due to various reasons, such as recent assertion, ongoing settlement discussions, or strategic choices by potential petitioners.

Recommended next steps

Given the current lack of PTAB activity, a defendant facing assertion of US Patent 10,623,095 should consider initiating an AIA trial proceeding, such as an Inter Partes Review (IPR). The strong prior art identified in the "Prior art" section, particularly US20140376909A1, US20150155934A1, and US8514390B2, provides a solid foundation for challenging the patentability of the claims under 35 U.S.C. §§ 102 and/or 103.

The absence of prior PTAB challenges means there are no prior unfavorable institution decisions or final written decisions to navigate. The patent owner has not had the opportunity to "harden" the claims against PTAB challenges.

A prompt review of the relevant claims against the identified prior art by PTAB counsel is advisable to determine the optimal strategy and timing for filing an IPR petition. There is no information about any PTAB activity on file for US10623095.

Inventors

Based on the patent document, there is a single inventor listed:

• Yoshirou Satou: The patent does not specify the inventor's employer at the time of filing. However, given that NEC Corporation was the original assignee, it is standard practice that Mr. Satou was an employee of NEC Corporation at the time the invention was made and the application was filed. There are no unusual patterns, such as a mass departure of inventors, evident from the public record.

Original assignee

The original assignee of US patent 10,623,095 was NEC Corporation, a major Japanese multinational information technology and electronics corporation headquartered in Tokyo, Japan.

NEC is a large, diversified operating company that has historically developed and sold a wide range of products, including telecommunications equipment, network solutions, and IT services. It is highly probable that NEC developed or sold products, such as optical transport network equipment, that could embody the claims of the patent. The company remains a major operating entity today.

Assignment timeline

The following is the complete, chronologically ordered assignment history for US patent 10,623,095 as recorded with the USPTO.

• 2024-03-21 (executed) / recorded 2024-03-21 — Reel 070575/0077

  • Conveyance: Assignment of Assignor's Interest
  • Assignor: NEC CORPORATION
  • Assignee: NEC ASIA PACIFIC PTE. LTD.
  • Correspondent: MASAO YAMAZAKI, 1-24-1, MATSUYAMACHO, KITA-KU, NIIGATA, 950-3102, JAPAN
  • Context: This appears to be an internal reorganization, transferring the patent from the Japanese parent company to a Singapore-based subsidiary.

• 2024-05-15 (executed) / recorded 2024-10-03 — Reel 072481/0695

  • Conveyance: Assignment of Assignor's Interest
  • Assignor: NEC ASIA PACIFIC PTE. LTD.
  • Assignee: IP WAVE PTE. LTD.
  • Correspondent: KENTA SATO, SATO & ASSOCIATES, 1-11-24, Nishikanda, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo, 101-0065, Japan
  • Context: Transfer from an NEC entity to IP WAVE PTE. LTD., which is described by industry sources as an entity that acquires and monetizes patent assets, indicating a divestment or fire-sale of the patent from its original owner.

• 2025-02-14 (executed) / recorded 2025-03-20 — Reel 074215/0438

  • Conveyance: Assignment of Assignor's Interest
  • Assignor: IP WAVE PTE. LTD.
  • Assignee: PLS XLIV LLC
  • Correspondent: Ramy Emam, Emam & Associates, P.A., 15000 SW 79th CT, Miami, FL 33158. This correspondent is a recurring pattern.
  • Context: Transfer to a US-based LLC, PLS XLIV LLC, suggesting a move to prepare the asset for monetization or assertion in the United States.

• 2025-09-22 (executed) / recorded 2025-10-01 — Reel 075932/0812

  • Conveyance: Change of Name
  • Assignor: PLS XLIV LLC
  • Assignee: RADIANT PATENTS LLC
  • Correspondent: Ramy Emam, Emam & Associates, P.A., 15000 SW 79th CT, Miami, FL 33158. This is the same correspondent as the previous transfer.
  • Context: This is a simple change of name, not a transfer of ownership, from PLS XLIV LLC to Radiant Patents LLC. Both entities are controlled by the same ultimate parent.

• 2025-02-14 (executed) / recorded 2025-11-13 — Reel 076299/0210

  • Conveyance: Corrective Assignment
  • Assignor: IP WAVE PTE. LTD.
  • Assignee: PLS XLIV LLC
  • Correspondent: Ramy Emam, Emam & Associates, P.A., 15000 SW 79th CT, Miami, FL 33158. This is the same correspondent as the previous two transfers.
  • Context: A corrective assignment to fix errors in the patent numbers listed in the prior assignment recorded at Reel 074215/0438, confirming the transfer from IP WAVE to PLS XLIV LLC.

Timeline diagram

timeline
    title Ownership of US 10623095
    2014 : Priority date
    2018 : Application filed by NEC Corp
    2020 : Patent issued to NEC Corp
    2024 : Assigned to NEC Asia Pacific
         : Assigned to IP WAVE PTE LTD
    2025 : Assigned to PLS XLIV LLC
         : Name changed to Radiant Patents LLC
         : Corrective assignment filed
    2026 : First infringement suit filed

NPE / troll-pattern signals

1. Shell-entity transfer — Present.
   The patent was transferred from an operating company (NEC Corporation) to a series of entities culminating in Radiant Patents LLC (Reels 072481/0695, 074215/0438). Radiant Patents LLC is a Texas LLC with no known products, fitting the description of a licensing or assertion-only entity.

2. Known asserter in the chain — Present.
   The current assignee, Radiant Patents LLC, is identified by Unified Patents as a Non-Practicing Entity (NPE) and has filed litigation asserting this patent (Radiant Patents LLC v. Nokia, 2:26-cv-00074, E.D. Tex.).

3. Repeat correspondent across the chain — Present.
   The correspondent Ramy Emam of Emam & Associates, P.A. handled the recording for the transfer to PLS XLIV LLC (Reel 074215/0438), the subsequent change of name to Radiant Patents LLC (Reel 075932/0812), and the corrective assignment (Reel 076299/0210). This recurrence across multiple transactions involving related shell entities is a strong signal of a coordinated assertion campaign.

4. Cascading transfers — Present.
   The patent was transferred three times in less than 24 months: from NEC to NEC Asia Pacific (Mar 2024), then to IP WAVE (May 2024), then to PLS XLIV LLC (Feb 2025). This rapid chain of transfers from the original creator to a series of monetization-focused entities is a classic NPE pattern.

5. Pre-litigation transfer — Present.
   The final effective ownership change to the asserting entity structure (PLS XLIV LLC / Radiant Patents LLC) was recorded in March 2025. The first infringement suit was filed in January 2026. This transfer occurred well within a year of the litigation, indicating the patent was acquired for the purpose of assertion.

6. Bankruptcy fire-sale — Not present.
   NEC Corporation is a solvent, operating company. The transfer was a business decision, not part of a bankruptcy proceeding.

7. Privateering — Unclear.
   There is no public evidence to suggest that NEC Corporation is directing or benefiting from Radiant Patents LLC's assertion activities against Nokia. This appears to be a standard divestment to a third-party NPE.

8. Defensive aggregator (anti-NPE) — Not present.
   The chain does not end at a known defensive aggregator. On the contrary, it ends with a known plaintiff NPE.

Verdict

NPE — high confidence

The verdict is based on multiple strong and unambiguous signals. The patent was transferred from its original creator, an operating company (NEC), through a cascade of entities to a known NPE, Radiant Patents LLC, which has no products and exists to license and litigate patents (Signal 1, 2). The same correspondent, Ramy Emam, managed the series of transactions that moved the patent into the asserting entity's hands, a hallmark of professional NPE operations (Signal 3). Finally, these transfers occurred in a rapid sequence shortly before litigation was initiated (Signals 4, 5).

Verification of the assignment history can be performed at the USPTO Patent Assignment Search page by searching for patent number 10623095.

Relevant Prior Art for US Patent 10,623,095

Based on a review of the patent's file wrapper and the citations listed on its face, the following prior art references are identified as most relevant. These references were considered by the USPTO examiner during the prosecution of the patent application. The analysis below outlines how each might be viewed in the context of novelty and potential anticipation of the claims of US Patent 10,623,095.

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US20140376909A1 - "Optical Channel Monitor With High Resolution Capability"

• Full Citation: United States Patent Application Publication No. US 2014/0376909 A1.
• Publication Date: December 25, 2014.
• Brief Description: This reference, assigned to Finisar Corporation, discloses an optical channel monitor (OCM) that uses a tunable filter to scan across a range of wavelengths. It measures the power of a Wavelength Division Multiplexed (WDM) signal at different points to determine the power of individual channels. The system is designed to handle various channel spacings, including those found in flexible grid systems, by adjusting its measurement resolution.
• Potential Anticipation: This reference appears highly relevant to all independent claims (1, 6, 12, and 18) of US 10,623,095.
  • Claim 1 & 12: The Finisar application describes an OCM measuring optical intensity values of a multiplexed signal at various sampling points. It explicitly discusses handling signals with different frequency widths (channel spacings) and identifying the power associated with each channel. This aligns with the core limitations of measuring intensity values for a multiplexed signal with at least a first and second optical signal having different frequency widths and identifying the corresponding values.
  • Claim 6: The reference discusses monitoring channel power and can be interpreted as inherently capable of comparing this power to a threshold to generate an indication or alarm if a signal is degraded or absent, a standard function in optical network monitoring.
  • Claim 18: As a patent application describing a specific method and apparatus, it provides the basis for a program that could execute the described monitoring method on a processor-controlled device.

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US20150155934A1 - "Device and method for monitoring optical signal quality, and optical transmission device"

• Full Citation: United States Patent Application Publication No. US 2015/0155934 A1.
• Publication Date: June 4, 2015.
• Brief Description: This Fujitsu-assigned reference describes a device for monitoring the quality of optical signals in a WDM system. It measures the optical power spectrum of a multiplexed signal and analyzes it to determine the quality of individual channels. The system is capable of handling flexible grid signals where channel widths and spacings can vary.
• Potential Anticipation: This reference is also highly relevant to the independent claims.
  • Claim 1, 12, & 18: The Fujitsu application discloses measuring a plurality of optical intensity values of a multiplexed signal that includes signals with different frequency widths (corresponding to different data rates or modulation formats). It describes a process for identifying and analyzing the portion of the spectrum corresponding to each optical signal.
  • Claim 6: The monitoring of signal quality inherently involves comparing measured parameters (like power) against thresholds to determine if performance is adequate. The disclosure provides a basis for outputting an indication if the identified channel power falls below a required level.

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US8514390B2 - "Optical equipment and registration method"

• Full Citation: United States Patent No. 8,514,390 B2.
• Issue Date: August 20, 2013.
• Brief Description: This patent, assigned to the Industrial Technology Research Institute, discloses optical equipment that can monitor WDM signals. It describes a method where the equipment registers channel information, such as center wavelength and bandwidth, and then uses a tunable filter to measure the power of each channel. This registration allows the system to adapt to different channel plans, including mixed-grid environments.
• Potential Anticipation: This patent presents a strong challenge to the novelty of the claims.
  • Claim 1 & 12: The patent details a method of measuring optical intensity for a multiplexed signal and identifying values corresponding to specific signals based on registered frequency width (bandwidth) information. This directly maps to the claim language requiring the identification of first and second intensity values for signals with different frequency widths.
  • Claim 6 & 18: The system's purpose is to monitor channel power, which implies a comparison to an expected or threshold value to detect faults, aligning with the functional aspects of claims 6 and 18.

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JP2010130587A - "Optical reception device, optical receiving method, and optical transmission apparatus"

• Full Citation: Japanese Patent Application Publication No. JP2010130587A.
• Publication Date: June 10, 2010.
• Brief Description: This reference, cited in the '095 patent as PTL 1, describes an optical transmission apparatus with a channel monitor. The system monitors operational channels within a WDM signal to manage and verify the network's state.
• Potential Anticipation: While older, its relevance is noted by its inclusion in the patent's background section.
  • Claims 1, 6, 12, 18: The examiner likely considered this reference as background art showing a general OCM. The invention in US 10,623,095 was distinguished by its specific logic for handling mixed frequency grids by dynamically selecting power values based on the relationship between the channel's center frequency interval and the OCM's sampling interval. The '587A publication may not explicitly detail the process for handling different frequency widths in the flexible and adaptive manner claimed in the '095 patent, particularly the step of identifying distinct sets of intensity values for each differently-widthed signal from a common set of measurements.

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JP2012060308A - "Signal light monitoring device and signal light monitoring method"

• Full Citation: Japanese Patent Application Publication No. JP2012060308A.
• Publication Date: March 22, 2012.
• Brief Description: Cited as PTL 2 in the '095 patent, this reference discloses a signal monitoring apparatus that receives a portion of a multiplexed signal to determine the presence of signal light for each channel.
• Potential Anticipation: Similar to the reference above, this was likely considered foundational but lacking specific key elements of the invention.
  • Claims 1, 6, 12, 18: The '308A publication describes monitoring individual channels but may not teach the specific method of processing measurements from a multiplexed signal containing a priori unknown or variable frequency widths and dynamically identifying which sampling points correspond to which signal. The inventive step of US 10,623,095 appears to be the intelligent processing of the OCM data in coordination with transmitter data (center frequency and frequency interval/width) to resolve channels in a flexible grid environment. This reference may describe the "what" (monitoring channels) but not the specific "how" that is claimed.

Based on the provided prior art, an analysis of the obviousness of the claims of US Patent 10,623,095 under 35 U.S.C. § 103 is as follows.

The central concept of US Patent 10,623,095 is an optical signal monitoring apparatus and method that measures the optical power of a multiplexed signal (containing channels with different frequency widths) at a set sampling interval and uses a controller to intelligently identify which measured intensity values correspond to which signal. This allows for accurate power monitoring in a flexible grid environment.

A person having ordinary skill in the art (PHOSITA) in early 2014 would be an engineer or scientist with a degree in optical or electrical engineering and experience in optical communication systems, particularly WDM and flexible grid networks. This individual would be familiar with the function and design of Optical Channel Monitors (OCMs).

The independent claims (1, 6, 12, and 18) of US 10,623,095 would have been obvious to a PHOSITA in light of combinations of the cited prior art.

Obviousness Argument 1: US20140376909A1 (Finisar) in view of US8514390B2 (ITRI)

This combination renders the independent claims obvious.

• Primary Reference: Finisar ('909)
  The Finisar application serves as a strong primary reference. It discloses an OCM designed specifically for high-resolution monitoring in flexible grid systems. It explicitly teaches measuring "a plurality of optical intensity values of a multiplexed signal" that includes channels with different frequency widths (i.e., channel spacings). The stated purpose is to determine the power of these individual channels. This base teaching anticipates the core elements of claims 1, 12, and 18, namely, measuring a multiplexed signal with at least a first and second optical signal of different frequency widths. It also provides the foundation for claim 6 by disclosing the measurement of optical channel power.

• Secondary Reference: ITRI ('390)
  The ITRI patent teaches an essential configuration step missing from or not explicitly detailed in Finisar: registering channel information, such as center wavelength and bandwidth (frequency width), before monitoring. The controller then uses this registered information to guide its measurements.

• Motivation to Combine
  A PHOSITA implementing the flexible grid OCM taught by Finisar would face the known problem of needing to configure the monitor's controller to correctly interpret the raw spectral data it collects. The controller must know what channels to look for—their locations and widths—to accurately assign the measured "intensity values" to the correct channels ("first intensity values corresponding to the first optical signal and second intensity values corresponding to the second optical signal").

  ITRI ('390) provides a direct and well-understood solution to this exact problem: pre-registering the channel parameters. A PHOSITA would have been motivated to combine ITRI's registration method with Finisar's high-resolution OCM for a simple and predictable reason: to make the Finisar system work reliably and adaptably in a real-world, dynamic network. By incorporating the teaching of ITRI, the controller in the Finisar system would be explicitly provided with the "first frequency width" and "second frequency width" needed to "identify first sampling points... and second sampling points" as required by the claims. This combination is not a product of hindsight but rather the application of a known configuration technique (ITRI) to a modern monitoring system (Finisar) to achieve a predictable improvement in accuracy and functionality.

  Furthermore, with the channel power accurately identified through this combination, adding the alarm function of claim 6 ("output a first indication signal when the first optical channel power is less than a first threshold") would be an obvious and necessary feature. OCMs are fundamentally fault and performance monitoring tools; generating an alarm on a low-power condition is their primary purpose.

Obviousness Argument 2: US20150155934A1 (Fujitsu) in view of US8514390B2 (ITRI) and JP2012060308A (PTL 2)

This combination also renders the independent claims obvious.

• Primary Reference: Fujitsu ('934)
  The Fujitsu application, like Finisar, discloses a device for monitoring optical signals in a WDM system capable of handling flexible grids where channel widths vary. It describes measuring the optical power spectrum of the multiplexed signal and analyzing it to determine the quality and power of individual channels. This provides the base elements for all independent claims.

• Secondary References: ITRI ('390) and PTL 2 ('308A)
  ITRI ('390) provides the teaching of registering channel bandwidth, as described above. PTL 2 ('308A), cited as background art in the '095 patent itself, explicitly discloses a "signal light monitoring apparatus that... determines whether or not signal light is present for each channel." This directly teaches the concept of comparing a measured signal level against a threshold to determine presence, which is the functional basis of an alarm for signal interruption.

• Motivation to Combine
  The motivation to combine Fujitsu ('934) and ITRI ('390) is the same as in the first argument: to provide the monitoring system's controller with the necessary channel parameters to accurately process the measured spectrum. A PHOSITA would recognize that to analyze the signal quality of a specific channel as taught by Fujitsu, the analyzer must first be told the parameters of that channel (e.g., its width), a method taught by ITRI.

  Furthermore, the PHOSITA would be motivated to incorporate the teaching of PTL 2. The entire purpose of the monitoring described by Fujitsu is to assess signal quality. PTL 2 teaches the fundamental next step: making a determination based on that quality assessment (i.e., is the signal present or not?). Combining the "monitoring" of Fujitsu with the "determination" of PTL 2 would be a matter of completing the system's intended function. It would be obvious to a PHOSITA that after measuring a channel's power (as per the combination of Fujitsu and ITRI), the system should compare it to a threshold (as taught by PTL 2) to issue an alarm if the signal is interrupted or degraded. This would be a predictable and necessary integration to create a complete and useful monitoring tool.

Term, Continuity, and Family Data for US Patent 10,623,095

An analysis of the prosecution history and continuity data for US Patent 10,623,095 reveals the following details regarding its term and related applications.

Patent Term Adjustment (PTA)

US Patent 10,623,095 was granted a Patent Term Adjustment (PTA) of 0 days. The USPTO determined there were no prosecution delays on its part that would warrant an extension of the patent's term. There were, however, 290 days of applicant-induced delays recorded, which would have reduced any potential PTA. As the calculated USPTO delay was zero, no adjustment was awarded.

Patent Term Extension (PTE)

There is no record of a Patent Term Extension (PTE) being requested or granted for this patent under 35 U.S.C. § 156. PTE is typically associated with delays in regulatory review for products like pharmaceuticals and is not applicable in this case.

Continuity and Application History

US Patent 10,623,095, which issued from application 16/174,538 (filed October 30, 2018), is part of a chain of continuation applications. The lineage is as follows:

• Application 16/174,538 is a continuation of:
• Application 15/914,232 (filed March 7, 2018, now abandoned), which is a continuation of:
• Application 15/512,323 (filed March 17, 2017), which issued as US Patent 9,941,961.

This application chain claims priority to an international PCT application and an original Japanese filing:

• The U.S. applications are the national stage of PCT Application PCT/JP2015/004675, which had an international filing date of September 14, 2015.
• The PCT application claims priority to Japanese Patent Application JP2014-195313, filed on September 25, 2014.

There are no divisional applications in the history of this patent family in the United States.

Patent Family Members

In addition to the two issued U.S. patents (10,623,095 and 9,941,961), the patent family includes members in several other jurisdictions, all stemming from the same priority application. Notable family members include:

• European Patent: EP3200361B1
• Japanese Patent: JP6274324B2
• Chinese Patent: CN107078796B
• WIPO Publication: WO2016047089A1

Projected Expiration Date

The term of a U.S. patent is 20 years from the filing date of the earliest U.S. or PCT application in its priority chain.

1. Earliest Effective Filing Date: The 20-year term is calculated from the international filing date of the PCT application, which is September 14, 2015.
2. Base Expiration Date: 20 years from this date is September 14, 2035.
3. Patent Term Adjustment (PTA): As noted, the granted PTA is 0 days.

Therefore, the projected expiration date for US Patent 10,623,095, assuming all required maintenance fees are paid, is September 14, 2035.

Defensive Disclosure and Prior Art Generation for US 10,623,095

Publication Date: May 6, 2026
Disclosing Entity: Project Grey Matter, Defensive Research Division
Subject Matter: Derivative and combinatory inventions based on the core optical channel monitoring methods for flexible grid networks disclosed in US Patent 10,623,095. This document is intended to enter the public domain to serve as prior art against future patent applications for incremental improvements in this field.

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Derivative Set 1: Material & Component Substitution

1.1. MEMS-Based Digital Transform Spectrometer OCM

• Enabling Description: This variation replaces the variable wavelength filter and single photodiode (PD) with a solid-state Micro-Electro-Mechanical System (MEMS) based Digital Transform Spectrometer (DTS). A stationary diffraction grating disperses the incoming multiplexed optical signal onto a MEMS Digital Micromirror Device (DMD). The controller, instead of tuning a filter, applies a series of binary patterns to the DMD array. Each pattern corresponds to a specific spectral basis function (e.g., Hadamard or Fourier basis vectors). Light from the "on" micromirrors is directed to a single, high-speed, broadband photodetector. By measuring the total power for each pattern and applying a fast inverse transform (e.g., Fast Hadamard Transform), the controller computes the full spectrum of the multiplexed signal simultaneously. It then applies the logic of identifying sampling points and corresponding intensity values from this digitally reconstructed spectrum to isolate the power of channels with different frequency widths. This method offers higher speed and resolution without any moving parts in the optical path besides the micromirrors.

• Mermaid Diagram:

  graph TD
      subgraph MEMS-DTS OCM
          A[Multiplexed Signal In] --> B(Collimating Lens);
          B --> C{Diffraction Grating};
          C --> D[MEMS DMD Array];
          D -- Reflected Light --> E(Focusing Lens);
          E --> F[Broadband Photodetector];
      end
  
      subgraph Controller
          G[FPGA/ASIC Controller] -- Controls --> D;
          F -- Electrical Signal --> G;
          G -- Computes --> H(Full Spectrum Data);
          H -- Applies Logic --> I(Identified Channel Powers);
      end
  
      style Controller fill:#f9f,stroke:#333,stroke-width:2px
  

1.2. Quantum Dot Array Spectrometer

• Enabling Description: This derivative utilizes a Quantum Dot (QD) array as the primary spectroscopic component. The multiplexed signal illuminates a substrate impregnated with a gradient of quantum dots, where the dot size varies systematically across the physical area. Due to the quantum confinement effect, QDs of different sizes absorb light at different, very specific wavelengths. The substrate is bonded directly to a CMOS image sensor. The controller analyzes the resulting 2D image from the sensor; the location of an illuminated pixel (or group of pixels) directly corresponds to a specific wavelength, and the pixel's brightness corresponds to the optical intensity. This creates a direct wavelength-to-position mapping. The controller processes this image data, treating pixel rows/columns as discrete sampling points, and identifies the intensity values for signals of varying frequency widths based on the spatial extent of their illumination signatures on the sensor. This approach is entirely solid-state and can be manufactured at low cost using semiconductor fabrication techniques.

• Mermaid Diagram:

  sequenceDiagram
      participant Signal as Multiplexed Signal
      participant QD as Quantum Dot Array
      participant CMOS as CMOS Image Sensor
      participant Controller
  
      Signal->>QD: Illuminates array
      QD->>CMOS: Absorbs light at specific locations based on wavelength
      CMOS->>Controller: Captures 2D intensity map (Image)
      Controller->>Controller: Processes image data
      Note over Controller: Pixel location maps to frequency,<br/>Pixel intensity maps to power
      Controller-->>User: Outputs identified<br/>channel powers
  

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Derivative Set 2: Operational Parameter Expansion

2.1. Cryogenic Quantum Communication Channel Monitor

• Enabling Description: The disclosed method is adapted for monitoring channels in a Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) network operating at cryogenic temperatures (below 77K). The "optical signals" are extremely low-power quantum channels, often at the single-photon level, with frequency widths defined by the pump laser's coherence and modulation scheme. The OCM itself is housed in a cryostat. The photodetector is a Superconducting Nanowire Single-Photon Detector (SNSPD) array, providing picosecond timing resolution and near-unity detection efficiency. The controller's logic is modified to work with photon counts instead of analog intensity values. It identifies "first and second intensity values" by time-gating the SNSPD array and correlating photon arrival events with the expected transmission windows for different QKD channels (e.g., BB84 decoy states vs. signal states), which constitute the different "frequency widths". The sampling interval is on the order of picoseconds. The alarm threshold is a statistical deviation from an expected photon count rate, indicating an eavesdropping attempt (intercept-resend attack) or system misalignment.

• Mermaid Diagram:

  graph LR
      subgraph Cryostat (77K)
          A[Quantum Channels In] --> B(SNSPD Array);
          B -- Photon Events --> C[Time-Gating & Correlation Logic];
      end
      subgraph Control System
          C -- Correlated Counts --> D[Controller];
          D --> E{Statistical Analysis};
          E -- Anomaly --> F[Alarm: Eavesdropper/Fault];
          E -- Normal --> G[Nominal Channel State];
      end
      style Cryostat fill:#cde,stroke:#333,stroke-width:2px
  

2.2. Terahertz Band Multiplexed Signal Monitor

• Enabling Description: The apparatus operates in the Terahertz (THz) frequency band (0.1-10 THz) for next-generation wireless communication (6G). The "optical signals" are THz carriers multiplexed in a free-space link. The "frequency widths" correspond to different data channels, which can be dynamically allocated bandwidth from hundreds of MHz to several GHz. The OCM uses a Schottky diode-based heterodyne receiver. A tunable local oscillator (LO), controlled by the controller, scans across the THz band, analogous to the variable wavelength filter. The LO output is mixed with the incoming multiplexed THz signal, and the down-converted intermediate frequency (IF) signal's power is measured. The controller's logic remains the same: it acquires the center frequencies and frequency widths of the active THz channels, identifies the measured IF power at the correct LO frequencies (sampling points), and compares them to a threshold to detect channel degradation or interference.

• Mermaid Diagram:

  flowchart TD
      A[Multiplexed THz Signal] --> B{Mixer};
      C[Tunable THz LO] --> B;
      D[Controller] -- LO Frequency --> C;
      B -- IF Signal --> E[IF Amplifier & Filter];
      E --> F[Power Detector];
      F -- Measured Power --> D;
      D -- Processes Data --> G((Output Channel Status));
  

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Derivative Set 3: Cross-Domain Application

3.1. Aerospace: Hypersonic Plume Spectroscopy

• Enabling Description: The method is applied to real-time analysis of a hypersonic vehicle's exhaust plume for engine diagnostics and trajectory analysis. The "multiplexed signal" is the full-spectrum electromagnetic emission from the hot gases in the plume. The "first and second optical signals" are the distinct spectral emission/absorption lines from different chemical species (e.g., H2O, CO2, NOX), each with a unique "frequency width" determined by temperature, pressure, and Doppler shifting. The OCM is an airborne or satellite-based hyperspectral imager. The controller ingests the hyperspectral data cube, identifies the intensity values corresponding to the known spectral signatures of key chemical species, and calculates their relative power. An "alarm" is triggered if the power of a specific species' signature deviates from a predicted model, indicating an off-nominal engine condition (e.g., incomplete combustion, engine damage).

• Mermaid Diagram:

  stateDiagram-v2
      [*] --> Analyzing
      Analyzing --> Nominal: Plume signature matches flight model
      Nominal --> Analyzing: Continuous monitoring
      Analyzing --> AnomalyDetected: NOx intensity > threshold
      AnomalyDetected: Issue alarm: 'Off-Nominal Combustion'
      AnomalyDetected --> Analyzing: Acknowledge and continue
      Analyzing --> AnomalyDetected: H2O intensity < threshold
  

3.2. AgTech: In-Situ Soil Nutrient Mapping

• Enabling Description: An agricultural drone or ground robot is equipped with a compact version of the apparatus for soil analysis. A broadband light source (the "multiplexed signal") illuminates a patch of soil. The reflected light is captured by the OCM. The "first and second optical signals" are the absorption bands within the reflected spectrum corresponding to different soil components like nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, and water content. Each component has a characteristic absorption "frequency width". The controller analyzes the reflected spectrum, identifies the depth (intensity) of these absorption bands, and correlates them to the concentration of the respective nutrients. The data is geotagged and used to generate a high-resolution field map for precision fertilization, triggering an "alarm" (or indication) for areas with critically low nutrient levels.

• Mermaid Diagram:

  sequenceDiagram
      participant Drone as Drone System
      participant OCM as Soil OCM
      participant GPS as GPS Module
      participant Controller as Onboard Controller
  
      Drone->>OCM: Illuminate soil & capture reflected spectrum
      OCM->>Controller: Send spectral data
      GPS->>Controller: Send current coordinates
      Controller->>Controller: Identify nutrient absorption bands (N, P, K)
      Controller-->>Drone: Generate geotagged nutrient map
  

3.3. Consumer Electronics: Non-Invasive Food Allergen Detector

• Enabling Description: The technology is miniaturized into a handheld device for detecting food allergens. The device uses near-infrared (NIR) spectroscopy. The user points the device at a food item, which is illuminated by an NIR LED array. The reflected light is the "multiplexed signal". Specific allergens like gluten, peanuts, and dairy proteins have unique spectral fingerprints (absorption bands) in the NIR range, which serve as the "first and second optical signals" with different "frequency widths". The controller's firmware contains a library of these allergen signatures. It analyzes the captured spectrum, attempts to identify the intensity values matching any signatures in its library, and if a match is found with power above a confidence threshold, it outputs a clear "first indication signal" (e.g., "Peanut Allergen Detected" on an LCD screen).

• Mermaid Diagram:

  graph TD
      A(User scans food item) --> B[NIR LED illuminates sample];
      B --> C[Reflected NIR light captured];
      C --> D{OCM analyzes spectrum};
      D --> E{Controller};
      E -- Compares with --> F[(Allergen Signature Library)];
      E -- Match Found --> G[Display: 'Allergen Detected!'];
      E -- No Match --> H[Display: 'No Allergens Found'];
  

---

Derivative Set 4: Integration with Emerging Tech

4.1. AI-Driven Predictive Channel Monitoring

• Enabling Description: The OCM controller is integrated with a machine learning (ML) model, specifically a Long Short-Term Memory (LSTM) network. The model is trained on historical network traffic data, including channel power, OSNR, and data rate information. Instead of relying on static configurations, the controller uses the ML model to predict future network states. It dynamically adjusts the OCM's sampling interval and measurement points to focus on channels predicted to have high traffic or an increased probability of failure. The model also learns the spectral shapes ("frequency widths") of new signal types as they are introduced to the network, enabling zero-day monitoring of novel transmission formats. The "alarm" function is enhanced to trigger pre-emptive alerts for channels that are predicted to fail within a future time window.

• Mermaid Diagram:

  flowchart LR
      A[Historical Network Data] --> B(LSTM Model Training);
      C[Real-Time OCM Data] --> D{ML Inference Engine};
      B -- Trained Model --> D;
      D -- Predicts --> E(Future Channel State);
      D -- Adjusts --> F[OCM Sampling Parameters];
      F -- Configures --> G(Physical OCM);
      G -- Measures --> C;
      E -- Failure Imminent --> H((Pre-emptive Alarm));
  

4.2. IoT-Enabled Distributed Optical Performance Monitoring

• Enabling Description: The OCM is designed as a low-power, lightweight IoT device. A large number of these IoT-OCMs are deployed throughout the optical network (e.g., at every amplifier and ROADM). Each device monitors its local multiplexed signal and publishes its findings (identified channel powers and alarm states) via a lightweight protocol like MQTT or CoAP to a central cloud-based analytics platform. The "controller" logic is split between the edge device (for real-time measurement and basic thresholding) and the cloud (for network-wide correlation and trend analysis). This creates a fine-grained, real-time map of network health, allowing operators to pinpoint the exact location and nature of signal degradation with unprecedented precision.

• Mermaid Diagram:

  classDiagram
      class IoT_OCM {
          +deviceID: string
          +location: string
          -mqttClient: MQTT_Client
          +measureAndPublish()
          +runLocalThresholdCheck()
      }
      class CloudAnalytics {
          +ingestData(topic, payload)
          +correlateNetworkEvents()
          +generateNetworkHealthMap()
      }
      IoT_OCM "N" -- "1" CloudAnalytics : Publishes data to
  

4.3. Blockchain-Verified SLA Compliance

• Enabling Description: The monitoring apparatus is integrated with a private blockchain for immutable logging of Service Level Agreement (SLA) compliance. When the controller identifies a channel's power and determines its status, it creates a data package containing the timestamp, channel ID, measured power, OSNR, and a pass/fail status relative to the SLA threshold. This data package is cryptographically signed by the device and submitted as a transaction to a permissioned blockchain ledger shared between the network operator and the customer. The "signal interruption alarm" from the patent is recorded as a "SLA Violation" transaction. This provides an undisputed, auditable, and tamper-proof record for billing, penalties, and network performance validation.

• Mermaid Diagram:

  sequenceDiagram
      participant OCM as Monitoring Apparatus
      participant Node as Operator's Blockchain Node
      participant Ledger as Shared Ledger
      participant Customer as Customer's Node
  
      OCM->>OCM: Measure channel power & compare to SLA
      OCM->>Node: Create & sign transaction (ChannelID, Power, Status)
      Node->>Ledger: Validate & commit transaction
      Ledger-->>Customer: Replicates transaction
      Customer->>Customer: Independently verify SLA compliance
  

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Derivative Set 5: The "Inverse" or Failure Mode

5.1. Failsafe Coarse WDM Monitoring Mode

• Enabling Description: This version is designed to fail into a limited-functionality, failsafe state. Under normal operation, the controller executes the full channel identification logic. If the controller experiences a critical error (e.g., memory corruption, loss of communication with the management system), a hardware watchdog timer forces a system reboot into "Coarse Mode." In this mode, a simplified firmware is loaded that bypasses the complex channel identification logic. The OCM is configured to perform a rapid, low-resolution scan, measuring power in only a few wide, pre-defined spectral bands (e.g., C-Band Low, C-Band High, L-Band). It only reports the total integrated power in these coarse bands. This ensures that even during a catastrophic failure of the primary monitoring intelligence, the system can still provide a basic "light/no-light" status for entire sections of the WDM spectrum, preventing a total loss of network visibility.

• Mermaid Diagram:

  stateDiagram-v2
      state "Full Monitoring" as Full {
          [*] --> Full
          Full --> Coarse: Watchdog Timeout / Critical Error
          Full --> Full: Normal Operation
      }
      state "Coarse Failsafe Mode" as Coarse {
          Coarse --> Full: Manual Reset / Command
          state "Scan Low C-Band" as ScanLowC
          state "Scan High C-Band" as ScanHighC
          state "Report Total Power" as Report
          [*] --> ScanLowC
          ScanLowC --> ScanHighC
          ScanHighC --> Report
          Report --> ScanLowC
      }
  

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Combination Prior Art Scenarios with Open-Source Standards

1. Integration with NETCONF/YANG (IETF RFC 6241 & 6020): The OCM's controller exposes its full configuration and state data through a YANG data model. An operator can use a standard NETCONF client to configure the list of expected optical signals, including their central frequencies and frequency widths. The operator can also subscribe to real-time notifications, receiving a NETCONF <notification> event whenever the controller identifies a channel power that falls below its configured threshold. This combines the patented method with established network management standards, making it a component in a larger, automated, multi-vendor network.

2. Integration with OpenMetrics/Prometheus: The OCM controller runs a Prometheus exporter service on an embedded web server. This service exposes a /metrics endpoint with data formatted according to the OpenMetrics standard. Key metrics include optical_channel_power_dbm{channel_id="...", center_freq_hz="..."} and optical_channel_alarms_total{channel_id="...", type="low_power"}. A central Prometheus server scrapes this endpoint at regular intervals, storing the data in its time-series database. This allows network operators to use the entire open-source Prometheus ecosystem, including Grafana for dashboarding and Alertmanager for sophisticated alerting rules, based on the data generated by the patented monitoring method.

3. Integration with the Telecom Infra Project (TIP) Open Optical & Packet Transport (OOPT) Architecture: The monitoring apparatus is presented as a "pluggable" monitoring module compliant with the standards defined by TIP's OOPT group. The device's physical form factor, power consumption, and data reporting APIs adhere to the open specifications for Disaggregated Optical Systems. Specifically, its output data stream, containing identified channels and their power levels, is formatted as a standardized JSON or Protobuf object sent over a gRPC connection to a higher-level network controller, as defined in the TransportPCE open-source project. This positions the patented invention as a modular component within a broader, open, and disaggregated network architecture.