Frequency division multiplexing system for optical transmission of broadband signals

Claim 1

A frequency division multiplex system for transmitting a plurality of radio frequency signals of differing frequencies from a transmitter station to a receiver station, comprising: (a) a plurality of modulated light sources in said transmitter station, each providing a light signal; (b) a plurality of radio frequency signal sources, each signal source having a different frequency signal modulating a respective light source; (c) a single major optical fiber of a given diameter having a solid core and outer cladding layer coupling the transmitter station to the receiver station for transmitting a mixed light signal comprised of the light signals from each light source; (d) a plurality of minor small diameter individual optical fibers each having a solid core and outer cladding layer and each being connected at one end to a respective one of said light sources, the other ends of said plurality of smaller diameter fibers being joined with adjacent like fiber ends in a plurality of input pairs providing a plurality of optical fiber Y-couplers, each Y-coupler having two optical fiber inputs butt jointed to one optical fiber output of a larger diameter than said inputs, each said light source being connected as one input of a first respective Y-coupler via one minor optical fiber, the larger diameter output optical fiber of each Y-coupler being connected as an input optical fiber of a subsequent Y-coupler having an output optical fiber of successively larger diameter than the associated pair of input fibers until only two outputs remain, said two outputs being connected to said major optical fiber having the largest diameter by a last Y-coupler; and (e) detector means located in said receiver station and operatively associated with said major optical fiber for detecting said plurality of different radio frequency signals from said mixed light signal.