Importance

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Abstract

The present invention relates to a lightwave communication system, and associated transmitters (13) and receivers (14), which uses both spread spectrum, code-division-multiple-access (SS-CDMA), and wavelength-division-multiplexing (WDM) techniques for 2-way transmissions over a lightwave waveguide arrangement (11) to use the overall spectrum of the waveguide arrangement (11) while providing sufficient interference rejection of randomly spaced carriers, and associated signals, which may drift into the bandwidth of transmissions of other transmitter/receiver pairs due to instabilities in carrier laser sources (20). Techniques are also disclosed for a transceiver (10.sub.i) acquiring a 2-way link with another transceiver (10.sub.j), while other transmitter/receiver pairs are concurrently communicating using WDM, SS-CDMA, signal transmissions. For example, a calling transceiver transmits a narrowband information message (40) on a random carrier which is detected by a called transceiver by scanning the frequency spectrum. The called transceiver then returns a narrowband answer signal (41) on another random carrier which is detected by the calling transceiver. In this manner, each transceiver locks onto the carrier of the other transceiver and the appropriate pseudo-noise (PN) code sequence can then be determined and synchronized before WDM, SS-CDMA, 2-way transmissions begin.

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First Claim