Optical ring architecture

• US 20040052450A1
• Filed: 02/24/2003
• Published: 03/18/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 06/11/1999
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Parker Intangibles LLC (Parker-Hannifin Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Parker-Hannifin Corporation
• Inventors: Morrison, Brian D.
• Granted Patent: US 7,657,330 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 385/24
• CPC Class Codes: G01F 23/263 by measuring variations in capacitance of capacitors
• CPC Class Codes: G01F 23/266 measuring circuits therefor
• CPC Class Codes: G01F 23/802 Particular electronic circuits for digital processing equipment
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 9/12 characterised by the use of electric means
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/437 Ring fault isolation or reconfiguration for SDH/SONET ring networks H04J3/085

Abstract

A system and method for providing a network that includes at least two microprocessor-controlled devices that include a first microprocessor-controlled device and a distinct second microprocessor-controlled device, and at least two bi-directional fiber optic cables to provide a communicative ring amongst the at least two microprocessor controlled devices by connecting the at least two microprocessor-controlled devices in a daisy-chain, where the first microprocessor-controlled device and the distinct second microprocessor-controlled device communicate via at least two of the bi-directional fiber optic cables.

Claims

1. A system, comprising:

at least two microprocessor-controlled devices, the at least two microprocessor-controlled devices including at least a first microprocessor device and a distinct second microprocessor-controlled device, and

at least two bi-directional fiber optic cables to provide a communicative ring amongst the at least two microprocessor-controlled devices by connecting the at least two microprocessor-controlled devices in a daisy-chain,

where the first microprocessor-controlled device and the distinct second microprocessor-controlled device communicate via at least two of the bi-directional fiber optic cables.

2. A system according to claim 1, where the fiber optic ring includes a first communicative direction and a second communicative direction, and where the at least two microprocessor devices communicate along the first and the second communicative directions.

3. A system according to claim 1, further comprising an interface between the at least two microprocessor controlled devices and the at least two bi-directional fiber optic cables.

4. A system according to claim 3, where the interface includes an electro-optical device.

5. A system according to claim 3, where the interface includes a photodiode.

6. A system according to claim 1, where the at least two microprocessor controlled devices include at least one of:

a processing system, a measurement system, an imaging system, a sensor, a mechanical sensor, an analog sensor, a digital sensor, a fiber optic sensor, a video sensor, a camera, a fuel tank sensor, and an infrared sensor.

7. A system according to claim 1, where the communications are transmitted in accordance with at least one of:

TCP/IP, Ethernet, and a fieldbus protocol.

8. A system according to claim 1, further including at least two power supplies, the at least two power supplies having a communicative connection to at least one of the at least two microprocessor controlled devices.

9. A system according to claim 8, where the at least two power supplies include laser power diodes, and where the communicative connection includes a fiber optic cable.

10. A system according to claim 1, where the at least two microprocessor-controlled devices are associated with at least one of microprocessor instructions and programmable hardware logic to identify a source identification (ID) and a destination ID associated with the communications.

11. A system according to claim 1, where the at least two microprocessor-controlled devices are associated with microprocessor instructions to determine whether received data is received in a first direction and in a second direction along the ring.

12. A system according to claim 1, where the at least two microprocessor-controlled devices are associated with microprocessor instructions to transmit data in a first direction and in a second direction along the ring.

13. A system according to claim 1, where the at least two microprocessor-controlled devices are associated with microprocessor instructions to track received data messages.

14. A system according to claim 13, where the at least two microprocessor instructions include instructions to, based on the tracked data messages, transmit at least one of:

an alarm message along the ring, and an alarm message outside the ring.

15. A system according to claim 1, where at least one of the at least two microprocessor-controlled devices communicate with at least one microprocessor-controlled device outside the ring.

16. A system according to claim 15, where the communications include at least one of wired and wireless communications.

17. A system according to claim 15, where the communications include satellite, internet, Ethernet, cellular, network, and USB.

18. A system, comprising:

at least two microprocessor-controlled devices, the at least two microprocessor-controlled devices including;

at least one camera, at least one switch, at least one fuel tank sensor, and at least one microprocessor device having a display, and,

at least two bi-directional fiber optic cables to provide a communicative ring amongst the at least two microprocessor-controlled devices by connecting the at least two microprocessor-controlled devices in a daisy-chain,

where the at least two microprocessor-controlled devices communicate optical data via at least two of the bi-directional fiber optic cables.

19. A system according to claim 18, further including at least one illumination source associated with at least one of the at least two microprocessor controlled devices.

20. A system according to claim 18, where at least one of the at least two microprocessor-controlled devices is at least one of:

at least partially enabled and at least partially disabled, based on a user input.

21. A system according to claim 20, where the user input includes at least one of:

a personal identification number (PIN), an access code, an access card, and biometric data.

22. A system according to claim 18, where the at least one camera is associated with at least one illumination source.

23. A system according to claim 22, where the at least one illumination source is activated from the at least one display.

24. A system according to claim 22, where the at least one illumination source is activated based on data from the at least one camera.

25. A system according to claim 22, where the at least one camera is associated with microprocessor-executable instructions for detecting motion, and where the at least one camera provides image data to the at least one microprocessor device having the display when motion is detected.

26. A system according to claim 18, where the system resides in at least one of an aircraft, a ship, an airport, an indoor location having a perimeter associated with the ring, and an outdoor location having a perimeter associated with the ring.

27. A system according to claim 18, where at least one of the at least one camera is a video camera.

28. A system according to claim 18, where at least one of the at least one switch is a message switch.