Optical network for bi-directional wireless communication

• US 20060104643A1
• Filed: 06/08/2005
• Published: 05/18/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 11/16/2004
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Lee, Jae-Hoon, Hwang, Seong-Taek, Lee, Kwan-Soo, Lee, Jeong-Seok, Shim, Chang-Sup
• Application Number:
  US11/147,638
• Publication Number:
  US 20060104643A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 398/115
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 10/25758 between a central unit and a single remote unit by means of an optical fibre

Abstract

An optical network for bi-directional communication includes: a base station for generating downlink optical signals and detecting uplink optical signals; and a remote antenna unit for transmitting the downlink optical signals and generating the uplink optical signals to the base station; wherein the remote antenna includes: an optical detector for converting the downlink optical signals into downlink radio signals; an antenna for transmitting the downlink radio signals to outside thereof, and receiving the uplink radio signals in wireless communication; a semiconductor optical amplifier for converting the uplink radio signals into the uplink optical signals to output the uplink optical signals to the base station; and a circulating device having a plurality of ports, each of which is connected to the antenna, the optical detector, and the semiconductor optical amplifier, respectively.

Claims

1. An optical network for bidirectional communication, comprising:

a base station for generating downlink optical signals and detecting uplink optical signals; and

a remote antenna unit for transmitting the downlink optical signals, converting uplink radio signals, into the uplink optical signals to output the uplink optical signals to the base station;

wherein the remote antenna comprises;

an optical detector for converting the downlink optical signals into downlink radio signals;

an antenna for transmitting the downlink radio signals to outside thereof and receiving the uplink radio signals;

a semiconductor optical amplifier for converting the uplink radio signals into the uplink optical signals to output the uplink optical signals to the base station; and

a circulating device having a plurality of ports, each of which is connected to the antenna, the optical detector, and the semiconductor optical amplifier, respectively.

2. The optical network as claimed in claim 1, wherein the circulating device further comprises a circulator in which the uplink radio signals pass through a first port through the antenna and then pass through a second port connected to the semiconductor optical amplifier, and the downlink radio signals pass through a third port through the optical detector and then output to the first port.

3. The optical network as claimed in claim 2, wherein the circulating device comprises an ultra-high frequency combiner.

4. The optical network as claimed in claim 1, wherein the optical detector comprises a photodiode in the form of an optical waveguide.

5. The optical network as claimed in claim 1, wherein the optical detector comprises a traveling waveguide photodiode.

6. The optical network as claimed in claim 1, wherein the remote antenna unit employs one of an FDD (Frequency Division Duplex) scheme and a TDD (Time Division Duplex) scheme.

7. The optical network as claimed in claim 1, wherein the optical detector comprises a photodiode in the form of a planar waveguide, with which the semiconductor optical amplifier can be integrated into a single chip or substrate.

8. The optical network as claimed in claim 1, wherein the base station comprises an optical transmitter for generating the downlink optical signals and an optical receiver detecting the uplink optical signals.

9. The optical network as claimed in claim 8, further comprising a filter for selectively deriving signals form the uplink optical signals.