System and method for optically powering a remote network component

• US 20060133436A1
• Filed: 12/17/2004
• Published: 06/22/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 12/17/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Corning Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Corning Incorporated
• Inventors: Sauer, Michael, Zah, Chung-En, Nishiyama, Nobuhiko
• Granted Patent: US 7,388,892 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 372/38.40
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 10/807 Optical power feeding, i.e. transmitting power using an optical signal

Abstract

Both a system and method for optically powering a network component, such as the transponder of a picocell, is provided. The system includes a vertical cavity surface emitting laser (VCSEL) for processing an input signal, a remotely-located optical power source, and an optical fiber for conducting optical power from the source to the VCSEL. The VCSEL may be electrically biased from current generated by an optical-electro converter coupled to the fiber, or directly optically biased from light from the optical power source. A bias tee is connected between an input signal and an input of the VCSEL such that the VCSEL generates a modulated optical signal. The system may be the transponder of a picocell system where the VCSEL generates an optical uplink signal conducted to a head-end circuit via the same or a separate optical fiber.

Claims

1. A system for optically powering a network component that processes an input signal, comprising:

a circuit including a VCSEL;

an optical power source located remotely with respect to said circuit;

an optical fiber coupled to said power source that conducts optical power to said circuit,

wherein said VCSEL is biased by an electrical current generated by light from said optical power source and includes an input that receives said input signal and an output that provides an optical output signal.

2. The system defined in claim 1, wherein said circuit further includes an optical-electro converter for converting optical power from said power source via said fiber into a biasing current, and a bias tee connected to said biasing current, said input signal and said VCSEL input such that said output is a beam of modulated laser light generated by said VCSEL.

3. The system defined in claim 1, wherein said optical-electro converter is a photo detector array.

4. The system defined in claim 1, wherein the optical fiber delivers over 1 milliwatt of optical power to said circuit.

5. The system defined in claim 2, wherein the optical-electro converter generates between 2 and 3 milliamps at between 0.5 and 4.0 volts.

6. The system defined in claim 1, wherein the optical fiber is a multimode fiber.

7. The system defined in claim 1, wherein the VCSEL is between 0.6 and 1.6 micrometer wavelength VCSEL.

8. The system defined in claim 2, wherein a voltage and an amperage generated by the optical-electro converter is variable.

9. The system defined in claim 2, wherein said circuit includes a radio frequency circuit that converts a radio signal to said input signal.

10. The system defined in claim 9, wherein said circuit is a transponder, said VCSEL output generates an uplink signal.

11. The system defined in claim 10, wherein said VCSEL generates an optical uplink signal, and further comprising a second optical fiber that conducts said uplink signal to a head-end circuit of a picocell system.

12. The system defined in claim 10, wherein said optical fiber conducts an optical downlink signal, and said optical-electro converter converts said optical downlink signal to an electrical downlink signal.

13. The system defined in claim 12, wherein said radio frequency circuit converts said electrical downlink signal into a radio signal.

14. The system defined in claim 13, wherein said circuit further includes one of a circulator and radio frequency switch that connects said electrical downlink signal and said input signal to an input and output of said frequency circuit.

15. The system defined in claim 14, wherein said circuit includes first and second AC couplings for connecting said electrical downlink signal to said circulator or radio frequency switch and said input signal to said VCSEL, respectively.

16. An optically powered network component, comprising:

a circuit including a VCSEL; and

,

an optical-electro converter that converts optical power into electrical power;

a first optical fiber that conducts remotely generated optical power to said optical-electro converter such that said VCSEL is biased by electrical power generated by said converter and converts an electrical uplink signal into an optical uplink signal.

17. The system defined in claim 16, further comprising a radio frequency circuit that receives a radio signal and converts it into said electrical uplink signal.

18. The system defined in claim 17, wherein said optical power generated by said optical-electro converter includes a downlink signal such that said electrical power generated by said optical-electro converter includes a biasing current modulated by said electrical downlink signal.

19. The system defined in claim 17, further comprising a third optical fiber that conducts an optical downlink signal to a second optical-electro converter that generates an electrical downlink signal, wherein said circuit includes a bias tee connected to said biasing current, said electrical downlink signal and an input of said VCSEL.

20. The system defined in claim 18, wherein said radio frequency circuit receives said electrical downlink signal and converts it into a radio signal.

21. The system defined in claim 19, wherein said radio frequency circuit receives said electrical downlink signal and converts it to a radio signal.

22. The system defined in claim 17, wherein said other network component is a head-end circuit of a picocell system.

23. The system defined in claim 22, wherein said head-end circuit includes a second radio frequency circuit that receives a second radio signal and converts it into an electrical downlink signal.

24. The system defined in claim 23, wherein said head-end circuit includes an electro-optical converter that converts said electrical downlink signal into an optical downlink signal that is transmitted to said first network component via said first optical fiber.

25. An optically powered network transponder of a picocell system, comprising:

an optical-electro converter that converts light into electrical power;

a first optical fiber that conducts said light from a head-end circuit to said optical-electro converter;

a VCSEL biased by said electrical power that generates an optical uplink signal, and

a second optical fiber that conducts said optical uplink signal from said VCSEL to a head-end circuit of said picocell system.