DRIVING DEVICE AND METHOD

• US 20080019407A1
• Filed: 06/29/2007
• Published: 01/24/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 07/19/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Asia Optical International Limited (Asia Optical Company Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Asia Optical Company Incorporated
• Inventors: Luo, Yin-Long, Li, Song, Yang, Shou-Qing
• Granted Patent: US 7,889,771 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 372/38.02
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/491 Details of non-pulse systems
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/4911 Transmitters
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 5/0428 for applying pulses to the laser
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 5/0683 by monitoring the optical output parameters

Abstract

A driving device including a light emitter, a biasing circuit, a light receiver, an automatic control system, and an alternating current (AC) path is disclosed. The light emitter generates an optical signal. The biasing circuit generates a driving signal to activate the light emitter such that the light emitter operates in a working range. The light receiver detects the output power of the optical signal for generating a corresponding electrical signal. The automatic control system adjusts the driving signal according to the corresponding electrical signal such that the output power of the optical signal approaches a preset value. The AC path is coupled between the light emitter and an external signal source for receiving at least one AC modulated signal such that the light emitter generates at least one modulated optical signal.

Claims

1. A driving device, comprising:

a light emitter generating an optical signal;

a biasing circuit generating a driving signal to activate the light emitter such that the light emitter operates in a working range;

a light receiver detecting the output power of the optical signal for generating a corresponding electrical signal,

an automatic control system adjusting the driving signal according to the corresponding electrical signal such that the output power of the optical signal approaches a preset value; and

an alternating current (AC) path coupled between the light emitter and an external signal source for receiving at least one AC modulated signal such that the light emitter generates at least one modulated optical signal.

2. The driving device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the light emitter is a laser diode.

3. The driving device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the light receiver is a photo diode.

4. The driving device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the AC path receives a plurality of AC modulated signals having different frequency such that the light emitter generates different modulated optical signals.

5. The driving device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the AC path comprises:

a first capacitor comprising a first terminal coupled to the light emitter and a second terminal;

a second capacitor comprising a first terminal coupled to the light emitter and a second terminal;

a first inductor comprising a first terminal coupled to the second terminal of the first capacitor and a second terminal receiving a first AC modulated signal; and

a first resistor comprising a first terminal coupled to the second terminal of the second capacitor and a second terminal receiving a second AC modulated signal.

6. The driving device as claimed in claim 5, wherein the frequency of the first AC modulating signal exceeds that of the second AC modulating signal.

7. The driving device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the biasing circuit comprises a switch element coupled between a power source and the light emitter, and wherein the switch element comprises a control terminal coupled to the an automatic control system.

8. The driving device as claimed in claim 7, wherein the switch element is a bipolar junction transistor (BJT).

9. The driving device as claimed in claim 7, wherein the biasing circuit further comprises:

a second resistor coupled between a first terminal of the switch element and the power source;

a third resistor coupled to the control terminal of the switch element and the automatic control system; and

a second inductor coupled between the switch element and the light emitter.

10. A driving method, comprising:

generating a driving signal to activate a light emitter such that the light emitter operates in a working range and generates an optical signal;

detecting the output power of the optical signal to generate a corresponding electrical signal;

adjusting the driving signal according to the corresponding electrical signal such that the output power of the optical signal approaches a preset value; and

utilizing an alternating current (AC) path to receive at least one AC modulated signal such that at least one modulated optical signal is generated by the light emitter, wherein the AC path is coupled between the light emitter and an external signal source.

11. The driving method as claimed in claim 10, wherein a plurality of AC modulated signals having different frequencies respectively are received by the AC path such that a plurality of modulated optical signals are generated by the light emitter.

12. The driving method as claimed in claim 10, wherein the corresponding electrical signal is a current signal or a voltage signal.

13. A driving device for driving a laser diode, comprising:

a light emitter generating an optical signal;

a biasing circuit coupled to the light emitter for generating a driving signal such that the light emitter is activated by the driving signal and operates in a working range;

a light receiver detecting the output power of the optical signal for generating a corresponding electrical signal; and

an automatic control system coupled between the light receiver and the biasing circuit, wherein the automatic control system adjusts a current passing through the light emitter according to the corresponding electrical signal and comprises;

a voltage divider modulating a biasing voltage of the light emitter according to a first control signal; and

an integral loop coupled to an output terminal of the voltage divider.

14. The driving device as claimed in claim 13, wherein the integral loop comprises a first variable voltage transmitted to a negative input of an operation amplifier for modulating a control current of the light receiver.

15. The driving device as claimed in claim 14, wherein a first resistance is coupled between the voltage divider and a positive input of the operation amplifier for generating a voltage drop between the voltage divider and the integral loop.

16. The driving device as claimed in claim 13, wherein the automatic control system further comprises a Darlington loop coupled between an output terminal of the integral loop and the biasing circuit.

17. The driving device as claimed in claim 16, wherein the Darlington loop comprises a second variable voltage for modulating an amplification of the Darlington loop.

18. The driving device as claimed in claim 13, wherein the biasing circuit at least comprises:

a switch element coupled between a power source and the automatic control system; and

a first inductor coupled between the switch element and the light emitter.

19. The driving device as claimed in claim 13, further comprising an alternating current (AC) path coupled between the light emitter and an external signal source, wherein the AC path transmits at least one AC modulated signal such that the light emitter emits the optical signal according to at least one frequency.

20. The driving device as claimed in claim 19, wherein the AC path comprises:

a second capacitor comprising a first terminal coupled to the light emitter;

a third capacitor comprising a first terminal coupled to the light emitter;

a second inductor comprising a first terminal coupled to a second terminal of the second capacitor and a second terminal receiving a first AC modulated signal; and

a second resistance comprising a first terminal coupled to a second terminal of the third capacitor and a second terminal receiving a second AC modulated signal.