METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR A WIRELESS OPTICAL LINK

• US 20140086586A1
• Filed: 09/21/2012
• Published: 03/27/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 09/21/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nokia Technologies Oy (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Nokia Corporation
• Inventors: VOUTILAINEN, Martti, SUOMELA, Riku
• Granted Patent: US 9,048,959 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 398/115
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 10/1143 Bidirectional transmission
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 10/801 using optical interconnects, e.g. light coupled isolators, circuit board interconnections
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 10/806 Arrangements for feeding power
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/79 for data transfer in combination with power transfer
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/003 Telephone sets using electrooptical means in the transmission path
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72409 by interfacing with external accessories hands-free H04M1/60
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72412 using two-way short-range wireless interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/04 including near field communication means, e.g. RFID

Abstract

Example method, apparatus, and system embodiments are disclosed to provide a high data throughput optical communication link. An example embodiment comprises: a high frequency optical receiver configured to receive signals modulated with high frequency data; an optical waveguide having a receiving portion and a transmitting portion juxtaposed with the receiver, configured to transfer signals incident on the receiving portion, to the transmitting portion, and to transmit the signals to the receiver; a guide portion configured to releasably engage another apparatus, for positioning the waveguide with respect to the other apparatus, to receive at the receiving portion of the waveguide, signals from the other apparatus, for delivery to the receiver; and a wireless power circuit configured to exchange wireless power with the other apparatus, to convert between electrical signals modulated with high frequency data and the optical signals modulated with high frequency data received by the waveguide.

Claims

1. An apparatus, comprising:

a high frequency optical receiver configured to receive optical signals modulated with high frequency data;

an optical waveguide having a light receiving portion and a light transmitting portion juxtaposed with the high frequency optical receiver, configured to transfer optical signals modulated with high frequency data incident on the light receiving portion, from the light receiving portion to the light transmitting portion, and to transmit the optical signals modulated with high frequency data to the high frequency optical receiver;

a guide portion configured to releasably engage another apparatus, for positioning the optical waveguide with respect to the other apparatus, to receive at the light receiving portion of the optical waveguide, optical signals from the other apparatus, modulated with high frequency data, for delivery to the high frequency optical receiver; and

a wireless power circuit configured to exchange wireless power with the other apparatus, to convert between electrical signals modulated with high frequency data and the optical signals modulated with high frequency data received by the optical waveguide.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the wireless power circuit is a wireless powering circuit configured to transmit wireless power to the other apparatus, to energize a source of the optical signals modulated with high frequency data received by the optical wave guide.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, further including:

a data utilization device in the apparatus; and

wherein the wireless power circuit is a wireless powered circuit configured to receive wireless power from the other apparatus, to energize the data utilization device to use the high frequency data that modulates the optical signals received by the optical wave guide.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

a proximity detector coupled to the wireless power circuit, configured to generate a triggering signal when the apparatus and the other apparatus are brought within proximity of each other;

wherein the triggering signal causes the wireless power circuit to exchange wireless power to the other apparatus.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

a proximity detector coupled to the guide portion and to the wireless power circuit, configured to generate a triggering signal when the guide portion is releasably engaged with the other apparatus;

wherein the triggering signal causes the wireless power circuit to exchange wireless power to the other apparatus.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the guide portion positioning the waveguide comprises at least one of magnets, adhesive, and mechanical guides.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the other apparatus comprises at least one of a stationary device, a mobile device, a mobile radio device, a display device, a storage device, an accessory device, and an attachment device.

8. A method, comprising:

positioning, by a guide portion configured to releasably engage another apparatus, an optical waveguide with respect to the other apparatus, to receive at a light receiving portion of the optical waveguide, optical signals from the other apparatus, modulated with high frequency data, for delivery to a high frequency optical receiver;

transmitting, by a wireless powering circuit, wireless power to the other apparatus, to energize a source of the optical signals modulated with high frequency data to be received by the optical wave guide; and

transferring, by the optical waveguide, optical signals modulated with high frequency data received from the other apparatus and incident on the light receiving portion of the optical wave guide, the optical signals transferred from the light receiving portion to a light transmitting portion of the optical wave guide, and transmitting the optical signals modulated with high frequency data to the high frequency optical receiver.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

generating, by a proximity detector, a triggering signal when the guide portion is releasably engaged with the other apparatus, to cause the wireless powering circuit to transmit wireless power to the other apparatus.

10. A method, comprising:

positioning, by a guide portion configured to releasably engage another apparatus, an optical waveguide with respect to the other apparatus, to receive at a light receiving portion of the optical waveguide, optical signals from the other apparatus, modulated with high frequency data, for delivery to a high frequency optical receiver;

receiving, by a wireless powered circuit, wireless power from the other apparatus, to energize a data utilization device to use the high frequency data received by the optical wave guide; and

transferring, by the optical waveguide, optical signals modulated with high frequency data received from the other apparatus and incident on the light receiving portion of the optical wave guide, the optical signals transferred from the light receiving portion to a light transmitting portion of the optical wave guide, and transmitting the optical signals modulated with high frequency data to the high frequency optical receiver, to provide the high frequency data to the utilization device.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

generating, by a proximity detector, a triggering signal when the guide portion is releasably engaged with the other apparatus, to cause the wireless powered circuit to receive wireless power from the other apparatus.

12. An apparatus, comprising:

an optical waveguide positioned to receive high frequency optical signals from an external transmitter, the optical waveguide including a guide portion providing positioning with respect to the external high frequency optical transmitter;

a band pass optical filter coating on a first side of the optical waveguide, to pass the optical signals into the optical waveguide as filtered optical signals;

a first reflecting surface on a second side of the optical waveguide, configured to reflect the filtered optical signals within the optical waveguide, into total internally reflected optical signals that propagate in a generally longitudinal direction within the optical waveguide; and

a second reflecting surface located at a longitudinal distance within the optical waveguide from the first reflecting surface, configured to reflect the total internally reflected optical signals through the second side and out of the optical waveguide, to be incident on an external high frequency optical receiver.

13. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the high frequency optical receiver is in a mobile radio device and the high frequency optical signals are from a second device configured to communicate via the optical wave guide, with the mobile radio device.

14. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the first reflecting surface comprises at least one of a reflector array and an array of reflective microdots.

15. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the second reflecting surface comprises a reflective conical surface.

16. The apparatus of claim 12, further including:

a wireless powering circuit associated with the optical waveguide, configured to transmit wireless power to energize the external high frequency optical transmitter of the optical signals received by the optical wave guide.

17. A system, comprising:

a first optical waveguide, positioned on a mobile radio device having a first high frequency optical receiver, the first waveguide having a first guide portion;

a second optical waveguide, positioned on another device having a second high frequency optical receiver, the second waveguide being releasably positioned by means of a second guide portion configured to engage with the first guide portion of the first wave guide;

a first high frequency optical transmitter of the mobile radio device, configured to transmit first optical signals into the second optical waveguide to illuminate the second high frequency optical receiver of the other device; and

a second high frequency optical transmitter of the other device, configured to transmit second optical signals into the first optical waveguide to illuminate the first high frequency optical receiver of the mobile radio device.

18. The system of claim 17, further comprising:

a first near field communications circuit in the mobile radio device;

a second near field communications circuit in the other device;

the first near field communication circuit generating a first triggering signal and the second near field communication circuit generating a first triggering signal when the first and second near field communication circuits are brought within a touch proximity of each other;

wherein the first triggering signal causes the first high frequency optical transmitter of the mobile radio device, to transmit the first optical signals into the second optical waveguide to illuminate the second high frequency optical receiver of the other device; and

wherein the second triggering signal causes the second high frequency optical transmitter of the other device, to transmit the second optical signals into the first optical waveguide to illuminate the first high frequency optical receiver of the mobile radio device.

19. The system of claim 17, further comprising:

a power source in the mobile radio device;

a wirelessly powered data utilization device in the other device;

a first near field communications circuit in the mobile radio device coupled to the power source;

a second near field communications circuit in the other device coupled to the data utilization device that is coupled to the second high frequency optical transmitter of the other device;

the first near field communication circuit generating a first triggering signal and the second near field communication circuit generating a second triggering signal when the first and second near field communication circuit are brought within a touch proximity of each other;

wherein the first triggering signal causes the first near field communications circuit in the mobile radio device to transmit wireless power provided by the power source, to the second near field communications circuit in the other device and the second triggering signal causes the second near field communications circuit to provide power derived from the wireless power, to the data utilization device in the other device; and

wherein the data utilization device outputs data to the second high frequency optical transmitter of the other device, in response to the derived power, to transmit second optical signals modulated with the output data into the first optical waveguide to illuminate the first high frequency optical receiver of the mobile radio device.

20. The system of claim 17, further comprising:

wherein the first optical signals transmitted into the second optical waveguide describe a narrow cone of approximately ten degrees; and

wherein the second optical signals transmitted into the first optical waveguide describe a narrow cone of approximately ten degrees.

21. The system of claim 17, wherein the other device comprises a video camera attachment device that mounts on the mobile radio device by means of the first and second guide portions, enabling video data to be transferred to the mobile radio device from the video camera attachment device via the first and second optical wave guides.

22. A system, comprising:

a first optical waveguide having upper and lower planar surfaces mutually parallel to each other, positioned on a mobile radio device having a first high frequency optical receiver, the upper planar surface of the first waveguide having a first guide portion;

a second optical waveguide having upper and lower planar surfaces mutually parallel to each other, positioned on another device having a second high frequency optical receiver, the second waveguide being releasably positioned by means of a second guide portion configured to engage with the first guide portion of the first wave guide, with its lower planar surface in a spaced, parallel relationship with the upper planar surface of the first waveguide, as positioned by engagement of the first and second guide portions;

a first cone having an inner surface and hollow interior, and an outer surface, the first cone located within the first optical waveguide, with its apex proximate to the first optical receiver, the hollow interior of the first cone being open to the upper surface of the first waveguide, the hollow interior of the first cone containing a first high frequency optical transmitter of the mobile radio device, to transmit first optical signals into the second optical waveguide to illuminate the second high frequency optical receiver of the other device; and

a second cone having an inner surface and hollow interior, and an outer surface, the second cone located within the second optical waveguide, with its apex proximate to the second optical receiver, the hollow interior of the second cone being open to the lower surface of the second waveguide, the hollow interior of the second cone containing a second high frequency optical transmitter of the other device, to transmit second optical signals into the first optical waveguide to illuminate the first high frequency optical receiver of the mobile radio device.