Optical wave transmission

• US 5,493,436 A
• Filed: 03/21/1995
• Issued: 02/20/1996
• Est. Priority Date: 07/25/1991
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: KDDI Corporation
• Original Assignee: Kokusai Denshi Denwa Company Limited (KDDI Corporation)
• Inventors: Iwai, Hisato, Matsudo, Takashi, Shiokawa, Takayasu, Karasawa, Yoshio
• Primary Examiner(s): PASCAL, LESLIE C
• Application Number:
  US08/408,325
• Time in Patent Office: 336 Days
• Field of Search: 359/144, 359/145, 359/159, 359/173, 359/118, 359/125, 359/137
• US Class Current: 398/116
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 10/1125 using a single common optical path
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 10/25759 Details of the reception of RF signal or the optical conversion before the optical fibre

Abstract

A system for communicating between mobile units and an exchange station, with a radio frequency signal, in which an electric signal from a telephone exchange of the telephone station is converted into an optical signal with an electricity-to-light converter. The optical signal is carried via an optical fiber cable to a transmission communication antenna for emission, with amplification of the optical signal if necessary. The emitted signal is received by a receiving communication antenna, amplified with an optical amplifier if necessary, and converted to an electric signal with a light-to-electricity converter.

Claims

1. A communication system comprising:

at least one wireless base station including;

a first optical communication antenna, and

a communication exchange station which controls each wireless base station, said communication exchange station including;

a telephone exchange for providing an electric signal,

means for converting said electric signal from the telephone exchange into an optical signal,

a second optical communication antenna, and

means for directing said optical signal from said means for converting through a first optical fiber cable to said second optical communication antenna for transmission thereof into space, whereby said optical signal transmitted through space is received by said first optical communication antenna; and

each said wireless base station further including;

means for transferring said optical signal received by said first optical communication antenna to a second optical fiber cable,

a light-to-electricity converter for converting said optical signal from said second optical fiber cable to a radio-frequency signal, and

a wireless transmission antenna for transmitting said radio-frequency signal.

2. The communication system of claim 1 further comprising an optical amplifier for amplifying said optical signal before it is emitted from said second optical communication antenna.

3. The communication system of claim 1 further comprising an optical amplifier for amplifying optical signals received by said first optical communication antenna.