Infrared link

• US 6,434,363 B2
• Filed: 12/19/1997
• Issued: 08/13/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 12/30/1996
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Nokia Solutions and Networks US LLC (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Nokia Mobile Phones UK Limited (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: Haavisto, Jouko, Saarinen, Kaj, Rinne, Juha
• Primary Examiner(s): Urban, Edward F.
• Assistant Examiner(s): ZEWDU, MELESS NMN
• Application Number:
  US08/994,229
• Publication Number:
  US 20010051505A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,698 Days
• Field of Search: 379/56.1, 379/56.3, 359/113, 359/112, 359/192, 359/156, 359/157, 359/172, 359/122, 455/66, 455/557
• US Class Current: 455/66.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 10/11 Arrangements specific to free-space transmission, i.e. transmission through air or vacuum
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/10 Connection setup

Abstract

It is possible to create a two channel data transfer system using an infrared link according to the invention. It is possible by utilizing it to transfer data between two terminal devices (10, 20, 50, 60) simultaneously to both directions (full duplex), or to establish a two-channel data transfer connection between two terminal devices (30, 40, 70, 80). An infrared link according to the invention is realized using linearly polarized infrared light (LV, LH). In it a data transfer channel formed using an infrared connection is divided into two separate channels using e.g. polarizers (V1, V2, H1, H2) or beam splitters (BS1, BS2). In this case, when data is transferred between two terminal devices (10, 20, 30, 40, 50, 60, 70, 80), the data transfer to one direction is realized e.g. using vertically polarized infrared light (LV), and correspondingly to the other direction using horizontally polarized infrared light (LH).

Claims

1. A data transfer system, comprising:

a first terminal device including first means for transmitting first information using infrared light, and a second terminal device including means for receiving said first information transferred on said infrared light,

wherein said first terminal device further comprises second means for transmitting second information using infrared light, the second terminal device comprising additionally second means for receiving said second information transferred on said infrared light, said infrared light in transmission and reception being of the same wavelength range, and said terminal devices comprise, polarizers for separating from each other, based upon polarizations, said infrared light used for transmitting said first information with a first polarization and said infrared light used for transmitting said second information, with a second polarization, wherein said first information and said second information are a part of a total information, said total information being divided into the first information and the second information, and the first and the second information being simultaneously transmitted in order to in increase the data transfer rate of the total information.

2. The data transfer system of claim 1 wherein said first information and said second information are transmitted in the same direction from said first terminal device to said second terminal device.

3. The data transfer system of claim 2 wherein said first information and said second information are transmitted simultaneously.

4. The data transfer system of claim 1, wherein the data transfer rate is doubled.

5. A terminal device comprising first means for transmitting first information using infrared light and second means for transmitting second information using infrared light, further comprising polarizing means for transmitting said first information on infrared light having a first polarization and polarizing means for transmitting said second information on infrared light having a second polarization, wherein the angle between the polarization axis of said infrared light having the first polarization and the polarization axis of said infrared light having a second polarization is essentially 90°

, and wherein said first information and said second information are a part of a total information, said total information being divided into the first information and the second information in order to increase the data transfer rate of the total information, and wherein said first information and said second information are simultaneously transmitted.

6. The terminal device of claim 5 wherein said first information and said second information are transmitted in the same direction from said first terminal device.

7. The terminal device of claim 6 wherein said first information and said second information are transmitted simultaneously.

8. The terminal device as claimed in claim 5, wherein the data transfer rate is doubled.

9. A method for transferring information from a first terminal to a second terminal device using infrared light, wherein the infrared light used for transferring said information is linearly polarized prior to transmitting to a transfer path, and wherein in the second terminal device the infrared light is directed at polarizing means prior to detection, wherein forming said linearly polarized light comprises dividing the information into first information and second information, the first information having a first polarization along a first polarization axis and the second information having a second polarization along a second polarization axis, wherein the angle between said first polarization axis and said second polarization axis is essentially 90°

, and wherein first information and said second information are a part of total information, said total information being divided into the first information and the second information in order to increase the data transfer rate of the total information, and wherein said first information and said second information are simultaneously transmitted.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein said first information and said second information are transmitted in the same direction from said first terminal device to said second terminal device.

11. The method of claim 9 wherein said first information and said second information are transmitted simultaneously.

12. The method as claimed in claim 9, wherein the data transfer rate is doubled.

13. A terminal device comprising first means for receiving first information using infrared light, and a second means for receiving second information using infrared light, further comprising polarizing means for receiving said first information on infrared light having a first polarization and polarizing means for receiving said second information on infrared light having a second polarization, wherein the angle between the polarization axis of said infrared light having the first polarization and the polarization axis of said infrared light having a second polarization is essentially 90°

, and wherein said first information and said second information are a part of a total information, said total information being divided into the first information and the second information in order to increase the data transfer rate of the total information, and wherein said first information and said second information are simultaneously transmitted.

14. The terminal device of claim 13 wherein said first information and said second information are transmitted in the same direction from said first terminal device.

15. The terminal device of claim 14 wherein said first information and said second information are transmitted simultaneously.

16. The terminal device as claimed in claim 13, wherein the data transfer rate is doubled.