Sensor for a receiving device for cooperation with an optical fiber

• US 6,744,940 B2
• Filed: 03/21/2002
• Issued: 06/01/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 03/26/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Original Assignee: Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Inventors: Van Doorn, Antonius Martinus, Kole, Marcus Egbert
• Primary Examiner(s): Healy, Brian
• Assistant Examiner(s): WONG, ERIC K
• Application Number:
  US10/103,211
• Publication Number:
  US 20020136503A1
• Time in Patent Office: 803 Days
• Field of Search: 385/12, 385/14, 385/88, 385/2, 356/345
• US Class Current: 385/12
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/4202 for coupling an active element with fibres without intermediate optical elements, e.g. fibres with plane ends, fibres with shaped ends, bundles
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/4249 comprising arrays of active devices and fibres
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 27/14609 Pixel-elements with integrated switching, control, storage or amplification elements scanning details of imagers (circuitry of solid-state image sensors H04N25/00); circuitry of imagers H04N25/70
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 31/12 structurally associated with, e.g. formed in or on a common substrate with, one or more electric light sources, e.g. electroluminescent light sources, and electrically or optically coupled thereto semiconductor devices with at least one potential barrier or surface barrier adapted for light emission H01L33/00; amplifiers using electroluminescent element and photocell H03F17/00; electroluminescent light sources per se H05B33/00

Abstract

Receiving device for cooperation with an optical fiber and comprising a sensor for converting a signal in the form of a modulated beam outputted by the optical fiber into an electric signal. The sensor comprises two or more mutually separated sensor elements. An output of each sensor element) is coupled to an amplifying element, which is coupled to an analog to digital converter associated with the amplifying element. The sensor elements and the amplifying elements connected thereto are provided on a single semiconductor chip. The analog to digital converters may also be provided on the semiconductor chip. The integrated circuits on the semi conductor chip are clock-controlled and a clock rate for the integrated circuits is lower than a clock rate corresponding to the bit transfer rate of the modulated beam. Means are present for reconstructing the signals in the beam from signals delivered by the sensor elements at the clock rate for the integrated circuits.

Claims

1. A sensor (3) for a receiving device for cooperation with an optical fiber (1) for converting a beam formed signal (2) outputted by the optical fiber into an electric signal, the sensor (3) comprises two or more mutually separated sensor elements (4a, 4b, 4c, 4d, PD), said sensor (3) being characterized in that an output of each sensor element (4a, 4b, 4c, 4d, PD) is coupled to an input of an amplifying element (A), an output of each amplifying element (A) is coupled to an input of an analog to digital converter (B) associated with the amplifying element, said sensor elements (4a, 4b, 4c, 4d, PD) and said amplifying elements coupled thereto are provided on a single semiconductor chip.

2. A sensor (3) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the analog to digital converters (B) are arranged on the semiconductor chip.

3. A sensor (3) as claimed in claim 1, wherein an output of each analog to digital converter (B) is coupled to a shift register (C).

4. A sensor (3) as claimed in claim 1, wherein an output of each analog to digital converter (B) is coupled to an input of a delaying element (D), outputs of the delaying elements (D) being coupled to a reconstruction filter (E).

5. A sensor (3) as claimed in claim 4, wherein the delaying elements (D) are integrated on the semiconductor chip.

6. A sensor (3) as claimed in claim 4, wherein the reconstruction filter (E) is integrated on the semiconductor chip.

7. A sensor (3) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the sensor elements (4a, 4b, 4c, 4d, PD) are arranged within a predetermined area on the semiconductor chip, a spatial density of the sensor elements (4a, 4b, 4c, 4d, PD) in said predetermined area being substantially constant.

8. A sensor (3) as claimed in claim 7, wherein the sensor elements (4a, 4b, 4c, 4d, PD) are arranged in a regular pattern.

9. A sensor (3) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the sensitive areas of all sensor elements (4a, 4b, 4c, 4d, PD) are substancially equal to each other.

10. A receiving device for cooperation with an optical fiber (1), comprising a sensor (3) as claimed in claim 1.

11. A device as claimed in claim 10, wherein the circuits (A, B, C, D) on the semiconductor chip are clock-controlled, a clock rate for the integrated circuits (A, B, C, D) being lower than a clock rate corresponding to a bit transfer rate of the modulated beam (2), the device providing means (E) for reconstructing the signals in the beam (2) from signals delivered by the sensor elements (4a, 4b, 4c, 4d, PD) at the clock rate for the integrated circuits (A, B, C, D).

12. A device as claimed in claim 11, wherein the sensor elements (4a, 4b, 4c, 4d, PD) are organized in groups, the reconstruction means (E) comprise control means (SM) which are arranged for reading the sensor elements (4a, 4b, 4c, 4d, PD) in groups, the number of groups being substantially equal to the ratio between the clock rate corresponding to the bit transfer rate of the modulated beam (2) and the clock rate for the circuits (A, B, C, D).

13. A device as claimed in claim 12, wherein said control means (SM) are arranged for reading out the groups at different points in time.

14. A device as claimed in claim 12, wherein each group comprises one sensor element (4a, 4b, 4c, 4d, PD).

15. A device as claimed in claim 12, wherein the control means (SM) are arranged on the semiconductor chip.