Vehicular communication system

• US 7,085,497 B2
• Filed: 04/03/2002
• Issued: 08/01/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 04/03/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Lockheed Martin Corporation (Martin Marietta Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Lockheed Martin Corporation (Martin Marietta Corporation)
• Inventors: Frey, Richard Louis, Soderberg, John Jesse, Tiemann, Jerome Johnson, Lotshaw, William Taylor, Whittaker, George Allan, Feldman, Sandra Freedman, Barquist, William Sven Jr.
• Primary Examiner(s): PASCAL, LESLIE C
• Application Number:
  US10/116,618
• Publication Number:
  US 20030198475A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,581 Days
• Field of Search: 398/96, 398115-116, 398/107, 398/113
• US Class Current: 398/107
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 10/25755 Ring network topology
• CPC Class Codes: H04J 14/0298 with sub-carrier multiplexing [SCM]

Abstract

A communication system includes an optical “LAN” (50) interconnecting a plurality of information sources (16a) and sinks (22a) with a light-to-electrical converter (36a) associated with an electrical RF transmitters (32a) and an RF-to-light converter (38a) to a receiver (34a). The transmitter is coupled by way of electrical-to-light converter (46a), and the receiver is coupled by way of light-to-electrical converter (44a), and by way of a directional coupler (76a), to an end of an optical bus (74a), so that light signals representing signals to be transmitted flow in one direction, and light signals representing received signals flow in the other direction through the bus. A directional coupler (72a) at the other end of the optical bus routes the transmit light signals to a light-to-RF converter (47a) which feeds a sink or antenna (12a), and received signals from a source or antenna are routed by way of an RF-to-light converter (40a) and the directional coupler (72a) onto the optical bus (74a).

Claims

1. A communication system comprising:

a set of electromagnetic/electrical transducers, which set may contain as few as one electromagnetic/electrical transducer, for transducing signals between free space and at least one electrical port associated with each said electromagnetic/electrical transducer;

a plurality of sources and sinks of optical communications signals, which communications signals may include control signals, said sources and sinks of optical communications signals including light signal ports;

a set of light-in, electrical-out transmitters and electrical-in, light-out receivers, which set may include only one of a light-in, electrical-out transmitter and an electrical-in, light-out receiver, each one of said light-in, electrical-out transmitters and electrical-in, light-out receivers of said set of light-in, electrical-out transmitters and electrical-in, light-out receivers including a first electrical port and a light port each one of said light-in, electrical-out transmitters converting light signals applied to said light port into electrical signals at said first electrical port and each one of said electrical-in, light-out receivers converting electrical signal applied to said electrical port into light signals at said light port;

an optical communication bus coupled to said light signal ports of said sources and sinks of optical communications signals, and of said light ports of said light-in, electrical-out transmitters and electrical-in, light-out receivers, for coupling said communications signals, and associated control signals, among said sources, sinks, light-in, electrical-out transmitters and electrical-in, light-out receivers, whereby light signals can be communicated at least from said sources to said light-in, electrical-out transmitters and electrical-in, light-out receivers and from said electrical-in, light-out receivers to said sinks;

a plurality of electrical-to-light converters, each of said electrical-to-light converters including an electrical port and a light port, for converting electrical signals applied to said electrical port into light signals at said light port, some of said electrical-to-light converters having their electrical ports coupled to said electromagnetic/electrical transducers, and others of said electrical-to-light converters having their electrical ports coupled to said first electrical ports of said light-in, electrical-out transmitters;

a plurality of light-to-electrical converters, each of said light-to-electrical converters including a light port and an electrical port, for converting light signals applied to said light port into electrical signals at said electrical port, some of said light-to-electrical converters having their electrical ports coupled to said electromagnetic/electrical transducers, and others of said light-to-electrical converters having their electrical ports coupled to said electrical ports of said electrical-in, light-out receivers; and

a bidirectional optical communication link extending between said light ports of said electrical-to-light converters and said light ports of said light-to-electrical converters

wherein each of said light-in, electrical-out transmitters performs frequency conversion under the control of said control signals.

2. A communication system, according to claim 1, wherein each of said electrical-in, light-out receivers performs frequency conversion under the control of said control signals.

3. A communication system, according to claim 1, wherein each of said electromagnetic/electrical transducers comprises an antenna.

4. A communication system, according to claim 1, wherein each of said light-in, electrical-out transmitters includes:

a further electrical port;

an electrical-in, electrical-out transmitter portion extending between said first electrical port and said further electrical port; and

a light-to-electrical signal converter coupled between said light port of said light-in, electrical-out transmitter and said further electrical port, for transducing light arriving from said bus into electrical signals for said electrical-in, electrical-out transmitter portion.

5. A communication system, according to claim 1, wherein each of said electrical-in, light-out receivers includes:

a further electrical port;

an electrical-in, electrical-out receiver portion extending between said first electrical port of said receivers and said further electrical port; and

an electrical-to-light signal converter coupled between said light port of said electrical-in, light-out receiver and said further electrical port, for transducing electrical signals from said further electrical port of said electrical-in, light-out receiver into light signals to said bus.

6. A communication system, according to claim 1, further comprising an amplifier coupled to said electrical port of said light-to-electrical converter, for amplifying electrical signals flowing toward said electromagnetic/electrical transducers.

7. A communication system, according to claim 1, further comprising a circulator coupled to said electromagnetic/electrical transducers, and to said electrical ports of some of said electrical-to-light converters and light-to-electrical converters.