Electro optical microwave communications system

• US 7,092,645 B1
• Filed: 12/13/2002
• Issued: 08/15/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 12/13/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Rockwell Collins, Inc. (Rtx Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Rockwell Collins, Inc. (Rtx Corporation)
• Inventors: Sternowski, Robert H.
• Primary Examiner(s): Vanderpuye, Kenneth
• Assistant Examiner(s): LEUNG, WAI LUN
• Application Number:
  US10/319,105
• Time in Patent Office: 1,341 Days
• Field of Search: 398/204
• US Class Current: 398/204
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 10/25759 Details of the reception of RF signal or the optical conversion before the optical fibre

Abstract

A wideband communications system uses a photomixer, a radio frequency (RF) mixer, and an antenna. The photomixer is comprised of high speed phototransistors that are illuminated by two laser beams. The laser beams are generated by two lasers, one tunable, and conveyed to the photomixer via fiber optic cables. The two beams are mixed by the photomixer to generate a radio heterodyne signal that is mixed with antenna signals to generate an intermediate frequency (IF) signal based on the differences of the generated heterodyne frequency and the antenna signals. Conventional fiber optic means may be used to convey the IF signals, along with the fiber optic cables to the photomixer, to and from a remote RF head located at some distance from the rest of the communications system to overcome losses in transmission lines.

Claims

1. An electro optic microwave communications system comprising a receiver for receiving a high frequency microwave transmitted signal said receiver comprising:

an antenna to receive the transmitted signal and to provide a received signal;

a photomixer connected to the antenna to provide an injection signal to mix with the received signal to down convert the received signal to an intermediate frequency (IF) signal;

a fixed laser that illuminates the photomixer at a first frequency;

a tunable laser that illuminates the photomixer at a second frequency; and

at least one fiberoptic cable that connects the fixed laser and the tunable laser to the photomixer;

wherein said photomixer mixes the fixed laser and the tunable laser to provide the injection signal at frequency equal to the difference of the first frequency and the second frequency.

2. The electro optic microwave communications system receiver of claim 1 further comprising a mixer connected to the antenna and the photomixer to mix the received signal with the injection signal to down convert the received signal to the IF signal.

3. The electro optic microwave communications system receiver of claim 1 wherein the photomixer mixes the injection signal with the received signal to down convert to the IF signal.

4. The electro optic microwave communications system receiver of claim 1 wherein the at least one fiber optic cable comprises:

a first fiberoptic cable that connects the fixed laser to the photomixer; and

a second fiberoptic cable that connects the tunable laser to the photomixer.

5. The electro optic microwave communications system receiver of claim 1 further comprising:

an optical combiner connected to the fixed laser and the tunable laser; and

the at least one fiber optic cable connected to the optical combiner and the photomixer.

6. The electro optic microwave communications system receiver of claim 2 further comprising:

a laser IF modulator connected to the mixer to modulate a laser beam with the IF signal;

an IF fiberoptic cable connected to the laser IF modulator to transmit the IF modulated laser beam; and

a laser IF demodulator connected to the fiberoptic cable to receive and demodulate the IF modulated laser beam.

7. The electro optic microwave communications system receiver of claim 6 further comprising:

an IF receiver tuned to the IF signal to further process the IF signal to a lower IF frequency.

8. The electro optic microwave communications system receiver of claim 6 wherein a length of the at least one fiberoptic cable and the IF fiberoptic cable is sufficient to remotely locate the antenna, photomixer, and laser IF modulator.

9. The electro optic microwave communications system receiver of claim 7 further comprising a fast Fourier transform (FFT) connected to the IF receiver to eliminate image responses and provide an output.

10. The electro optic microwave communications system receiver of claim 3 further comprising:

an image reject filter connected to the antenna to reject receiver image response signals; and

a low noise amplifier connected to the image reject filter and the photomixer to amplify the received signals.

11. An electro optic microwave communications system receiver for receiving a high frequency microwave transmitted signal said receiver comprising:

an antenna to receive the transmitted signal and to provide a received signal;

a mixer connected to the antenna to mix the received signal with an injection signal to down convert the received signal to an intermediate frequency (IF) signal;

a photomixer connected to the mixer to provide the injection signal to mix with the received signal to down convert the received signal to the IF signal;

a fixed laser that provides a fixed laser beam at a first frequency;

a tunable laser that provides a tunable laser beam at a second frequency;

an optical combiner connected to the fixed laser and the tunable laser to combine the fixed laser beam and the tunable laser beam; and

a fiberoptic cable connected to the optical combiner to connect the fixed laser beam and the tunable laser beam to the photomixer;

wherein said photomixer mixes the fixed laser beam and the tunable laser beam to provide the injection signal at frequency equal to the difference of the first frequency and the second frequency.

12. The electro optic microwave communications system receiver of claim 11 further comprising:

a laser IF modulator connected to the mixer to modulate a laser beam with the IF signal;

an IF fiberoptic cable connected to the laser IF modulator to transmit the IF modulated laser beam; and

a laser IF demodulator connected to the fiberoptic cable to receive and demodulate the IF modulated laser beam.

13. The electro optic microwave communications system receiver of claim 12 further comprising:

an IF receiver tuned connected to the laser IF demodulator to further process the IF signal to a lower IF frequency; and

a fast Fourier transform (FFT) connected to the IF receiver to eliminate image responses and provide an output.

14. The electro optic microwave communications system receiver of claim 12 wherein the length of the fiberoptic cable and the IF fiberoptic cable is sufficient to remotely locate the antenna, photomixer, and laser IF modulator.

15. An electro optic microwave communications receiver for receiving a high frequency microwave transmitted signal said receiver comprising:

an antenna to receive the transmitted signal and to provide a received signal;

a photomixer connected to the antenna to provide an injection signal to mix with the received signal to down convert the received signal to an intermediate frequency (IF) signal;

a fixed laser that illuminates the photomixer at a first frequency;

a tunable laser that illuminates the photomixer at a second frequency;

an optical combiner connected to the fixed laser and the tunable laser to combine the fixed laser beam and the tunable laser beam; and

a fiberoptic cable connected to the optical combiner to connect the fixed laser beam and the tunable laser beam to the photomixer;

wherein said photomixer mixes the fixed laser beam and the tunable laser beam to provide the injection signal at a frequency equal to the difference of the first frequency and the second frequency and mixes the injection signal with the received signal to down convert to the IF signal.

16. The electro optic microwave communications system receiver of claim 15 further comprising:

an image reject filter connected to the antenna to reject receiver image response signals; and

a low noise amplifier connected to the image reject filter and the photomixer to amplify the received signals.

17. The electro optic microwave communications system receiver of claim 15 further comprising:

a laser IF modulator connected to the photomixer to modulate a laser beam with the IF signal;

an IF fiberoptic cable connected to the laser IF modulator to transmit the IF modulated laser beam; and

a laser IF demodulator connected to the fiberoptic cable to receive and demodulate the IF modulated laser beam.

18. The electro optic microwave communications system receiver of claim 17 further comprising an IF receiver connected to the laser IF demodulator to further process the IF signal to a lower IF frequency.

19. The electro optic microwave communications system receiver of claim 17 wherein the length of the fiberoptic cable and the IF fiberoptic cable is sufficient to remotely locate the antenna, photomixer, and laser IF modulator.