Free space optics broadband home network

• US 8,401,395 B2
• Filed: 11/16/2009
• Issued: 03/19/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 11/16/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Inventors: Xia, Tiejun, Wellbrock, Glenn A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Phan, Hanh
• Application Number:
  US12/619,206
• Publication Number:
  US 20110116805A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,219 Days
• Field of Search: 398/130, 398/131, 398/128, 398/129, 398/135, 398/136, 398/115, 398/116, 398/117, 398/118, 398/121, 398/125, 398/124, 398/202, 398/173, 398/175, 398/176, 398/177, 398/178, 398/183, 398/182, 398/208, 398/209, 398/200, 398/201, 398/127, 398/126, 398/122
• US Class Current: 398/131
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 10/11 Arrangements specific to free-space transmission, i.e. transmission through air or vacuum
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 10/1121 One-way transmission

Abstract

A system comprises a transmitter including a laser configured to generate a laser beam directed at a spot on a surface, and a laser driver connected to the laser and configured to modulate input data onto the laser beam. The system may further comprise a receiver including an optical detector configured to decode received light into raw data, a signal processor configured to decode the raw data into the original input data, and telescope optics configured to receive light reflected from the spot on the surface, collimate the light and converge the light onto the optical detector.

Claims

1. A system, comprising:

a transmitter including a laser configured to generate a laser beam directed at a spot on a surface, a laser driver connected to said laser and configured to modulate original input data onto said laser beam, and a visible light indicator generator operating at a different wavelength than said laser and configured to produce a visible light indicator spot on the surface to allow for optical alignment of said transmitter with a receiver; and

a receiver including an optical detector configured to decode received light into raw data, a signal processor configured to decode said raw data into said original input data, and telescope optics configured to receive light reflected from said spot on said surface and focus at least a portion of said light onto said optical detector.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein said laser produces light at a pre-determined wavelength, and wherein said telescope optics further include a filter configured to block at least a portion of wavelengths of light other than said pre-determined wavelength.

3. The system of claim 1, further comprising a premises router in selective communication with said transmitter and configured to send said input data to said transmitter.

4. The system of claim 1, further comprising a networked device in selective communication with said receiver and configured to receive said decoded original input data.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein said transmitter further comprises a splitter configured to split a modulated laser beam into a plurality of modulated laser beams, each modulated laser beams configured to be directed at a unique spot on said surface.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein said telescope optics include a collimator lens configured to collimate received light and an objective lens configured to converge said received light onto said optical detector.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the receiver further includes an observation window configured to allow an operator to view through the observation window to locate the visible light indicator spot when the receiver is aligned with the transmitter.

8. A system, comprising:

a regenerator including;

a receiver including an optical detector configured to decode received light into raw data, a signal processor configured to decode said raw data into input data, and telescope optics configured to receive light reflected from a spot on a surface, and focus at least a portion of said light onto said optical detector; and

a transmitter including a laser configured to generate a laser beam directed at a second spot, a laser driver connected to said receiver and said laser and configured to receive said input data from said receiver and modulate said input data onto said laser beam, and a visible light indicator generator operating at a different wavelength than said laser and configured to produce a visible light indicator spot on the surface to allow for optical alignment of said transmitter with a receiver.

9. The system of claim 8, further comprising:

a premises router configured to provide said input data; and

a second transmitter in selective communication with said premises router and configured to receive said input data from said premises router and generate a modulated laser beam including said input data directed at said spot.

10. The system of claim 8, further comprising:

a second receiver configured to decode received light into input data and optically aligned to receive light from said transmitter; and

a networked device in selective communication with said second receiver and configured to receive said input data.

11. The system of claim 8, wherein said regenerator further comprises a second receiver configured to receive light reflected from a third spot and a second transmitter including a laser configured to generate a laser beam directed at a fourth spot on a surface.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein said regenerator further comprises a guide member to which said transmitters and said receivers are mounted.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein said receiver and said transmitter are connected to one end of said guide member, and said second receiver and said second transmitter are connected to the other end of said guide member.

14. The system of claim 12, wherein said receiver and said second receiver are connected to one end of said guide member, and said transmitter and said second transmitter are connected to the other end of said guide member.

15. The system of claim 11, wherein said laser included in said transmitter is configured to provide a coherent beam of light at a first wavelength and a laser included in said second transmitter is configured to provide a coherent beam of light at a second wavelength distinct from said first wavelength.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein said telescope optics included in said receiver further include a filter configured to block at least a portion of wavelengths of light other than said first wavelength;

wherein telescope optics included in said second receiver include a filter configured to block at least a portion of wavelengths of light other than said second wavelength.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein said spot and said second spot substantially overlap, and said third spot and said fourth spot substantially overlap.

18. The system of claim 8, wherein the receiver of the regenerator further includes an observation window configured to allow an operator to view through the observation window to locate the visible light indicator spot when the receiver is aligned with the transmitter.

19. A method, comprising:

receiving input data;

modulating said input data onto a laser beam by way of a laser driver of a transmitter;

directing said modulated laser beam at a spot on a surface of a structure;

activating a visible light indicator generator operating at a different wavelength than said laser beam and producing a visible light indicator spot on the surface;

optically aligning the transmitter with a receiver according to the visible light indicator spot;

receiving said modulated beam including said input data by way of the receiver aligned with the spot on the surface of the structure; and

decoding the modulated beam into the original input data by way of a signal processor.

20. The method of claim 19, further comprising providing the input data by a premises router in selective communication with an outside network.

21. The method of claim 19, further comprising providing the decoded original input data to a networked device.

22. The method of claim 19, further comprising:

modulating the decoded original input data onto a second laser beam;

directing the second modulated laser beam at a second spot;

receiving the second modulated beam including said input data by way of a second receiver aligned with the second spot; and

decoding the second modulated beam into the original input data.

23. The method of claim 19, further comprising:

receiving said modulated beam including said input data by way of a second receiver aligned with the spot on the surface of the structure; and

decoding the modulated beam into the original input data by way of a second signal processor.

24. The method of claim 19, further comprising providing, by an observation window of the receiver, a view through the observation window to allow an operator to locate the visible light indicator spot when the receiver is aligned with the transmitter.