Integrated commercial communications network using radio frequency and free space optical data communication
First Claim
1. An integrated apparatus for free space data transmission comprising:
- an E-band millimeter wave (mmW) Radio Frequency (RF) transceiver comprising an RF antenna emitting an RF beam comprising a frequency of at least 71 GHz, the RF beam configured to locate a remote apparatus, assist in coarse control, and send data to the remote apparatus, the RF antenna configured to receive a received RF beam from the remote apparatus;
a free space optical (FSO) transceiver comprising an optical source emitting an optical beam through a FSO telescope configured to assist in fine orientation control and send data to the remote apparatus, the FSO telescope configured to receive a received optical beam from the remote apparatus, the optical beam pointed in substantially the same direction as the RF beam, the RF antenna and the FSO telescope having physically separate transmission axes located a distance greater than zero centimeters apart;
at least one steering assembly that steers the RF beam and the FSO beam towards the remote apparatus;
a controller configured to perform coarse orientation control of the steering assembly based on the received RF beam, and to perform fine orientation control of the steering assembly based on the received optical beam.
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0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A stabilized ultra-high bandwidth capacity transceiver system that combines an E-band (71-76 GHz, 81-86 GHz) millimeter wave RF transceiver with an eye-safe adaptive optics Free Space Optical (FSO) transceiver as a combined apparatus for simultaneous point-to-point commercial communications. The apparatus has a high degree of assured carrier availability under stressing environmental conditions. The apparatus establishes and maintains pointing and stabilization of mmW RF and FSO optical beams between adjacent line of sight apparatuses. The apparatus can rapidly acquire and reacquire the FSO optical carrier link in the event the optical carrier link is impaired due to adverse weather.
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Citations
19 Claims
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1. An integrated apparatus for free space data transmission comprising:
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an E-band millimeter wave (mmW) Radio Frequency (RF) transceiver comprising an RF antenna emitting an RF beam comprising a frequency of at least 71 GHz, the RF beam configured to locate a remote apparatus, assist in coarse control, and send data to the remote apparatus, the RF antenna configured to receive a received RF beam from the remote apparatus; a free space optical (FSO) transceiver comprising an optical source emitting an optical beam through a FSO telescope configured to assist in fine orientation control and send data to the remote apparatus, the FSO telescope configured to receive a received optical beam from the remote apparatus, the optical beam pointed in substantially the same direction as the RF beam, the RF antenna and the FSO telescope having physically separate transmission axes located a distance greater than zero centimeters apart; at least one steering assembly that steers the RF beam and the FSO beam towards the remote apparatus; a controller configured to perform coarse orientation control of the steering assembly based on the received RF beam, and to perform fine orientation control of the steering assembly based on the received optical beam. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
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14. A method for maintaining a communications link with a remote apparatus comprising:
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transmitting a radio frequency (RF) beam from an RF antenna of an E-band millimeter wave (mmW) (RF) transceiver, the RF beam comprising a frequency of at least 71 GHz; receiving an E-band RF response beam at the RF antenna; adjusting an orientation of at least one steering assembly based on the E-band RF response beam, the at least one steering assembly steering the E-band mmW RF transceiver and a Free Space Optical (FSO) transceiver towards the remote apparatus; transmitting a free space optical (FSO) beam from a FSO telescope of the FSO transceiver, the RF antenna and the FSO telescope having physically separate transmission axes located a distance greater than zero centimeters apart receiving an FSO response beam at the FSO telescope; and adjusting the orientation of the at least one steering assembly based on the FSO response beam. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
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Specification