System and method for communicating high and low speed data via optical signals and power via electrical signals

• US 9,641,250 B2
• Filed: 05/07/2015
• Issued: 05/02/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 09/28/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Mobix Labs, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Cosemi Technologies
• Inventors: Jiang, Wenbin, Kuo, Chien-Yu, Nguyen, Nguyen X.
• Primary Examiner(s): Connelly, Michelle R.
• Application Number:
  US14/706,810
• Publication Number:
  US 20160204862A1
• Time in Patent Office: 726 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/424 Mounting of the optical light guide
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/4245 Mounting of the opto-electronic elements
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/4249 comprising arrays of active devices and fibres
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/4257 having a supporting carrier or a mounting substrate or a mounting plate G02B6/3648 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/4274 Electrical aspects G02B6/4263 and G02B6/4265 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/4279 Radio frequency signal propagation aspects of the electrical connection, high frequency adaptations
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/428 containing printed circuit boards [PCB]
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/4284 of optical modules with disconnectable electrical connectors latching arms for electrical connectors H01R13/627
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/4293 hybrid electrical and optical connections for transmitting electrical and optical signals
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/4416 Heterogeneous cables
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 10/25 Arrangements specific to fibre transmission
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 10/25891 Transmission components H04B10/40 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 10/40 Transceivers
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 10/503 Laser transmitters
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 10/516 Details of coding or modulation

Abstract

A data communication system is disclosed including a cable medium and modulator adapted to carry data and power between a high speed data source and a high speed data sink. Relatively high speed data (e.g. the TMDS data of an HDMI interface) may be carried on optical waveguides in the cable medium. Relatively low-speed data (e.g., DDC data and clock, and CEC of an HDMI interface) may be carried on a separate set of optical waveguides or wire mediums. The optical waveguides allow for substantially less signal distortion of the high-speed data, thereby allowing the cable medium to achieve much higher lengths without significantly affecting the high-speed signaling.

Claims

1. A cable, comprising:

a first connector comprising;

a first set of one or more electrical contacts configured to receive data from a first device attached to the first connector;

a second set of one or more electrical contacts configured to receive a power signal; and

a first optical modulator configured to modulate a first optical signal with the data received from the first device;

a second connector comprising;

a first optical demodulator configured to demodulate the first optical signal to generate the data;

a third set of one or more electrical contacts configured to provide the data to a second device attached to the second connector;

a fourth set of one or more electrical contacts configured to receive the power signal;

one or more optical waveguides for transmitting the first modulated optical signal from the first connector to the second connector; and

one or more electrical wire mediums for transmitting the power signal from the first connector to the second connector or from the second connector to the first connector;

wherein the data comprises relatively high speed data, wherein the first optical modulator is configured to modulate the first optical signal with the relatively high speed data, wherein the first optical demodulator is configured to demodulate the first optical signal to generate the relatively high speed data, wherein the third set of one or more electrical contacts are configured to provide the relatively high speed data to the second device, and wherein the second connector is configured to receive relatively low speed data from the second device by way of the third set of one or more electrical contacts.

2. The cable of claim 1, wherein the data comprises multimedia data.

3. The cable of claim 1, wherein the data is configured into a Transition Minimized Differential Signaling (TMDS).

4. The cable of claim 3, wherein the Transition Minimized Differential Signaling (TMDS) is compliant with a High-Definition Multimedia Interface (HDMI) protocol.

5. The cable of claim 1, wherein the relatively low speed data comprises data comprises one or more of the following:

Display Data Channel (DDC) data, DDC clock, and Consumer Electronic Control (CEC) data.

6. The cable of claim 1, wherein the second connector comprises a second optical modulator configured to modulate a second optical signal with the relatively low speed data, and wherein the one or more optical waveguides are configured for transmitting the second modulated optical signal from the second connector to the first connector.

7. The cable of claim 6, wherein the first connector comprises a second optical demodulator configured to demodulate the second optical signal to generate the relatively low speed data, wherein the first set of one or more electrical contacts are configured to provide the relatively low speed data to the first device.

8. The cable of claim 1, wherein the second set of one or more electrical contacts are configured to receive the power signal from the first device.

9. The cable of claim 1, wherein the second set of one or more electrical contacts are configured to receive the power signal by way of a Universal Serial Bus (USB) port integrated into the first connector.

10. The cable of claim 1, wherein the second set of one or more electrical contacts are configured to receive the power signal by way of the one or more electrical mediums.

11. The cable of claim 1, wherein the fourth set of one or more electrical contacts are configured to receive the power signal from the second device.

12. The cable of claim 1, wherein the fourth set of one or more electrical contacts are configured to receive the power signal by way of a Universal Serial Bus (USB) port integrated into the second connector.

13. The cable of claim 1, wherein the fourth set of one or more electrical contacts are configured to receive the power signal by way of the one or more electrical mediums.

14. A cable, comprising:

a first connector comprising;

a first set of one or more electrical contacts configured to receive data from a first device attached to the first connector;

a second set of one or more electrical contacts configured to receive a power signal; and

a first optical modulator configured to modulate a first optical signal with the data received from the first device;

a second connector comprising;

a first optical demodulator configured to demodulate the first optical signal to generate the data;

a third set of one or more electrical contacts configured to provide the data to a second device attached to the second connector;

a fourth set of one or more electrical contacts configured to receive the power signal;

one or more optical waveguides for transmitting the first modulated optical signal from the first connector to the second connector; and

one or more electrical wire mediums for transmitting the power signal from the first connector to the second connector or from the second connector to the first connector;

wherein the first optical modulator is configured to modulate the first optical signal with the relatively high speed data, wherein the first connector comprises a second modulator configured to modulate a second optical signal with the relatively low speed data, and wherein the one or more optical waveguides are configured for transmitting the second modulated optical signal from the first connector to the second connector.

15. The cable of claim 14, wherein the first optical demodulator is configured to demodulate the first optical signal to generate the relatively high speed data, wherein the second connector comprises a second optical demodulator configured to demodulate the second optical signal to generate the relatively low speed data, and wherein the third set of one or more electrical contacts are configured to provide the relatively high speed data and the relatively low speed data to the second device.

16. A cable, comprising:

a first connector comprising;

a first set of one or more electrical contacts configured to receive data from a first device attached to the first connector;

a second set of one or more electrical contacts configured to receive a power signal; and

a first optical modulator configured to modulate a first optical signal with the data received from the first device;

a second connector comprising;

a first optical demodulator configured to demodulate the first optical signal to generate the data;

a third set of one or more electrical contacts configured to provide the data to a second device attached to the second connector;

a fourth set of one or more electrical contacts configured to receive the power signal;

one or more optical waveguides for transmitting the first modulated optical signal from the first connector to the second connector; and

one or more electrical wire mediums for transmitting the power signal from the first connector to the second connector or from the second connector to the first connector;

wherein the data comprises relatively high speed data and relatively low speed forward data, wherein the first optical modulator is configured to modulate the first optical signal with the relatively high speed data, wherein the first connector comprises a second optical modulator configured to modulate a second optical signal with the relatively low speed forward data, and wherein the one or more optical waveguides are configured for transmitting the relatively high speed data and the relatively low speed forward data from the first connector to the second connector.

17. The cable of claim 16, wherein the first optical demodulator is configured to demodulate the first optical signal to generate the relatively high speed data, wherein the second connector comprises a second optical demodulator configured to demodulate the second optical signal to generate the relatively low speed forward data, and wherein the third set of one or more electrical contacts are configured to provide the relatively high speed data and relatively low speed forward data to the second device.

18. The cable of claim 17, wherein the second connector comprises a third optical modulator configured to modulate a third optical signal with relatively low speed reverse data received from the second device by way of the third set of one or or electrical contacts, and wherein the one or more optical waveguides are configured for transmitting the third modulated optical signal from the second connector to the first connector.

19. The cable of claim 18, wherein the first connector comprises a third optical demodulator configured to demodulate the third optical signal to generate the relatively low speed reverse data, wherein the first set of one or more electrical contacts are configured to provide the relatively low speed reverse data to the first device.