Systems and methods for transmitting routable optical energy packets

• US 9,722,709 B2
• Filed: 10/14/2016
• Issued: 08/01/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 10/31/2013
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Elwha LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Original Assignee: Elwha LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Inventors: Jung, Edward K. Y., Hyde, Roderick A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Phan, Hanh
• Application Number:
  US15/294,284
• Publication Number:
  US 20170033874A1
• Time in Patent Office: 291 Days
• Field of Search: 398171, 398118, 398119, 398128, 398130, 398 45, 398 48, 398 49, 398 51, 398 54, 398 57, 398 79, 398 66, 398 68, 398 72, 398 47, 398158, 398159, 370352, 370392, 370389, 370535, 370225, 370228
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 10/54 Intensity modulation
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 10/564 Power control
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 10/807 Optical power feeding, i.e. transmitting power using an optical signal
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 11/0005 Switch and router aspects
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 11/0062 Network aspects
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 11/0066 Provisions for optical burst or packet networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2011/002 using optical delay lines or optical buffers or optical recirculation
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2011/0039 Electrical control
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2011/0073 Provisions for forwarding or routing, e.g. lookup tables

Abstract

A system for transmitting routable energy packets includes an optical power source and a processing circuit. The optical power source is configured to generate an optical power packet having optical energy, generate an optical data packet comprising routing information configured to control a route of the optical power packet, and transmit the optical power packet and the optical data packet via a conduit. The processing circuit is configured to generate the routing information to be transmitted within the optical data packet, and control a transmission by the optical power source.

Claims

1. A method of transmitting routable energy packets, comprising:

generating, with an optical power source, an optical power packet having optical energy;

generating routing information configured to control a route of the optical power packet;

generating an optical data packet comprising the routing information;

transmitting the optical power packet and the optical data packet via a conduit such that the optical power packet and the optical data packet are co-propagating; and

encoding the optical data packet with data configured to allow error detection and correction of the optical data packet and the optical power packet.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the routing information includes a plurality of switching instructions.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the routing information specifies how to convert the optical energy to electrical energy.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising encoding the optical data packet within the optical power packet, wherein the optical data packet is manifested as at least one of an intensity modulation of the optical power packet and a phase modulation of the optical power packet.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the optical data packet is distinguishable from the optical power packet by a difference in at least one of frequency, spatial mode, or polarization.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the optical power packet corresponds to a single optical data packet, and wherein the optical data packet is the single optical data packet.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising controlling the transmission of the optical power source such that a plurality of optical power packets are dispersion compensated and travel at a stable group velocity.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising controlling the transmission of the optical power source such that a plurality of optical data packets are transmitted to be co-propagating at the stable group velocity.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one of the optical power packet comprises a soliton and the optical data packet comprises a soliton.

10. A method of transmitting routable energy packets, comprising:

generating, with an optical power source, an optical power packet having optical energy;

generating routing information configured to control a route of the optical power packet;

generating an optical data packet comprising the routing information; and

transmitting the optical power packet and the optical data packet via a conduit such that the optical power packet and the optical data packet are co-propagating;

wherein the routing information identifies the optical energy to be delivered by the optical power packet.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the routing information identifies at least one of an amount of optical energy, a time and power profile of the optical energy, a polarization of the optical energy, a phase of the optical energy, a frequency of the optical energy, and an allowable propagation loss for the optical power packet.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein the routing information identifies a price of the optical energy.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein generating the routing information is based on the price of the optical energy.

14. The method of claim 10, wherein the routing information identifies an amount of optical energy to be added to the optical power packet to compensate for a propagation loss.

15. A method of transmitting routable energy packets, comprising:

generating, with an optical power source, an optical power packet having optical energy;

generating routing information configured to control a route of the optical power packet;

generating an optical data packet comprising the routing information; and

transmitting the optical power packet and the optical data packet via a conduit such that the optical power packet and the optical data packet are co-propagating;

wherein the optical data packet is configured to support a second optical power packet, and wherein the routing information is further configured to control a second route of the second optical power packet.

16. A method of transmitting routable energy packets, comprising:

generating, with an optical power source, an optical power packet having optical energy;

generating identification information that identifies a source and a recipient of the optical power packet;

generating an optical data packet comprising the identification information; and

transmitting the optical power packet and the optical data packet via a conduit such that the optical power packet and the optical data packet are co-propagating;

wherein the identification information is further configured to describe optical energy to be delivered by the source and to the recipient.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the identification information identifies a time and power profile of the optical energy to be delivered.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein the optical power packet is a discrete energy packet.

19. The method of claim 16, wherein the optical power packet corresponds to a single optical data packet, and wherein the optical data packet is the single optical data packet.

20. The method of claim 16, wherein the optical data packet is configured to support a plurality of optical power packets, and wherein the routing information is further configured to identify a number of the plurality of optical power packets.

21. The method of claim 16, wherein the optical data packet is configured to support a second optical power packet, and wherein the identification information further identifies a source and a recipient of the second optical power packet.

22. The method of claim 16, wherein the optical power packet is configured as one or more virtual packets to be transmitted in a continuous pulse, and wherein the optical data packet is configured to correspond to the one or more virtual packets.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein each virtual packet is based on a defined amount of energy.

24. The method of claim 23, further comprising transmitting an additional optical data packet for each additional virtual packet based on the defined amount of energy.

25. A method of routing energy packets, comprising:

receiving, at a router device, an optical power packet having optical energy;

receiving, at the router device, a co-propagating optical data packet comprising routing information;

analyzing the routing information of the optical data packet; and

routing the optical power packet based on the routing information;

wherein routing the optical power packet includes transmitting the optical power packet to an address specified in the routing information.

26. The method of claim 25, further comprising using an optical power source to increase the optical energy of the optical power packet in order to compensate for an energy loss of the optical power packet.

27. The method of claim 26, further comprising determining the optical energy increase based on at least one of an allowable amount of energy loss specified in the routing information, an amount of required optical energy transmission specified in the routing information, and an amount of optical energy to be added specified by the routing information.

28. The method of claim 25, further comprising transmitting at least one of the optical power packet and the optical data packet to an optical storage device in order to delay further routing of at least one of the optical power packet and the optical data packet.

29. The method of claim 28, wherein the optical storage device packet includes at least one of an optical fiber loop, a mirror-folded beampath, and a high-index artificial or natural material.

30. A method of routing energy packets, comprising:

receiving, at a router device, an optical power packet having optical energy;

receiving, at the router device, a co-propagating optical data packet comprising routing information;

analyzing the routing information of the optical data packet; and

routing the optical power packet based on the routing information;

wherein the optical power packet is routed to a first address and the optical data packet is routed to a second address.

31. The method of claim 30, wherein the first address is associated with a first destination and the second address is associated with a second destination.

32. The method of claim 30, wherein the first address is associated with a recipient of the optical power packet and the second address is associated with a source of the optical power packet.

33. A method of routing energy packets, comprising:

receiving, at a router device, an optical power packet having optical energy;

receiving, at the router device, a co-propagating optical data packet comprising routing information;

analyzing the routing information of the optical data packet;

routing the optical power packet based on the routing information; and

editing the routing instructions.

34. The method of claim 33, wherein the routing instructions are edited prior to routing the optical power packet.

35. The method of claim 33, wherein the routing instructions are edited to reroute the optical power packet to a destination different than what is specified in the routing information.