Data communications cable for communicating data and power via optical and electrical signals

• US 9,971,115 B2
• Filed: 06/20/2016
• Issued: 05/15/2018
• 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:
  US15/186,678
• Publication Number:
  US 20160306127A1
• Time in Patent Office: 694 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 data communications cable, comprising:

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

an optical modulator configured to modulate one or more optical signals with the multimedia data received from the first device;

an optical demodulator configured to demodulate the one or more optical signals to regenerate the multimedia data;

a second connector comprising;

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

a third set of one or more electrical contacts configured to receive control data from the second device;

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

a first port configured to receive a first power signal from at least one external device.

2. The data communications cable of claim 1, wherein the first port is coupled to the second connector.

3. The data communications cable of claim 1, wherein the second connector comprises the first port.

4. The data communications cable of claim 1, wherein the first port is coupled to the first connector.

5. The data communications cable of claim 1, wherein the first connector comprises the first port.

6. The data communications cable of claim 1, further comprising one or more wires configured to route the first power signal from the first connector to the second connector.

7. The data communications cable of claim 1, wherein the first port is coupled to the first connector, and further comprising a second port coupled to the second connector, wherein the second port is configured to receive a second power signal from the at least one external device.

8. The data communications cable of claim 1, wherein the first connector comprises the first port, and wherein the second connector comprises a second port configured to receive a second power signal from the at least one external device.

9. The data communications cable of claim 1, wherein the first port comprises a Universal Serial Bus (USB) port.

10. The data communications cable of claim 1, wherein the first connector comprises a fourth set of one or more electrical contacts configured to receive a second power signal from the first device.

11. The data communications cable of claim 10, further comprising one or more wires configured to route the second power signal from the first connector to the second connector.

12. The data communications cable of claim 1, wherein the first connector comprises a fourth set of one or more electrical contacts configured to receive control data from the first device.

13. The data communications cable of claim 12, further comprising one or more wires configured to communicate the control data from the first connector to the second connector.

14. The data communications cable of claim 1, further comprising one or more wires configured to communicate the control data from the second connector to the first connector.

15. The data communications cable of claim 1, wherein the multimedia data is compliant with a High-Definition Multimedia Interface (HDMI) protocol.

16. A data communications cable, comprising:

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

an optical modulator configured to modulate one or more optical signals with the multimedia data received from the first device;

an optical demodulator configured to demodulate the one or more optical signals to regenerate the multimedia data;

a second connector comprising;

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

a third set of one or more electrical contacts configured to receive control data from the second device;

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

a USB port configured to receive a power signal from an external device.

17. The data communications cable of claim 16, wherein the USB port is coupled to the second connector.

18. The data communications cable of claim 16, wherein the USB port is coupled to the first connector.

19. The data communications cable of claim 18, further comprising one or more wires configured to route the power signal from the first connector to the second connector.

20. A data communications cable, comprising:

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

an optical modulator configured to modulate one or more optical signals with the multimedia data received from the first device;

an optical demodulator configured to demodulate the one or more optical signals to regenerate the multimedia data;

a second connector comprising;

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

a third set of one or more electrical contacts configured to receive control data from the second device;

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

a first USB port configured to receive a first power signal from at least one external device, wherein the first USB port is coupled to the first connector; and

a second USB port configured to receive a second power signal from the at least one external device, wherein the second USB port is coupled to the second connector.