Optical data receiver employing a solar cell resonant circuit and method for remote optical data communication
First Claim
1. A receiver system for receiving an optical signal, said signal originating at a location, the system comprising:
- a solar cell having a selected capacitance;
a filter disposed between the location and said solar cell, said filter passing said signal while attenuating ambient light, said ambient light including sunlight; and
an inductive device having a selected inductance and coupled to said solar cell, said solar cell and said inductive device cooperating to form a resonant circuit having a selected resonant frequency associated therewith and being a function of said selected capacitance and said selected inductance, said resonant circuit resonating in response to a change in said signal,whereby said filter attenuating said ambient light and passing said signal permits said resonant circuit to resonate at said resonant frequency in response to said signal.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A receiver circuit and method for receiving a signal having a given carrier frequency. The circuit comprises: (1) a solar cell receiver having a selected capacitance and (2) an inductive device having a selected inductance and coupled to the solar cell receiver, the solar cell receiver and the inductive device cooperating to form a resonant circuit having a selected resonant frequency associated therewith and being a function of the selected capacitance and the selected inductance, the resonant circuit resonating in response to a change in the signal to thereby allow the solar cell to receive data carried by the signal. By employing solar cell as part of a resonant circuit, the range of optical remote controls can be extended to as much as a mile. In one embodiment, the receiver circuit forms a portion of a remote-controlled pool or spa.
167 Citations
28 Claims
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1. A receiver system for receiving an optical signal, said signal originating at a location, the system comprising:
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a solar cell having a selected capacitance; a filter disposed between the location and said solar cell, said filter passing said signal while attenuating ambient light, said ambient light including sunlight; and an inductive device having a selected inductance and coupled to said solar cell, said solar cell and said inductive device cooperating to form a resonant circuit having a selected resonant frequency associated therewith and being a function of said selected capacitance and said selected inductance, said resonant circuit resonating in response to a change in said signal, whereby said filter attenuating said ambient light and passing said signal permits said resonant circuit to resonate at said resonant frequency in response to said signal. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. A method for receiving a signal having a given carrier frequency, comprising the steps of:
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providing a solar cell receiver having a selected capacitance and an inductive device having a selected inductance and coupled to said solar cell receiver, said solar cell receiver and said inductive device cooperating to form a resonant circuit having a selected resonant frequency associated therewith and being a function of said selected capacitance and said selected inductance; providing a filter capable of passing said carrier frequency and attenuating ambient light, said ambient light including sunlight; disposing said filter in an overlying relationship to said solar cell receiver, such that said filter is intermediate said ambient light and said solar cell receiver; and receiving said signal at said given carrier frequency into said resonant circuit, said resonant circuit resonating in response to a change in said signal to thereby allow said solar cell receiver to receive data carried by said signal. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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21. A remote controllable fluid control system, comprising:
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a remote control transmitter circuit for transmitting a signal having a given carrier frequency and data carried thereby; a receiver circuit for receiving said signal from said remote control transmitter circuit and including; a solar cell receiver having a selected capacitance, and an inductive device having a selected inductance and coupled to said solar cell receiver in electrical parallel, said solar cell receiver and said inductive device cooperating to form a parallel resonant circuit having a selected resonant frequency associated therewith and being a function of said selected capacitance and said selected inductance, said parallel resonant circuit resonating in response to a change in said signal to thereby allow said solar cell receiver to receive said data carried by said signal; an optical filter interposed between said transmitter circuit and said receiver circuit for attenuating ambient light, said ambient light including sunlight, such that said signal is received by said receiver circuit, but substantially all of said ambient light is attenuated; a decoder circuit coupled to said receiver circuit for decoding said signal as received by said receiver circuit and producing, in response thereto, a command signal representing a control command for said fluid control system; and fluid control circuitry coupled to said amplifier circuit and adapted to receive and respond to said command signal by controlling a fluid control mechanism. - View Dependent Claims (22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28)
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Specification