Method and apparatus for data transfer using wideband bursts

• US 7,436,899 B2
• Filed: 05/17/2005
• Issued: 10/14/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 09/26/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: General Atomics, Inc.
• Original Assignee: General Atomics, Inc.
• Inventors: Walker, Michael L., Ellis, Jason L., Rogerson, Gerald D., Furuno, David S., Gehring, Stephan W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Bayard; Emmanuel
• Application Number:
  US11/131,826
• Publication Number:
  US 20050232371A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,246 Days
• Field of Search: 375/295, 375/265, 375/257, 375/267
• US Class Current: 375/295
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 2005/00026 controlled by an analog electrical signal, e.g. obtained after conversion by a D/A converter
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 2005/00058 controlled by a digital setting
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 2005/00097 Avoiding variations of delay using feedback, e.g. controlled by a PLL
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 2005/00267 using D/A or A/D converters
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 5/133 using a chain of active delay devices
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 5/1508 using a plurality of delay lines
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/7176 Data mapping, e.g. modulation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/08 by repeating transmission, e.g. Verdan system H04L1/1858 and H04L1/189 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 25/4902 Pulse width modulation; Pulse position modulation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 27/2602 Signal structure
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 27/28 with simultaneous transmission of different frequencies each representing one code element
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/26 combined with the use of different frequencies

Abstract

A method of data transmission according to one embodiment of the invention includes transmitting a plurality of bursts to transmit data, each burst occupying at least one of a plurality of frequency bands. Specifically, a bandwidth of at least one of the plurality of bursts is at least two percent of the center frequency of the burst. In one preferred embodiment, a bandwidth of at least one of the plurality of bursts is at least 100 MHz. In another preferred embodiment, each burst occupies at least one of the plurality of frequency bands, but less than all of the plurality of frequency bands.

Claims

1. A method of data transmission, said method comprising:

transmitting a plurality of bursts to transmit data, each burst occupying at least one of a plurality of frequency bands;

wherein a bandwidth of at least one of the plurality of bursts is at least two percent of the center frequency of the burst.

2. The method of data transmission according to claim 1 further comprising:

receiving, prior to the transmitting step, a data signal including the data.

3. The method of data transmission according to claim 1, further comprising:

encoding the data to the plurality of bursts.

4. The method of data transmission according to claim 1, wherein an order of the plurality of bursts in time corresponds to the data.

5. The method of data transmission according to claim 1, wherein a time relationship of the plurality of bursts relative to each other corresponds to the data.

6. The method of data transmission according to claim 1, wherein a bandwidth of at least one of the plurality of bursts is at least ten percent of the center frequency of the burst.

7. The method of data transmission according to claim 1, wherein a bandwidth of at least one of the plurality of bursts is at least twenty percent of the center frequency of the burst.

8. The method of data transmission according to claim 1, wherein a bandwidth of at least one of the plurality of bursts is at least 10 MHz.

9. The method of data transmission according to claim 1, wherein a bandwidth of at least one of the plurality of bursts is at least 100 MHz.

10. The method of data transmission according to claim 1, wherein a bandwidth of at least one of the plurality of bursts is at least 1 GHz.

11. The method of data transmission according to claim 1, wherein a bandwidth of at least one of the plurality of bursts is at least 10 GHz.

12. The method of data transmission according to claim 1, wherein a duration of at least one of the plurality of bursts is less than one cycle.

13. The method of data transmission according to claim 1, wherein a duration of at least one of the plurality of bursts is less than five cycles.

14. The method of data transmission according to claim 1, wherein a duration of at least one of the plurality of bursts is less than ten cycles.

15. The method of data transmission according to claim 1, wherein the transmitting occurs over a plurality of time periods, wherein for each time period, no more than one of the plurality of bursts is transmitted.

16. The method of data transmission according to claim 1, wherein the transmitting occurs over a plurality of time periods, wherein for at least one time period, more than one of the plurality of bursts is transmitted.

17. The method of data transmission according to claim 1, wherein for each frequency band occupied by one of the plurality of bursts, no other one of the plurality of bursts occupies the frequency band.

18. The method of data transmission according to claim 1, wherein for at least one given frequency band occupied by one of the plurality of bursts, at least one other of the plurality of bursts occupies the given frequency band.

19. The method of data transmission according to claim 1, wherein none of the plurality of frequency bands overlap.

20. The method of data transmission according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the plurality of frequency bands overlap.

21. The method of data transmission according to claim 1, wherein the transmitting step comprises transmitting the plurality of bursts from a single signal launcher.

22. The method of data transmission according to claim 1, wherein the transmitting step comprises transmitting the plurality of bursts such that the data is not transmitted by less than all of the plurality of bursts.

23. The method of data transmission according to claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of bursts by itself does not carry the data.

24. The method of data transmission according to claim 1, wherein, for each of the plurality of bursts, a time of transmission of the burst relative to the rest of the plurality of bursts occurs according to an expected propagation delay of the burst.

25. The method of data transmission according to claim 1, wherein each burst occupies at least one of the plurality of frequency bands, but less than all of the plurality of frequency bands.

26. The method of data transmission according to claim 1, wherein said transmitting includes transmitting the plurality of bursts over an optical fiber.

27. The method of data transmission according to claim 1, wherein said transmitting includes transmitting the plurality of bursts over a cable having at least one conductor.

28. The method of data transmission according to claim 1, wherein said transmitting includes transmitting the plurality of bursts over a wireless transmission channel.

29. A method of data transmission, said method comprising:

defining a plurality of frequency bands;

transmitting a plurality of bursts, each burst occupying at least one of a plurality of frequency bands;

wherein one of the plurality of bursts occupies a different one of the plurality of frequency bands than another one of the plurality of bursts;

wherein a bandwidth of each of the plurality of bursts is at least two percent of the center frequency of the burst;

wherein plurality of bursts transmit data.