Transmitter And Receiver Patents (Class 398/130)
  • Patent number: 8412050
    Abstract: Example embodiments may include a coaxial Free Space Optical (FSO) telescope providing a simplified and more precise structure. Example embodiment telescopes include a prism structure having at least two parallel surfaces associated with a filter and mirror. The filter may reflect or transmit optical signals based on their electromagnetic characteristics. Example embodiment systems include example embodiment coaxial FSO telescopes and transmitters and receivers for receiving and transmitting optical signals. A V-groove and/or lens array may be included in example embodiment FSO systems.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 23, 2008
    Date of Patent: April 2, 2013
    Assignee: Alcatel Lucent
    Inventor: Gerald Nykolak
  • Patent number: 8412048
    Abstract: A method and apparatus are present for managing a transmission of photons. The number of parameters for transmitting the photons as a beam in a liquid are identified using a number of characteristics of the liquid to form a number of selected parameters. The photons are transmitted in the liquid as the beam to a target using the number of selected parameters to form the transmission of the photons.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 25, 2009
    Date of Patent: April 2, 2013
    Assignee: The Boeing Company
    Inventor: Philip Stephen Dunlap
  • Patent number: 8401393
    Abstract: A data center for executing a data processing application includes processing units, sub-units or servers. Each of the processing units, sub-units or servers can execute a part or all of the data processing application. The processing units, sub-units or servers are electrical disjoint with respect to data communications, but can communicate with each other over free space optical links.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 6, 2010
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2013
    Assignee: The Invention Science Fund I, LLC
    Inventors: Howard Lee Davidson, James R. Hamilton, Roderick A. Hyde, Arne Josefsberg, Edward K. Y. Jung, Jordin T. Kare, Robert W. Lord, Kenneth Lustig, William Henry Mangione-Smith, Michael Manos, Craig J. Mundie, Nathan P. Myhrvold, Richard F. Rashid, Burton Smith, Clarence T. Tegreene, Robert V. Welland, Charles Whitmer, Lowell L. Wood, Jr.
  • Patent number: 8401395
    Abstract: A system comprises a transmitter including a laser configured to generate a laser beam directed at a spot on a surface, and a laser driver connected to the laser and configured to modulate input data onto the laser beam. The system may further comprise a receiver including an optical detector configured to decode received light into raw data, a signal processor configured to decode the raw data into the original input data, and telescope optics configured to receive light reflected from the spot on the surface, collimate the light and converge the light onto the optical detector.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 16, 2009
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2013
    Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Inc.
    Inventors: Tiejun Xia, Glenn A. Wellbrock
  • Patent number: 8401394
    Abstract: In a method for transmission of digital data in an optical free-space transmission system in which a binary code sequence produced from the digital data is used to transmit amplitude-modulated light waves across an optical free space between a transmitter and a receiver, according to a first aspect, the binary code sequence is produced such that a modulation frequency of the light waves determined by the binary code sequence has a value of 70 Hertz. According to a second aspect, ‘t’ light waves are modulated with the binary code sequence and binary data are transmitted in blocks during a first time period, and non-modulated light waves are emitted during second time periods, wherein the light intensities of the time periods are selected so that the quantities of light transmitted in two periods correspond to predetermined quantities of light.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 25, 2009
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2013
    Assignee: Siemens Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventor: Joachim Walewski
  • Publication number: 20130058660
    Abstract: A method and a lighting device for providing a Location Based Service (LBS) service that is based on Visible Light Communication (VLC) in the lighting device is provided. The method includes receiving, from a terminal, a data request needed to perform an LBS service; and transmitting data to the terminal, the data including identification information of the lighting device, which is used by the terminal to identify a location of the lighting device and a location of the terminal located in the position corresponding to the lighting device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 6, 2012
    Publication date: March 7, 2013
    Applicant: Samsung Electronics co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Samsung Electronics co., Ltd.
  • Patent number: 8391720
    Abstract: There is disclosed a visible light communication technology capable of intuitively recognizing a transmission speed, an alignment status, a communication status, or a transmission rate. A visible light communication apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention includes: a light source selecting unit selecting at least one light source of a plurality of light sources generating lights having different wavelengths by considering intuitive information distinguished depending on a wavelength in a visible light band; and a visible light communication unit performing visible light communication by at least one selected light source to allow the intuitive information to be recognized by a color corresponding to at least one selected light source. Accordingly, a user using the visible light communication can intuitively know an optimal communication status or transmission speed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 29, 2010
    Date of Patent: March 5, 2013
    Assignee: Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute
    Inventors: Il-Soon Jang, Dae-Ho Kim, Sang-Kyu Lim, Tae-Gyu Kang
  • Patent number: 8374508
    Abstract: Passive optical networks have optical budget loss limitations that affect the ability of a Service Provider to serve a limited number of clients over a limited range. The deployment of passive optical networks is constrained by potential physical rights of way issues. A method and system for augmenting communication links of a passive optical network are disclosed which utilize radio frequency communication enabling an increase in the number of clients on the network as well as increasing the reach or range of the network while potentially eliminating physical rights of way issues.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 24, 2009
    Date of Patent: February 12, 2013
    Inventors: Alexander I Soto, Walter G Soto
  • Patent number: 8369708
    Abstract: A data center for executing a data processing application includes processing units, sub-units or servers. Each of the processing units, sub-units or servers can execute a part or all of the data processing application. The processing units, sub-units or servers are electrical disjoint with respect to data communications, but can communicate with each other over free space optical links.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 6, 2010
    Date of Patent: February 5, 2013
    Assignee: The Invention Science Fund I, LLC
    Inventors: Howard Lee Davidson, James R. Hamilton, Roderick A. Hyde, Arne Josefsberg, Edward K. Y. Jung, Jordin T. Kare, Robert W. Lord, Kenneth Lustig, William Henry Mangione-Smith, Michael Manos, Craig J. Mundie, Nathan P. Myhrvold, Richard F. Rashid, Burton Smith, Clarence T. Tegreene, Robert V. Welland, Charles Whitmer, Lowell L. Wood, Jr.
  • Publication number: 20130028608
    Abstract: A communication system and method are described for transmitting data from a display in a bit transmission data format to a machine vision system. The described system and method allows for the process and further application of a larger amount of data faster and more reliably than by use of the human readable data from the display. A standard LCD screen displays bit transmission data corresponding to human readable data, and transmits the bit transmission data to a machine vision system, such as by use of the camera on a smart phone. The captured bit transmission data is converted into a bit data stream for further processing, such as by use of an application in the smart phone, and can be stored in memory and/or transmitted to another system to provide useful human readable information. Faster transmission of a greater amount of data is realized including, in one aspect of the bit generation, data error and correction codes.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 29, 2011
    Publication date: January 31, 2013
    Inventor: Christopher Chupp
  • Publication number: 20130028609
    Abstract: In one aspect, the present disclosure relates to a method for demodulating a modulated light signal in a light based positioning system. In some embodiments, the method includes receiving a modulated light signal at a device, the modulated light signal transmitting an arbitrary identifier of a light source, recording the modulated light signal using a rolling shutter image sensor to create a raw image having alternating spaced apart stripes, subtracting background information from the raw image to create an isolated image, taking a Fourier transform of an image representative of the isolated image to calculate a Fourier transformed signal, and determining the arbitrary identifier of the light source based on the Fourier transformed signal.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 19, 2012
    Publication date: January 31, 2013
    Applicant: BYTELIGHT, INC.
    Inventors: Peter STAATS, Rob SUMNER, Daniel RYAN
  • Patent number: 8358935
    Abstract: A method for generating a visible signal for a data transmission frame in a visible-light communication system includes: receiving specific data constituted by a plurality of frames from a sender; checking and converting a received signal strength indication (RSSI) signal measured from the sender; whenever each frame of the specific data is consecutively received, checking the converted RSSI, determining a level of a visible signal for distinctively displaying a state of a corresponding communication channel, and transmitting the level of the visible signal to the sender; and when reception of the specific data has finished, transmitting a corresponding response message to the sender, according to whether the specific data has been successfully received.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 10, 2008
    Date of Patent: January 22, 2013
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Jeong-Seok Choi, Dae-Kwang Jung, Hong-Seok Shin, Kyung-Woo Lee, Dong-Jae Shin, Sung-Bum Park, Seong Hoon Hyun
  • Patent number: 8358937
    Abstract: A system for reducing clipping may be used between a multichannel RF source and a laser to reduce or correct clipping that might occur in the laser as a result of negative spikes or peaks in a multichannel RF signal. The system generally includes a clipping correction circuit that receives the multichannel RF signal and responsive to the RF signal, prevents one or more of the negative peaks in the RF signal from causing clipping. The clipping correction circuit may either detect an envelope of the RF signal and/or may detect one or more peaks in the RF signal. One or more negative peaks may be prevented from causing clipping by adjusting a bias current provided by a bias control circuit and/or by modifying the RF signal with one or more clipping correction pulses coinciding with one or more negative peaks.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 24, 2007
    Date of Patent: January 22, 2013
    Assignee: Applied Optoelectronics, Inc.
    Inventor: Jun Zheng
  • Patent number: 8351793
    Abstract: Devices and systems are provided for free space optical communication using optical films. Some embodiments involve using an optical film for the transmission and/or reception of light in a free space optical communication system. Some free space optical communication systems may involve devices, such as laptop computers, desktop computers, mobile communications devices, etc., that are configured for communication via an optical film. The optical film may be disposed on a device, on a wall, a window, furniture, etc., according to the implementation. Many types of free space optical communication systems are provided, including line of sight and non line of sight free space optical communication systems.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 22, 2008
    Date of Patent: January 8, 2013
    Assignee: Qualcomm Mems Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Clarence Chui, Manish Kothari
  • Patent number: 8346093
    Abstract: Disclosed is a multimedia data receiver using an optical cable that can receive multimedia data such as an image, voice and control signal whose media are different from each other through an optical transmission medium such as plastic or glass optical cables in a short or long distance area.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 30, 2008
    Date of Patent: January 1, 2013
    Inventors: In Won Kang, Ho Joon Park
  • Publication number: 20120328302
    Abstract: An information transmission system is constituted by: an information sending device including a light emitting section that emits light in a plurality of colors, a modulating section that modulates information to be transmitted into signals composed of changes in color, and a light emission control section that controls the light emitting section to emit light while changing color temporally based on the signals generated by the modulating section; and a receiving device including a camera that captures an image having color, and a control and communication section that detects a temporal color change of the light emitting section emitting light by light emission control by the information transmitting device, from images consecutively captured by the camera, decodes the detected color change into information, and outputs the generated information to a display section.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 20, 2012
    Publication date: December 27, 2012
    Applicant: CASIO COMPUTER CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Nobuo IIZUKA, Keiichi Kaneko, Masaaki Kikuchi
  • Patent number: 8335436
    Abstract: An electronic apparatus is provided and includes a light transmitting module configured to convert an electric signal into an optical signal and emit light, a light receiving module configured to receive the light emitted from the light transmitting module and convert the optical signal into an electric signal, and a mover unit configured to cause at least one of the light transmitting module and the light receiving module to carry out linear movement along an optical axis of the light emitted from the light transmitting module and/or rotation about the optical axis.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 29, 2009
    Date of Patent: December 18, 2012
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventor: Yuichi Machida
  • Publication number: 20120312912
    Abstract: A communication interface for a laser-guided projectile is configured to use the SAL seeker on board the laser-guided projectile as a communication link. A communication device generates a pulsed optical beam that overlaps the detection band of the SAL seeker. The pulsed optical beam is encoded with data for the SAL seeker. Computer-readable program code is loaded into and executed by the seeker's signal processor to process the signals generated in response to the pulsed optical beam to extract the data for the SAL seeker. Data is typically coupled to the projectile pre-launch but may be coupled in flight to the target.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 7, 2010
    Publication date: December 13, 2012
    Inventors: Matthew G. Murphy, Jesse H. Blake, Carlos Garcia
  • Publication number: 20120299864
    Abstract: Methods and apparatus are provided related to proximity detection between a mobile device and a related object, such as a holder, holster, pocket liner, support surface, or the like. A pattern is associated with the related object or device, for example printed on a surface thereof, the pattern being discernable by a mobile device input module, such as a touch surface or optical navigation module. When the pattern is presented to the input module, the mobile device detects the pattern and may respond accordingly, for example by shifting to a standby mode or suppressing mobile device inputs.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 25, 2011
    Publication date: November 29, 2012
    Applicant: RESEARCH IN MOTION LIMITED
    Inventors: Kuo-Feng Tong, Devin Jay Kaiser
  • Patent number: 8320767
    Abstract: An interconnect system has an optical transmitter mounted on a first circuit board and an optical receiver mounted on a second circuit board. The optical receiver can be nominally aligned to receive an optical signal through free space from the optical transmitter. Further, the optical receiver includes one or more light detectors, and an optical antenna coupled to direct incident light into the one or more light detectors.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 31, 2008
    Date of Patent: November 27, 2012
    Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
    Inventors: Terrel Morris, Michael Tan, Shih-Yuan Wang
  • Publication number: 20120275796
    Abstract: A transmitter in a visible light communication system is provided, in which a plurality of light sources emit light in different colors, a data converter converts data to predetermined chromaticity coordinates, a data transmitter emits light having a chromaticity corresponding to the chromaticity coordinates by controlling light intensity of each of the light sources, and a pre-light emitter emits light having chromaticities corresponding to all chromaticity coordinates by controlling the light intensity of each of the light sources, before the light intensity control of the data transmitter.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 26, 2010
    Publication date: November 1, 2012
    Applicant: SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO. LTD.
    Inventor: Atsuya Yokoi
  • Patent number: 8301028
    Abstract: A data center for executing a data processing application includes processing units, sub-units or servers. Each of the processing units, sub-units or servers can execute a part or all of the data processing application. The processing units, sub-units or servers are electrical disjoint with respect to data communications, but can communicate with each other over free space optical links.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 21, 2009
    Date of Patent: October 30, 2012
    Assignee: The Invention Science Fund I, LLC
    Inventors: Howard Lee Davidson, James R. Hamilton, Roderick A. Hyde, Arne Josefsberg, Edward K. Y. Jung, Jordin T. Kare, Robert W. Lord, Kenneth Lustig, William Henry Mangione-Smith, Michael Manos, Craig J. Mundie, Nathan P. Myhrvold, Richard F. Rashid, Burton Smith, Clarence T. Tegreene, Robert V. Welland, Charles Whitmer, Lowell L. Wood, Jr.
  • Patent number: 8301029
    Abstract: An acoustoelectric transducer comprising a laser source A and a light receiver H, wherein a soundfield S is provided by which the propagation velocity of the laser beam may be modulated according to the sound pressure while it traverses the soundfield S.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 26, 2007
    Date of Patent: October 30, 2012
    Assignee: XARION Laser Acoustics GmbH
    Inventor: Balthasar Fischer
  • Publication number: 20120269517
    Abstract: A method for wirelessly providing electrical energy to a moving platform that is movable relative to a base or ground structure. The method including: moving the moving platform relative to the base or ground structure; providing a device on the moving platform for converting a first energy to the electrical energy; directing a source of the first energy at the device; converting the first energy to the electrical energy at an output of the device; and providing the electrical energy to one or more of an electrical or electronic device associated with the moving platform or to an energy storage device associated with the moving platform. The method can further include wirelessly transmitting data between the moving platform and the base or ground structure.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 19, 2011
    Publication date: October 25, 2012
    Applicant: Omnitek Partners LLC
    Inventor: Jahangir S. Rastegar
  • Patent number: 8295710
    Abstract: The invention describes a modulator for the quadrature modulation of an optical carrier signal with an I- and a Q-portion, where a first optical multimode interferometer (MMI) splits the optical carrier signal into four branches and that in pairs of branches the I-portion and the Q-portion respectively is modulated with a Mach-Zehnder-Structure and a second optical multimode interferometer (MMI) combines the modulated I-portion and Q-portion again to one quadrature modulated optical output signal (OS).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 6, 2009
    Date of Patent: October 23, 2012
    Assignee: Nokia Siemens Networks Oy
    Inventor: Winter Marcus
  • Patent number: 8295707
    Abstract: The electronic device includes a device housing, an emitter, a receiver, and a reflection structure. The emitter is separated from the device housing and emits an optical signal. The receiver is disposed on the device housing for receiving the optical signal. The reflection structure is formed on the device housing and neighboring to the receiver. When the emitter is disposed in front of the device housing, the optical signal transmitted from the emitter directly reaches the reflection structure and is reflected by the reflection structure, and then the optical signal travels toward the receiver.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 1, 2010
    Date of Patent: October 23, 2012
    Assignee: Au Optronics Corporation
    Inventor: Cho-Ming Wu
  • Patent number: 8295708
    Abstract: An underwater data transmission system including arrays of nano-meter scaled photon emitters and sensors on an outer surface of an underwater platform. For the emitters, a laser is pulsed to correlate with data packets, providing a beam of photons at a prescribed frequency. Nano-scaled collecting lenses channel the incoming photons to photo-receptors located at a focal plane for the frequency at the base of each lens. A coating on the lenses absorbs photons at the frequency that are not aligned with the longitudinal axes of the lenses or tubes. Nano-wires connect the photo-receptors to a light intensity integrator. The integrator integrates the intensity over a surface area. The output of the integrator is fed to a signal processor to track and process the arriving digital packets.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 16, 2011
    Date of Patent: October 23, 2012
    Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Navy
    Inventor: Promode R. Bandyopadhyay
  • Patent number: 8295485
    Abstract: A measuring unit for determining information from an input signal, the unit comprising a decoder configured to perform a measurement on said input signal using two operators, a first operator configured to distinguish between two orthogonal states of said input signal and a second operator selected from an inverting operator configured to invert the result of the measurement by the first operator and a null operator configured to have a null effect on the result of the measurement by the first operator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 8, 2006
    Date of Patent: October 23, 2012
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
    Inventors: Zhiliang Yuan, Andrew James Shields
  • Patent number: 8288707
    Abstract: An optoelectronic sensor includes at least one light transmitter for the transmission of light signals into a monitored zone and at least one light receiver for the reception of transmitted light signals. In this respect, the received light signals are converted into electrical received signals in the light receiver. The light signals transmitted by the light transmitter are each generated on the basis of an output signal spread in accordance with a frequency spreading technique (spread spectrum) and provided with an offset applied for the generation of a unipolar signal. The electrical received signals can be supplied to a high-pass filter in the light receiver. Means for interference suppression are provided to automatically measure repeatedly or continuously respective then current interference; to analyze it in the time domain and/or in the frequency domain; and to compensate it at least substantially in dependence on the respective result of the interference analyses.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 3, 2010
    Date of Patent: October 16, 2012
    Assignee: Sick AG
    Inventors: Maximilian Hauske, Ralph Tanbourgi, Kai Waslowski, Gerhard Merettig
  • Patent number: 8290372
    Abstract: An optical transceiver includes an optical transmission section that transmits an optical signal, an optical reception section that receives an optical signal, and a control section that controls the optical transmission section and the optical reception section. The control section optically communicates with an external device through the optical transmission section and the optical reception section.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 19, 2009
    Date of Patent: October 16, 2012
    Assignee: NEC Corporation
    Inventor: Noriyoshi Oku
  • Publication number: 20120257901
    Abstract: Using a general-purpose cost-advantageous blue-light-excited-type white light emitting diode (LED), destruction of devices is prevented and visible light data communication is performed at a sufficient transmission rate. The blue-light-excited-type white LED is driven based on a driving current signal generated based on transmission data. While a visible light signal is outputted to a receiver, a multi-tone driving current signal is generated by a rising pulse and a falling pulse to a rising edge and a falling edge of the transmission data, respectively. Each of pulse widths of the rising pulse and the falling pulse is the same as a unit interval of the transmission data.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 20, 2012
    Publication date: October 11, 2012
    Applicant: TAIYO YUDEN CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Masashi Yamada, Kousuke Nakamura
  • Patent number: 8284989
    Abstract: The invention describes a method for locating an object (B1, B1?, B2, B3) associated with a device (D1, D2, D3) to be controlled, which method comprises aiming a pointing device (1) comprising a camera (2) at a target area (A), generating an image (3) of the target area (A) aimed at by the pointing device (1) and analysing the target area image (3) to determine a property of the object (B1, B1?, B2, B3). A feedback signal (4), regarding the property of the object (B1, B1?, B2, B3), is generated based on analysis of the images (3) and reported to the user by rendering the feedback signal (4) into a tactile indication generated in at least part of the pointing device (1). The invention also describes a pointing device (1), a device control interface (8, 8?) and a system comprising such a pointing device (1) and device control interface (8, 8?) suitable for applying this method.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 17, 2005
    Date of Patent: October 9, 2012
    Assignee: Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V.
    Inventor: Holger R. Scholl
  • Patent number: 8280259
    Abstract: An optically-switched fiber optic communication system, such as a Radio-over-Fiber (RoF) based optical fiber link system, may be used to increase the range of peer-to-peer communications. The optically-switched fiber optic communication system may include a head-end unit (HEU) having an optical switch bank. Fiber optic cables comprising optical fibers optically couple the HEU to one or more remote access points in different coverage areas. The optical switch bank in the HEU provides a link between the remote access points in the different coverage areas such that devices in the different cellular coverage areas can communicate with each other over the optical fibers through the HEU. By using the optically-switched fiber optic communication system, the range and coverage of communication between devices may be extended such that devices in different coverage areas and devices using different communication protocols can communicate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 13, 2009
    Date of Patent: October 2, 2012
    Assignee: Corning Cable Systems LLC
    Inventors: Jacob George, Michael Sauer, Dean M. Thelen
  • Patent number: 8275266
    Abstract: An optical interconnect system includes components such as circuit boards, server blades, or a backplane with respective light pipes for an optical signal. The light pipe in a component transmitting the optical signal receives a collimated beam and directs the collimated beam for transmission. The light pipe in a receiving component is nominally aligned with the light pipe pf the transmitting component and separated from the first light pipe by free space. The light pipe on the receiving side is larger than the light pipe on the transmitting side and can therefore accommodate an expected alignment error.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 31, 2008
    Date of Patent: September 25, 2012
    Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
    Inventors: Michael Tan, Sagi Mathai, Paul Rosenberg
  • Patent number: 8275911
    Abstract: A free space laser beam communication system, set forth by way of example and not limitation, advantageously includes a laser beam generator configured to develop a laser beam, a laser beam detector which is not in a line-of-sight of the laser beam generator, and a laser beam redirector within a line-of-sight of the laser beam generator and configured to redirect the laser beam to the laser beam detector. A path of the laser beam can be varied by adjusting a relative position between the laser beam generator and the laser beam detector.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 27, 2011
    Date of Patent: September 25, 2012
    Assignee: G&H Nevada-Tek
    Inventor: Michael Gough
  • Patent number: 8265488
    Abstract: An electromagnetic transmission and reception system comprises a transmitter section and a receiver section. The transmitter section has a first signal source, a second signal source at a lower frequency than the first signal source, and means for generating from the first and second signal sources a plurality of signals with fixed frequency spacing derived from the second signal source frequency. One or more pairs of the plurality of signals are selected, and for the or each pair, the signals of the pair are combined to derive an output signal having a frequency derived from the difference between the frequencies of the signals of the pair. The receiver section combines a received signal, which comprises a received version of the output signal, with a local oscillator signal for frequency down-conversion of the received signal. This local oscillator signal is generated by the transmitter section.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 29, 2004
    Date of Patent: September 11, 2012
    Assignee: University of Kent
    Inventors: Phillip Anthony Davies, Nathan Joseph Gomes, Pengbo Shen
  • Patent number: 8254786
    Abstract: A digital signal is sent by a one-wire digital input/output unit of a one-wire IR communication system at the side of the dedicated device to an IR transmitting element, a working range is established in which the IR signal is sent, which is received at the side of the target device by an IR receiving element of the one-wire IR communication system of the target device, and the IR signal is sent by the one-wire digital input/out of the IR system across the main communication trunk to the modules of the target device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 3, 2009
    Date of Patent: August 28, 2012
    Assignee: Diehl AKO Stiftung & Co. KG
    Inventor: Tomasz Chenc
  • Patent number: 8248467
    Abstract: In one aspect, the present disclosure relates to a method of detecting information transmitted by a light source in a complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS) image sensor by detecting a frequency of light pulses produced by the light source. In some embodiments, the method includes capturing on the CMOS image sensor with a rolling shutter an image in which different portions of the CMOS image sensor are exposed at different points in time; detecting visible distortions that include alternating stripes in the image; measuring a width of the alternating stripes present in the image; and selecting a symbol based on the width of the alternating stripes present in the image to recover information encoded in the frequency of light pulses produced by the light source captured in the image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 16, 2012
    Date of Patent: August 21, 2012
    Assignee: ByteLight, Inc.
    Inventors: Aaron Ganick, Daniel Ryan
  • Patent number: 8244134
    Abstract: An optical interconnect has a plurality of optical sources, a first lens configured to collimate optical beams from the plurality of optical sources, a second lens configured to refocus the optical beams, and a plurality of optical receivers configured to receive the refocused optical beams from the second lens.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 19, 2007
    Date of Patent: August 14, 2012
    Inventors: Charles Santori, David Fattal, Wei Wu, Robert Bicknell, Shih-Yuan Wang, R. Stanley Williams, Duncan Stewart, Nathaniel Quitoriano, Raymond Beausoleil
  • Patent number: 8244137
    Abstract: A system comprises a laser configured to produce a laser beam; a modulator optically coupled to said laser; and a phase mask optically coupled to said modulator. The phase mask may be configured to pre-distort a pre-existing wavefront to produce a pre-distorted wavefront to be transmitted over free space.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 30, 2009
    Date of Patent: August 14, 2012
    Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Inc.
    Inventor: David Zhi Chen
  • Patent number: 8224186
    Abstract: A transmission module including an emitter device, a first reflection device, and a second reflection device is disclosed. The emitter device emits a light. The first reflection device reflects the light to generate a first reflected light. The second reflection device reflects the light to generate a second reflected light. The energy of the first reflected light is different from the energy of the second reflected light.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 1, 2009
    Date of Patent: July 17, 2012
    Assignee: MSI Computer (Shenzhen) Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Ming-Feng Li
  • Patent number: 8213801
    Abstract: A light emitting device, a light receiving device and a data transmission system and a data transmission method using the same are provided. The data transmission system includes the light emitting device and the light receiving device. The light emitting device includes a light emitting unit and a control circuit, and the light receiving device includes an image capture unit, a recognition unit and a decoding unit. The control circuit controls the light emitting unit to sequentially display a plurality of pattern images in a plurality of frame times to form a spatiotemporal pattern image according to setting data corresponding to a temporal domain and a spatial domain. The image capture unit captures the spatiotemporal pattern image. The recognition unit recognizes the spatiotemporal pattern image to output recognized data. The decoding unit decodes the recognized data to output decoded data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 15, 2009
    Date of Patent: July 3, 2012
    Assignee: Industrial Technology Research Institute
    Inventors: Chin-Chung Nien, Chen-Ying Kao, Ching-Ting Hsu, I-Shinn Tien, Yi-Yuan Chen
  • Patent number: 8213803
    Abstract: Method and system for determining a point-ahead angle from a first spacecraft to a second spacecraft, each spacecraft having a laser communication (“lasercom”) terminal is provided If ephemeris data regarding the second spacecraft is unavailable to the first spacecraft while the second spacecraft is mobile, (a) obtaining attitude information regarding the first spacecraft; and (b) obtaining gimbal offload commands from a fast steering mirror and a first spacecraft telescope subsystem of the first spacecraft; wherein a point-ahead determination module receives the attitude information and the gimbal offload commands; and determining an estimate of the point-ahead angle from the first spacecraft to the second spacecraft based on the attitude information and the gimbal offload commands.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 29, 2008
    Date of Patent: July 3, 2012
    Assignee: The Boeing Company
    Inventors: Yeong-wei A. Wu, Ketao Liu
  • Patent number: 8204383
    Abstract: A wireless communication interface for a portable wireless terminal and a system for wirelessly communicating by a portable wireless terminal with another device via a free space. The interface facilitates aligning the portable wireless device with another devices for improved communication. The interface including: a light source for generating a data-modulated visible light signal and outputting the visible light signal to the free space; an optical detector for generating an electrical signal by photoelectrically converting the visible light signal input from the free space, and for outputting the electrical signal. A demodulation unit demodulates the electrical signal input from the optical detector, and outputs a data signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 30, 2007
    Date of Patent: June 19, 2012
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Dong-Jae Shin, Dae-Kwang Jung, Hong-Seok Shin, Hyung-Woo Lee, Sung-Bum Park, Yoo-Jeong Hyun, Seong Hoon Hyun, legal representative
  • Publication number: 20120148253
    Abstract: Disclosed is an interface method for exchanging data among information appliances by using optical communications including visible light and information appliances supporting the same. The present invention projects a screen providing a data exchange service through a first information appliance, determines whether at least one second information appliance is positioned on the projected screen, and controls an optical communication direction of a first information appliance to exchange data with the second information appliance when the second information appliance is positioned on the projected screen so as to exchange data between the first information appliance and the second information appliance.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 15, 2011
    Publication date: June 14, 2012
    Applicant: Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute
    Inventors: Kyoung Ju NOH, Yong Ki Son, Bae Sun Kim, Il Yeon Cho
  • Patent number: 8200094
    Abstract: A method and system are provided for aligning the optic port of a device having a Free Space Optics (FSO) connector. In a link device with an FSO connector, a controller determines that an optic port alignment procedure is required. A lens is set to an initial wide beam dispersion mode, and a mirror is set to an initial position angle. Note: the lens and mirror may be the FSO connector receive path or transmit path. An optical signal is communicated at a first low baud rate, and the first baud rate communications are optimized by iteratively adjusting the mirror and narrowing the lens focus. Then, an optical signal is communicated at a second baud rate, faster than the first baud rate, and the second baud rate communications are optimized by iteratively adjusting the mirror and narrowing the lens focus.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 21, 2009
    Date of Patent: June 12, 2012
    Assignee: Applied Micro Circuits Corporation
    Inventors: Igor Zhovnirovsky, Subhash Roy
  • Publication number: 20120141133
    Abstract: An apparatus for simulating radio frequency (RF) signal propagation characteristics in a wireless communication network is disclosed. The apparatus includes a first RF terminal and a second RF terminal. A first optical modulator is in electrical communication with the first RF terminal. An optical delay line is in optical communication with the first optical modulator. A first optical demodulator is in optical communication with the optical delay line and in electrical communication with the first RF terminal. A second optical demodulator is in optical communication with the optical delay line and in electrical communication with the second RF terminal. A second optical modulator is in electrical communication with the second RF terminal and in optical communication with the optical delay line.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 2, 2010
    Publication date: June 7, 2012
    Inventors: Joseph Mazzochette, Edward J. MacMullen, Jerome Lomurno
  • Publication number: 20120134548
    Abstract: Methods and arrangements involving portable devices are disclosed. One arrangement enables a content creator to select software with which that content should be rendered—assuring continuity between artistic intention and delivery. Another arrangement utilizes the camera of a smartphone to identify nearby subjects, and take actions based thereon. Others rely on near field chip (RFID) identification of objects, or on identification of audio streams (e.g., music, voice). Some of the detailed technologies concern improvements to the user interfaces associated with such devices. Others involve use of these devices in connection with shopping, text entry, sign language interpretation, and vision-based discovery. Still other improvements are architectural in nature, e.g., relating to evidence-based state machines, and blackboard systems. Yet other technologies concern use of linked data in portable devices—some of which exploit GPU capabilities. Still other technologies concern computational photography.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 21, 2011
    Publication date: May 31, 2012
    Inventors: Geoffrey B. Rhoads, Tony F. Rodriquez, William Y. Conwell
  • Patent number: 8184983
    Abstract: Disclosed are methods, devices, and systems for exchanging information between a first wearable electronic device and one of a second wearable electronic device and an account at a remote computing device associated with a user of the second wearable electronic device. The first wearable electronic device intermittently emits directed electromagnetic radiation comprising a beacon signal, and receives, via a receiver coupled to the first wearable electronic device, a signal from the second wearable electronic device identifying one of the second wearable electronic device and the account at the remote computing device. An input may then be detected at the first wearable electronic device, and in response to receiving the signal and detecting the input, the first wearable device may transmit additional data to one of the second wearable electronic device and the remote computing device associated with the second user.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 9, 2011
    Date of Patent: May 22, 2012
    Assignee: Google Inc.
    Inventors: Harvey Ho, Babak Amirparviz, Luis Ricardo Prada Gomez, Thad Eugene Starner
  • Publication number: 20120093517
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for supporting mobility of VLC (visible light communication) devices in a VLC network. A method includes transmitting data to a VLC device at a first cell. The method also includes searching for a response from the VLC device at a second cell that is adjacent to the first cell. The method further includes receiving the response from the VLC device at the second cell. The method also includes determining a mobility of the VLC device based on a change in communication from the first cell to the second cell.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 22, 2011
    Publication date: April 19, 2012
    Applicant: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Sridhar Rajagopal, Doyoung Kim, Taehan Bae, Jaeseung Son