Abstract: Phased array antenna system operated from a remote location. Operations at a radio hub location involve generating an RF signal and modulating with the RF signal a continuous wave optical carrier to produce a transmit modulated optical carrier (TMOC). Electronic control signal digital data is also generated at the radio hub to control an antenna beam pattern of an array antenna. The control signal digital data is used to modulate an optical carrier for generating a control signal modulated optical carrier (CSMOC). Both the TMOC and CSMOC are coupled to an optical fiber for communication to an antenna site remote from the radio hub location. At the antenna site, the CSMOC and TMOC are processed to recover the electronic control signal digital data and a plurality of transmit element level modulated RF (ELMRF) signals which are applied to array antenna elements.

Abstract: Active optical cable (AOC) includes at least one optical fiber constituting a signal transmission medium and a plurality of optical data transceivers disposed at separate connector ends of the AOC assembly. The AOC includes a common laser source in a common laser hub (CLH) providing a source optical signal to the optical data transceivers. The optical data transceivers modulate the source optical signal to form modulated optical data signals. In some scenarios described herein, the CLH is disposed at an intermediate location along a length of the AOC between the separate connector ends of the AOC. Further, a central processor can be provided in the CLH to facilitate consolidated data processing operations for the plurality of optical data transceivers.

Abstract: Method for discovering the presence of a communication node which seeks participation in a radio communication network. The method involves receiving with a first directional antenna a first signal from a late entrant node (LEN) concurrent with a radio network communication session (RNCS). Digital data processing gain is applied to the first signal to facilitate detection of a digital data sequence. A time difference of arrival (TDOA) analysis is performed if the digital data sequence transmitted from the late entrant node is also detected in a second signal contemporaneously received at a second directional antenna. The TDOA analysis is used to estimate at least one beam-steering vector.

Abstract: An RF transmit signal is modulated onto an optical carrier to form a transmit modulated optical carrier (TMOC). The TMOC is split into N transmit modulated optical subcarriers (TMOS). Each TMOS is respectively processed in one of N transmit optical channels (TOCs). In each TOC, RF antenna beam steering operations are performed by optical tuning the TMOS to selectively control a phase difference between the optical carrier and the optical sideband. A different selected phase difference can be applied in each TOC. The TMOS from each of the N TOCs is then processed to obtain N RF signals for driving an antenna array. In the receive direction, M received RF signals from M antenna elements are modulated respectively onto M optical subcarriers to form M receive modulated optical subcarriers (RMOS). RF antenna beam steering operations are performed by optical tuning the RMOS.

Abstract: Delivering a radio frequency (RF) signal to a remote phased array antenna system involves using an optical modulator at an RF source location to modulate a high power optical carrier signal with a source RF signal SRF so as to produce a high power transmit modulated optical carrier (TMOC) signal. An optical link communicates the high power TMOC signal to a remote antenna location, where the high power TMOC is split into N optical paths to obtain N reduced power TMOC signals. In each of the N optical paths, photodetection operations are performed upon the reduced power TMOC signal to obtain N reduced power S?RF signals which are then constructively combined to obtain a high power S?RF signal which is communicated to at least one antenna element.

Abstract: Extending a communication distance range of an electronic data interface involves establishing a data communicating link between a first and second electronic device in accordance which communicate in accordance with a predetermined electronic interface standard (PEIS). An optical fiber bus extender embedment (FBEE) disposed intermediate of the first and second electronic device includes first and second transport modules, respectively disposed proximate to the first and second electronic devices. These transport modules interface the FBEE directly with both of the first and second electronic device in accordance with the PEIS. Electronic data signals received from the first electronic device are used to modulate a first optical signal so as to form a first modulated optical data signal (MODS). The first MODS is coupled to an optical fiber to communicate the first MODS to the second transport module.

Abstract: Automatically configuring a pluggable optical transceiver (POT) in a software defined network (SDN) involves a pluggable optical transceiver configuration management application (POT-CMA) executing in a processing device disposed in an application plane of the SDN. The POT-CMA receives first configuration information of a POT which has been inserted into a network device in an SDN data plane. Responsive to receiving the data, the POT-CMA automatically determines at least one modification or addition to the first configuration information to facilitate use of the POT within the SDN in the first port of the first network device. Thereafter, the POT CMA causes at least one write event to occur at the first network device wherein the at least one modification or addition is written to a memory in the POT.

Abstract: Feeding a plurality of antenna elements of an array antenna, involves receiving at a photonic substrate at least one transmit modulated optical carrier (TMOC) signal. The TMOC signal is communicated to an array level photonic integrated circuit (ALPIC) disposed on the photonic substrate where one or more optical processing operations are performed involving the TMOC signal to obtain a plurality of element-level optical carrier (ELOC) signals. These ELOC signals are communicated from the ALPIC to a plurality of conversion locations distributed on the photonic substrate. Photodetectors respectively provided at the conversion locations convert each of the ELOC signals to an element-level modulated radio frequency (ELMRF) signal. The ELMRF signal are coupled from each photodetector respectively to one of the plurality of antenna elements.