Patents Examined by Ken Malkowski
  • Patent number: 7312909
    Abstract: In order to synchronize the phases of two RZ data signals (RZS1, RZS2) combined to form a time multiplex signal (MS1), the power of half the fundamental made of the multiplex signal (MS1) is measured and the phase difference is controlled such that its power assumes a minimum.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 19, 2000
    Date of Patent: December 25, 2007
    Assignee: Siemens Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Christoph Glingener, Erich Gottwald
  • Patent number: 7292789
    Abstract: A communications terminal includes a first aperture configured to receive laser signals from ground laser sources, pick-off mirrors configured to receive laser signals from mobile laser sources, an optical assembly configured to receive the laser communications signals from ground laser sources and mobile laser sources, wherein the optical assembly is configured to focus laser signals onto a common focal plane, and laser receivers located at the focal plane configured to receive laser signals from at least one laser source at a time.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 10, 2003
    Date of Patent: November 6, 2007
    Assignee: Lockheed Martin Corporation
    Inventors: Larry H. Capots, Robert Sigler, Kenneth Triebes
  • Patent number: 7277645
    Abstract: A 90 degree Alternate-Phase (AP) on-off keying (OOK) transmission format for high bit rate, long-haul optical transmission systems employing a chirped or a chirp-free pulse stream generated by a pulse generator (e.g., Mach Zehnder modulator) driven by mixing two electrical signals—one for intensity modulation and another for pulse modulation. These electrical signals may be two properly skewed sinusoidal electrical signals at half the desired data rate thereby generating a pulse stream in which the maximum optical phase modulation occurs at the intensity peak of each pulse and is 90 degrees out of phase with its nearest neighbors.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 14, 2002
    Date of Patent: October 2, 2007
    Assignee: Lucent Technologies Inc.
    Inventors: Douglas M Gill, Xiang Liu, Xing Wei
  • Patent number: 7277643
    Abstract: A signal communication apparatus of a clock reproduction system in which clock signals are extracted from each of parallel data signals for redigitizing each of the data signals. The apparatus includes a reference clock signal generating circuit which is comprised of a clock extraction circuit for extracting a clock signal from each of a plurality of bits of received data signals, and a clock signal selection circuit for selecting one of the extracted clock signals. Alternatively, the reference clock signal generating circuit may be comprised of a data signal selection circuit for selecting one of a plurality of received data signals, and a clock extraction circuit for extracting a clock signal from the selected bit. Based on the resultant reference clock signal, clock signals are obtained that are phase-adjusted for redigitizing each bit of the received data signals.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 30, 2003
    Date of Patent: October 2, 2007
    Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventors: Takashige Baba, Tatsuya Saito, Masayoshi Yagyu, Shigeo Oomae
  • Patent number: 7277647
    Abstract: Minimum shift keying (MSK) is used as the coding scheme in a high bit rate optical transmission system, and the signal format is either RZ (return-to-zero) or NRZ (non-return-to-zero). The system can combine multiple individual channels with different wavelengths in a WDM or dense wavelength division multiplexed (DWDM) arrangement. Dispersion management can be provided using several techniques, such as quasi-linear transmissions or conventional RZ transmissions. At the transmitter, an optical MSK transmitter is used to modulate the phase of a stream of high bit rate (e.g., 40 Gbit/s) optical signals. Many such data streams can be combined in a wavelength division multiplexer and transmitted to a remote receiver, where the signal is wavelength division demultiplexed. The encoded data in each wavelength channel is then recovered by an MSK receiver, which may consist of a delay demodulator and a balanced detector.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 14, 2002
    Date of Patent: October 2, 2007
    Assignee: Lucent Technologies Inc.
    Inventors: Douglas M Gill, Xiang Liu, Xing Wei
  • Patent number: 7274878
    Abstract: Dispersion compensation values are set so as to be transmittable to any path groups in a WDM optical communication system having OADM nodes, which includes transmitting-end and receiving-end terminal nodes; a WDM optical communication transmission line including a plurality of spans each having an optical fiber, the plurality of spans joining the transmitting-end and receiving-end terminal nodes; and a plurality of add drop multiplexing (OADM) nodes disposed on the optical communication transmission line; wherein when taking as the reference a residual dispersion target value of between the transmitting-end terminal and receiving-end terminal nodes, a residual dispersion target value for a node segment between one of the terminal nodes and one of the add drop multiplexing (OADM) nodes and a residual dispersion target value for a node-to-node segment between two of the add drop multiplexing (OADM) nodes are set so as to be proportional to ratios of the span counts in the node segment and in the node-to-node se
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 2, 2003
    Date of Patent: September 25, 2007
    Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
    Inventors: Motoyoshi Sekiya, Kazuo Yamane, Ryosuke Goto, Satoru Okano, Takehito Okeno
  • Patent number: 7254344
    Abstract: A passive optical network includes a central office and a subscriber-side apparatus connected with the central office through an optical fiber link. The subscriber-side apparatus performs communication with the central office based on wavelength-division-multiplexed optical signals. The central office has a routing section, provided with first to fourth multiplexing ports, for demultiplexing multi-wavelength light inputted from the fourth multiplexing port into a plurality of channels. Each of the demultiplexed channels is amplified and multiplexed for output through the first multiplexing port. Optical signals inputted through the third multiplexing port are demultiplexed and outputted upstream. The routing section also multiplexes channels for downstream optical signals, outputting the multiplexed channels through the second port. A splitting section, provided with first to third splitting ports and arranged on a loop optical waveguide connects the first and fourth multiplexing port with each other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 1, 2003
    Date of Patent: August 7, 2007
    Assignee: Samsung Electronnics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Jong-Kwon Kim, Seong-Taek Hwang, Yun-Je Oh
  • Patent number: 7242871
    Abstract: An optical receiver, for use for instance in an analog optical communications system such as a return path in cable television, operates over a wide range of input power to its photodetector. This is accomplished by providing in the optical receiver a series of RF amplifier stages where at least one of the stages includes a fixed attenuator and a parallel amplifier with switches suitably connected so that, at any one time, only one of the fixed attenuator or the amplifier is in the signal path. The switches are controlled so that the dynamic range of the optical receiver is improved in order to make gain reduction more accurate. Hence by redirecting the RF signal path to either the attenuator or amplifier of the amplifier stage, excessive noise and distortion by the amplifier stage are eliminated or reduced.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 29, 2003
    Date of Patent: July 10, 2007
    Assignee: Harmonic Inc.
    Inventors: Wei Huang, Yuriy Shkelev
  • Patent number: 7239814
    Abstract: A first peak hold circuit holds a peak potential of a positive phase voltage signal output from a differential output amplifier, and a second peak hold circuit holds a peak potential of a negative phase voltage signal output from the differential output amplifier. An adding circuit adds an output signal of the first peak hold circuit and an output signal of the second peak hold circuit. A differential input amplifier amplifies and outputs a voltage difference between a reference voltage and an addition result voltage signal of the adding circuit. A current output circuit outputs a DC current based on an output voltage of the differential input amplifier. A current switch circuit converts a DC current to a pulse current so as to supply the pulse current to a laser diode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 9, 2004
    Date of Patent: July 3, 2007
    Assignee: Oki Electric Industry Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Tokio Miyasita
  • Patent number: 7239811
    Abstract: An optical-axis directional indicating apparatus for optical communication includes a photoreceptor having a light-receiving surface and a plurality of optical receiving elements arranged on the surface in a first direction and a second direction orthogonal to the first direction, to receive a transmitted light beam, a detector to detect levels of the light beam received at the optical receiving elements, a plurality of display elements arranged in the first and second directions so as to correspond to the optical receiving elements of the photoreceptor, and a switch circuit to selectively turn on or off the display elements in accordance with the levels of the light beam detected by the detector, to indicate whether or not an optical axis of the light beam is deviated in the first and/or the second direction on the light-receiving surface of the photoreceptor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 9, 2004
    Date of Patent: July 3, 2007
    Assignee: Victor Company of Japan, Ltd.
    Inventors: Kiriko Yamada, Takayoshi Sasao, Junichi Kubota
  • Patent number: 7231152
    Abstract: Disclosed is an infrared remote control receiver comprising a photo diode for converting an optical signal to an electrical signal, a semiconductor signal processing device for receiving the electrical from the photo diode, eliminating noise components from the electrical signal output from the photo diode and generating a pulse signal corresponding to a remote control signal transmitted from a remote control transmission device, and a micro computer for receiving the pulse signal from the semiconductor signal processing device and performing a remote control operation instructed by a user of the remote control transmission device by decoding the received pulse signal, wherein the semiconductor signal processing device is fabricated using CMOS devices fabrication processes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 1, 2003
    Date of Patent: June 12, 2007
    Assignee: Silicon Communications Technology Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Suk Ki Kim, Joon Jea Sung, Geun Soon Kang
  • Patent number: 7215888
    Abstract: A system and method of varying the control loop gain of an optical wireless communication link between a transmitting station and a receiving station as an inverse function of distance between the transmitting station and the receiving station to allow the optical wireless communication link to be used reliably over a wide range of distances.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 21, 2002
    Date of Patent: May 8, 2007
    Assignee: Texas Instruments Incorporated
    Inventors: Eric G. Oettinger, Mark D. Heminger, Mark D. Hagen
  • Patent number: 7209668
    Abstract: The data transmission apparatus for performing data communication based on optical transmission includes a transmitting unit for converting and sending electric communication data, which is to be transmitted, into optical communication data, and a photoelectric conversion circuit for receiving the optical communication data and converting the received optical communication data into electric communication data, wherein the photoelectric conversion circuit includes a photodiode for generating a current based on the optical communication data, and a variable current supply for subtracting a predetermined current from the current generated by the photodiode. In addition, a bias current of a laser diode of each transmitting unit is set to a current larger than a laser oscillation threshold current so as to reduce the deviation of a light emission delay time of each laser diode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 8, 2004
    Date of Patent: April 24, 2007
    Assignee: Advantest Corporation
    Inventors: Atsushi Ono, Toshiyuki Okayasu
  • Patent number: 7206516
    Abstract: The invention pertains to optical fiber transmission systems, and is particularly relevant to transmission of large volumes of data over long distances at high rates. An improved apparatus and method for measuring dispersion in a fiber span is disclosed. In particular, the invention teaches a highly accurate technique for measuring the fiber dispersion at a single wavelength. Transmitter and receiver structure and data processing algorithms are disclosed. An improved apparatus and method for measuring dispersion in a fiber span. In particular, the invention teaches a highly accurate technique for measuring the fiber dispersion at a single wavelength. Transmitter and receiver structure and data processing algorithms are disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 30, 2003
    Date of Patent: April 17, 2007
    Assignee: Pivotal Decisions LLC
    Inventor: Michael H. Eiselt
  • Patent number: 7206521
    Abstract: In an optical receiver having a pre-amplifier for converting a current signal outputted from an optical detector to a voltage signal, a signal level detecting device is provided to provide an LOS (loss of signal) signal and a reset signal from the output of the pre-amplifier. The signal level detecting device comprising: a capacitor for receiving the output from the pre-amplifier; first and second transistors each consisting of an emitter and a collector connected to the output of the pre-amplifier and a base connected to the collector; a third transistor having a collector connected to the collector of the first transistor and an emitter connected to the collector of the second transistor; and, a common emitter circuit with a pair of resistors connected, respectively, to the emitter and collector of the third transistor and capable of detecting the level of a signal inputted from the collector of the third transistor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 3, 2003
    Date of Patent: April 17, 2007
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Hee-Chan Doh, Gil-Yong Park, Shin-Hee Won, Yun-Je Oh, Tae-Sung Park, Hyeon-Cheol Ki
  • Patent number: 7200342
    Abstract: A direct-sequence-spread-spectrum (DSSS) optical-frequency-shift-keying (OFSK) code-division-multiple-access (CDMA) communication system is adapted with optical transmitters and receivers for preferred use fiber optical communication systems where modulated data and pseudorandom noise (PRN) codes are encoded in the optical domain and communicated over optical paths for increasing system capacity in wide area optical networks.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 6, 2002
    Date of Patent: April 3, 2007
    Assignee: The Aerospace Corporation
    Inventor: Philip A. Dafesh
  • Patent number: 7158727
    Abstract: The present invention provides a robust solution to the task of re-aligning data at the transmit end of a fiber optic or other high performance serial link, and also offers flexibility in the circuit board design approach. A high performance analog phase locked-loop circuit is used to simultaneously provide clock recovery for multiple bit streams. The power dissipation required to perform clock recovery is thereby reduced to a fraction of that required in conventional transmit systems. This analog phase locked loop produces plural phase output signals. An output multiplexer selects one phase for use in electrical to optical conversion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 27, 2002
    Date of Patent: January 2, 2007
    Assignee: Texas Instruments Incorporated
    Inventors: Vijay Kumar Pathak, Bharadwaj Parthasarathy, Srinath Devalapalli
  • Patent number: 7116454
    Abstract: A method for determining signal quality in optical transmission systems, wherein the effective signal-to-noise ratio is determined by measuring amplitude histograms of a signal and by calculating characteristic histogram moments and additional interference is ascertained by comparing the characteristic histogram moments with the optical signal-to-noise ratio.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 11, 2002
    Date of Patent: October 3, 2006
    Assignee: Siemens Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Joerg Peter Elbers, Christoph Glingener, Andreas Faerbert, Christian Scheerer
  • Patent number: 7068945
    Abstract: A method includes taking backscattering light of a first wavelength in a first direction of a first transmission line and coupling the same so that the light may travel in a second direction of a second transmission line; taking a second wavelength in the first direction of the first transmission line and coupling the same so that the second wavelength may travel in the first direction of the second transmission line; taking backscattering light of the first wavelength in the second direction of the second transmission line and coupling the same so that the backscattering light may travel in the first direction of the first transmission line; taking the second wavelength in the second direction of the second transmission line and coupling the same so that the second wavelength may travel in the second direction of the first transmission line.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 25, 2005
    Date of Patent: June 27, 2006
    Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
    Inventors: Hiroshi Ogiwara, Kenji Ota
  • Patent number: 7027737
    Abstract: In a method and an arrangement for transmitting data from a rotary part to a stationary part of a system, a light-transmitting channel is formed by an optically reflecting half channel in the stationary part and an optically reflecting half channel in the rotary part, facing each other, with each half channel having a parabolic cross-section and with the half channels being oriented so that the respective focal points and the respective vertices of the two half channels are co-linear. A light emitter is supplied with data to be transmitted and is disposed in the wall of the half channel in the rotary part, and emits modulated light representing the data into the light channel in two opposite directions. At least one of these light beams is detected by a light detector disposed in the wall of the half channel in the stationary part, and the data in the detected beam is then made available for transmission from the stationary part.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 26, 2002
    Date of Patent: April 11, 2006
    Assignee: Siemens Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Stefan Popescu, Wolf-Ekkehard Blanz