Patents by Inventor CHRISTOPHER A. ARCHER
CHRISTOPHER A. ARCHER has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).
-
Patent number: 11601197Abstract: An optical communications system includes a modulator/demodulator (modem) to transmit outgoing communications data and to receive incoming communications data in a transceiver. A main detector is coupled to the modem to convert an optical signal representing the incoming communications data to an electrical signal for the modem. An adaptive data rate processor monitors the electrical signal from the main detector to determine a current power level for the optical signal. The adaptive data rate processor dynamically adjusts a data rate of the modem based on the determined current power level of the optical signal.Type: GrantFiled: October 8, 2020Date of Patent: March 7, 2023Assignee: NORTHROP GRUMMAN SYSTEMS CORPORATIONInventors: John Featherston, Christopher A. Archer, James M. Cicchiello
-
Publication number: 20210028861Abstract: An optical communications system includes a modulator/demodulator (modem) to transmit outgoing communications data and to receive incoming communications data in a transceiver. A main detector is coupled to the modem to convert an optical signal representing the incoming communications data to an electrical signal for the modem. An adaptive data rate processor monitors the electrical signal from the main detector to determine a current power level for the optical signal. The adaptive data rate processor dynamically adjusts a data rate of the modem based on the determined current power level of the optical signal.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 8, 2020Publication date: January 28, 2021Applicant: NORTHROP GRUMMAN SYSTEMS CORPORATIONInventors: JOHN FEATHERSTON, CHRISTOPHER A. ARCHER, JAMES M. CICCHIELLO
-
Patent number: 10848241Abstract: An optical communications system includes a modulator/demodulator (modem) to transmit outgoing communications data and to receive incoming communications data in a transceiver. A main detector is coupled to the modem to convert an optical signal representing the incoming communications data to an electrical signal for the modem. An adaptive data rate processor monitors the electrical signal from the main detector to determine a current power level for the optical signal. The adaptive data rate processor dynamically adjusts a data rate of the modem based on the determined current power level of the optical signal.Type: GrantFiled: June 28, 2018Date of Patent: November 24, 2020Assignee: NORTHROP GRUMMAN SYSTEMS CORPORATIONInventors: John Featherston, Christopher A. Archer, James M. Cicchiello
-
Patent number: 10236995Abstract: A system includes a detector array having a plurality of level detectors to monitor an optical input signal. Each level detector of the detector array operates in a different operating range, and each operating range for each level detector has a different saturation level and a different cutoff level based on a power level of the optical input signal. A controller monitors the plurality of level detectors of the detector array to detect a present power level for the optical input signal by selecting the operating range that is associated with the level detector operating between its saturation level and its cutoff level.Type: GrantFiled: November 1, 2016Date of Patent: March 19, 2019Assignee: NORTHROP GRUMMAN SYSTEMS CORPORATIONInventors: John Featherston, James M. Cicchiello, Curtis J. Harkrider, Christopher A. Archer, Frederick D. Bean
-
Publication number: 20180323870Abstract: An optical communications system includes a modulator/demodulator (modem) to transmit outgoing communications data and to receive incoming communications data in a transceiver. A main detector is coupled to the modem to convert an optical signal representing the incoming communications data to an electrical signal for the modem. An adaptive data rate processor monitors the electrical signal from the main detector to determine a current power level for the optical signal. The adaptive data rate processor dynamically adjusts a data rate of the modem based on the determined current power level of the optical signal.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 28, 2018Publication date: November 8, 2018Applicant: NORTHROP GRUMMAN SYSTEMS CORPORATIONInventors: JOHN FEATHERSTON, CHRISTOPHER A. ARCHER, JAMES M. CICCHIELLO
-
Patent number: 10038497Abstract: An optical communications system includes a modulator/demodulator (modem) to transmit outgoing communications data and to receive incoming communications data in a transceiver. A main detector is coupled to the modem to convert an optical signal representing the incoming communications data to an electrical signal for the modem. An adaptive data rate processor monitors the electrical signal from the main detector to determine a current power level for the optical signal. The adaptive data rate processor dynamically adjusts a data rate of the modem based on the determined current power level of the optical signal.Type: GrantFiled: December 18, 2013Date of Patent: July 31, 2018Assignee: Northrup Grumman Systems CorporationInventors: John Featherston, Christopher A. Archer, James M. Cicchiello
-
Publication number: 20170048003Abstract: A system includes a detector array having a plurality of level detectors to monitor an optical input signal. Each level detector of the detector array operates in a different operating range, and each operating range for each level detector has a different saturation level and a different cutoff level based on a power level of the optical input signal. A controller monitors the plurality of level detectors of the detector array to detect a present power level for the optical input signal by selecting the operating range that is associated with the level detector operating between its saturation level and its cutoff level.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 1, 2016Publication date: February 16, 2017Applicant: NORTHROP GRUMMAN SYSTEMS CORPORATIONInventors: JOHN FEATHERSTON, JAMES M. CICCHIELLO, CURTIS J. HARKRIDER, CHRISTOPHER A. ARCHER, FREDERICK D. BEAN
-
Patent number: 9537580Abstract: A system includes a detector array having a plurality of level detectors to monitor an optical input signal. Each level detector of the detector array operates in a different operating range, and each operating range for each level detector has a different saturation level and a different cutoff level based on a power level of the optical input signal. A controller monitors the plurality of level detectors of the detector array to detect a present power level for the optical input signal by selecting the operating range that is associated with the level detector operating between its saturation level and its cutoff level.Type: GrantFiled: December 18, 2013Date of Patent: January 3, 2017Assignee: Northrop Grumman Systems CorporationInventors: John Featherston, James M. Cicchiello, Curtis J. Harkrider, Christopher A. Archer, Frederick D. Bean
-
Patent number: 9503183Abstract: A free-space optical (FSO) transceiver can include a link predictor configured to estimate conditions for an FSO link over a window of time in the future. The FSO transceiver can also include a scheduler configured to assign outgoing packets to blocks of time in the window of time based on quality of service (QoS) parameters of each of the outgoing packets and on conditions in each block of time in the window of time.Type: GrantFiled: December 18, 2013Date of Patent: November 22, 2016Assignee: Northrop Grumman Systems CorporationInventors: John Featherston, Christopher A. Archer, James M. Cicchiello, Frederick D. Bean
-
Patent number: 9231697Abstract: A free-space optical (FSO) transceiver can include a transmission protocol configured to encapsulate outgoing network packets in by employing a reliable ordered protocol that relies on retransmission of lost data to form outgoing encapsulated packets. The transmission protocol controller can be configured to employ a congestion algorithm that optimizes throughput over a lossy link. The FSO transceiver can also include a transmitter configured to provide an output optical signal corresponding to the outgoing encapsulated packets over an FSO link.Type: GrantFiled: December 18, 2013Date of Patent: January 5, 2016Assignee: Northrop Grumman Systems CorporationInventors: Christopher A. Archer, James M. Cicchiello, John Featherston, Frederick D. Bean
-
Publication number: 20150171962Abstract: A free-space optical (FSO) transceiver can include a transmission protocol configured to encapsulate outgoing network packets in by employing a reliable ordered protocol that relies on retransmission of lost data to form outgoing encapsulated packets. The transmission protocol controller can be configured to employ a congestion algorithm that optimizes throughput over a lossy link. The FSO transceiver can also include a transmitter configured to provide an output optical signal corresponding to the outgoing encapsulated packets over an FSO link.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 18, 2013Publication date: June 18, 2015Applicant: NORTHROP GRUMMAN SYSTEMS CORPORATIONInventors: CHRISTOPHER A. ARCHER, James M. Cicchiello, John Featherston, Frederick D. Bean
-
Publication number: 20150171968Abstract: A free-space optical (FSO) transceiver can include a link predictor configured to estimate conditions for an FSO link over a window of time in the future. The FSO transceiver can also include a scheduler configured to assign outgoing packets to blocks of time in the window of time based on quality of service (QoS) parameters of each of the outgoing packets and on conditions in each block of time in the window of time.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 18, 2013Publication date: June 18, 2015Inventors: JOHN FEATHERSTON, Christopher A. Archer, James M. Cicchiello, Frederick D. Bean
-
Publication number: 20150171961Abstract: An optical communications system includes a modulator/demodulator (modem) to transmit outgoing communications data and to receive incoming communications data in a transceiver. A main detector is coupled to the modem to convert an optical signal representing the incoming communications data to an electrical signal for the modem. An adaptive data rate processor monitors the electrical signal from the main detector to determine a current power level for the optical signal. The adaptive data rate processor dynamically adjusts a data rate of the modem based on the determined current power level of the optical signal.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 18, 2013Publication date: June 18, 2015Applicant: NORTHROP GRUMMAN SYSTEMS CORPORATIONInventors: JOHN FEATHERSTON, CHRISTOPHER A. ARCHER, JAMES M. CICCHIELLO
-
Publication number: 20150171957Abstract: A system includes a detector array having a plurality of level detectors to monitor an optical input signal. Each level detector of the detector array operates in a different operating range, and each operating range for each level detector has a different saturation level and a different cutoff level based on a power level of the optical input signal. A controller monitors the plurality of level detectors of the detector array to detect a present power level for the optical input signal by selecting the operating range that is associated with the level detector operating between its saturation level and its cutoff level.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 18, 2013Publication date: June 18, 2015Applicant: NORTHROP GRUMMAN SYSTEMS CORPORATIONInventors: JOHN FEATHERSTON, JAMES M. CICCHIELLO, CURTIS J. HARKRIDER, CHRISTOPHER A. ARCHER, FREDERICK D. BEAN