Radio frequency communications using laser optical breakdowns

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12401425-B2
Application number	US-202218067516-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 16, 2022
Priority date	Dec 16, 2022
Publication date	Aug 26, 2025
Grant date	Aug 26, 2025

Abstract

A method, apparatus, and system for transmitting data. A radio frequency communications system comprising a computer system and a communications manager in the computer system. The communications manager is configured to identify data for transmission using radio frequency noise signals or other electromagnetic spectrum. The communications manager is configured to control an emission of laser beams at a set of optical breakdown points to cause optical breakdowns that generate radio frequency noise signals encoding the data.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A radio frequency communications system comprising:
a computer system;
a communications manager in the computer system, wherein the communications manager is configured to:
identify data for transmission using radio frequency noise signals; and
control an emission of a set of laser beams at a set of optical breakdown points to cause optical breakdowns that generate the radio frequency noise signals encoding the data,
wherein in controlling the emission of the set of laser beams, the communications manager is configured to:
emit the set of laser beams from different locations at an optical breakdown point, wherein a portion of the set of laser beams intersect at the optical breakdown point such that a power from the portion of the set of laser beams is sufficient to cause the optical breakdowns at the optical breakdown point that generate the radio frequency noise signals encoding the data.

2. The radio frequency communications system of claim 1 further comprising:
a laser generation system in communication with the communications manager, wherein the communications manager controls the laser generation system to emit the set of laser beams.

3. The radio frequency communications system of claim 1 , wherein in controlling the emission of the set of laser beams, the communications manager is configured to:
emit a first number of the set of laser beams continuously at the set of optical breakdown points; and
pulse a second number of the set of laser beams at the set of optical breakdown points to cause the optical breakdowns that generate the radio frequency noise signals encoding the data.

4. The radio frequency communications system of claim 3 , wherein the set of laser beams are emitted from different locations.

5. The radio frequency communications system of claim 1 , wherein in controlling the emission of the set of laser beams, the communications manager is configured to:
emit the set of laser beams at the set of optical breakdown points causing the optical breakdowns that generate the radio frequency noise signals encoding the data.

6. The radio frequency communications system of claim 5 , wherein in emitting the laser beams at the set of optical breakdown points, the communications manager is configured to:
emit the set of laser beams at a selected optical breakdown point in the set of optical breakdown points;
select a new optical breakdown point in the set of optical breakdown points as the selected optical breakdown point; and
repeat the emitting the set of laser beams and selecting the new optical breakdown point while generating the radio frequency noise signals encoding the data.

7. The radio frequency communications system of claim 1 , wherein in controlling the emission of the set of laser beams, the communications manager is configured to:
emit a subset of the set of laser beams at the set of optical breakdown points to cause the optical breakdowns that generate the radio frequency noise signals encoding the data;
select a new subset of the set of laser beams as the subset of the set of laser beams; and
repeat emitting of the subset of laser beams and selecting the new subset of the set of laser beams while transmitting the radio frequency noise signals encoding the data.

8. The radio frequency communications system of claim 6 , wherein the set of laser beams are emitted from different locations.

9. The radio frequency communications system of claim 1 , wherein in controlling the emission of the set of laser beams, the communications manager is configured to:
emit the set of laser beams at an optical breakdown point, wherein the optical breakdowns occur in response to all of the set of laser beams intersecting at the optical breakdown point.

10. The radio frequency communications system of claim 1 , wherein a power of a laser beam at an optical breakdown point is controlled by at least one of a shutter, a lens, a deformable lens, a microelectromechanical systems mirror, an attenuator, a controlling optics, an optical filter, or an amplitude modulator in a laser beam generator.

11. The radio frequency communications system of claim 1 , wherein the communications manager is configured to:
change a set of laser beam parameters for the set of laser beams to encode the data into the radio frequency noise signals, wherein changing the set of laser beam parameters changes a set of radio frequency characteristics for the radio frequency noise signals.

12. The radio frequency communications system of claim 11 , wherein the set of radio frequency characteristics for the radio frequency noise signals is selected from at least one of a timing, an optical breakdown point, or an amplitude of the radio frequency noise signals.

13. The radio frequency communications system of claim 1 , wherein the set of optical breakdown points is selected from at least one of an intersection point or a focal point.

14. A radio frequency communications system comprising:
a laser generation system configured to emit a set of laser beams;
a computer system; and
a communications manager in the computer system, wherein the communications manager is configured to:

identify data for transmission; and
control an emission of the set of laser beams using the laser generation system to cause optical breakdowns generating radio frequency noise signals encoding the data,
wherein in controlling the emission of the set of laser beams, the communications manager is configured to:
emit the set of laser beams at the set of optical breakdown points causing the optical breakdowns that generate the radio frequency noise signals encoding the data, and

wherein in emitting the laser beams at the set of optical breakdown points, the communications manager is configured to:
emit the set of laser beams at a selected optical breakdown point in the set of optical breakdown points;
select a new optical breakdown point in the set of optical breakdown points as the selected optical breakdown point; and
repeat the emitting the set of laser beams and selecting the new optical breakdown point while generating the radio frequency noise signals encoding the data.

15. A method for transmitting data, the method comprising:
identifying the data for transmission; and
controlling an emission of a set of laser beams to cause optical breakdowns generating radio frequency noise signals encoding the data,
wherein controlling the emission of the laser beams comprises:
emitting a subset of the laser beams at the set of optical breakdown points to cause the optical breakdowns that generate the radio frequency noise signals encoding the data;
selecting a new subset of the laser beams as the subset of the laser beams; and

repeating the emitting the subset of the laser beams and selecting the new subset of the laser beams while transmitting the radio frequency noise signals encoding the data.

16. The method of claim 15 , wherein controlling the emission of the set of laser beams comprises:
controlling a power of a laser beam in the set of laser beams to reach an optical breakdown level at a focal point to cause the optical breakdowns that generate the radio frequency noise signals encoding the data.

17. The method of claim 15 , wherein controlling an emission of the set of laser beams comprises:
controlling emission of the set of laser beams to intersect an intersection point such that a power of the set of the laser beams at the intersection point causes the optical breakdowns that generate the radio frequency noise signals encoding the data.

Assignees

• Boeing Co

Inventors

• Howe Wayne R
• Hunt Jeffrey H

Classifications

• H04B2210/006

  Devices for generating or processing an RF signal by optical means · CPC title

• H04B10/541

  Digital intensity or amplitude modulation · CPC title

• H04B10/11

  Arrangements specific to free-space transmission, i.e. transmission through air or vacuum · CPC title

• H04B10/503 Primary

  Laser transmitters · CPC title

• H05H1/46

  using applied electromagnetic fields, e.g. high frequency or microwave energy (H05H1/26 takes precedence) · CPC title