Communication apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9939665-B2
Application number	US-201615337242-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 28, 2016
Priority date	Oct 29, 2015
Publication date	Apr 10, 2018
Grant date	Apr 10, 2018

Abstract

A communication apparatus includes an optical fiber along which radiation can be transmitted; an optical fiber grating formed within the optical fiber, the optical fiber grating having a structure, and configured to reflect radiation at a particular wavelength; and an instrument coupled to the grating and configured to controllably modify the structure of the grating, thereby changing the wavelength at which the grating reflects radiation. A communication system including the communication apparatus is also described, along with a method of communicating a signal.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A communication apparatus, comprising:
an optical fiber along which radiation can be transmitted;
an optical fiber grating formed within the optical fiber, the optical fiber grating having a structure, and being configured to reflect radiation at a particular wavelength; and
an instrument coupled to the grating and configured to receive a data signal and controllably modify the structure of the grating in response to the received data signal, thereby changing the particular wavelength at which the grating reflects radiation, to encode a signal in the radiation at the particular wavelength in response to the received data signal.

2. The communication apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising a receiver configured to detect the radiation at the particular wavelength reflected by the optical fiber grating and interpret the encoded signal in the radiation at the particular wavelength reflected by the optical fiber grating.

3. The communication apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising a receiver configured to detect the radiation at the particular wavelength transmitted through the optical fiber grating and interpret the encoded signal in the radiation at the particular wavelength transmitted through the optical fiber grating.

4. The communication apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the instrument is configured to controllably modulate the structure of the grating to modulate the wavelength at which the grating reflects radiation so that the encoded signal is generated.

5. The communication apparatus according claim 1 , wherein the apparatus forms a node in an optical fiber network.

6. The communication apparatus according to claim 5 , wherein the node further includes at least one of: a tilted optical fiber grating and a long-period optical fiber grating, configured to direct radiation out of the optical fiber.

7. The communication apparatus according to claim 6 , wherein the node further comprises a receiving module configured to detect radiation directed out of the optical fiber and interpret a communication signal in the radiation directed out of the optical fiber.

8. The communication apparatus according to claim 7 , wherein the data signal received by the instrument is the communication signal.

9. The communication apparatus according to claim 8 , wherein the communication signal is at a different wavelength and/or wavelength band from the encoded signal.

10. The communication apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the instrument comprises a mechanical instrument configured to controllably apply a strain to the optical fiber grating.

11. The communication apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the optical fiber housing the optical fiber grating includes a magneto-restrictive coating, and the instrument is configured to generate a controllable magnetic field capable of interacting with the coating, to thereby modifying the structure of the grating.

12. The communication apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the instrument comprises a coil coupled to the optical fiber grating, the coil configured to induce a strain in the grating in response to a current applied to the coil.

13. The communication apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the instrument comprises an instrument configured to controllably apply a pressure to the optical fiber grating.

14. The communication apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the instrument comprises an instrument configured to controllably apply a vibration to the optical fiber grating.

15. The communication apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the instrument comprises an instrument configured to controllably vary the temperature of the optical fiber grating and/or the optical fiber housing the grating.

16. The communication apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein controllably modifying the structure of the grating comprises controllably modifying the grating spacing of the optical fiber grating.

17. The communication apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the optical fiber grating comprises a fiber Bragg grating.

18. The communication apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the apparatus is installed in a vehicle.

19. The communication apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the apparatus is installed in an aircraft.

20. A communication system, comprising:
an apparatus according to any claim 1 ; and
a light source for generating radiation to be transmitted along the optical fiber.

21. The communication system according to claim 20 , wherein the light source is a swept-wavelength laser, or is configured to generate broadband radiation.

22. A method of communicating a signal via an optical fiber, the method comprising:
providing an optical fiber having a first optical fiber grating formed therein, the first optical fiber grating having a structure, and being configured to reflect radiation at a particular wavelength;
receiving a data signal,
operating an instrument coupled to the grating to manipulate the structure of the grating in response to the received data signal, to thereby change the wavelength at which the first grating reflects radiation, to encode a signal in the radiation at the particular wavelength in response to the received data signal.

23. The method according to claim 22 , further comprising:
operating a light source to transmit radiation along the optical fiber towards the first optical fiber grating; and
receiving, at a receiver, radiation at the particular wavelength reflected by the first optical fiber grating.

24. The method according to claim 23 , further comprising interpreting a signal received at the receiver from the first optical fiber grating, based on the wavelength of the radiation reflected by the grating.

25. The method according to claim 23 , further comprising interpreting a signal received at the receiver from the first optical fiber grating, based on the wavelength of the radiation transmitted through the first optical fiber grating.

26. The method according to claim 22 , further comprising operating the instrument to controllably modulate the structure of the grating to modulate the wavelength at which the grating reflects radiation so that the encoded signal is generated.

27. The method according to claim 22 , further comprising:
operating a light source to transmit radiation along the optical fiber towards the first optical fiber grating; and
receiving, at a receiver, radiation at the particular wavelength transmitted through the first optical fiber grating.

28. The method according to claim 22 , further comprising:
receiving, at a second optical fiber grating, a data signal transmitted via the optical fiber;
wherein the manipulation of the structure of the first optical fiber grating is done in response to the receipt of said data signal.

29. The method according to claim 22 , further comprising receiving, at a second optical fiber grating, a data signal transmitted via the optical fiber;
wherein the data signal is received at the second optical fiber grating in response to the manipulation of the structure of the first optical fiber grating.

30. The method according to claim 22 , wherein the optical fiber grating comprises a fiber Bragg grating.

Assignees

• Airbus Operations Ltd

Inventors

• Barad Kayvon
• Wood Chris
• Cipullo Alessio

Classifications

• G02B6/4214

  the intermediate optical element having redirecting reflective means, e.g. mirrors, prisms for deflecting the radiation from horizontal to down- or upward direction toward a device (G02B6/4246 takes precedence) · CPC title

• G02B6/022 Primary

  using mechanical stress, e.g. tuning by compression or elongation, special geometrical shapes such as "dog-bone" or taper (G02B6/02204 takes precedence; optical modulation using photo-elastic effect G02F1/0131) · CPC title

• G02B6/29383

  Adding and dropping · CPC title

• G02F1/0147

  based on thermo-optic effects (G02F1/132 takes precedence) · CPC title

• G02B6/02076

  Refractive index modulation gratings, e.g. Bragg gratings · CPC title