Free-space optical communication dual-fiber ferrule

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9971095-B2
Application number	US-201514959068-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 4, 2015
Priority date	Feb 25, 2014
Publication date	May 15, 2018
Grant date	May 15, 2018

Abstract

An optical communication terminal is configured to operate in two different complementary modes of full duplex communication. In one mode, the terminal transmits light having a first wavelength and receives light having a second wavelength along a common free space optical path. In the other mode, the terminal transmits light having the second wavelength and receives light having the first wavelength. The terminal includes a steering mirror that directs light to and from a dichroic element that creates different optical paths depending on wavelength, and also includes spatially separated emitters and detectors for the two wavelengths. A first complementary emitter/detector pair is used in one mode, and a second pair is used for the other mode. The system also includes at least two ferrules. Each ferrule operates with a single emitter/detector pair. The ferrules are designed to operate interchangeably with either emitter/detector pair.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An optical communication terminal comprising:
a beam splitter configured to transmit light of a first wavelength and reflect light of a second wavelength;
at least two ferrules comprising a first ferrule and a second ferrule, wherein each ferrule comprises a connector, a transmission fiber, and a reception fiber, and wherein the first ferrule is configured to couple light transmittable by the beam splitter to at least one fiber and the second ferrule is configured to couple light reflectable by the beam splitter to at least one fiber, wherein each transmission fiber is a single-mode fiber that allows light propagation in only a single mode and each reception fiber is multi-mode fiber is that allows light propagation in multiple modes, and wherein a size of the first ferrule is the same as a size of the second ferrule; and
a steering mirror, wherein the steering mirror is positionable in at least a first orientation and a second orientation;
wherein the steering mirror and the beam splitter are arranged such that, while the steering mirror has a first orientation, (i) light of the first wavelength that is emitted from the transmission fiber of a first ferrule is directed for transmission toward a remote terminal, and (ii) light of the second wavelength that is received from the remote terminal is directed toward the reception fiber of a second ferrule, and
wherein the steering mirror and the beam splitter are further arranged such that, while the steering mirror has a second orientation, (i) light of the second wavelength that is emitted from the transmission fiber of the second ferrule is directed for transmission toward a remote terminal, and (ii) light of the first wavelength that is received from the remote terminal is directed toward the reception fiber of the first ferrule.

2. The optical communication terminal of claim 1 , wherein each ferrule is further configured:
the transmission fiber configured to operate a single-mode fiber; and
the reception fiber configured to operate as a multi-mode fiber.

3. The optical communication terminal of claim 1 , further comprising:
a controller configured to (i) make a determination to switch between modes of full duplex communication, and (ii) responsive to making the determination, cause the orientation of the steering mirror to change between the first orientation and the second orientation.

4. The optical communication terminal of claim 1 , wherein the respective connector of each ferrule is the same sized connector as each other respective connector.

5. The optical communication terminal of claim 1 , wherein each ferrule is further configured interoperable with each other ferrule.

6. The optical communication terminal of claim 5 , wherein each ferrule is further configured having the transmission fiber having a first fiber location and the reception fiber having a second fiber location, wherein the respective fiber location is common within each ferrule.

7. The optical communication terminal of claim 1 , wherein each ferrule is further configured having an alignment element configured to align the fibers of the respective ferrule.

8. A high altitude platform comprising:
an envelope;
a payload configured to be suspended from the envelope; and
an optical communication terminal mounted to the payload, the optical communication terminal comprising: (i) a beam splitter configured to transmit light of a first wavelength and to reflect light of a second wavelength; (ii) at least two ferrules comprising a first ferrule and a second ferrule; and (iii) a steering mirror,
wherein each ferrule comprises a connector, a transmission fiber, and a reception fiber, and wherein a first ferrule is configured to couple light transmittable by the beam splitter to at least one fiber and a second ferrule is configured to couple light reflectable by the beam splitter to at least one fiber, wherein each transmission fiber is a single-mode fiber that allows light propagation in only a single mode and each reception fiber is multi-mode fiber is that allows light propagation in multiple modes, and wherein a size of the first ferrule is the same as a size of the second ferrule; and
wherein the steering mirror is positionable in at least a first orientation and a second orientation;
wherein the steering mirror and the beam splitter are arranged such that, while the steering mirror has a first orientation, (i) light of the first wavelength that is emitted from the transmission fiber of a first ferrule is directed for transmission toward a remote terminal, and (ii) light of the second wavelength that is received from the remote terminal is directed toward the reception fiber of a second ferrule, and
wherein the steering mirror and the beam splitter are further arranged such that, while the steering mirror has a second orientation, (i) light of the second wavelength that is emitted from the transmission fiber of the second ferrule is directed for transmission toward a remote terminal, and (ii) light of the first wavelength that is received from the remote terminal is directed toward the reception fiber of the first ferrule.

9. The high altitude platform of claim 8 , wherein each ferrule is further configured:
the transmission fiber configured to operate a single-mode fiber; and
the reception fiber configured to operate as a multi-mode fiber.

10. The high altitude platform of claim 8 , further comprising:
a controller configured to (i) make a determination to switch between modes of full duplex communication, and (ii) responsive to making the determination, cause the orientation of the steering mirror to change between the first orientation and the second orientation.

11. The high altitude platform of claim 8 , wherein the respective connector of each ferrule is the same sized connector as each other respective connector.

12. The high altitude platform of claim 8 , wherein each ferrule is further configured interoperable with each other ferrule.

13. The high altitude platform of claim 12 , wherein each ferrule is further configured having the transmission fiber having a first fiber location and the reception fiber having a second fiber location, wherein the respective fiber location is common within each ferrule.

14. The high altitude platform of claim 8 , wherein each ferrule is further configured having an alignment element configured to align the fibers of the respective ferrule.

15. A method comprising:
making a determination to conduct full duplex communication in one of two modes;
responsive to making the determination to conducting full duplex communication in a first mode:
orienting a steering mirror so as to: (i) direct light of a first wavelength that is emitted from a transmission fiber of a first ferrule toward a remote terminal, and (ii) direct incident light of a second wavelength received from the remote terminal toward a reception fiber of a second ferrule;
conducting full duplex communication in a first mode by: (i) emitting light of the first wavelength from transmission fiber of the first ferrule, modulated based on output data, and (ii) receiving light of the second wavelength by the reception fiber of the second ferrule;
responsive to making the determination to conducting full duplex communication in a second mode:
orienting the steering mirror so as to: (i) direct light of the second wavelength emitted from a transmission fiber of the second ferrule toward the remote terminal, and (ii) direct incident light of the first wavelength received from the remote terminal toward a reception fiber of the first ferrule; and
conducting full duple

Assignees

• X Dev Llc

Inventors

• Kim Nam-Hyong
• Erkmen Baris Ibrahim
• Keyes Edward Allen
• Belt Robert Todd

Classifications

• H04Q2011/0016

  using wavelength multiplexing or demultiplexing · CPC title

• G02B27/141 Primary

  using dichroic mirrors · CPC title

• G02B6/29395 Primary

  configurable, e.g. tunable or reconfigurable (switching G02B6/35) · CPC title

• H04L5/14

  Two-way operation using the same type of signal, i.e. duplex · CPC title

• G02B6/262

  Optical details of coupling light into, or out of, or between fibre ends, e.g. special fibre end shapes or associated optical elements · CPC title