# US 11,309,975 B2 · Fiber-optically powered antenna > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 11,309,975 B2 - Document ID: US11309975B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 16/785,920 - Filed: 2020-02-10 - Published: 2021-08-12 - Granted: 2022-04-19 - Earliest claimed: 2020-02-10 - Assignees: Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories, Inc. - Applicants: Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories, Inc. - Inventors: Daniel B. Rippon - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11309975B2 ## CPC - G06F 1/189: {Power distribution} - H04B 10/807: {Optical power feeding, i.e. transmitting power using an optical signal} - G02B 6/4279: {Radio frequency signal propagation aspects of the electrical connection, high frequency adaptations} - G02B 6/43: Arrangements comprising a plurality of opto-electronic elements and associated optical interconnections - G06F 1/105: {in which the distribution is at least partially optical} - G06F 1/12: Synchronisation of different clock signals {provided by a plurality of clock generators} - G06F 1/266: {Arrangements to supply power to external peripherals either directly from the computer or under computer control, e.g. supply of power through the communication port, computer controlled power-strips} - G06F 1/28: Supervision thereof, e.g. detecting power-supply failure by out of limits supervision - H04B 10/118: specially adapted for satellite communication - H04B 10/2575: Radio-over-fibre, e.g. radio frequency signal modulated onto an optical carrier - H04B 10/25752: {Optical arrangements for wireless networks} - H04L 7/0075: {with photonic or optical means} - H04J 3/0644: {External master-clock} - G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N) - H04B: TRANSMISSION - G02B: OPTICAL ELEMENTS, SYSTEMS OR APPARATUS - H04L: TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION (arrangements common to telegraphic and telephonic communication H04M) - H04J: MULTIPLEX COMMUNICATION (transmission in general H04B; peculiar to transmission of digital information H04L5/00; systems for the simultaneous or sequential transmission of more than one television signal H04N7/08; in exchanges H04Q11/00; stereophonic systems H04S) ## Abstract An optically powered Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) antenna may use a fiber-optic link to receive optical power and transmit an optical signal that contains a common time signal from one or more satellites, which may allow long-distance power and signal transmission with high efficiency and reliability. The common time signal may be used to synchronize intelligent electronic devices (IEDs) of an electric power delivery system. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A system for obtaining a common time signal from a distributed common time source for synchronizing intelligent electronic devices (IEDs) of an electric power delivery system, the system comprising: an optically powered antenna device configured to receive the common time signal over radio frequency (RF) from the distributed common time source and output the common time signal as a carrier optical signal, wherein the optically powered antenna device comprises: an optical receiver configured to convert an optical power signal into electric power; an antenna configured to receive a radio frequency (RF) signal and pass the RF signal to RF amplification and filtering circuitry; the RF amplification and filtering circuitry configured to receive the RF signal, amplify and filter the RF signal, and provide the amplified and filtered RF signal to an electro-optic modulated optical signal transmitter; the electro-optic modulated optical signal transmitter configured to receive the amplified and filtered RF signal and use the electric power from the optical receiver to directly output the amplified and filtered RF signal in the carrier optical signal; and laser biasing circuitry configured to apply an electrical bias to the electro-optic modulated optical signal transmitter to cause the electro-optic modulated optical signal transmitter to generate the carrier optical signal on which the amplified and filtered RF signal is modulated according to the common time signal; an optical power transmitter configured to provide the optical power signal to power the optically powered antenna device; and an optical signal receiver configured to receive the carrier optical signal from the optically powered antenna device to obtain the common time signal. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, comprising a clock configured to synchronize the intelligent electronic device (IED) based at least in part on the common time signal. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The system of claim 2, wherein the electro-optic modulated optical power transmitter is configured to: provide, during start-up, a lower intensity optical power signal that provides enough optical power to establish that an optical link is not broken but less intensity than maximum exposure specifications; and wherein the clock is configured to: upon receiving feedback from the lower intensity optical power signal indicating that the optical link is not broken, drive the optical power transmitter, at a higher power than used to drive the lower intensity optical power signal, to power the optically powered antenna device. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, comprising an optical link configured to convey: the optical power signal from the optical power transmitter to the optically powered antenna device; and the optical signal from the optically powered antenna device to the optical signal receiver. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The system of claim 4, wherein the optical link comprises: a first one or more optical fibers configured to convey the optical power signal; and a second one or more optical fibers configured to convey the optical signal. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The system of claim 5, wherein the first one or more optical fibers comprise one or more multimode optical fibers. ### Claim 7 (depends on 5) The system of claim 5, wherein the second one or more optical fibers comprise one or more single-mode optical fibers. ### Claim 8 (depends on 4) The system of claim 4, wherein the optical link comprises an optical fiber configured to convey both the optical power signal and the optical signal. ### Claim 9 (depends on 4) The system of claim 4, wherein the optical link exceeds 500 feet. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, comprising an intelligent electronic device (IED) configured to use the common time signal from the optical signal receiver to synchronize operations with another TED of the electric power delivery system. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the RF amplification and filtering circuitry comprises active RF amplification and filtering circuitry that consumes up to 25 milliwatts. ### Claim 12 An optically powered antenna device comprising: an optical receiver configured to convert an optical power signal into electric power; an antenna element configured to receive a radio frequency (RF) signal indicating a common time and pass the RF signal to RF amplification and filtering circuitry; the RF amplification and filtering circuitry configured to receive the RF signal, amplify and filter the RF signal, and provide the amplified and filtered RF signal to an electro-optic modulated optical signal transmitter; the electro-optic modulated optical signal transmitter configured to receive the amplified and filtered RF signal and use the electric power from the optical receiver to directly output the amplified and filtered RF signal in a carrier optical signal; and laser biasing circuitry configured to apply an electrical bias to the electro-optic modulated optical signal transmitter to cause the electro-optic modulated optical signal transmitter to generate the carrier optical signal on which the amplified and filtered RF signal is modulated. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The optically powered antenna device of claim 12, wherein the optical receiver comprises a photodiode array. ### Claim 14 (depends on 12) The optically powered antenna device of claim 12, wherein the antenna element is configured to receive the time signal from one or more satellites of a global navigation satellite system (GNSS). ### Claim 15 (depends on 12) The optically powered antenna device of claim 12, wherein the electro-optic modulated optical signal transmitter comprises a Fabry-Perot (FP) laser or a vertical-cavity surface-emitting laser (VCSEL). ### Claim 16 (depends on 12) The optically powered antenna device of claim 12, wherein the electro-optic modulated optical signal transmitter comprises an electro-optic modulator configured to modulate a beam of light from the electro-optic modulated optical signal transmitter to carry the amplified and filtered RF signal to generate the optical signal. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The optically powered antenna device of claim 16, wherein the electro-optic modulator is configured to modulate a phase, a frequency, an amplitude, or a polarization, or some combination thereof, of the beam of light based at least in part on the RF signal. ### Claim 18 (depends on 12) The optically powered antenna device of claim 12, comprising optical signal transmitter bias circuitry configured to use the electric power to apply an electrical bias to the optical signal transmitter to cause the electro-optic modulated optical signal transmitter to generate a carrier optical signal on which the amplified and filtered RF signal is modulated to generate the optical signal. ### Claim 19 Circuitry for obtaining a common time signal for synchronizing intelligent electronic devices (IEDs) of an electric power delivery system, the circuitry comprising: an optical power transmitter configured to generate an optical power signal to power an optically powered antenna device; an optical signal receiver configured to detect an optical signal that contains the common time signal from the optically powered antenna device; and an optically powered antenna device configured to receive the common time signal over radio frequency (RF) from a distributed common time source and output the common time signal as a carrier optical signal, wherein the optically powered antenna device comprises: an optical power receiver configured to convert the optical power signal into electric power; an antenna configured to receive a radio frequency (RF) signal and pass the RF signal to RF amplification and filtering circuitry; the RF amplification and filtering circuitry configured to receive the RF signal, amplify and filter the RF signal, and provide the amplified and filtered RF signal to an electro-optic modulated optical signal transmitter; the electro-optic modulated optical signal transmitter configured to receive the amplified and filtered RF signal and use the electric power from the optical power receiver to directly output the amplified and filtered RF signal in the carrier optical signal; and laser biasing circuitry configured to apply an electrical bias to the electro-optic modulated optical signal transmitter to cause the electro-optic modulated optical signal transmitter to generate the carrier optical signal on which the amplified and filtered RF signal is modulated according to the common time signal. ### Claim 20 (depends on 19) The circuitry of claim 19, wherein the optical power transmitter comprises a continuous wave (CW) semiconductor laser. ### Claim 21 (depends on 19) The circuitry of claim 19, wherein the optical power transmitter comprises a laser configured to emit light of a wavelength of between around 1310 and 1550 nanometers. ### Claim 22 (depends on 19) The circuitry of claim 19, wherein the optical signal receiver comprises a PIN diode. ### Claim 23 (depends on 19) The circuitry of claim 19, wherein the optical signal receiver is configured to convert the optical signal to an electrical signal, and wherein the circuitry comprises a signal decoder configured to decode the electrical signal to obtain the common time signal.