Wide aperture optical communications
AssigneeArchangel Lightworks Ltd.
InventorsDaniel John Peter Sola, Owain Pryce-Jones
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A plurality of electromagnetic radiation capture units are positioned under a focusing unit such as a dome, such that incoming electromagnetic radiation incident on the dome is deflected by it, to reach each of the capture units with a different timing and intensity. The profile for the timings and intensities can be determined for a given transmitter using a calibration signal, and the profile is then used to extra data from data signals transmitted by the transmitter.
Claims21
A data transmission method for an optical communications system comprising at least one transmitter unit and a receiver unit, the receiver unit comprising at least one receiver which comprises a set of two or more electromagnetic radiation (EMR) capture units and a focusing unit for focusing EMR onto the corresponding set of EMR capture units, the method comprising:
- each transmitter unit transmitting at least two EMR signals to the receiver unit, including a calibration signal and a data signal, the calibration signal having at least one characteristic which is different from the data signal;
- the receiver unit using outputs of the EMR capture units when the calibration signal is incident on the receiver unit, to determine a corresponding profile for the transmitter unit, the profile indicating wave front distortion and power distribution over the EMR capture units of EMR transmitted by the transmitter unit;
- and
- the receiver unit processing data from the outputs of the EMR capture units when a data signal from the corresponding transmitter unit is incident on the receiver unit, and using the profile for the transmitter unit, to obtain data from the data signal.
A receiver unit for an optical communications system, the receiver unit comprising:
- at least one receiver which comprises a set of two or more EMR capture units and a focusing unit for focusing EMR onto the corresponding set of EMR capture units;
- and
- a calculation unit operative:
- upon a calibration signal from a transmitter unit being incident on the receiver unit, to determine a corresponding profile for the transmitter unit which indicates wave front distortion and power distribution over the EMR capture units;
- and
- upon a data signal from the transmitter unit being incident on the receiver unit, to process data from the outputs of the EMR capture units, using the profile for the transmitter unit, to obtain data from the data signal.
An optical communications system comprising at least one transmitter unit and a receiver unit,
- each transmitter unit being configured to transmit at least two EMR signals to the receiver unit, including a calibration signal and a data signal, the calibration signal having at least one characteristic which is different from the data signal;
- the receiver unit comprising:
- at least one receiver which comprises a set of two or more EMR capture units and a focusing unit for focusing EMR onto the corresponding set of EMR capture units;
- and
- a calculation unit operative:
- upon a calibration signal from a transmitter unit being incident on the receiver unit, to determine a corresponding profile for the transmitter unit which indicates wave front distortion and power distribution over the EMR capture units;
- and
- upon a data signal from the transmitter unit being incident on the receiver unit, to use data from the outputs of the EMR capture units, and the profile for the transmitter unit, to obtain data from the data signal.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.