# US 11,909,452 B2 · Optical amplifier burst mode communication with variable duty cycle > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 11,909,452 B2 - Document ID: US11909452B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 18/112,081 - Filed: 2023-02-21 - Published: 2023-06-29 - Granted: 2024-02-20 - Earliest claimed: 2019-01-16 - Assignees: X Development LLC - Applicants: X Development LLC - Inventors: Bruce Moision; Devin Brinkley; Baris Ibrahim Erkmen - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11909452B2 ## CPC - H04B 10/1123: {Bidirectional transmission} - H04B 10/80: Optical aspects relating to the use of optical transmission for specific applications, not provided for in groups H04B10/03 - H04B10/70, e.g. optical power feeding or optical transmission through water - H04B 10/291: in which processing or amplification is carried out without conversion of the main signal from optical form - H04B 10/564: Power control - H04B: TRANSMISSION ## Abstract An optical communication system includes an optical transmitter and one or more processors. The optical transmitter is configured to output an optical signal, and includes an average-power-limited optical amplifier, such as an erbium-doped fiber amplifier (EDFA). The one or more processors are configured to receive optical signal data related to a received power for a communication link from a remote communication system and determine that the optical signal data is likely to fall below a minimum received power within a time interval. In response to the determination, the one or more processors are configured to determine a duty cycle of the optical transmitter based on a minimum on-cycle length and a predicted EDFA output power and operate the optical transmitter using the determined duty cycle to transmit an on-cycle power that is no less than the minimum required receiver power for error-free operation of the communication link. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An optical communication device including: an optical transmitter configured to output an optical signal, the optical transmitter including an amplifier; and one or more processors operatively coupled to the optical transmitter, the one or more processors being configured to: receive optical signal data related to a received power for a communication link from a remote communication system; determine a duty cycle of the optical transmitter based on at least two of: information about the received power for the communication link, a transmission cycle length, or output power information associated with the amplifier; and operate the optical transmitter using the determined duty cycle to transmit the optical signal on the communication link. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The optical communication device of claim 1, wherein the amplifier of the optical transmitter comprises an erbium-doped fiber amplifier (EDFA). ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The optical communication device of claim 1, wherein the one or more processors are configured to determine the duty cycle based on one or more of: a candidate duty cycle that has at least the minimum on-cycle length; a predicted output power for the candidate duty cycle; a determination that the predicted output power for the candidate duty cycle will satisfy a maximum received power threshold; and a determination that the duty cycle has a same characteristic as the candidate duty cycle when the duty cycle will satisfy the maximum received power. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The optical communication device of claim 3, wherein the one or more processors are further configured to: receive updated optical signal data related to the received power for the communication link; determine an updated duty cycle of the optical transmitter based on the minimum on-cycle length and the predicted output power; and operate the optical transmitter using the updated duty cycle. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The optical communication device of claim 1, wherein the one or more processors are configured to operate the optical transmitter to achieve a higher data transmission rate during an overshoot of predicted output power and a lower data transmission rate during a decay of the predicted output power. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The optical communication device of claim 1, wherein the one or more processors are further configured to: determine that the received power is likely to fall below a minimum received power within a time interval; and in response to the determination that the received power is likely to fall below the minimum received power within the time interval, the one or more processors are further configured to determine the duty cycle of the optical transmitter based on a minimum on-cycle length and a predicted output power of the optical transmitter. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The optical communication device of claim 1, wherein the one or more processors are configured to determine the duty cycle based on: a selected candidate duty cycle that has at least a minimum on-cycle length; and a determination that a predicted output power for the candidate duty cycle satisfies a minimum received power. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The optical communication device of claim 1, wherein the one or more processors are configured to determine the duty cycle based on a determination that a predicted output power for a candidate duty cycle satisfies a maximum initial overshoot. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The optical communication device of claim 1, wherein the one or more processors are further configured to: determine that the received power is likely to exceed a maximum received power level within a time interval; and wherein the duty cycle is determined after the determination that the received power is likely to exceed the maximum received power level within the time interval. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The optical communication device of claim 9, wherein: the received optical signal data includes a plurality of measurements for received power; and the one or more processors are configured to determine that the received power is likely to exceed the maximum received power level within the time interval based on an identified trend of the plurality of measurements over the time interval. ### Claim 11 (depends on 9) The optical communication device of claim 9, wherein: the received optical signal data includes a plurality of measurements for received power; and the one or more processors are configured to determine that the received power is likely to exceed the maximum received power level within the time interval based on an extrapolation of a trend of the plurality of measurements into the time interval. ### Claim 12 A method of operating an optical transmitter over a communication link, the method comprising: receiving, by one or more processors, optical signal data related to a received power for the communication link from a remote communication system; determining, by the one or more processors, a duty cycle of the optical transmitter based on at least two of: information about the received power for the communication link, a transmission cycle length, or output power information associated with an amplifier of the optical transmitter; and operating, by the one or more processors, the optical transmitter using the determined duty cycle to transmit the optical signal on the communication link. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The method of claim 12, wherein the duty cycle is determined based on one or more of: a candidate duty cycle that has at least the minimum on-cycle length; a predicted output power for the candidate duty cycle; a determination that the predicted output power for the candidate duty cycle will satisfy a maximum received power threshold; and a determination that the duty cycle has a same characteristic as the candidate duty cycle when the duty cycle will satisfy the maximum received power. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The method of claim 13, further comprising: receiving, by the one or more processors, updated optical signal data related to the received power for the communication link; determining, by the one or more processors, an updated duty cycle of the optical transmitter based on the minimum on-cycle length and the predicted output power; and operating, by the one or more processors, the optical transmitter using the updated duty cycle. ### Claim 15 (depends on 12) The method of claim 12, wherein operating the optical transmitter achieves a higher data transmission rate during an overshoot of predicted output power and a lower data transmission rate during a decay of the predicted output power. ### Claim 16 (depends on 12) The method of claim 12, further comprising: determining, by the one or more processors, that the received power is likely to fall below a minimum received power within a time interval; and in response to determining that the received power is likely to fall below the minimum received power within the time interval, the duty cycle of the optical transmitter is determining based on a minimum on-cycle length and a predicted output power of the optical transmitter. ### Claim 17 (depends on 12) The method of claim 12, wherein determining the duty cycle is based on: a selected candidate duty cycle that has at least a minimum on-cycle length; and a determination that a predicted output power for the candidate duty cycle satisfies a minimum received power. ### Claim 18 (depends on 12) The method of claim 12, wherein determining the duty cycle is based on a determination that a predicted output power for a candidate duty cycle satisfies a maximum initial overshoot. ### Claim 19 (depends on 12) The method of claim 12, further comprising: determining, by the one or more processors, that the received power is likely to exceed a maximum received power level within a time interval; wherein the duty cycle is determined after the determination that the received power is likely to exceed the maximum received power level within the time interval. ### Claim 20 (depends on 19) The method of claim 19, wherein: the received optical signal data includes a plurality of measurements for received power; and determining, by the one or more processors, that the received power is likely to exceed the maximum received power level within the time interval based on an identified trend of the plurality of measurements over the time interval. ### Claim 21 (depends on 19) The method of claim 19, wherein: the received optical signal data includes a plurality of measurements for received power; and determining, by the one or more processors, that the received power is likely to exceed the maximum received power level within the time interval based on an extrapolation of a trend of the plurality of measurements into the time interval.