US 2006/0233551 A1Published application

Device and method for millimeter wave detection and block conversion

AssigneeHarris Corporation

InventorsJerry Wood, Mark Koontz, Randall Morse

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Abstract

The device includes a first fiber optic transmitter (FOT) to receive a millimeter wave (MMW) signal and to generate a multiple sideband optical signal, and a second FOT to generate a second optical signal, from a reference signal. A first wavelength division multiplexing (WDM) optical filter is connected to the first FOT to separate a first sideband into a plurality of first sideband channels, and to separate a second sideband into a plurality of second sideband channels, and a second WDM optical filter is connected to the second FOT to separate a reference sideband into a plurality of reference sideband channels. A detector receives the plurality of first sideband channels, to detect an active channel from among the plurality of first sideband channels. Fiber arrays receive the plurality of second sideband channels, and the plurality of reference sideband channels, and an optical coupler generates a combined signal therefrom. A photodetection block receives and processes the combined signal based upon the detected active channel.

Claims23

Dependent claims

A radio frequency (RF) signal detector and block converter comprising:

a first fiber optic transmitter (FOT) having an RF signal input and to generate a multiple sideband optical signal including at least a first sideband and a second sideband on a first optical output;
a second fiber optic transmitter having a reference signal input and to generate a second optical signal including at least a reference sideband on a second optical output;
a first wavelength division multiplexing (WDM) optical filter connected to the first optical output of the first FOT to separate the first sideband into a plurality of first sideband channels, and to separate the second sideband into a plurality of second sideband channels;
a second WDM optical filter connected to the second optical output of the second FOT to separate the reference sideband into a plurality of reference sideband channels;
a detector connected to the first WDM optical filter to receive the plurality of first sideband channels, and comprising a camera and digital processor to detect an active channel from among the plurality of first sideband channels;
a first fiber array connected to the first WDM optical filter to receive the plurality of second sideband channels;
a second fiber array connected to the second WDM optical filter to receive the plurality of reference sideband channels;
an optical coupler connected to the first and second fiber arrays to generate a combined signal by combining the plurality of second sideband channels and the plurality of reference sideband channels;
and
a photodection block to receive and process the combined signal based upon the detected active channel.

7 more elements

A surveillance system comprising:

an antenna;
a millimeter wave (MMW) signal detector connected to the antenna and including
a first microwave fiber optic transmitter (MFOT) having an RF signal input and to generate a multiple sideband optical signal including at least a first sideband and a second sideband on a first optical output,
a first dense wavelength division multiplexing (DWDM) optical filter connected to the first optical output of the first FOT to separate the first sideband into a plurality of first sideband channels, and to separate the second sideband into a plurality of second sideband channels, and
a detector connected to the first DWDM optical filter to receive the plurality of first sideband channels, and comprising a camera and digital processor to detect an active channel from among the plurality of first sideband channels;
a block converter including
a second MFOT having a reference signal input and to generate a second optical signal including at least a reference sideband on a second optical output,
a second DWDM optical filter connected to the second optical output of the second MFOT to separate the reference sideband into a plurality of reference sideband channels,
a first fiber array connected to the first DWDM optical filter to receive the plurality of second sideband channels,
a second fiber array connected to the second DWDM optical filter to receive the plurality of reference sideband channels,
an optical coupler connected to the first and second linear fiber arrays to generate a combined signal by combining the plurality of second sideband channels and the plurality of reference sideband channels, and
a photodetection block to receive and process the combined signal to an intermediate frequency (IF) signal based upon the detected active channel;
and
a signal analyzer downstream from the signal processor for analyzing the IF signal.

11 more elements

A method for detecting a radio frequency (RF) signal comprising:

generating a multiple sideband optical signal including at least a first sideband and a second sideband with a first fiber optic transmitter (FOT) having an RF signal input and a first optical output;
generating a second optical signal including at least a reference sideband with a second fiber optic transmitter having a reference signal input and a second optical output;
separating the first sideband into a plurality of first sideband channels, and separating the second sideband into a plurality of second sideband channels with a first wavelength division multiplexing (WDM) optical filter connected to the first optical output of the first FOT;
separating the reference sideband into a plurality of reference sideband channels with a second WDM optical filter connected to the second optical output of the second FOT;
detecting an active channel from among the plurality of first sideband channels with a detector connected to the first WDM optical filter to receive the plurality of first sideband channels, the detector comprising a camera and digital processor;
generating a combined signal by combining the plurality of second sideband channels and the plurality of reference sideband channels with an optical coupler connected to first and second fiber arrays respectively receiving the plurality of second sideband channels and the plurality of reference sideband channels;
and
processing the combined signal based upon the detected active channel.

5 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.