Fiber optic rotary joints, methods practiced thereby, and fiber optic devices

A fiber optic rotary joint for enabling the transmission of digital optical signals across the interface between facing surfaces of a rotor and a stator, comprising:

• a plurality of light sources mounted on one of said rotor and stator, each light source including a first light source arranged to selectively generate a first optical signal at a first wavelength and a second light source arranged to selectively generate a second optical signal at a second wavelength;
• a first plurality of light emitters spaced along the surface of said one of said rotor and stator for transmitting said optical signals received from said light sources toward the facing surface of the other of said rotor and stator;
• a first plurality of first optical fibers severally communicating respective ones of said light sources with respective ones of said light emitters for conveying said optical signals from each respective light source to the associated emitter;
• a second plurality of light receptors spaced along a second arc distance on the surface of the other of said rotor and stator;
• at least one light detector mounted on the other of said rotor and stator;
• and
• a second plurality of second optical fibers severally communicating respective ones of said light receptors with said light detector(s);
• said light sources, first optical fibers, light emitters, light receptors, second optical fibers and detector(s) being so configured and arranged that the aggregate propagation delay of the optical signals transmitted from said light sources to said detector(s) is less than about one-quarter of the bit width of said optical signals;
• whereby said fiber optic rotary joint is capable of transmitting said optical signals across said interface with reduced jitter.

The method of enabling the transmission of a digital optical signal across the interface between facing surfaces of a rotor and a stator, comprising the steps of:

• providing a plurality of light sources on one of said rotor and stator, each light source including a first light source arranged to selectively generate an optical signal and a second light source arranged to selectively generate said optical signal;
• providing a first plurality of spaced light emitters along the surface of said one of said rotor and stator;
• providing a first plurality of first optical fibers between respective ones of said light sources and respective ones of said light emitters;
• causing said light sources to emit said optical signal;
• conveying said optical signal from said light sources to said light emitters along said first optical fibers;
• causing said first light emitters to transmit said optical signal across said interface toward the facing surface of the other of the rotor and stator;
• providing a second plurality of spaced light receptors along a second arc distance of the surface of the other of said rotor and stator for receiving the optical signals transmitted by said light emitters;
• providing at least one light detector on the other of said rotor and stator;
• conducting the optical signal received by said light receptors to said light detector(s);
• and
• positioning said light emitters and light receptors such that the aggregate propagation delay of the optical signal transmitted between said sources and detector(s) is less than about one-quarter of the bit width of said optical signal;
• thereby to enable the transmission of said digital optical signals across said interface with reduced jitter.

The method of enabling the transmission of digital optical signals across the interface between facing surfaces of a rotor and a stator, comprising the steps of:

• providing a plurality of light sources on one of said rotor and stator, each light source including a first light source arranged to selectively generate a first optical signal at a first wavelength and a second light source arranged to selectively generate a second optical signal at a second wavelength;
• providing a first plurality of spaced light emitters along the surface of said one of said rotor and stator;
• providing a first plurality of first optical fibers between respective ones of said light sources and respective ones of said light emitters;
• causing said light sources to emit said optical signals;
• conveying said optical signals from said light sources to said light emitters along said first optical fibers;
• causing said first light emitters to transmit said optical signal across said interface toward the facing surface of the other of the rotor and stator;
• providing a second plurality of spaced light receptors along a second arc distance of the surface of the other of said rotor and stator for receiving the optical signals transmitted by said light emitters;
• providing at least one light detector on the other of said rotor and stator;
• conducting the optical signals received by said light receptors to said light detector(s);
• and
• positioning said light emitters and light receptors such that the aggregate propagation delay of the optical signal transmitted between said sources and detector(s) is less than about one-quarter of the bit width of said optical signal;
• thereby to enable the transmission of said digital optical signals across said interface with reduced jitter.