# US 2020/0403699 A1 · Repeater powering > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2020/0403699 A1 - Document ID: US20200403699A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 17/011,511 - Filed: 2020-09-03 - Published: 2020-12-24 - Earliest claimed: 2018-03-06 - Assignees: Neptune Subsea IP Limited - Applicants: Neptune Subsea IP Limited - Inventors: David Antony Frisch; Alistair Hill - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20200403699A1 ## CPC - H04B 10/29: Repeaters - H04B 10/293: Signal power control - H04B 10/564: Power control - H04B: TRANSMISSION ## Abstract An optical repeater is disclosed, comprising: an optical input port for receiving an input optical signal; an optical output port for transmitting an output optical signal; electronics comprising an amplifier configured to increase a signal level of the optical signal between the input port and the output port; a voltage regulator configured to provide a variable voltage power supply to the electronics, and optionally comprising a local or external controller configured to determine a supply voltage in response to demand and to control the voltage regulator to provide the supply voltage. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An optical repeater comprising: an optical input port configured to receive an input optical signal; an optical output port configured to transmit an output optical signal; electronics comprising an amplifier configured to increase a signal level of the input optical signal between the input port and the output port; and a voltage regulator comprising an adjustable shunt regulator configured to provide a variable voltage power supply to the electronics to control a voltage dropped over the optical repeater. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The optical repeater of claim 1, further comprising: a controller configured to determine a supply voltage in response to demand and to control the voltage regulator to provide the supply voltage. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The optical repeater of claim 2, wherein: the electronics comprise at least one sensor configured to measure one or more operating parameters of the electronics; and the controller is configured to determine the demand in response to the one or more measured operating parameters. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The optical repeater of claim 3, wherein the one or more operating parameters comprise at least one of a current or a power consumed by a component of the electronics. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The optical repeater of claim 4, wherein the component of the electronics comprises at least one of: a pump laser diode or a Peltier cooler. ### Claim 6 (depends on 3) The optical repeater of claim 3, wherein the one or more operating parameters comprise at least one of: an output optical power of a pump laser diode; or a temperature of the electronics. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The optical repeater of claim 1, wherein at least one of: the voltage regulator is configured to receive a remotely provided command setting a supply voltage to be provided to the electronics; or the voltage regulator comprises a regulator controller configured to set a regulator voltage provided to the electronics in response to a voltage control signal. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The optical repeater of claim 7, wherein the electronics comprise: at least one sensor configured to measure one or more operating parameters of the electronics; and a controller configured to: determine a supply voltage in response to the one or more parameters; and provide the voltage control signal to the regulator controller in response to the one or more operating parameters. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The optical repeater of claim 1, wherein the adjustable shunt regulator comprises a shunt transistor configured to provide a current bypass that is parallel with the electronics. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The optical repeater of claim 9, wherein the adjustable shunt regulator further comprises at least one of: an adjustable voltage reference configured to control a gate voltage of the shunt transistor in response to a control signal; or a feedback loop configured to be responsive to a voltage across the electronics and to control the gate voltage of the shunt transistor. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The optical repeater of claim 1, wherein: the adjustable shunt regulator comprises a switched regulator comprising a series combination of regulator diodes and at least one electrically-controlled regulator switch; and each electrically-controlled regulator switch is connected in parallel with a respective one of the regulator diodes so that the respective regulator diode is bypassed when the electrically-controlled regulator switch is closed. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The optical repeater of claim 1, wherein the optical repeater is configured to set a supply voltage provided by the voltage regulator autonomously. ### Claim 13 (depends on 1) The optical repeater of claim 1, wherein the optical repeater is a submarine optical repeater. ### Claim 14 An optical system comprising: an optical communication link comprising a plurality of repeaters each separated by a span of cable that comprises one or more optical fibers; and a power supply configured to provide a system voltage and a system current to the optical communication link that is sufficient to power each of the repeaters; wherein each of at least one of the repeaters comprises: an optical input port configured to receive an input optical signal; an optical output port configured to transmit an output optical signal; electronics comprising an amplifier configured to increase a signal level of the input optical signal between the input port and the output port; and a voltage regulator comprising an adjustable shunt regulator configured to provide a variable voltage power supply to the electronics to control a voltage dropped over the repeater. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The optical system of claim 14, further comprising: a controller external to the at least one of the repeaters, the controller configured to determine a supply voltage for each of the at least one of the repeaters and to set at least one of the system voltage or the system current. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The optical system of claim 15, wherein the controller is configured to determine the supply voltage for each of the at least one of the repeaters by communicating with each of the at least one of the repeaters. ### Claim 17 (depends on 15) The optical system of claim 15, wherein the controller is configured to at least one of: set at least one of the system voltage or the system current based on the supply voltage for each of the at least one of the repeaters; or set the system current such that a voltage dropped in the cable substantially equals the voltage dropped over the at least one of the repeaters. ### Claim 18 A method of powering an optical repeater comprising: using a voltage regulator to set a variable voltage supplied to a load of the optical repeater and thereby control a voltage dropped over the optical repeater; wherein the load comprises an optical amplifier that increases a signal level of an optical signal. ### Claim 19 (depends on 18) The method of claim 18, wherein the optical repeater comprises: an optical input port configured to receive the optical signal; an optical output port configured to transmit an amplified optical signal; electronics comprising the optical amplifier; and the voltage regulator, wherein the voltage regulator comprises an adjustable shunt regulator configured to provide a variable voltage power supply to the electronics to control a voltage dropped over the optical repeater. ### Claim 20 (depends on 18) The method of claim 18, wherein: the optical repeater is one of a plurality of repeaters in an optical system, each repeater separated by a span of cable that comprises optical fibers; and the method further comprises powering the optical system by: providing a system voltage and a system current to the optical system that is sufficient to power each of the plurality of repeaters; and adjusting the voltage dropped over each of the repeaters based on parameters measured at the respective repeater of each of the plurality of repeaters.