US 5,475,518 A · Apparatus for optically transmitting data

Abstract

An optical data transmission apparatus includes a hole-burning effect element for recording data. Upon transmitting input serial data in a multiplex mode along a single optical fiber, the input serial data are stored in the hole-burning effect element having an inhomogeneous broadening on the light absorption spectrum, and then light transmitted through the hole-burning effect element is transmitted over the optical fiber. At the receiver end, the laser light is divided into a plurality of portions having different wavelengths and these portions are made incident upon a light receiving element array. Alternatively, a reading light pulse is made incident upon the element to generate a single light pulse having the spectrum distribution corresponding to the serial data on the frequency domain, and the light pulse is transmitted to the receiver end to duplicate the light absorption spectrum on a receiver end hole-burning effect element which is irradiated by a reading light pulse to generate light pulses corresponding to the duplicated light absorption spectrum, and these light pulses are successively made incident upon a photodetector to reproduce the input serial data.

Claims32

Dependent claims

An apparatus for optically transmitting data comprising:

a hole-burning material having an inhomogeneous width and a homogeneous width in an optical absorption line for recording said data to be transmitted, the inhomogeneous width being greater than the homogeneous width;
a first light source having a frequency width narrower than the inhomogeneous width for projecting a first light beam on the hole-burning material;
control means for controlling a wavelength of the first light beam from the first light source in accordance with said data to be transmitted;
a second light source having a frequency width wider than the homogeneous width for projecting a second light beam on the hole-burning material to transmit said data with said second light beam in parallel;
and
optical means for guiding the second light beam from the second light source through the hole-burning material to a transmission path for parallel transmission of said data to be transmitted;
wherein the first light beam having a wavelength corresponding to said data to be transmitted is projected on the hole-burning material from the first light source, and then the second light beam from the second light source is projected on the hole-burning material for transmitting said data.

4 more elements

An apparatus for optically transmitting and/or receiving data comprising:

a hole-burning material having an inhomogeneous width and a homogeneous width in an optical absorption line for recording said data to be transmitted, the inhomogeneous width being wider than the homogeneous width;
a first light source having a frequency width narrower than the inhomogeneous width for projecting a first light beam on the hole-burning material;
control means for controlling a wavelength of the first light beam from the first light source in accordance with said data to be transmitted;
a second light source having a frequency width broader than the homogeneous width for projecting a second light bream on the hole-burning material;
optical means for guiding the second light bream through the hole-burning material from the second light source to a transmission path, in which the first light beam having a wavelength corresponding to said data to be transmitted is projected on the hole-burning material from the first light source, and then the second light beam from the second light source is projected on the hole-burning material for transmitting said data;
light dispersing means for dispersing the second light bream through the transmission path;
and
photoelectric transfer means for receiving the second light bream from the light dispersing means and for transducing the second light bream into an electric signal.

5 more elements

An apparatus for optically transmitting and/or receiving data comprising:

a first hole-burning material having a first inhomogeneous width and a first homogeneous width in an optical absorption line for recording said data to be transmitted, the first inhomogeneous width being broader than the first homogeneous width;
a first light source having a frequency width narrower than the first inhomogeneous width for projecting a light beam on the first hole-burning material;
control means for controlling the first light source such that the light source sequentially radiates a recording pulse for beginning a recording of the data to be transmitted on the hole-burning material, a pulse corresponding to-said data, and a transmitting pulse for transmitting said data, said pulses being components of the light beam;
first optical means for guiding the light beam through the first hole-burning material from the first light source to a transmission path;
a second hole-burning material having a second inhomogeneous width and a second homogeneous width in the optical absorption line for recording said data transmitted through the transmission path, the second inhomogeneous width being broader than the second homogeneous width;
a second light source having a frequency width broader than the second homogeneous width for projecting reception light pulses on the second hole-burning material for reading said data;
photoelectric transfer means for receiving the reception light pulses through the second hole-burning material from the second light source and for transducing the reception light pulses to an electrical signal;
and
second optical means for guiding the reception light pulses from the second hole-burning material to the photoelectric transfer means, wherein said data are transmitted to the second hole-burning material by the transmitting pulse, and then the second light source radiates a reading pulse, which is one of said reception light pulses for reading said data.

6 more elements

An apparatus for optically transmitting data comprising:

(a) a plurality of transmission units, each of said transmission units comprising:
a first hole-burning material having a first inhomogeneous width and a first homogeneous width in an optical absorption line for recording said data to be transmitted, the first inhomogeneous width being broader that the first homogeneous width;
a first light source having a frequency width narrower than the first inhomogeneous width for projecting a light beam on the first hole-burning material;
control means for controlling the first light source such that the light source sequentially radiates a recording pulse for beginning a recording of the data to be transmitted on the hole-burning material, a pulse corresponding to said data, and a transmitting pulse for transmitting said data, said pulses being components of the light beam;
and
first optical means for guiding the light beam through the first hole-burning material from the first light source to a transmission path;
(b) means for controlling the plurality of transmitting units such that the light pulses from the plurality of transmission units are guided to the transmission path in a time sequential manner;
and
(c) a receiving-unit comprising:
a second hole-burning material having a second inhomogeneous width and a second homogeneous width in the optical absorption line for recording said data transmitted through the transmission path, the second inhomogeneous width being broader than the second homogeneous width;
a second light source having a frequency width broader than the second homogeneous width for projecting reception light pulses on the second hole-burning material for reading said data:
photoelectric transfer means for receiving the reception light pulses through the second hole-burning material from the second light source and for transducing the reception light pulses to an electrical signal;
and
second optical means for guiding the reception light pulses from the second hole-burning material to the photoelectric transfer means, wherein said data are transmitted to the second hole-burning material by the transmitting pulse, and then the second light source radiates a reading pulse, which is one of said reception light pulses, for reading said data.

11 more elements

An apparatus for optically transmitting data comprising:

(a) a plurality of transmission units, each of said transmission units comprising:
a first hole-burning material having a first inhomogeneous width and a first homogeneous width in an optical absorption line for recording said data to be transmitted, the first inhomogeneous width being broader than the first homogeneous width;
a first light source having a frequency width narrower than the first inhomogeneous width for projecting a light beam on the first hole-burning material;
control means for controlling the first light source such that the light source sequentially radiates a recording pulse for recording the data to be transmitted on the hole-burning material, a pulse corresponding to said data, and a transmitting pulse for transmitting said data as components of the light beam;
first optical means for guiding the light beam through the first hole-burning material from the first light source to a transmission path;
(b) means for controlling the plurality of transmitting units such that the light pulses from the plurality of transmission units are guided to the transmission path in a time sequential manner;
(c) a plurality of reception units, each of said reception units comprising:
a second hole-burning material having a second inhomogeneous width and a second homogeneous width in the optical absorption line for recording said data transmitted through the transmission path, the second inhomogeneous width being broader than the second homogeneous width;
a second light source having a frequency width broader than the second homogeneous width for projecting reception light pulses on the second hole-burning material for reading said data;
photoelectric transfer means for receiving the reception light pulses through the second hole-burning material from the second light source and for transducing the reception light pulses to an electrical signal;
and
second optical means for guiding the reception light pulses from the second hole-burning material to the photoelectric transfer means, wherein said data are transmitted to the second hole-burning material by the transmitting pulse, and then the second light source radiates a reading pulse, which is one of said reception light pulses for reading said data;
and
(d) means for controlling the plurality of reception units such that the light pulses from the transmission path are guided to the plurality of receiving units in a time sequential manner.

11 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Apparatus for optically transmitting data

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Apparatus for optically transmitting data

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims32