# US 9,882,350 B2 · Optical module > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 9,882,350 B2 - Document ID: US9882350B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 14/886,906 - Filed: 2015-10-19 - Published: 2016-09-29 - Granted: 2018-01-30 - Earliest claimed: 2015-03-25 - Assignees: Hisense Broadband Multimedia Technologies Co., Ltd.; Hisense USA Corporation; Hisense International Co., Ltd. - Applicants: Hisense Broadband MultiMedia Technologies Co., Ltd.; Hisense USA Corp.; Hisense International Co., Ltd. - Inventors: Qiang Zhang; Qisheng Zhao; Chenghao Jin - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US9882350B2 ## CPC - H01S 5/06804: {by monitoring an external parameter, e.g. temperature} - H01S 5/02212: Can-type, e.g. TO-CAN housings with emission along or parallel to symmetry axis - H01S 5/02251: using optical fibres - H01S 5/02415: {by using a thermo-electric cooler [TEC], e.g. Peltier element} - H01S 5/4012: {Beam combining, e.g. by the use of fibres, gratings, polarisers, prisms} - H01S: DEVICES USING THE PROCESS OF LIGHT AMPLIFICATION BY STIMULATED EMISSION OF RADIATION [LASER] TO AMPLIFY OR GENERATE LIGHT; DEVICES USING STIMULATED EMISSION OF ELECTROMAGNETIC RADIATION IN WAVE RANGES OTHER THAN OPTICAL ## Abstract An optical module includes: a first thermoelectric cooler (TEC) disposed at least partially inside a laser, a second TEC is disposed on a housing of the laser, and a micro control unit (MCU). The first TEC is configured to perform heating or cooling according to an enabling signal input by a MCU. The second TEC is configured to perform heating or cooling according to an enabling signal input by the MCU. The MCU is configured to determine whether to input an enabling signal or a disabling signal to the first TEC and the second TEC according to a size of operating current input by a drive circuit of a laser chip to the laser chip. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An optical module, comprising: a micro control unit (MCU); a first thermoelectric cooler (TEC) drive circuit for controlling a first TEC disposed at least partially inside a laser housing, the first TEC drive circuit being configured to control the first TEC to perform heating or cooling when the first TEC drive circuit is enabled by a first enabling signal communicated by the MCU; and a second thermoelectric cooler (TEC) drive circuit for controlling a second TEC disposed on a laser housing, the second TEC drive circuit being configured to control the second TEC to perform heating or cooling when the second TEC drive circuit is enabled by a second enabling signal communicated by the MCU, wherein the MCU is configured to: determine an amount of current flowing into a drive circuit of a laser chip to thereby determine an operating current of the drive circuit of the laser chip; when the operating current is within a first current range, communicate the first enabling signal to the first TEC drive circuit to enable the first TEC drive circuit to control the first TEC; when the operating current is within a second current range, communicate the second enabling signal to the second TEC drive circuit to enable the second TEC drive circuit to control the second TEC. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The optical module according to claim 1, wherein the first TEC drive circuit is configured to determine, according to an operating temperature of the laser chip, a size of cooling or heating current input for the first TEC. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The optical module according to claim 2, further comprising a first temperature sensor; wherein the first temperature sensor is disposed on the laser chip and is connected to the first TEC drive circuit, and the first temperature sensor is configured to monitor an operating temperature of the laser; and the first TEC drive circuit determines, when the operating temperature of the laser monitored by the first temperature sensor exceeds a first temperature range, the size of the heating or cooling current input for the first TEC. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The optical module according to claim 1, wherein the MCU is further configured to determine, according to the size of the operating current input by the drive circuit of the laser chip to the laser chip, a size of heating or cooling current input by the second TEC drive circuit to the second TEC. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The optical module according to claim 1, further comprising a first temperature sensor; wherein the first temperature sensor is disposed on the laser chip and is connected to the first TEC drive circuit, and the first temperature sensor is configured to monitor an operating temperature of the laser; and the first TEC drive circuit determines, when the operating temperature of the laser chip monitored by the first temperature sensor exceeds a first temperature range, the size of the heating or cooling current input for the first TEC. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The optical module according to claim 1, wherein the MCU is further configured to communicate the enabling signal to the first TEC drive circuit when the operating current input to the laser chip exceeds a first current range. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The optical module according to claim 1, wherein the MCU is configured to communicate the enabling signal to the second TEC drive circuit when the operating current input to the laser chip exceeds a second current range; and wherein the MCU is further configured to input the disabling signal to the second TEC when the operating current input to the laser chip is within the first current range. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The optical module according to claim 1, comprising multiple second TECs; and the multiple second TECs are disposed on the housing of the laser separately and connected to the second TEC drive circuit, and the multiple second TECs are configured to perform, according to the heating or cooling current input by the second TEC drive circuit, heating or cooling for the housing of the optical module. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The optical module according to claim 1, further comprising a second temperature sensor; wherein the second temperature sensor is disposed on the housing of the laser and is connect to the second TEC drive circuit, and the second temperature sensor is configured to monitor an operating temperature of the housing of the laser; and the second TEC drive circuit determines, when the operating temperature of the laser chip monitored by the second temperature sensor exceeds a second temperature range, the size of the heating or cooling current input for the second TEC. ### Claim 10 A system, comprising: a laser disposed at least partially in a housing and configured to communicate with an optical network; a micro control unit (MCU); a first thermoelectric cooler (TEC) drive circuit for controlling a first (TEC) disposed at least partially inside the laser housing, the first TEC drive circuit being configured to control the first TEC to perform heating or cooling when the first TEC drive circuit is enabled by a first enabling signal communicated by the MCU; and a second thermoelectric cooler (TEC) drive circuit for controlling a second TEC disposed outside of the laser housing, the second TEC drive circuit being configured to control the second TEC to perform heating or cooling when the second TEC drive circuit is enabled by a second enabling signal communicated by the MCU; wherein the MCU is configured to: determine an amount of current flowing into a drive circuit of a laser chip to thereby determine an operating current of the drive circuit of the laser chip; when the operating current is within a first current range, communicate the first enabling signal to the first TEC drive circuit to enable the first TEC drive circuit to control the first TEC; when the operating current is within a second current range, communicate the second enabling signal to the second TEC drive circuit to enable the second TEC drive circuit to control the second TEC. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The system according to claim 10, wherein the first TEC drive circuit is configured to determine, according to an operating temperature of the laser chip, a size of cooling or heating current input for the first TEC. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The system according to claim 11, further comprising a first temperature sensor; wherein the first temperature sensor is disposed on the laser chip and is connected to the first TEC drive circuit, and the first temperature sensor is configured to monitor an operating temperature of the laser; and the first TEC drive circuit determines, when the operating temperature of the laser monitored by the first temperature sensor exceeds a first temperature range, the size of the heating or cooling current input for the first TEC. ### Claim 13 (depends on 10) The system according to claim 10, wherein the MCU is further configured to determine, according to the size of the operating current input by the drive circuit of the laser chip to the laser chip, a size of heating or cooling current input by the second TEC drive circuit to the second TEC. ### Claim 14 (depends on 10) The system according to claim 10, further comprising a backlight detector; wherein the backlight detector is connect to an input end of the drive circuit of the laser chip, and is configured to monitor back current of the laser; and the drive circuit of the laser chip is configured to determine, according to the back current of the laser monitored by the backlight detector, the size of the operating current input to the laser chip. ### Claim 15 (depends on 10) The system according to claim 10, further comprising a first temperature sensor; wherein the first temperature sensor is disposed on the laser chip and is connected to the first TEC drive circuit, and the first temperature sensor is configured to monitor an operating temperature of the laser; and the first TEC drive circuit determines, when the operating temperature of the laser chip monitored by the first temperature sensor exceeds a first temperature range, the size of the heating or cooling current input for the first TEC. ### Claim 16 (depends on 10) The system according to claim 10, wherein the MCU is further configured to communicate the enabling signal to the first TEC drive circuit when the operating current input to the laser chip exceeds a first current range. ### Claim 17 (depends on 10) The system according to claim 10, wherein the MCU is configured to communicate the enabling signal to the second TEC drive circuit when the operating current input to the laser chip exceeds a second current range; and wherein the MCU is further configured to input the disabling signal to the second TEC when the operating current input to the laser chip is within the first current range. ### Claim 18 (depends on 10) The system according to claim 10, comprising multiple second TECs; and the multiple second TECs are disposed on the housing of the laser separately and connected to the second TEC drive circuit, and the multiple second TECs are configured to perform, according to the heating or cooling current input by the second TEC drive circuit, heating or cooling for the housing of the optical module. ### Claim 19 (depends on 10) The optical module according to claim 10, further comprising a second temperature sensor; wherein the second temperature sensor is disposed on the housing of the laser and is connect to the second TEC drive circuit, and the second temperature sensor is configured to monitor an operating temperature of the housing of the laser; and the second TEC drive circuit determines, when the operating temperature of the laser chip monitored by the second temperature sensor exceeds a second temperature range, the size of the heating or cooling current input for the second TEC. ### Claim 20 (depends on 1) The optical module according to claim 1, wherein a range of current over which the first TEC drive circuit is activated is different than a range of current over which the second TEC drive circuit is activated.