Technische Universiteit Eindhoven

Antonius Marcellus Jozef Koonen

Henricus Petrus Anna Van Den Boom

Peter G M Baltus

Antonio Liotta

An Optical Wireless Communication (OWC) receiver configured to receive an incoming optical beam modulated with data and output an output signal including the modulated data. A lens receives the incoming optical beam. Photodiodes positioned at a distance from the lens and proximal to the focal plane of the lens receive a fraction of the incoming optical beam and generate a photocurrent in correspondence with photons received. The photodiodes are provided in a two-dimensional array including rows and columns wherein outputs of the columns are combined and their photocurrents are summed. An amplifier connected to the combined output of the columns converts the summed photocurrents into an output signal. Interconnections of the photodiodes form at least two parallel branches wherein each branch includes a cascade of at least two photodiodes forming a combined photodetector surface.

Optical wireless communication receiver with large photodetector surface area, large field of view and high bandwidth

An optical beam steering device is provided that includes an input optical fiber carrying multiple input optical signals, where each input optical signal includes a unique wavelength, an arrayed waveguide grating router (AWGR) having multiple output fibers, where the input optical fiber is connected to the AWGR, distal ends of the output fibers are arranged in a two-dimensional fiber array, the input optical signals are routed by the AWGR according to each unique wavelength to a unique AWGR output fiber, and a lens, where the distal ends of the output fibers are disposed proximal to a focal plane of the lens, where for each unique position of each output fiber distal end with respect to a the lens, each input optical signal is steered at a unique angle as an output beam emitted from the lens, where changing the wavelength of the input optical signal changes the output signal angles.

Two-dimensional optical beam steering module

Pressure sensing having 2-D resolution is provided by an array of optical waveguides having wave-guide intersections (e.g., intersecting rows and columns). Pressure induced cross-coupling between intersecting wave-guides is enhanced by including mechanical structures at each intersection that enhance local waveguide bending. For example, such structures can be rigid rings around the wave-guide intersections.

Optical waveguide system for 2-dimensional location sensing

An interference-free communication system having a central communication controller (CCC) with a wavelength-tunable light source that emits a tunable wavelength optical data signal, and controls the wavelength-tunable light source by conditioning, modulation and wavelength-tuning, the CCC includes a signal-transparent optical crossconnect and fiber optic network, a pencil-radiating antenna (PRA) that is a passive 2-dimensional diffractive module is coupled to the wavelength-tunable light source via the fiber optic network, the crossconnect routes the optical data signal to the PRA, the optical data signal is transmitted through a confined optical pencil beam, the PRA deflects the pencil beam in 2 angular dimensions as a function of a wavelength of the pencil beam, the deflected pencil beam is disposed for communication with an opto-electronic communication device, and a radio return channel that provides upstream communication from the communication device to the CCC includes a lack-of-connection communication between the communication device and the CCC.

Growing community of inventors

Nuenen, Netherlands

Antonius Marcellus Jozef Koonen