Bae Systems, Inc.

Bay Systems Plc

Christopher Ralph Pescod

Mohammed Nawaz

Shahbaz Nawaz

Andrew James Smith

Clive William Miller

Lydia Ann Hyde

Shaun William Waddington

Robert Ian Henderson

James Christopher Gordon Matthews

John Michael Wood

Mark Trevor Newman

Colin James Harper

Mohammed Namaz

An optical selector arrangement (), comprising: a first set of optical ports (), having a first number of optical ports, the first number being greater than or equal to 2; a second set of optical ports (), having a second number of optical ports, the second number being greater than the first number; the second set of optical ports being for communicating with the first set of optical ports, a selector interface () for the optical selector arrangement, the selector interface comprising the second set of optical ports (), a part of the optical selector arrangement functioning as a selector (), the selector being arranged to selectively optically couple the first set of optical ports () to a set of ports of the second set of optical ports () of the selector interface, the selector () being rotatable relative to the selector interface () to facilitate the selection by optically aligning the first set of optical ports () to the second set of optical ports () of the selector interface (); the selector () being configured to be continuously relatively rotatable over multiple rotations, to selectively optically couple the first set of optical ports () to a different set of ports of the second set of optical ports of the selector interface.

Optical selector arrangement

An optical transmitter () comprising: a laser diode () for transmitting an optical signal; a first temperature sensor () configured to measure a temperature at or proximate to the laser diode (); a second temperature sensor () configured to measure a temperature of an environment in which the optical transmitter () is operating; a thermoelectric device () configured to apply heating or cooling to the laser diode (); and a controller () configured to, using the temperature measurements taken by the first temperature sensor () and the second temperature sensor (), control the thermoelectric device () to heat or cool the laser diode ().

Optical transmitter

A fiber-radio communication network includes a base station () and wireless access nodes () coupled by fiber optic cables (). The base station () includes a switch module () arranged to switch Ethernet signals on a local area network, and a media converter rack module () comprising media converter units MC1-MC6 arranged to convert between a baseband Ethernet signal carried by the fiber optic cables () and an Ethernet digital signal for the switch. The wireless access node () comprises a media converter module () which converts between a baseband Ethernet signal carried by the fiber optic cables and an Ethernet digital signal; and a wireless access point module () comprising a local modem which converts between the Ethernet digital signal received over the fiber optic cables and a wireless transmission in a 60 GHz range for wireless communication with a client terminal () in the vicinity of the wireless access node ().

Fibre-radio communication network and apparatus and fibre-radio communication method

An aircraft-side aircraft data retrieval system and method, comprising: a data storage device () located in an aircraft () adapted to, during a flight, store data acquired during the flight; a transmission element (), for example a dielectric filled hole or a coaxial transmission line assembly, in an external panel () of the aircraft (); and wireless apparatus () adapted to wirelessly transmit, after the aircraft () has landed, the stored data to a ground-side data retrieval system () via the transmission element ().

Data retrieval system in an aircraft with data stored during a flight and wirelessly transmitted to a ground system after landing using a transmission element in an external panel of an avionic bay

A method and apparatus for operating an optical rotating joint (); comprising: providing redundancy for camera sensor signals to be passed through an optical rotating joint () by: (i) passing signals from a plurality of camera sensors () via an optical changeover switching arrangement () to the optical rotating joint (); and/or (ii) passing signals for a plurality of camera sensors () toward the camera sensors () from the optical rotating joint () via an optical changeover switching arrangement (). The signals may be sensor control signals or sensor output signals to/from a plurality of sensors (), for example camera sensors. The apparatus may further comprise one or more wavelength division multiplexers () and/or wavelength division demultiplexers ().

Apparatus and methods for use with optical rotating joint

A method and apparatus for operating an optical rotating joint (); comprising: routing optical signals through an optical rotating joint () by using a first optical circulator () on a first side of the optical rotating joint () to receive an optical signal and direct the optical signal onward to a first side of the optical rotating joint (), and using a second optical circulator () on a second side of the optical rotating joint () to receive the optical signal from the second side of the optical rotating joint () and direct it onwards. The signals may be sensor control signals or sensor output signals to/from a plurality of sensors (), for example camera sensors. The apparatus may further comprise one or more wavelength division multiplexers () and/or wavelength division demultiplexers ().

An aircraft-side aircraft data retrieval system and method, comprising: a data storage device () located in a first location, for example a bay (), in a aircraft () adapted to, during a flight, store data acquired during the flight; and wireless apparatus () comprising an antenna (), at least the antenna () being located in a second location, for example an undercarriage bay, in the aircraft () that is different to the first location, the wireless apparatus () adapted to wirelessly transmit, after landing, the stored data to a ground-side data retrieval system (); the second location () being a location that can have a closed or open configuration and which will be in the closed configuration for at least a majority of the flight and in the open configuration, for a purpose other than retrieving the stored data, after the aircraft () has landed.

Data retrieval system in an aircraft with data stored during a flight and wirelessly transmitted to a ground system after landing using a electromagnetically sealed device which can be open or closed

An optical rotating joint installation; comprising: a drive shaft for a rotating interface, the drive shaft comprising a hollow central bore; and an optical rotating joint located in the hollow central bore. The proportion of the cross-sectional area of the material retained in the annular section of the drive shaft is preferably greater than or equal to 50%, more preferably 60%, yet more preferably 75%. The diameter of the hollow central bore is preferably less than or equal to 20 mm, more preferably 16 mm. The optical rotating joint installation may be provided as a retro-fit to replace an existing solid drive shaft that does not have an optical rotating joint, for example by hollowing out the existing solid drive shaft or by replacing the existing solid drive shaft with a drive shaft with a hollow central bore.

Provision of an optical rotating joint installation

A bidirectional radio frequency communication unit includes: a transmit modem; a receive modem; an RF transceiver circuit; a coupling waveguide arrangement; and an antenna. The RF transceiver circuit transmits and receives at RF frequencies greater than or equal to 50 GHz. At least a majority of the RF transceiver circuit is provided on a single multilayer PCB. The coupling waveguide arrangement is provided in the form of respective transmit and receive waveguides provided within a diplexer that has a common antenna coupling port and is in the form of a block. The multilayer PCB and the diplexer form a laminated structure; and transition interfaces between the RF transceiver circuit and the waveguide include one or more buried layer probe elements in a buried layer of the multilayer PCB.

Radio frequency communication

An antenna system, comprising: a phased array antenna (); and a dielectric lens arrangement (), for example a single solid dielectric lens () comprising a substantially spherical convex surface () and a concave surface (); wherein the dielectric lens arrangement () is arranged to magnify the effective aperture of the phased array antenna (). The concave surface () is positioned within the near field of the phased array antenna (). The phased array antenna () is operated at a frequency greater than or equal to 50 GHz. The antenna system retains some ability to electronically scan the beam. The antenna system may be for transmission and/or reception. The antenna system may be used for example for communication between two vehicles.

Antenna system

A method of sampling a radio frequency signal comprises: receiving the radio frequency signal; modulating an optical signal with the radio frequency signal and an oscillator signal to generate a modulated signal; applying a filter to the modulated signal to generate an intermediate frequency signal, the filter having an intermediate pass band and an intermediate roll-off, the intermediate pass band and the intermediate roll-off in combination defining a intermediate frequency band having a first bandwidth; and sampling the intermediate frequency signal at a sampling frequency using a number of optically interleaved analog-to-digital converters. The oscillator signal and the sampling frequency in combination are arranged such that the intermediate frequency band is defined between consecutive multiples of half of the sampling frequency. Corresponding apparatus for sampling a radio frequency signal is also disclosed. Apparatus and methods for synthesizing a radio frequency signal, using similar techniques to the above, are also disclosed.

Improvements relating to signal processing

A point-to-point radio frequency (RF) communication system having one or more communication units coupled to respective television cameras and displays; and a further communication unit; wherein the units transmit video data to the further communication unit at frequencies greater than or equal to 50 GHz and at data rates greater than or equal to 1 gigabit/second; and the units receive video data transmitted by the further communication unit at frequencies greater than or equal to 50 GHz and at data rates 250 megabits/second. The units can each include an antenna with a waveguide diplexer and an RF transceiver circuit board having sufficient transmit/receive isolation for the transmitting and receiving to take place point-to-point at distances greater than or equal to 1 km.

Apparatus for providing antenna diversity for a radio transmitter/receiver (TR) comprising measuring means for measuring relative received signal strengths in a plurality of antennas in a selectable frequency range, means for selecting the selectable frequency range according to a transmission frequency of the TR, and connecting means for connecting the antenna having the greatest received signal strength to the TR. The apparatus may be combined with a plurality of antennas to form a diversity antenna system, for example for use with a personal radio. The antennas may then be disposed spaced apart on the user's body e.g. by being incorporated into a garment.

Antenna diversity apparatus

A bias controller for an optical modulator. The modulator includes a bias electrode that is operable when appropriately biased by an applied bias voltage to configure the modulator to operate at quadrature, and the bias controller includes: a generating arrangement for generating power signals indicative of the optical output power of the modulator; and a processor operably connected to the generating arrangement and said bias electrode and arranged to receive said power signals from said generating arrangement and to control the bias voltage applied to said bias electrode. The processor is configured to vary the bias voltage applied to said bias electrode and to determine from power signals received from said generating arrangement a peak optical output power for said modulator, and to determine in dependence upon said peak optical power a target optical power for quadrature with reference to a store of predetermined values for peak output power and respective corresponding values of target optical power for quadrature. Other embodiments relate to a multi-channel bias controller, and to a method for controlling voltage bias in a modulator.

Bias controller for an optical modulator

A base station is provided for communicating data to a mobile terminal unit by means of at least one antenna unit, wherein the at least one antenna unit is linked to the base station by means of at least one optical fiber and the at least one antenna unit is operable to communicate wirelessly with the mobile terminal unit. The base station comprises an optical transmitter for transmitting modulated data signals to the at least one antenna unit for wireless transmission, an optical receiver for receiving modulated data signals forwarded by the at least one antenna unit and a demodulator for demodulating received modulated data signals. The optical transmitter comprises a first optical modulator arranged to modulate an optical carrier with a radio frequency oscillator signal to generate an optical oscillator signal, a second optical modulator, coupled optically to the first optical modulator, operable to modulate the optical oscillator signal with an input data signal of a predetermined frequency to generate a downlink optical data signal and an optical output for directing the downlink optical data signal to the at least one antenna unit by means of the at least one optical fiber.

Growing community of inventors

Chelmsford, United Kingdom

Christopher Ralph Pescod