Trex Enterprises Corporation

Astroterra Corporation

Thermotrex Corporation

Other

Thermo Electron Technologies Corp.

Trex Communications Corporation

Optical Access, Inc.

Eric John Korevaar

Paul A Johnson

John Arthur Lovberg

Brett A Spivey

Lawrence H Sverdrup

Richard Chedester

Shiow-Hwa Lin

Scott Harris Bloom

Yoshinao Taketomi

Eduardo Tinoco

James H Menders

Hus Tigli

Prasanna Adhikari

Maha Achour

Victor Hokkiu Chan

Donald Bruns

Kenneth Y Tang

Mikhail Belenkii

Edward P Davis

Richard Michael Kremer

Todd Kent Barrett

Michael D Rivers

David J Lilly

David G Sandler

Matthew Last

Irene Chen

Thomas Lambert

Vladimar Kolinko

Robert A Fein

Larry DiRuscio

John A Louberg

Amy Low

Todd Barrott

Larry Dirvscio

Yoshinoa Taketomi

Edward Davis

Hus Tigle

In accordance with the present invention, at least three geosynchronous satellites are employed in combination, at respective known positions above a terrestrial water surface to locate an underwater terminal (vehicle). Each satellite includes a light source, and each has a controller for activating its respective light source to simultaneously transmit a light pulse, to a predetermined cell area on the terrestrial water surface, at a precisely scheduled time, t, for receipt by the underwater terminal. A computer at the terminal then evaluates the respective light pulse arrival times, t, to determine the location of the underwater terminal.

Optical global positioning system

A large communication network suitable for nationwide or worldwide utilization. The present invention overthrows the conventional packet switching technologies with an all-optical network. The invention uses tunable laser sources to generate large number of highly stable narrow-band optical signals, each serving as a communication channel. With packet processing replaced by all-optical channels, the network become highly secure and scalable while harnessing the virtually unlimited capacity of fiber-optic. A large number of nodes (called area code nodes) are connected with all-fiber-optic links with all-optical switches. A routing algorithm provides one or more communication links from each area code node to every other area code node so that information never has to change carrier wavelength as it travels the network. Each area code node contains circuits that are provided to connect individual users to the network.

Optically switched communication network

A communication system and method that combines with direct high data rate links at least one content distribution networks with a number of base stations of at least one cellular communication networks. In preferred embodiments the high data rate direct communication links between the content distribution networks and the base stations include millimeter wave radio links and the cellular communication networks are provided with third or fourth generation communication equipment providing data rates in excess of 40 Mbps. In a preferred embodiment millimeter wave links operating at data rates in the range of about 1.25 Gbps or greater in frequency ranges of within the range of 71 GHz to 86 GHz provide communication channels between base stations and points of presence of the content distribution network.

Cellular communication system with high speed content distribution

Millimeter wave radio with phase modulation. In preferred embodiments each of the two radios in a link uses a single aperture to transmit radiation in one of the two bands, and receive radiation in the other of the bands. The counterpart radio used to form a link preferably is almost identical, except for the interchange of the transmit and receive frequencies. Preferred embodiments utilize a modulation scheme in which the radios each receive on-off keyed data and transmit the on-off keyed data encoded in a millimeter wave carrier wave with binary phase shift keying.

Millimeter wave radio with phase modulation

A communication system providing wireless communication among wireless users through a number of cellular base stations, each including at least transport management equipment and broadband equipment, at least one of which supports at least remote cellular station including RF equipment for communication with users of cellular devices. The system includes at lease one wireless narrow beam communication link operating at millimeter wave frequencies in excess of 60 GHz connecting a remote cellular station with a cellular base station equipped with broad band conversion electronic equipment and transport management equipment. In preferred embodiment the communication system includes a large number of remote cellular stations with each remote cellular station serving a separate communication cell. Each remote cellular station is equipped with a low frequency wireless transceiver for communicating with the wireless users within the cell at a radio frequency lower than 6 GHz and a narrow beam millimeter wave wireless transceiver operating at a millimeter wave frequency higher than 60 GHz for communicating with another millimeter wave transceiver at another remote cellular station or a millimeter wave transceiver at a base station.

Cellular systems with distributed antennas

A lens-based millimeter wave transceiver for use in wireless communication systems operating in the E-band spectrum consistent with the FCC rules regulating the 71-76 GHz and 81-86 GHz bands. The transceiver includes a single lens adapted for transmission of millimeter radiation to form communication beams in one band of either a band of about 71-76 GHz or a band of 81-86 GHz and for collection and focusing of millimeter wave radiation from communication beams in the other of the two bands. It includes a feed horn adapted to broadcast millimeter radiation through said single lens and to collect incoming millimeter wave radiation collected and focused by said single lens. A millimeter wave diplexer separates incoming and outgoing millimeter wave radiation.

Wireless millimeter wave communication system

A communication system providing wireless communication among wireless users through a number of cellular base stations. At least one of the base stations is a mobile base station in which low and high speed wireless transceivers are mounted on a temporarily stationary mobile vehicle such as a truck trailer or a truck. The system includes at least one connecting station with a millimeter wave wireless transceiver in communication with a fiber optic or high-speed cable communication network. The transceiver is adapted to communicate at millimeter wave frequencies higher than 60 GHz with another millimeter wave transceiver at one of the cellular base stations. Each of the base stations serves a separate communication cell. Each base station is equipped with a low frequency wireless transceiver for communicating with the wireless users within the cell at a radio frequency lower than 6 GHz and a millimeter wave wireless transceiver operating at a millimeter wave frequency higher than 60 GHz for communicating with another millimeter wave transceiver at another base station or a millimeter wave transceiver at said at the connecting station. The base stations are also equipped with data transfer means for transferring data communicated through the low frequency wireless transceiver to the millimeter wave wireless transceiver and for transferring data communicated through the millimeter wave wireless transceiver to the low frequency wireless transceiver. In preferred embodiments the system is a part of a telephone system, an Internet system or a computer network.

Wireless millimeter wave communication system with mobile base station

A method and system for creating and co-aligning a first array of optical beams with a second array of optical beams. In a preferred application the invention is used in a cross connect optical switch. A first set of alignment beams are created and added to and aligned co-axially with each of the first set of parallel collimated cross-connect communication beams. A second set of alignment beams are created and added to and aligned co-axially with each of the second set of parallel collimated cross-connect communication beams. A preferred embodiment includes an injection unit with a 'point' infrared light source such as a vertical cavity surface emitting laser (VCSEL) operating in the near infrared at 850 nm and having a divergence of about 30 degrees. The beam from this source is collimated with collimator optics to produce a collimated beam with a cross sectional dimension of about 16 millimeter&#xd7;16 millimeters. This collimated beam is separated into 128 separate beams with a mask having 128 0.6 mm diameter apertures that are positioned to align the 128 separate parallel beams with the communication beams from a fiber bundle.

Optical switch with co-axial alignment beam

A communication system providing wireless communication among wireless users through a number of cellular base stations. The system includes a connecting station with a millimeter wave wireless transceiver in communication with a fiber optic or high-speed cable communication network. The transceiver is adapted to communicate at millimeter wave frequencies higher than 60 GHz with another millimeter wave transceiver at one of the cellular base stations. Each of the base stations serves a separate communication cell. Each base station is equipped with a low frequency wireless transceiver for communicating with the wireless users within the cell at a radio frequency lower than 6 GHz. In preferred embodiments the system a part of a telephone system, an Internet system or a computer network.

Wireless communication system

The present invention provides an all optical cross connect switch utilizing two-axis MEMS mirrors for cross connecting optical fibers in a first set of optical fibers to optical fibers in a second set of optical fibers. The optical fibers in the first and second sets of optical fibers are precisely positioned in a first fiber-microlens positioning array to define a first set of parallel collimated cross-connect communication beam paths, with each collimated cross-connect communication beam path connecting an optical fiber in the first set of optical fibers with a MEMS mirror in a first MEMS mirror array. Alignment beams are added to and aligned co-axially with each of the first and second sets of parallel collimated cross-connect communication beams. Two beam direction sensor units are positioned to detect each alignment beam in the first and second sets of alignment beams transmitted through the dichroic mirror and a MEMS control system controls the positions of the MEMS mirrors to connect optical fibers in the first set of optical fibers to any of the optical fibers in the second set of optical fibers.

Optical switch module

A point-to-point, wireless, millimeter wave communications link between two stations at least one of which is a mobile station. A millimeter wave transmitter system operating at frequencies higher than 57 GHz with a tracking antenna producing a beam having a half-power beam width of about 2 degrees or less and a millimeter wave receiver also with a tracking antenna having a half-power beam width of about 2 degrees or less. In preferred embodiments each mobile station has a global position system (GPS) and a radio transmitter and both tracking antennas are pointed utilizing GPS information from the mobile station or stations. The GPS information preferably is transmitted via a low frequency, low data rate radio. Each millimeter wave unit is capable of transmitting and/or receiving, through the atmosphere, digital information to/from the other station at rates in excess of 155 million bits per second during normal weather conditions. In preferred embodiments actually built and tested by Applicants digital information has been transmitted at rates of 1.25 gigabits per second. Preferred communication links described here are millimeter wave links operating at frequencies of 71-73 GHz and 74-76 GHz mounted on simple two-axis gimbals. Pointing information of the required accuracy is provided by GPS receivers and standard radio links which send the GPS calculated positions to the millimeter wave systems at the opposite end of the link. In these embodiments there is no need for any complicated closed loop pointing information derived from received signal intensity or phase. On moving platforms locally generated inertial attitude information is combined with the GPS positions to control pointing of the gimbaled transceivers.

Mobile millimeter wave communication link

An automatic celestial navigation system for navigating both night and day by observation of K-band or H-band infrared light from multiple stars. One or more telescopes mounted on a movable platform such as a ship or airplane and directed at a substantially different portion of sky. Telescope optics focus (on to a pixel array of a sensor) H-band or K-band light from one or more stars in multiple telescopic fields of view. Each system also includes a GPS sensor and a computer processor having access to catalogued infrared star charts. The processor for each system is programmed with special algorithms to use image data from the infrared sensors, position and timing information from the GPS sensor, and the catalogued star charts information to determine orientation (attitude) of the platform.

Daytime stellar imager for attitude determination

A device and method for operational switching between line-of-sight wireless communications transceivers requires evaluating a useful received signal strength intensity (RSSI) for a first transceiver, and switching to a second transceiver when the consequent bit error rate (BER) is not useful for the first transceiver. Subsequent switching between the first and second transceivers is accomplished in accordance with a timed sequence regimen that involves variable time delays, and considerations of RSSI changes within determined time periods. Preferably, the first transceiver transmits and receives on a laser beam and the second transceiver transmits and receives on a microwave beam.

Optical communications system with back-up link

A system for directing a communication beam from a transmitter at a first location onto an optical target of a receiver at a second location uses a terrestrial free-space optical data link. The system includes an optical fiber which emanates the communication beam at a first wavelength in the intermediate infrared range onto an optical element of the transmitter. The optical element then collimates and directs the communication beam, together with a beacon beam of a second wavelength in the near infrared range, in a common beam along a path toward the receiver. At the second location, the receiver collects the common beam and focuses it to a focal point. A camera in the receiver then receives scattered light of the beacon beam from the focal point to determine a displacement distance between the focal point and the target. The focal point and target are then aligned with each other to reduce the displacement distance to a null and thereby make the focal point of the common beam incident on the target. Accordingly, the communication beam is directed onto the target which may either be an optical detector or another optical fiber.

Alignment system for laser communication beam

A system for aligning a laser beam with the end of an optical fiber includes optics for focusing the laser beam toward the end of the optical fiber. A plurality of light receptors are positioned around the end of the optical fiber and, as intended for the present invention, each light receptor generates a light signal which is indicative of the light intensity from the laser beam that is incident on it. Connected with this plurality of light sensors is a comparator which creates an error signal that is proportional to a difference between selected light signals from the light receptors. The laser beam can then be moved relative to the end of the optical fiber in response to the error signal to align the laser beam with the end of the optical fiber. When alignment is achieved, the light signals will be substantially equal to each other and the error signal will be a null.

Growing community of inventors

La Jolla, CA, United States of America

Eric John Korevaar