X Development LLC

Other

Robert Todd Belt

Nam-hyong Kim

Baris Ibrahim Erkmen

Edward Allen Keyes

An optical communication terminal is configured to operate in two different complementary modes of full duplex communication. In one mode, the terminal transmits light having a first wavelength and receives light having a second wavelength along a common free space optical path. In the other mode, the terminal transmits light having the second wavelength and receives light having the first wavelength. The terminal includes a steering mirror that directs light to and from a dichroic element that creates different optical paths depending on wavelength, and also includes spatially separated emitters and detectors for the two wavelengths. A first complementary emitter/detector pair is used in one mode, and a second pair is used for the other mode. The system also includes at least two ferrules. Each ferrule operates with a single emitter/detector pair. The ferrules are designed to operate interchangeably with either emitter/detector pair.

Free-space optical communication dual-fiber ferrule

A fully-passive optical system creates a counter-propagating reference beam, which may be used to evaluate a misalignment between a receive beam, a transmit beam, and a tracking beam. The system can be mated to a motorized tip-tilt stage, and can measure power of received signals and automatically adjust the tip-tilt stage in response. Thus, the system would always maintain bore-sight with the received beam regardless of mechanical shift over time.

Method of aligning transmit and receive beam for a free-space optical communication system

The technology relates to the design and placement of beacon transmission optics for free space optical communications ('FSOC'). One aspect of the disclosure provides an FSOC device with a beam steering mechanism, a beam column with a beam expander, an optical bus, and beacon transmission optics. The beacon transmission optics includes a prism that directs outgoing beacon beams into the beam column, and toward the beam steering mechanism. In one embodiment, the outgoing beacon beams do not need to travel through the beam expander of the beam column. As a result, backscatter is minimized and incoming or outgoing beams can be controlled with a single beam-steering mechanism.

Free-space optical communications beacon source architecture

Pigtail strain relief device

An example beam splitting apparatus is assembled from multiple prisms that are assembled together along respective mating surfaces to form a single monolithic optical device. The beam splitting apparatus includes optical features, such as dichroic and reflective surfaces, that define optical paths for light that enters the beam splitting apparatus. The optical features allow photons in the light to be directed along different optical paths based on their wavelengths. The optical features in the beam splitting apparatus are provided by coatings, films, and/or surface treatments applied to any of the faces of the prisms. In particular, coatings, films, and/or surface treatments are applied to the mating surfaces of the prisms so that the optical features are internal to the assembled monolithic optical device. The beam splitting apparatus may be implemented in a communication terminal that exchanges data modulated light according to frequency-division duplex communications.

Wavelength division monolithic optical device

A cooking apparatus has a pivotal mounting unit attached to the bed of a pickup truck for supporting a cooking unit thereon. The pivotal mounting unit comprises a vertically extending pivotal support member which supports a pair of horizontally extending parallel rods or tubes which extend into and support a cooking unit slidably mounted thereon. The rods or tubes extend nearly the entire length of the cooking unit and support the cooking unit in a variety of positions.

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Los Altos, CA, United States of America

Robert Todd Belt