Optelecom, Inc.

William H Culver

Gordon Gould

Donald Schmadel

A retroreflective optical communication system in which a laser at a control station is aimed at a retroreflector at a second position or station whose reflectivity can be varied so as to impress a signal onto the retroreflected beam, and then back to the first station for detection. The communication link is such that the laser and aiming capability are at the receiving or control station and, greatly reducing the aiming and power requirements and cost at the retroreflector end of the link. The retromodulator optical communication system provides a high data rate, secure, non-jammable line-of-sight communication link between the second station, which may be a remotely piloted vehicle (RPV) and its control station. The retromodulator maybe entirely passive and thus would not give its presence away as would RF transmitting and receiving stations.

Retroreflective optical communication system

A fiber optic energy sensor and optical demodulation system is disclosed wherein the signal energy to be sensed or detected causes an etched single mode fiber to be stretched or compressed which causes the optical path length for electro-magnetic radiation traveling in the core of the optic fiber to change. The change in optic path length modulates the electro-magnetic radiation traveling in the fiber. There is also disclosed novel methods of manufacturing the novel type of fiber optic energy sensor and optical demodulation system.

Fiber optic energy sensor and optical demodulation system and methods of

Fiber optic energy sensor and demodulation system and method of making

A fiber optic energy sensor and optical demodulation system is disclosed wherein the signal energy to be sensed or detected causes an etched single mode fiber to be stretched or compressed which causes the optical path length for electromagnetic radiation traveling in the core of the optic fiber to change. The change in optic path length modulates the electromagnetic radiation traveling in the fiber. There is also disclosed novel methods of manufacturing the novel type of fiber optic energy sensor and optical demodulation system.

A bidirectional optical fiber cable assembly that has electrical connectors on each end and a data bus employing same are disclosed, thereby facilitating the implementation of optical fiber communication links. The bidirectional optical fiber cable assembly uses a dual function diode which functions both as a light emitter and as a detector of optical signals. This diode, which is contained within an electrical connector at the end of the cable assembly, is connected by wires to the electrical terminals of the connector and is positioned against the end of an optical fiber, which transmits the signal along the fiber cable. The use of such a cable assembly in a data bus allows the design of a data bus in which the function of signal transmission is conducted by optical signals, a function for which they are best suited by virtue of resistance to electrical interference, and in which connection and distribution of signals is done electrically, a function for which electronics is better suited than is optics. A bidirectional optical communication system that communicates directly along a path in the air is also facilitated by the use of a dual function diode.

Applications of dual function electro-optic transducer in optical signal

Radiant energy is caused to modulate in phase and frequency in a single mode optical fiber by means of a relatively movable, spatially periodic perturbation.

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Gaithersburg, MD, United States of America

William H Culver