Atmosphric optical communication link

Abstract

This invention is a mobile, short range, high data rate, high availability atmospheric optical communication link which can be used to temporarily bridge a break in an optical fiber network. Briefly, the invention comprises two transceivers, one at each end of a break, to bridge a severed optical fiber via an atmospheric optical transmission path which can extend for a distance of roughly 5 miles. A special light source is not required. The light transmitted through the atmosphere is the low power light emitted from the end of an optical fiber and generated by an optical regenerator normally used to generate light only for transmission through an optical fiber. The light is first expanded and collimated for atmospheric transmission and then transmitted to a receiver. At the receiver, the diameter of the received beam is optically reduced by focusing it onto the end of an optical fiber for coupling the light into the fiber. The optics for the transmitter and receiver can be mounted on a platform that adjusts in real time to optimize the signal received. Optical alignment can be automatically maintained by computer controlled transmitter steering and receiver tracking. The transmitters and receivers required no communication other than the incoming beam to maintain optical alignment and does not require additional bits in the data stream for telemetry.