The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Apr. 08, 2003
Filed:
Apr. 01, 1999
Donald G. Heflinger, Torrance, CA (US);
Lee O. Heflinger, Torrance, CA (US);
TRW Inc., Redondo Beach, CA (US);
Abstract
An optical communication system uses a radio frequency (RF) signal for communicating an analog communication signal. It comprises an optical transmitter and receiver. The transmitter generates a reference light beam, generates a shifted light beam that is shifted in frequency by the RF frequency, and responds to the analog communication signal and produces a communication light beam having a phase modulation corresponding to the analog communication signal. The optical receiver comprises first means to interferometrically combine the reference light beam with the shifted light beam to provide a first heterodyne signal, second means responsive to the first heterodyne signal to produce a first electrical signal at the optical beat frequency corresponding to the RF, third means to interferometrically combine the communication light beam with the shifted light beam to provide a second heterodyne signal including information regarding the state of phase of the communication light beam, fourth means responsive to said second heterodyne signal to produce a second electrical signal at the optical beat frequency corresponding to the RF and with a phase corresponding to the state of phase of the communication light beam, and fifth means responsive to said first and said second electrical signals to provide an output signal that has a linear correspondence to the state of optical phase of said communication light beam and the analog communication signal. Also disclosed are the transmitter and the receiver.