Apparatus and method for implementing a photonic radio front end

US10063320B2 · kind B2 · utility

Assignee

• THE JOHNS HOPKINS UNIVERSITY · US

Inventors

• Thomas Clark · Columbia, US
• Jay H. Song · Ellicott City, US
• Timothy Patrick McKenna · Bethesda, US
• Keith G. Petrillo · Highland, US
• Jeffrey Nanzer · Okemos, US
• Stuart A. Jackson · Edmonton, CA
• Olukayode K. Okusaga · College Park, US

Key dates

• Filing date: Jan 17, 2017
• Grant date: Aug 28, 2018
• Expiry date: Jan 17, 2037

Classification

• Technology area (CPC H): Electricity
• CPC primary: H04B2210/006
• WIPO field: Telecommunications
• WIPO sector: Electrical engineering

Abstract

Apparatuses and methods for implementing a photonic radio front end are provided. An example apparatus may include a photonic comb filter configured to generate a photonic pulse train at a plurality of carrier frequencies, and a photonic upconverter. The photonic upconverter may be configured to receive outbound data from a data source, and encode and photomix the outbound data onto each of the carrier frequencies within the plurality of carrier frequencies to generate associated upconverted waveforms on each of the carrier frequencies. The apparatus may further comprise a transmit channel selector configured to receive the upconverted waveforms on each of the carrier frequencies, receive a control signal selecting one or more carrier frequencies for transmission of the outbound data, and filter out the upconverted waveforms at unselected carrier frequencies to provide upconverted waveforms at the selected carrier frequencies.