Optical communications system
US5838473A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventor
Key dates
| Filing date | Mar 25, 1996 |
| Grant date | Nov 17, 1998 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Mar 25, 2016 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
- CPC primaryH04B10/25754
- WIPO fieldTelecommunications
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
An optical communication system used for the distribution of a signal includes a central station having an optical source. One or more remote stations are connected to the central station by an optical network. The central station outputs onto the network a carrier signal and an intermediate frequency signal. The remote station includes an optical mixer/detector which mixes the carrier and intermediate frequency signal both in the optical domain and outputs an RF electrical signal. The optical mixer/detector may be a heterojunction bipolar phototransistor (HBT). The optical source in the central station may be a dual-mode semiconductor laser.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.