Method and apparatus for aligning telescopes within a free-space optical communication system
US6657783B1 · kind B1 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Oct 5, 2000 |
| Grant date | Dec 2, 2003 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Oct 5, 2020 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
- CPC primaryH04B10/1121
- WIPO fieldTelecommunications
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
A free space optical communication system is disclosed whereby a transmit telescope and a receive telescope are aligned such that the point of maximum power of the received light beam is incident upon the optical fiber located at a specific point on the focal plane of the receive telescope. Such incidence is achieved by causing the transmitted beam to diverge by moving the transmit optical fiber to a point in front of the focal plane of the transmit telescope until at least a portion of the beam is incident upon the receive optical fiber. The transmit telescope and/or the receive telescope (or, alternatively, only the respective optical fibers of those telescopes) are then moved such that the point of maximum received power for that degree of divergence is incident upon the receive optical fiber. The transmit optical fiber, in response to received power measurements at the receive telescope, then incrementally moves back toward the focal plane of the transmit telescope thereby reducing the degree of divergence and achieving a greater signal per unit area at the receive telescope. As the divergence is reduced, the position of the either the transmit telescope and/or the receive tele…
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.