Method for establishing and maintaining optical, open-air communications link
US6690888B1 · kind B1 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Jul 21, 2000 |
| Grant date | Feb 10, 2004 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Feb 3, 2022 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
- CPC primaryH04B10/112
- WIPO fieldTelecommunications
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
A method for controlling an optical, path-to-sight link, the optical link including a source of light having a beam of light, a controllable beam steering device and an actuator to permit steering the light beam, the beam steering device being controllable by predetermined control signals. The method includes the following steps. The beam steering device is controlled so as to scan the beam of light in a first predetermined pattern. First direction is received data from a remote receiver including a light detector, the direction data corresponding to a direction of the beam at which the scanned beam of light is detected by the light detector. Responsive to the first direction data, a first beam direction is determined for data communication from the link to the receiver. The beam steering device is controlled to maintain a communications beam direction corresponding to the first beam direction. The beam of light is modulated with electronic signals.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.