US6563622B2 — High-speed communications system

Claim 1

Independent Claim 123 words

A light modulating system, comprising: a signal transmitter including: a first source of radiation for providing optical radiation as a carrier signal within the frequency range of approximately 300 gigahertz to 30 terahertz; a modulator receptive to the optical radiation and an information signal to generate modulated optical radiation; a second source of radiation for providing optical transmission radiation having a frequency of about 200 terahertz for transmission over fiber optics or use in digital electrical switches or optical switches; and a signal up converter receptive of the modulated optical radiation and the optical transmission radiation to generate an up converted transmission signal having a frequency equal to a sum or a difference of the modulated optical radiation and the optical transmission radiation.

Claim 2

Dependent Claim 123 words

A light modulating system, comprising: a signal transmitter including: a first source of radiation for providing optical radiation as a carrier signal within the frequency range of approximately 300 gigahertz to 30 terahertz; a modulator receptive to the optical radiation and an information signal to generate modulated optical radiation; a second source of radiation for providing optical transmission radiation having a frequency of about 200 terahertz for transmission over fiber optics or use in digital electrical switches or optical switches; and a signal up converter receptive of the modulated optical radiation and the optical transmission radiation to generate an up converted transmission signal having a frequency equal to a sum or a difference of the modulated optical radiation and the optical transmission radiation.

Claim 3

Dependent Claim 15 words

The light modulating system of claim 1 wherein the modulator is operable at ambient temperature.

Claim 4

Dependent Claim 28 words

The light modulating system of claim 1 wherein the first source comprises an optically-pumped far infrared laser, a directly multiplied source, a photo-mixer, or a quantum cascade laser.

Claim 5

Dependent Claim 13 words

The light modulating system of claim 1 wherein the modulator comprises a sideband-generator.

Claim 6

Dependent Claim 50 words

The light modulating system of claim 4 wherein the sideband-generator comprises: a coupling structure; and an ultra-high-frequency Schottky diode disposed at the coupling structure wherein the radiation and the information signal are coupled to the ultra-high-frequency Schottky diode, mixing therein wherein the modulated radiation is coupled out of the diode.

Claim 7

Dependent Claim 54 words

The light modulating system of claim 4 wherein the sideband-generator comprises: a coupling structure; and an ultra-high-frequency high electron mobility transistor disposed at the coupling structure wherein the radiation and the information signal are coupled to the ultra-high-frequency high electron mobility transistor, mixing therein wherein the modulated radiation is coupled out of the diode.

Claim 8

Dependent Claim 47 words

The light modulating system of claim 1 wherein the wavelength suitable for transmission over fiber optics comprises a wavelength of approximately 1.5 μm or other suitable communications wavelength for supplying broad band signals to either an optical fiber telecommunications system or to digital electrical or optical switches.

Claim 9

Dependent Claim 18 words

The light modulating system of claim 1 wherein the signal up converter includes a nonlinear optical mixing subsystem.

Claim 10

Dependent Claim 25 words

The light modulating system of claim 8 wherein the nonlinear optical mixing subsystem includes a crystal comprised of ZnTe, 4-dimethylamino-N-methylstilbazolium tosylate, ZnGeP 2 or GaP.

Claim 11

Dependent Claim 96 words

The light modulating system of claim 1 further comprising a terahertz filter acting on the modulated radiation to remove un-modulated radiation therein, wherein the terahertz filter comprises an etalon diplexer including a Silicon etalon rotated at an angle of about 45 degrees with respect to the modulated carrier signal and having a prescribed thickness as a function of the frequency of the carrier signal and the frequency range of the information signal or an inverse Fabry-Perot etalon including two parallel reflective polarizers having axial rotational orientations offset at an angle θ and thereby an adjustable finesse.

Claim 12

Dependent Claim 36 words

The light modulating system of claim 10 further comprising: a transmission filter acting on the modulated transmission radiation to remove un-modulated radiation at the wavelength suitable for transmission over fiber optics in the modulated transmission radiation.

Claim 13

Dependent Claim 36 words

The light modulating system of claim 1 further comprising: a transmission filter acting on the modulated transmission radiation to remove un-modulated radiation at the wavelength suitable for transmission over fiber optics in the modulated transmission radiation.

Claim 14

Dependent Claim 22 words

The communications transmission system as set forth in claim 1 wherein the signal up converter comprises a nonlinear up converter or subsystem.

Claim 15

Dependent Claim 19 words

The communications transmission system as set forth in claim 13 wherein the nonlinear up converter comprises an optical crystal.

Claim 16

Dependent Claim 143 words

A communications transmission system comprising: a signal transmitter including: a first radiation source for generating an optical carrier signal at a first prescribed frequency within the frequency range of approximately 300 gigahertz to 30 terahertz; a modulator receptive of the optical carrier signal and an information signal to generate thereby a modulated optical carrier signal; a second radiation source for generating an optical transmission signal at a frequency of about 200 terahertz; and a signal up converter receptive of the modulated optical carrier signal and the optical transmission signal to generate an up converted optical transmission signal having a frequency equal to the sum of the frequency of the modulated optical carrier signal and the frequency of the optical transmission signal or equal to the difference between the frequency of the optical transmission signal and the frequency of the modulated optical carrier signal.

Claim 17

Dependent Claim 143 words

A communications transmission system comprising: a signal transmitter including: a first radiation source for generating an optical carrier signal at a first prescribed frequency within the frequency range of approximately 300 gigahertz to 30 terahertz; a modulator receptive of the optical carrier signal and an information signal to generate thereby a modulated optical carrier signal; a second radiation source for generating an optical transmission signal at a frequency of about 200 terahertz; and a signal up converter receptive of the modulated optical carrier signal and the optical transmission signal to generate an up converted optical transmission signal having a frequency equal to the sum of the frequency of the modulated optical carrier signal and the frequency of the optical transmission signal or equal to the difference between the frequency of the optical transmission signal and the frequency of the modulated optical carrier signal.

Claim 18

Dependent Claim 21 words

The communications transmission system as set forth in claim 15 wherein the first radiation source comprises a source of coherent radiation.

Claim 19

Dependent Claim 32 words

The communications transmission system as set forth in claim 16 wherein the first radiation source comprises an optically-pumped far infrared laser, a directly multiplied source, a photo-mixer, or a quantum cascade laser.

Claim 20

Dependent Claim 35 words

The communications transmission system as set forth in claim 15 wherein the second radiation source comprises a source of radiation for generating a transmission signal having a frequency suitable for transmission over an optical network.

Claim 21

Dependent Claim 18 words

The communications transmission system as set forth in claim 18 wherein the second radiation source comprises a laser.

Claim 22

Dependent Claim 18 words

The communications transmission system as set forth in claim 19 wherein the laser comprises a distributed feedback laser.

Claim 23

Dependent Claim 29 words

The communications transmission system as set forth in claim 18 wherein the frequency suitable for transmission over an optical network comprises about 200 terahertz or other suitable communications frequencies.

Claim 24

Dependent Claim 22 words

The communications transmission system as set forth in claim 15 wherein the signal up converter comprises a nonlinear up converter or subsystem.

Claim 25

Dependent Claim 19 words

The communications transmission system as set forth in claim 22 wherein the nonlinear up converter comprises an optical crystal.

Claim 26

Dependent Claim 22 words

The communications transmission system as set forth in claim 23 wherein the optical crystal comprises ZnTe, GaP, ZnGeP 2 or 4-dimethylamino-N-methylstilbazolium tosylate.

Claim 27

Dependent Claim 17 words

The communications transmission system as set forth in claim 15 wherein the modulator comprises a sideband generator.

Claim 28

Dependent Claim 53 words

The communications transmission system as set forth in claim 25 wherein the sideband generator comprises: a coupling structure; and a diode disposed at the coupling structure wherein the carrier signal and the information signal are coupled to the diode, mixing therein wherein a modulated carrier signal is thereby coupled out of the diode.

Claim 29

Dependent Claim 17 words

The communications transmission system as set forth in claim 26 wherein the diode comprises a Schottky diode.

Claim 30

Dependent Claim 43 words

The communications transmission system as set forth in claim 26 wherein the diode comprises a reflective phase modulator disposed at the coupling structure to couple the carrier signal and the information signal to the sideband generator, the information signal comprising a sideband signal.

Claim 31

Dependent Claim 22 words

The communications transmission system as set forth in claim 26 wherein the coupling structure comprises a feedhorn, a lens or a waveguide.

Claim 32

Dependent Claim 33 words

The communications transmission system as set forth in claim 25 further comprising an impedance matching device matching the impedance of the sideband generator to the impedance of the source of the information signal.

Claim 33

Dependent Claim 53 words

The communications transmission system as set forth in claim 25 wherein the sideband generator comprises: a coupling structure; and a transistor disposed at the coupling structure wherein the carrier signal and the information signal are coupled to the transistor, mixing therein wherein a modulated carrier signal is thereby coupled out of the transistor.

Claim 34

Dependent Claim 20 words

The communications transmission system as set forth in claim 31 wherein the transistor comprises an ultra-high-frequency high electron mobility transistor.

Claim 35

Dependent Claim 22 words

The communications transmission system as set forth in claim 31 wherein the coupling structure comprises a feedhorn, a lens or a waveguide.

Claim 36

Dependent Claim 75 words

The communications transmission system as set forth in claim 15 further comprising a first filter receptive of the modulated carrier signal for filtering unmodulated portions of the carrier sign; the first filter comprising a Silicon etalon diplexer rotated at an angle of about 45 degrees with respect to the modulated carrier signal and having a prescribed thickness as a function of the frequency of the carrier signal and the frequency range of the information signal.

Claim 37

Dependent Claim 37 words

The communications transmission system as set froth in claim 34 wherein the etalon comprises an inverse Fabry-Perot etalon comprising two parallel reflective polarizers having axial rotational orientations offset at an angle θ and thereby an adjustable finesse.

Claim 38

Dependent Claim 36 words

The communications transmission system as set forth in claim 15 further comprising a first filter receptive of the up converted transmission signal for filtering unshifted portions of the transmission signal from the up converted transmission signal.

Claim 39

Dependent Claim 81 words

The communications transmission system as set forth in claim 36 further comprising: a detector receptive of the up converted transmission signal for detecting the information signal modulating the carrier signal providing thereby as output an electrical signal indicative of the information signal; and an electrical-to-optical switch receptive of the electrical signal indicative of the information signal for routing the signal indicative of the information signal to one or more broad bandwidth channels for delivery to a communications network or data system.

Claim 40

Dependent Claim 46 words

The communications transmission system as set forth in claim 36 further comprising a one-to-many optical-to-optical switch receptive of the up converted transmission signal for routing the up converted transmission signal to one or more broad bandwidth channels for delivery to a communications network or data system.

Claim 41

Dependent Claim 23 words

The communications transmission system as set forth in claim 15 wherein the frequency shifted transmission signal comprises a signal shifted up in frequency.

Claim 42

Dependent Claim 18 words

The communications transmission system as set forth in claim 15 wherein the modulator is operable at ambient temperature.

Claim 43

Independent Claim 127 words

A method of increasing the amount of information transmitted over a communications channel, the method comprising: in a communications transmitter, modulating an optical carrier signal having a first prescribed frequency with an information signal having a prescribed first bandwidth, generating thereby a modulated optical carrier signal having a second prescribed bandwidth; and up converting an optical transmission signal having a second prescribed frequency of about 200 terahertz with the modulated optical carrier signal, generating thereby an up converted optical transmission signal having a frequency equal to the sum of the frequency of the modulated optical carrier signal and the frequency of the optical transmission signal or equal to the difference between the frequency of the optical transmission signal and the frequency of the modulated optical carrier signal.

Claim 44

Independent Claim 127 words

A method of increasing the amount of information transmitted over a communications channel, the method comprising: in a communications transmitter, modulating an optical carrier signal having a first prescribed frequency with an information signal having a prescribed first bandwidth, generating thereby a modulated optical carrier signal having a second prescribed bandwidth; and up converting an optical transmission signal having a second prescribed frequency of about 200 terahertz with the modulated optical carrier signal, generating thereby an up converted optical transmission signal having a frequency equal to the sum of the frequency of the modulated optical carrier signal and the frequency of the optical transmission signal or equal to the difference between the frequency of the optical transmission signal and the frequency of the modulated optical carrier signal.

Claim 45

Dependent Claim 101 words

The method as set forth in claim 41 further comprising filtering the modulated carrier signal to suppress undesired frequencies in the modulated carrier signal by adjusting the finesse in an inverse Fabry-Perot etalon comprising two parallel reflective polarizers having axial rotational orientations offset at an adjustable angle θ or receiving the modulated carrier signal in a Silicon etalon diplexer having a prescribed thickness as a function of the frequency of the carrier signal and the frequency range of the information signal and the etalon diplexer being rotated at an angle of about 45 degrees with respect to the modulated carrier signal.

Claim 46

Dependent Claim 29 words

The method as set forth in claim 41 further comprising filtering the frequency shifted transmission signal to reduce the presence of undesired frequencies in the frequency shifted transmission signal.

Claim 47

Dependent Claim 26 words

The method as set forth in claim 41 wherein modulating the carrier signal with an information signal comprises modulating the carrier signal in a sideband generator.

Claim 48

Dependent Claim 37 words

The method as set forth in claim 41 wherein up converting the transmission signal with the modulated carrier signal comprises up converting the transmission signal with the modulated carrier signal in a nonlinear optical device or subsystem.

Claim 49

Dependent Claim 41 words

The method as set forth in claim 45 wherein up converting the transmission signal with the modulated carrier signal in a nonlinear optical device or subsystem comprises up converting the transmission signal with the modulated carrier signal in an optical crystal.

Claim 50

Dependent Claim 16 words

The method as set forth in claim 41 wherein the communications channel is an optical fiber.

Claim 51

Dependent Claim 43 words

The method as set forth in claim 41 further comprising filtering the modulated carrier signal to suppress undesired frequencies in the modulated carrier signal or the frequency shifted transmission signal to reduce the presence of undesired frequencies in the up converted transmission signal.

Claim 52

Independent Claim 118 words

A method of increasing the extinction ratio of a data transmission system, the method comprising: in a communications transmitter, modulating an optical carrier signal having a first prescribed frequency with an information signal having a prescribed first bandwidth, generating thereby a modulated optical carrier signal having a second prescribed bandwidth; up converting an optical transmission signal having a second prescribed frequency with the modulated optical carrier signal, generating thereby an up converted optical transmission signal having a third prescribed bandwidth; and filtering the modulated optical carrier signal to suppress undesired frequencies in the modulated optical carrier signal or the up converted optical transmission signal to reduce the presence of undesired frequencies in the up converted optical transmission signal.

Claim 53

Independent Claim 118 words

A method of increasing the extinction ratio of a data transmission system, the method comprising: in a communications transmitter, modulating an optical carrier signal having a first prescribed frequency with an information signal having a prescribed first bandwidth, generating thereby a modulated optical carrier signal having a second prescribed bandwidth; up converting an optical transmission signal having a second prescribed frequency with the modulated optical carrier signal, generating thereby an up converted optical transmission signal having a third prescribed bandwidth; and filtering the modulated optical carrier signal to suppress undesired frequencies in the modulated optical carrier signal or the up converted optical transmission signal to reduce the presence of undesired frequencies in the up converted optical transmission signal.

Claim 54

Dependent Claim 26 words

The method as set forth in claim 49 wherein modulating the carrier signal with an information signal comprises modulating the carrier signal in a sideband generator.

Claim 55

Dependent Claim 37 words

The method as set forth in claim 49 wherein up converting the transmission signal with the modulated carrier signal comprises up converting the transmission signal with the modulated carrier signal in a nonlinear up converter or subsystem.

Claim 56

Dependent Claim 41 words

The method as set forth in claim 51 wherein up converting the transmission signal with the modulated carrier signal in a nonlinear up converter or subsystem comprises up converting the transmission signal with the modulated carrier signal in an optical crystal.

Annuity Stage	Window Opens	Payment Deadline	Surcharge Period Until	Estimated Fee	Status
3.5 Years (Year 4)	2006-05-12	2006-11-11	2007-05-13	$2000.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8)	2010-05-12	2010-11-11	2011-05-13	$3760.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12)	2014-05-12	2014-11-11	2015-05-13	$7700.00	Window Closed / Lapsed

High-speed communications system

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