Patent ID: 11921335
Assignee: II-VI DELAWARE, INC.
Field: Optics (Instruments)
Classification: CPC G  H | IPC G  H

Claim 0:
1. An apparatus to communicate high-power laser light for a laser processing operation in a high-power laser system, the apparatus comprising:
a cable having first and second ends;
a power fiber disposed inside the cable and configured to transport the high-power laser light between the first and second ends of the cable;
a first monitoring channel disposed inside the cable and being configured to conduct a first monitoring signal between the first and second ends of the cable;
a second monitoring channel disposed inside the cable and being configured to conduct a second monitoring signal simultaneously with the first monitoring signal between the first and second ends of the cable; and
an evaluation unit disposed in communication with the first and second monitoring channels, the evaluation unit being configured to redundantly monitor for interruption in the transport of the high-power laser light for the power fiber based on monitoring, redundantly, the first and second monitoring signals, the evaluation unit interfacing with user data associated with the high-power laser system, the evaluation unit being configured to transmit a user data signal having the user data as the at least one of the first and second monitoring signal in at least one of the respective first and the second monitoring channels, wherein the user data signal transmitted as the monitoring signal in the at least one first and second monitoring channels is used both to monitor for the interruption in the transport of the high-power laser light and to transmit the user data.