Patent ID: 9379815
Filing Date: 2016-06-28
CPC Classification: H04B,H04J

Claim Text:
1. An electro-optical payload for free space optical communication comprising: a plurality of optical beam expanders, each for receiving an optical signal of a plurality of incoming optical signals; an optical cross-connect switch coupled to the plurality of optical beam expanders for directing each of the plurality of incoming optical signals to an optical output signal, respectively; a first electrical-to-optical conversion circuit coupled to a first input of the optical cross-connect switch for converting an electrical signal to an optical signal for inputting to the optical cross-connect switch; a first optical-to-electrical conversion circuit coupled to a first output of the optical cross-connect switch for converting an optical signal output from the optical cross-connect switch to an electrical signal; a second optical-to-electrical conversion circuit coupled to a second output of the optical cross-connect switch; an electrical regeneration circuit coupled to the second optical-to-electrical conversion circuit for performing regeneration on an electrical signal output from the second optical-to-electrical conversion circuit and output a regenerated electrical signal; and a second electrical-to-optical conversion circuit coupled to the electrical regeneration circuit for converting the regenerated electrical signal to an optical signal to be input to the optical cross-connect switch, wherein some of the output optical signals from the optical cross-connect switch are inputted to a respective one of the plurality of optical beam expanders for transmission to one or more destinations, as outgoing optical signals; a single optical main amplifier; an optical multiplexer for combining the incoming optical signals and outputting the combined optical signals to the single optical main amplifier for amplifying the combined optical signals; and a demultiplexer for demultiplexing the amplified combined optical signals for outputting to the optical cross-connect switch.