Patent ID: 6650451
Filing Date: 2003-11-18
Classification: H04B

Abstract:
In a free space optical broadband access system apparatus for communicating between a source and a plurality of destinations, comprising:means for steering a LASER beam at the source to each of said plurality of destinations; means, coupled to said means for steering, for receiving a modulated LASER beam from each of said plurality of destinations; means for receiving communication signals from, and transmitting communication signals to a communication network; means, coupled to said means for steering, and said means for receiving communication signals from said communication network for modulating the steered LASER beam with the signals received from the network, toward each of said plurality of destinations; and means, coupled to said means for transmitting communication signals to said network for demodulating the received LASER beam, thereby transmitting the received signals to the network; wherein said means for steering comprises: means for steering said transmitted modulated LASER beam to each active one of said plurality of destinations during a cycle; wherein said cycle is limited to an acceptable upper limit of latency for data being exchanged between said apparatus for communicating, and each of said plurality of active destinations.