Patent ID: 6049593
Filing Date: 2000-04-11
Classification: H04B,H04W

Abstract:
A telecommunications apparatus comprising:a communications switch;a first transceiver, electrically connected to the communications switch, for wirelessly telecommunicating externally to the apparatus by electromagnetic signals having a first frequency;a second, optical, transceiver, also electrically connected to the communications switch, for wirelessly telecommunicating externally to the apparatus, by optical signals of a second frequency higher than is the first frequency, over a plurality of free-space optical links; anda controllerfor causing the communications switch to route telecommunications traffic between the first transceiver and the second transceiver, and, further,for causing the second, optical, transceivers to route an optical signal received upon some one of the plurality of free-space optical links to another one of the plurality of free-space optical links, serving thus as an optical signal repeater;wherein wireless telecommunication signals are routed between a first-frequency portion of the electromagnetic spectrum and a second-frequency optical portion of the electromagnetic spectrum; andwherein second-frequency optical wireless telecommunications signals are routed between free-space optical paths.