Patent ID: 7405829
Filing Date: 2008-07-29
Classification: H04B

Abstract:
1. An apparatus for characterizing a detected signal in a communication system, the apparatus comprising: a) at least one interferometer having an input port for receiving the detected signal, the input port diverging into a first aim and a second arm for splitting the detected signal into a first signal portion and a second signal portion between the first and second arms respectively, the second arm having delay means for subjecting the second signal portion to a controllably variable time delay relative to the first signal portion, the first and second arms converging into an output port for recombining the two signal portions to obtain an interference signal; b) a processor optically coupled to the output port for using the interference signal in determining at least one of a predefined set of parameters related to the detected signal, by mapping the interference signal as a function of the variable time delay, deriving oscillatory component of said function, and obtaining amplitude profile of the oscillatory component versus the variable time delay.