Patent ID: 6348986
Filing Date: 2002-02-19
Classification: G02B,H01B,H04B,H04L

Abstract:
A system for light-based wireless communication through the atmosphere, comprising:an optical fiber; a passive optical antenna coupled to the optical fiber, wherein the passive optical antenna is configured (a) to decouple a first light beam from the optical fiber and transmit the first light beam into the atmosphere, and (b) to receive a second light beam from the atmosphere and couple the second light beam onto the optical fiber; a transceiver unit coupled to the optical fiber, wherein the transceiver unit includes: a transmitter for generating the first light beam and modulating a first data signal onto the first light beam; a receiver for demodulating a second data signal from the second light beam; a coupling interface for coupling the modulated first light beam onto the optical fiber, and for decoupling the second light beam from the optical fiber and providing the second light beam to the receiver; a data interface configured to couple to a communication bus, wherein the data interface is configured to receive the first data signal from the communication bus and provide the first data signal to the transmitter, and further configured to receive the second data signal from the receiver and transmit the second data signal onto the communication bus.