公开(公告)号：US10359570B1

公开(公告)日：2019-07-23

申请号：US15806960

申请日：2017-11-08

Applicant: X Development LLC

Inventor： Robert Todd Belt ,  Nam-hyong Kim ,  Baris Erkmen ,  Edward Keyes

IPC: H04B10/00 ,  G02B6/293 ,  G02B27/10 ,  G02B26/08 ,  G02B27/09 ,  G02B6/32 ,  G02B17/02 ,  G02B6/34 ,  H04B10/112 ,  H04B10/40 ,  H04B10/25 ,  G02B27/30 ,  H04B7/195

Abstract: The technology relates to the design and placement of beacon transmission optics for free space optical communications (“FSOC”). One aspect of the disclosure provides an FSOC device with a beam steering mechanism, a beam column with a beam expander, an optical bus, and beacon transmission optics. The beacon transmission optics includes a prism that directs outgoing beacon beams into the beam column, and toward the beam steering mechanism. In one embodiment, the outgoing beacon beams do not need to travel through the beam expander of the beam column. As a result, backscatter is minimized and incoming or outgoing beams can be controlled with a single beam-steering mechanism.

公开(公告)号：US11381309B2

公开(公告)日：2022-07-05

申请号：US17236410

申请日：2021-04-21

Applicant: X Development LLC

Inventor： Nam-hyong Kim ,  Baris Erkmen ,  Andrei Kazmierski ,  Devin Brinkley ,  John Moody ,  Markus Demartini ,  Wei-cheng Lai ,  Halleh Balch

IPC: H04B10/00 ,  H04B10/112 ,  H04B10/67 ,  H04J14/00

Abstract: Aspects of the disclosure provide an optical communication system. The system may include a receiver lens system configured to receive a light beam from a remote optical communication system and direct the light beam to a photodetector. The system may also include the photodetector. The photodetector may be configured to convert the received light beam into an electrical signal, and the photodetector may be positioned at a focal plane of the receiver lens system. The system may also include a phase-aberrating element arranged with respect to the receiver lens system and the photodetector such that the phase-aberrating element is configured to provide uniform angular irradiance at the focal plane of the receiver lens system.

公开(公告)号：US20210242940A1

公开(公告)日：2021-08-05

申请号：US17236410

申请日：2021-04-21

Applicant: X Development LLC

Inventor： Nam-hyong Kim ,  Baris Erkmen ,  Andrei Kazmierski ,  Devin Brinkley ,  John Moody ,  Markus Demartini ,  Wei-cheng Lai ,  Halleh Balch

IPC: H04B10/112 ,  H04B10/67

Abstract: Aspects of the disclosure provide an optical communication system. The system may include a receiver lens system configured to receive a light beam from a remote optical communication system and direct the light beam to a photodetector. The system may also include the photodetector. The photodetector may be configured to convert the received light beam into an electrical signal, and the photodetector may be positioned at a focal plane of the receiver lens system. The system may also include a phase-aberrating element arranged with respect to the receiver lens system and the photodetector such that the phase-aberrating element is configured to provide uniform angular irradiance at the focal plane of the receiver lens system.

公开(公告)号：US11054580B2

公开(公告)日：2021-07-06

申请号：US16818183

申请日：2020-03-13

Applicant: X DEVELOPMENT LLC

Inventor： Andrei Kazmierski ,  Nam-hyong Kim ,  Devin Brinkley ,  Baris Ibrahim Erkmen

IPC: G02B6/36 ,  G02B6/32 ,  F21V8/00 ,  G02B9/04 ,  G02B27/09

Abstract: An optical communication device is provided that includes a first lens having a first surface and a second surface, a second lens having a third surface and a fourth surface, an optical fiber configured to output light including a plurality of ray bundles, and a photodetector located at the fourth surface of the second lens. The first lens is configured to cause the light output from the optical fiber to form an image at an image plane located at the third surface of the second lens. The second lens is configured to cause subsets of the ray bundles received at the third surface of the second lens to intersect or overlap at the photodetector in a smaller cross-sectional area than at the third surface of the second lens.

公开(公告)号：US11018765B1

公开(公告)日：2021-05-25

申请号：US16697541

申请日：2019-11-27

Applicant: X Development LLC

Inventor： Nam-hyong Kim ,  Baris Erkmen ,  Andrei Kazmierski ,  Devin Brinkley ,  John Moody ,  Markus Demartini ,  Wei-cheng Lai ,  Halleh Balch

IPC: H04B10/00 ,  H04B10/112 ,  H04B10/67 ,  H04J14/00

Abstract: Aspects of the disclosure provide an optical communication system. The system may include a receiver lens system configured to receive a light beam from a remote optical communication system and direct the light beam to a photodetector. The system may also include the photodetector. The photodetector may be configured to convert the received light beam into an electrical signal, and the photodetector may be positioned at a focal plane of the receiver lens system. The system may also include a phase-aberrating element arranged with respect to the receiver lens system and the photodetector such that the phase-aberrating element is configured to provide uniform angular irradiance at the focal plane of the receiver lens system.

公开(公告)号：US09939651B1

公开(公告)日：2018-04-10

申请号：US15664424

申请日：2017-07-31

Applicant: X Development LLC

Inventor： Robert Todd Belt ,  Nam-hyong Kim ,  Baris Ibrahim Erkmen ,  Edward Allen Keyes

IPC: G02B27/14 ,  H04B10/508 ,  H04B10/572 ,  G02B17/04

CPC classification number: G02B27/145 ,  G02B17/04 ,  G02B27/141 ,  H04B10/508 ,  H04B10/572

Abstract: An example beam splitting apparatus is assembled from multiple prisms that are assembled together along respective mating surfaces to form a single monolithic optical device. The beam splitting apparatus includes optical features, such as dichroic and reflective surfaces, that define optical paths for light that enters the beam splitting apparatus. The optical features allow photons in the light to be directed along different optical paths based on their wavelengths. The optical features in the beam splitting apparatus are provided by coatings, films, and/or surface treatments applied to any of the faces of the prisms. In particular, coatings, films, and/or surface treatments are applied to the mating surfaces of the prisms so that the optical features are internal to the assembled monolithic optical device. The beam splitting apparatus may be implemented in a communication terminal that exchanges data modulated light according to frequency-division duplex communications.