Optical power supply system

Abstract

To provide an optical power supply system capable of efficiently and simultaneously supplying electric power to a plurality of power receiving devices.SOLUTION: The present invention relates to an optical power supply system that comprises a plurality of optical fiber couplers 30 to which power supply light 20 from a power supply device 10 is input to an optical fiber 2 and power receiving devices 50 including photoelectric converting elements 60-1, ..., 60-(n+1) connected to each of the optical fibers 30 through the optical fiber 2 and converting the received power supply light into electric power, wherein the optical fiber couplers 30 each have selective branch ratios and the branch ratios of the optical fiber couplers 30 are selected to supply electric power to the respective power receiving devices 50 simultaneously.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to an optical power supply system. [Background technology]

[0002] When using single-mode optical fiber, optical power supply systems are capable of transmitting power over long distances (e.g. 10 km) and are known to be resistant to external noise, but it is difficult to operate the power receiving device efficiently because there is an upper limit to the input power to the optical fiber and the efficiency of the conversion from light to electricity is low. Therefore, it is necessary to consider a method for efficiently supplying power to multiple power receiving devices simultaneously.

[0003] When considering highly efficient power supply, it is most efficient to connect one power supply light to one power receiving device; however, if the number of power receiving devices is increased, it is necessary to lay a power supply light source and a power supply optical fiber, which increases costs.

[0004] Conventionally, as prior art (see Patent Document 1 below), there has been disclosed an optical fiber power supply system that includes a power supply device including a semiconductor laser that uses electric power to oscillate and output power supply light, a plurality of power receiving devices including a photoelectric conversion element that converts the power supply light from the power supply device into electric power, an optical fiber cable that transmits the power supply light from the power supply device to the plurality of power receiving devices, and a switch element that distributes the power supply light in accordance with the ratio of the power required by each of the plurality of power receiving devices.

[0005] Furthermore, as prior art (see Patent Document 2 below), an optical power supply system is disclosed that includes a power supply device that outputs power supply light, an optical branching device to which a plurality of power receiving devices can be connected that receive the power supply light from the power supply device and convert the power supply light into electric power, a detection unit that detects the number of connections of the power receiving devices in the optical branching device, and a power supply control unit that controls the output of the power supply light from the power supply device based on the number of connections of the power receiving devices detected by the detection unit. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0006] [Patent Document 1] Patent Publication No. 2021-68934 [Patent Document 2] Patent Publication No. 2021-19444 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0007] In the above-mentioned Patent Document 1, although it is possible to supply power to a plurality of power receiving devices, it is necessary to switch the power supply light to each power receiving device by a switch element, which causes a problem that the power receiving devices cannot be supplied with power simultaneously. Furthermore, there is a problem that the power supply light is lost during the switching time of the switch element. The patent document 2 describes a multiple power supply method that uses branching by an optical splitter, which is an optical device that branches the input light at a fixed ratio (equally according to the number of output ports). However, since the branching ratio of the optical splitter is fixed, there is a problem that efficient distribution to the power receiving device is not possible.

[0008] The present disclosure discloses a technique for solving the above-mentioned problems, and has an object to provide an optical power supply system capable of efficiently supplying power to a plurality of power receiving devices simultaneously. [Means for solving the problem]

[0009] The optical power supply system of the present disclosure includes: A power supply device that outputs power supply light; a plurality of optical fiber couplers to which the power supply light from the power supply device is input via optical fibers; a power receiving device connected to each of the optical fiber couplers via an optical fiber and including a photoelectric conversion element that converts the received power supply light into electric power, The plurality of optical fiber couplers each have a selectable branching ratio, and power is simultaneously supplied to each of the power receiving devices by selecting the branching ratio of each of the optical fiber couplers. Effect of the Invention

[0010] According to the optical power supply system of the present disclosure, it is possible to efficiently supply power to a plurality of power receiving devices simultaneously. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0011] [Figure 1] 1 is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration of an optical power supply system according to an embodiment. [Diagram 2] FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration of an optical power supply system according to a comparative example. [Diagram 3] 1 is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration of an optical power supply system according to a first embodiment. [Figure 4] FIG. 11 is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration of an optical power supply system according to a second embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0012] Description of the embodiment FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration of an optical power supply system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. The optical power supply system according to the embodiment of the present disclosure includes a power supply device 10 and a power receiving network 100.

[0013] The power supply device 10 includes a semiconductor laser 11 driven by a power source (not shown), and power supply light from the semiconductor laser 11 is transmitted to the power receiving network 100 via an optical fiber 2. The power receiving network 100 includes a plurality of optical fiber couplers 30 connected in series to a power supply device 10 via optical fibers 2, and power receiving devices 50 connected to the plurality of optical fiber couplers 30, respectively. That is, the optical fiber coupler 30 includes a plurality of optical fiber couplers 30-1, 30-2, 30-3, . . . , 30-n, where n is an integer of 2 or more. The optical fiber couplers 30-1, 30-2, 30-3, ..., 30-n each branch the received optical power based on a selectable branching ratio of 1:a, 1:b, 1:c, ..., 1:x, where a, b, c, ..., x are numbers greater than 0.

[0014] The power receiving device 50 includes a plurality of power receiving devices 50-1, 50-2, 50-3, . . . , 50-n, and 50-(n+1), where n is an integer of 2 or more. The power receiving devices 50-1, 50-2, 50-3, . . . , 50-n, and 50-(n+1) each have a photoelectric conversion element 60-1, 60-2, 60-3, . . . , 60-n, and 60-(n+1) that photoelectrically converts the received power supply light, respectively.

[0015] The optical fiber coupler 30-1 branches the received power supply light based on a branching ratio of 1:a. In other words, the optical fiber coupler 30-1 branches the power supply light to the power receiving device 50-1 at a ratio of 1 / (1+a) and to the optical fiber coupler 30-2 at the subsequent stage at a ratio of a / (1+a). The optical fiber coupler 30-2 branches the received power supply light based on a branching ratio of 1:b. That is, the optical fiber coupler 30-2 branches the power supply light to the power receiving device 50-2 at a ratio of 1 / (1+b) and to the optical fiber coupler 30-3 at the subsequent stage at a ratio of b / (1+b). The optical fiber coupler 30-3 branches the received power supply light based on a branching ratio of 1:c. That is, the optical fiber coupler 30-3 branches the power supply light to the power receiving device 50-3 at a ratio of 1 / (1+c) and to the optical fiber coupler 30-3 at the rear stage at a ratio of c / (1+c). The optical fiber coupler 30-n branches the received power supply light based on a branching ratio of 1:x. In other words, the optical fiber coupler 30-n branches the power supply light to the power receiving device 50-n at a ratio of 1 / (1+x) and to the power receiving device 50-(n+1) at a ratio of x / (1+x).

[0016] As described above, according to the present embodiment, the power supply light 20 transmitted from the power supply device 10 is supplied to the power receiving devices 50-1, 50-2, 50-3, ..., 50-n, 50-(n+1) via the optical fiber couplers 30-1, 30-2, ..., 30-n. By selecting the selectable branching ratios 1:a, 1:b, 1:c, ..., 1:x of the optical fiber couplers 30-1, 30-2, 30-3, ..., 30-n according to the received power of the power supply light, i.e., the power consumption, of the power receiving devices 50-1, 50-2, 50-3, ..., 50-n, 50-(n+1), it is possible to efficiently supply power simultaneously to the multiple power receiving devices 50-1, 50-2, 50-3, ..., 50-n, 50-(n+1).

[0017] Here, in order to verify the effect of the optical power supply system of this embodiment, an optical power supply system of a comparative example in FIG. 2, an example 1 in FIG. 3, and an example 2 in FIG. 4 will be described.

[0018] Explanation of the Comparative Example in FIG. 2 FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration of an optical power supply system according to a comparative example of the present disclosure. 2, two optical fiber couplers 30-1 and 30-2 are connected to the power supply device 10. A power receiving device 50-1 is connected to the optical fiber coupler 30-1, and power receiving devices 50-2 and 50-3 are connected to the optical fiber coupler 30-2. The branching ratio of the optical fiber couplers 30-1 and 30-2 is fixed and is 1:1.

[0019] When the transmission power of the power supplying device 10 is 100 mW, a transmission loss of 1 mW occurs due to the optical fiber 2 from the semiconductor laser 11 to the optical fiber coupler 30-1, and the transmission power of the power supplying light reaches the optical fiber coupler 30-1 at 99 mW. Here, the transmission loss refers to attenuation due to the length of the optical fiber, bending loss due to bending of the optical fiber, connection loss due to fusion or connector connection between optical fibers, etc. The same applies in the following explanation. The optical fiber coupler 30-1 has a branching ratio of 1:1 and branches the transmission power of the feed light into 49.5 mW and 49.5 mW. Here, the loss of the optical fiber coupler 30-1 itself is considered to be 0. Assuming that a loss of 1 mW occurs due to a transmission loss in the optical fiber 2 from the optical fiber coupler 30-1 to the power receiving device 50-1, a received power of 48.5 mW of the power feeding light reaches the power receiving device 50-1. Assuming that a loss of 2 mW occurs due to a transmission loss in the optical fiber 2 from the optical fiber coupler 30-1 to the optical fiber coupler 30-2, the transmission power of the feed light of 47.5 mW reaches the optical fiber coupler 30-2. The optical fiber coupler 30-2 has a branching ratio of 1:1 and branches the transmission power of the power supply light into 23.75 mW and 23.75 mW. Here, the loss of the optical fiber coupler 30-2 itself is considered to be 0. Assuming that a loss of 2 mW occurs due to the transmission loss of the optical fiber 2 from the optical fiber coupler 30-2 to the power receiving device 50-2, the received power of the power supply light of 21.75 mW reaches the power receiving device 50-2. Assuming that a loss of 4 mW occurs due to a transmission loss in the optical fiber 2 from the optical fiber coupler 30-2 to the power receiving device 50-3, the received power of the power feeding light of 19.75 mW reaches the power receiving device 50-3.

[0020] When the branching ratio of the optical fiber couplers 30-1 and 30-2 is fixed as in this comparative example, the received power of the power-supply light of the power receiving devices 50-1, 50-2, and 50-3 is automatically determined. For example, if the power receiving device 50-1 is a device that operates with low power consumption (e.g., 30 mW), even if high-power feeding light is supplied, there will be a large loss and it will be inefficient. On the other hand, if the power receiving device 50-3 is a device that operates with high power consumption (e.g., 40 mW), a problem occurs in that it cannot operate with low-power feeding light. Note that the above power consumption means a value including the conversion efficiency of the photoelectric conversion element.

[0021] Description of Example 1 Next, an optical power supply system according to a first embodiment, in which the effects of the optical power supply system according to the embodiment are apparent, will be described. FIG. 3 is a block diagram illustrating a schematic configuration of an optical power supply system according to the first embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0022] 3, similarly to the comparative example described above, two optical fiber couplers 30-1 and 30-2 are connected to a power supply device 10. A power receiving device 50-1 is connected to the optical fiber coupler 30-1, and power receiving devices 50-2 and 50-3 are connected to the optical fiber coupler 30-2. However, in the embodiment shown in FIG. 3, unlike the comparative example, the branching ratios of the optical fiber couplers 30-1 and 30-2 are not fixed but selectable, with the branching ratio of the optical fiber coupler 30-1 being 1:2 and the branching ratio of the optical fiber coupler 30-2 being 1:3.

[0023] When the transmission power of the power supply device 10 is 100 mW, a loss of 1 mW occurs due to a transmission loss in the optical fiber 2 from the semiconductor laser 11 to the optical fiber coupler 30-1, so that the transmission power of the power supply light reaches the optical fiber coupler 30-1 at 99 mW. Since the optical fiber coupler 30-1 has a branching ratio of 1:2, it branches the transmission power of the feed light of 99 mW into 33 mW and 66 mW. Here, the loss of the optical fiber coupler itself is considered to be 0. Since a loss of 1 mW occurs due to a transmission loss in the optical fiber 2 from the optical fiber coupler 30-1 to the power receiving device 50-1, the received power of the power feeding light of 32 mW reaches the power receiving device 50-1. On the other hand, a loss of 2 mW occurs due to a transmission loss in the optical fiber 2 from the optical fiber coupler 30-1 to the optical fiber coupler 30-2, so that the transmission power of the feed light of 64 mW reaches the optical fiber coupler 30-2. Since the optical fiber coupler 30-2 has a branching ratio of 1:3, it branches the transmission power of 64 mW of the power supply light into 16 mW and 48 mW. Here, the loss of the optical fiber coupler 30-2 itself is considered to be 0. Since a loss of 2 mW occurs due to the transmission loss of the optical fiber 2 from the optical fiber coupler 30-2 to the power receiving device 50-2, the received power of the power supply light of 14 mW reaches the power receiving device 50-2. Furthermore, a loss of 4 mW occurs due to a transmission loss in the optical fiber 2 from the optical fiber coupler 30-2 to the power receiving device 50-3, so that the received power of the power supply light reaching the power receiving device 50-3 is 44 mW.

[0024] When the branching ratio of the optical fiber couplers 30-1 and 30-2 is selectable as in the first embodiment, the received power of the power-supply light of the power receiving devices 50-1, 50-2, and 50-3 can be adjusted to an appropriate value. For example, a device that operates at a relatively low power (32 mW) can be placed in the power receiving device 50-1 close to the power supply device 10, and a device that operates at a relatively high power (44 mW) can be placed in the power receiving device 50-3 far from the power supply device 10. That is, it is possible to supply power efficiently according to the power consumption of the power receiving devices 50-1, 50-2, and 50-3. Note that the above power consumption means a value including the conversion efficiency of the photoelectric conversion element.

[0025] Description of Example 2 Next, an optical power supply system according to a second embodiment, which is a more generalized version of the optical power supply system according to the embodiment, will be described. FIG. 4 is a block diagram illustrating a schematic configuration of an optical power supply system according to a second embodiment of the present disclosure. The optical power supply system according to the second embodiment of the present disclosure includes a power supply device 10 and a power receiving network 100. The power supply device 10 includes a semiconductor laser 11 driven by a power source (not shown), and power supply light from the semiconductor laser 11 is transmitted to the power receiving network 100 via an optical fiber 2.

[0026] The power receiving network 100 includes a plurality of optical fiber couplers 30 connected in series to a power supply device 10 via optical fibers 2, and power receiving devices 50 connected to the plurality of optical fiber couplers 30, respectively. The optical fiber coupler 30 includes optical fiber couplers 30-1, 30-2, 30-3, . . . , 30-n, where n is an integer of 2 or more. The optical fiber couplers 30-1, 30-2, 30-3, ..., 30-n each branch the received optical power based on a selectable branching ratio of 1:a, 1:b, 1:c, ..., 1:x, where a, b, c, ..., x are numbers greater than 0.

[0027] The power receiving device 50 receives the power supply light branched off from the optical fiber coupler 30 via a photoelectric conversion element 60 . The power receiving device 50 includes a plurality of power receiving devices 50-1, 50-2, 50-3, . . . , 50-n, and 50-(n+1), where n is an integer of 2 or more. The power receiving devices 50-1, 50-2, 50-3, . . . , 50-n, and 50-(n+1) each have a photoelectric conversion element 60-1, 60-2, 60-3, . . . , 60-n, and 60-(n+1) that photoelectrically converts the received power supply light, respectively.

[0028] The optical fiber coupler 30-1 branches the received power supply light based on a branching ratio of 1:a. In other words, the optical fiber coupler 30-1 branches the power supply light to the power receiving device 50-1 at a ratio of 1 / (1+a) and to the optical fiber coupler 30-2 at the subsequent stage at a ratio of a / (1+a). The optical fiber coupler 30-2 branches the received power supply light based on a branching ratio of 1:b. That is, the optical fiber coupler 30-2 branches the power supply light to the power receiving device 50-2 at a ratio of 1 / (1+b) and to the optical fiber coupler 30-3 at the subsequent stage at a ratio of b / (1+b). The optical fiber coupler 30-3 branches the received power supply light based on a branching ratio of 1:c. That is, the optical fiber coupler 30-3 branches the power supply light to the power receiving device 50-3 at a ratio of 1 / (1+c) and to the optical fiber coupler 30-3 at the rear stage at a ratio of c / (1+c). The optical fiber coupler 30-n branches the received power supply light based on a branching ratio of 1:x. In other words, the optical fiber coupler 30-n branches the power supply light to the power receiving device 50-n at a ratio of 1 / (1+x) and to the power receiving device 50-(n+1) at a ratio of x / (1+x).

[0029] Here, if the transmission power of the power supply light from the power supply device 10 is P (W: hereafter, W will be omitted), and the transmission loss of the optical fiber 2 from the semiconductor laser 11 to the optical fiber coupler 30-1 is los01, then the transmission power of the power supply light that reaches the optical fiber coupler 30-1 is (P-los01). Since the optical fiber coupler 30-1 has a branching ratio of 1:a, it branches the transmission power (P-los01) of the power supply light toward the power receiving device 50-1 at {1 / (1+a)}·(P-los01), and branches it toward the next-stage optical fiber coupler 30-2 at {a / (1+a)}·(P-los01). Here, the loss of the optical fiber coupler itself is considered to be 0.

[0030] If the transmission loss of the optical fiber 2 from the optical fiber coupler 30-1 to the power receiving device 50-1 is taken as los1, the received power P1 of the power feeding light reaching the power receiving device 50-1 is given by the following formula (1). P1={1 / (1+a)}·(P-los01)-los1···(1)

[0031] Furthermore, if the transmission loss of the optical fiber 2 from the optical fiber coupler 30-1 to the optical fiber coupler 30-2 is los12, then the transmission power of the feed light that reaches the optical fiber coupler 30-2 is {a / (1+a)}·(P-los01)-los12. Since the optical fiber coupler 30-2 has a branching ratio of 1:b, it branches the transmission power of the feeding light {a / (1+a)}·(P-los01)-los12 toward the power receiving device 50-2 at {1 / (1+b)}·[{a / (1+a)}·(P-los01)-los12], and branches it to the next-stage optical fiber coupler 30-3 at {b / (1+b)}·[{a / (1+a)}·(P-los01)-los12]. Here, the loss of the optical fiber coupler itself is considered to be 0.

[0032] If the transmission loss of the optical fiber 2 from the optical fiber coupler 30-2 to the power receiving device 50-2 is taken as los2, the received power P2 of the power feeding light reaching the power receiving device 50-2 is given by the following formula (2). P2={1 / (1+b)}·[{a / (1+a)}·(P-los01)-los12]-los1··(2)

[0033] Furthermore, if the transmission loss of the optical fiber 2 from the optical fiber coupler 30-2 to the optical fiber coupler 30-3 is denoted as los23, the transmission power of the feed light that reaches the optical fiber coupler 30-3 is {b / (1+b)}·[{a / (1+a)}·(P-los01)-los12]-los23. Since the optical fiber coupler 30-3 has a branching ratio of 1:c, it branches the transmission power of the power supply light {b / (1+b)}·[{a / (1+a)}·(P-los01)-los12]-los23 toward the power receiving device 50-3 at {1 / (1+c)}·[{b / (1+b)}·[{a / (1+a)}·(P-los01)-los12]-los23], and branches it to the optical fiber coupler 30-4 at the next stage at {c / (1+c)}·[{b / (1+b)}·[{a / (1+a)}·(P-los01)-los12]-los23]. Here, the loss of the optical fiber coupler itself is considered to be 0.

[0034] If the transmission loss of the optical fiber 2 from the optical fiber coupler 30-3 to the power receiving device 50-3 is taken as los3, the received power P3 of the power feeding light reaching the power receiving device 50-3 is given by the following formula (3). P3={1 / (1+c)}·[{b / (1+b)}·[{a / (1+a)}·(P-los01)-los12]-los23]-los3··(3)

[0035] As described above, assuming that the transmission power P of the power supply light and the transmission loss of the optical fiber are known, if the selectable branching ratio 1:a of the optical fiber coupler 30-1 is determined, the received power P1 of the power supply light reaching the power receiving device 50-1 can be calculated as shown in equation (1) above. Furthermore, by determining the selectable branching ratio 1:b of the optical fiber coupler 30-2, the received power P2 of the power supply light reaching the power receiving device 50-2 is calculated as shown in the above formula (2). Furthermore, by determining the selectable branching ratio 1:c of the optical fiber coupler 30-3, the received power P3 of the power supply light reaching the power receiving device 50-3 is calculated as shown in the above formula (3).

[0036] In other words, by determining the selectable branching ratios 1:a, 1:b, 1:c, ..., 1:x of the optical fiber couplers 30-1, 30-2, 30-3, ..., 30-n, the received powers P1, P2, P3, ..., Pn, and Pn+1 of the power supply light reaching the power receiving devices 50-1, 50-2, 50-3, ..., 50-n, and 50-(n+1) can be calculated.

[0037] As described above, by selecting the branching ratios of 1:a, 1:b, 1:c, ..., 1:x of the optical fiber couplers 30-1, 30-2, 30-3, ..., 30-n, the received powers P1, P2, P3, ..., Pn, and Pn+1 of the power supply light of the power receiving devices 50-1, 50-2, 50-3, ..., 50-n, and 50-(n+1) can be adjusted to appropriate values.

[0038] For example, by selecting the branching ratios of 1:a, 1:b, 1:c, ..., 1:x of optical fiber couplers 30-1, 30-2, 30-3, ..., 30-n, the received powers P1, P2, P3, ..., Pn, and Pn+1 of the power supply light of power receiving devices 50-1, 50-2, 50-3, ..., 50-n, and 50-(n+1) can be adjusted to equal values.

[0039] In the above embodiment, the received power of the power supply light for each power receiving device is calculated based on the branching ratio of each optical fiber coupler and the transmission loss of each optical fiber, and the received power of the power supply light for each power receiving device is adjusted. However, the received power of the power supply light for each power receiving device may be calculated taking into account the transmission loss of each optical fiber coupler, and the received power of the power supply light for each power receiving device may be adjusted.

[0040] In the above embodiment, the optical power supply system has been described in which the optical fiber couplers are connected in series to the power supply device, but the present invention can also be applied to an optical power supply system in which the optical fiber couplers are connected in series and in parallel. For example, in the optical power supply system of Fig. 1, the optical fiber coupler 30-1 can branch to the power receiving device 60-1 and the optical fiber coupler 30-2, and can also branch to another optical fiber coupler (not shown). Another power receiving device and optical fiber coupler are connected to this other optical fiber coupler.

[0041] Effects of the embodiment As described above, according to this embodiment, A power supply device that outputs power supply light; a plurality of optical fiber couplers to which the power supply light from the power supply device is input via optical fibers; a power receiving device connected to each of the optical fiber couplers via an optical fiber and including a photoelectric conversion element that converts received power supply light into electric power, Each of the multiple optical fiber couplers has a selectable branching ratio, and by selecting the branching ratio of each of the optical fiber couplers, power can be supplied to each of the power receiving devices simultaneously, making it possible to efficiently supply power to multiple power receiving devices simultaneously.

[0042] Furthermore, since the optical fiber couplers are connected in series to the power supply device, power can be efficiently supplied to a plurality of power receiving devices at the same time.

[0043] In addition, the received power of the power supply light for each of the power receiving devices is calculated based on at least the branching ratio of each of the optical fiber couplers and the transmission loss of each of the optical fibers, and power is supplied to each of the power receiving devices simultaneously, so that power can be supplied to multiple power receiving devices efficiently and accurately simultaneously.

[0044] In addition, the received power of the power supply light for each of the power receiving devices is calculated based on the transmission loss of each of the optical fiber couplers, and power is supplied to each of the power receiving devices simultaneously, so that power can be supplied to multiple power receiving devices efficiently and accurately simultaneously.

[0045] Furthermore, since power is simultaneously fed to the power receiving devices so that the received power of the power feeding light of each of the power receiving devices is uniform, it is possible to simultaneously feed power to the plurality of power receiving devices efficiently and uniformly.

[0046] Although the present disclosure describes various exemplary embodiments and examples, the various features, aspects, and functions described in one or more embodiments are not limited to application to a particular embodiment, but may be applied to the embodiments alone or in various combinations. Therefore, countless modifications not illustrated are assumed within the scope of the technology of the present disclosure, including, for example, modifying, adding, or omitting at least one component, and further, extracting at least one component and combining it with a component of another embodiment.

[0047] Various aspects of the present disclosure are summarized below as appendices.

[0048] [Appendix 1] A power supply device that outputs power supply light; a plurality of optical fiber couplers to which the power supply light from the power supply device is input via optical fibers; a power receiving device connected to each of the optical fiber couplers via an optical fiber and including a photoelectric conversion element that converts received power supply light into electric power, The optical power supply system includes a plurality of optical fiber couplers each having a selectable branching ratio, and the branching ratio of each of the optical fiber couplers is selected to simultaneously supply power to each of the power receiving devices. [Appendix 2] 2. The optical power supply system according to claim 1, wherein the optical fiber couplers are connected in series to the power supply device. [Appendix 3] The optical power supply system according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the received power of the power supply light of each of the power receiving devices is calculated based on at least the branching ratio of each of the optical fiber couplers and the transmission loss of each of the optical fibers, and power is supplied to each of the power receiving devices simultaneously. [Appendix 4] 4. The optical power supply system according to claim 3, wherein the received power of the power supply light of each of the power receiving devices is calculated based on a transmission loss of each of the optical fiber couplers, and power is supplied to each of the power receiving devices simultaneously. [Appendix 5] 5. The optical power supply system according to claim 1, wherein power is simultaneously supplied to the power receiving devices so that the received power of the power supply light for each of the power receiving devices is uniform. [Explanation of symbols]

[0049] 2 Optical fiber, 10 Power supply device, 11 Semiconductor laser, 20 Power supply light, 30 Optical fiber coupler, 50 Power receiving device, 60-1, 60-2, 60-3, 60-n, 60-(n+1) photoelectric conversion element, 100 receiving network.

Claims

1. A power supply device that outputs power supply light; a plurality of optical fiber couplers to which the power supply light from the power supply device is input via optical fibers; a power receiving device connected to each of the optical fiber couplers via an optical fiber and including a photoelectric conversion element that converts received power supply light into electric power, The optical power supply system includes a plurality of optical fiber couplers each having a selectable branching ratio, and the branching ratio of each of the optical fiber couplers is selected to simultaneously supply power to each of the power receiving devices.

2. 2. The optical power supply system according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of optical fiber couplers are connected in series to the power supply device.

3. 3. The optical power supply system according to claim 1, wherein the received power of the power supply light of each of the power receiving devices is calculated based on at least the branching ratio of each of the optical fiber couplers and the transmission loss of each of the optical fibers, and power is supplied to each of the power receiving devices simultaneously.

4. The optical power supply system according to claim 3 , wherein a received power of the power supply light of each of the power receiving devices is calculated based on a transmission loss of each of the optical fiber couplers, and power is supplied to each of the power receiving devices simultaneously.

5. 3 . The optical power supply system according to claim 1 , wherein power is supplied to each of the power receiving devices simultaneously so that the received power of the power supply light of each of the power receiving devices is equal.

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