Optical communication module, optical communication system, optical communication method, and vehicle

Abstract

A vehicle, comprising an optical communication module, an optical communication system, and an optical communication method. The optical communication module comprises a local oscillator light source and an optical mixer. The local oscillator light source is configured to generate a local oscillator optical signal; and the optical mixer is configured to mix the local oscillator optical signal with an optical signal received by the optical communication module to obtain a mixed optical signal.

Description

Optical communication modules, optical communication systems, optical communication methods and vehicles

[0001] This application claims priority to Chinese Patent Application No. 2024116329737, filed on November 14, 2024, entitled "Optical Communication Module, Optical Communication System, Optical Communication Method and Vehicle", the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. Technical Field

[0002] This application relates to, but is not limited to, the field of vehicle communication technology, specifically to an optical communication module, an optical communication system, an optical communication method, and a vehicle. Background Technology

[0003] The development of automotive intelligence has led to an increasing demand for bandwidth in vehicle internal communication, and traditional bus communication methods are gradually becoming unable to meet the bandwidth requirements. Summary of the Invention

[0004] This application provides an optical communication module that improves the optical communication quality of the optical communication module, thereby at least partially solving the above-mentioned technical problems.

[0005] According to a first aspect of this application, an optical communication module is provided, the optical communication module comprising:

[0006] The local oscillator light source is configured to generate a local oscillator light signal;

[0007] An optical mixer is configured to mix the local oscillator optical signal with the optical signal received by the optical communication module to obtain a mixed optical signal.

[0008] In some embodiments of this application, at least two of the optical mixers are also included;

[0009] The optical mixer is configured to mix the local oscillator optical signal with one of the polarized optical signals obtained by beam splitting the optical signal received by the optical communication module to obtain a mixed optical signal.

[0010] In some embodiments of this application, it also includes:

[0011] A polarization beam splitter is configured to split the optical signal received by the optical communication module into at least two polarized optical signals.

[0012] In some embodiments of this application, at least two detectors are also included;

[0013] The detector is configured to convert the mixed optical signal output by the optical mixer into a mixed electrical signal.

[0014] In some embodiments of this application, it further includes: at least two amplifiers, each of which is connected to one of the corresponding detectors;

[0015] The amplifier is configured to amplify the mixed electrical signal output by the detector to which it is connected.

[0016] In some embodiments of this application, a demodulator is also included, the demodulator being connected to the amplifier;

[0017] The demodulator is configured to combine the mixed electrical signals output from at least two of the amplifiers into a single demodulated electrical signal.

[0018] In some embodiments of this application, the optical communication module includes at least two demodulators, and the optical communication module further includes a DSP unit, wherein each demodulator is connected to the DSP unit.

[0019] The DSP unit is configured to combine multiple demodulated electrical signals into a single electrical signal.

[0020] In some embodiments of this application, the multiple demodulated electrical signals have different polarization directions and / or different phases.

[0021] In some embodiments of this application, it also includes:

[0022] A wavelength division multiplexer is configured to enable the optical communication module to receive optical signals.

[0023] In some embodiments of this application, it also includes:

[0024] The seed light source is set to generate a light signal;

[0025] A phase modulator is configured to modulate the optical signal generated by the seed light source based on the electrical signal received by the optical communication module, so as to obtain a modulated optical signal.

[0026] In some embodiments of this application, the optical communication module includes at least two of the phase modulators;

[0027] The phase modulator is configured to modulate the optical signal generated by the seed light source based on one of the polarization electrical signals divided from the electrical signal received by the optical communication module, so as to obtain a modulated optical signal.

[0028] In some embodiments of this application, it also includes:

[0029] The DSP unit is configured to divide the electrical signal received by the optical communication module into at least two polarized electrical signals.

[0030] In some embodiments of this application, at least two of the modulated optical signals have different polarization directions and / or different phases.

[0031] In some embodiments of this application, it also includes:

[0032] The driver is configured to drive the corresponding phase modulator based on the polarization electrical signal;

[0033] At least two of the phase modulators are respectively connected to the driver, and the driver is also connected to the DSP unit.

[0034] In some embodiments of this application, it also includes:

[0035] A polarization combiner is configured to combine modulated optical signals output from at least two phase modulators into a single optical signal.

[0036] In some embodiments of this application, it also includes:

[0037] A wavelength division multiplexer is configured to cause the optical communication module to output an optical signal.

[0038] In some embodiments of this application, it also includes:

[0039] The control chip is configured to perform signal protocol conversion on the electrical signals received and / or output by the optical communication module.

[0040] According to a second aspect of this application, an optical communication system is provided, the optical communication system comprising:

[0041] The optical communication main module is configured to communicate with the controller.

[0042] The optical communication submodule is configured to communicate with electronic devices.

[0043] The optical communication main module and the optical communication sub-module communicate based on optical signals.

[0044] Wherein, the optical communication main module is the optical communication module as described above, and / or, the optical communication sub-module is the optical communication module as described above.

[0045] In some embodiments of this application, the optical communication main module is configured to convert the electrical signal output by the controller into an optical signal and send it to the optical communication submodule;

[0046] The optical communication submodule is configured to convert the received optical signal into an electrical signal and send it to the electronic device so that the electronic device can perform corresponding operations.

[0047] In some embodiments of this application, the optical communication submodule is configured to convert electrical signals uploaded by the electronic device into optical signals and send them to the optical communication main module;

[0048] The optical communication main module is configured to convert the received optical signal into an electrical signal and send it to the controller so that the controller can perform analysis and processing.

[0049] In some embodiments of this application, the electronic device includes sensors and / or actuators.

[0050] In some embodiments of this application, it also includes:

[0051] The optical splitter is configured to communicate with at least two of the optical communication sub-modules and the optical communication main module, so that the optical communication main module and the at least two optical communication sub-modules can communicate based on optical signals.

[0052] According to a third aspect of this application, an optical communication method is provided, applied to the optical communication system described above, the optical communication method comprising:

[0053] The main optical communication module converts the electrical signal output by the controller into an optical signal and sends it to the optical communication sub-module.

[0054] The optical communication submodule converts the received optical signal into an electrical signal and sends it to the electronic device so that the electronic device can perform corresponding operations;

[0055] And / or, the optical communication method includes:

[0056] The optical communication submodule converts the electrical signals uploaded by the electronic device into optical signals and sends them to the optical communication main module;

[0057] The optical communication main module converts the received optical signal into an electrical signal and sends it to the controller for analysis and processing.

[0058] According to a fourth aspect of this application, a vehicle is also provided, the vehicle including the optical communication module as described above, or the vehicle including the optical communication system as described above, or the vehicle being configured to implement the optical communication method as described above.

[0059] The beneficial effect of this application is that by mixing the local oscillator optical signal with the received optical signal, the received optical signal is strengthened, thereby improving the optical communication quality of the optical communication module.

[0060] Other features and advantages of this application will be described in detail in the following detailed description section. Attached Figure Description

[0061] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of this application, the accompanying drawings used in the description of the embodiments will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of this application. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort.

[0062] To gain a more complete understanding of this application and its beneficial effects, the following description will be provided in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein the same reference numerals in the following description denote the same parts.

[0063] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of the optical communication module provided in an exemplary embodiment of this application;

[0064] Figure 2 is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of the optical communication system provided in an exemplary embodiment of this application;

[0065] Figure 3 is a structural diagram showing the connection relationship between the optical communication main module and the controller in an optical communication system provided in an exemplary embodiment of this application;

[0066] Figure 4 is a structural schematic diagram showing the connection relationship between the optical communication submodule and the electronic device in the optical communication system provided in an exemplary embodiment of this application;

[0067] Figure 5 is a schematic diagram of some of the main steps in the optical communication method provided in an exemplary embodiment of this application;

[0068] Figure 6 is a flowchart of the optical communication downlink in the optical communication method provided in an exemplary embodiment of this application;

[0069] Figure 7 is a schematic diagram of another part of the main steps in the optical communication method provided in an exemplary embodiment of this application;

[0070] Figure 8 is a flowchart of the optical communication uplink in the optical communication method provided in an exemplary embodiment of this application.

[0071] Explanation of reference numerals in the attached figures: 10, Optical communication system; 10a, Central computing platform; 300, Controller; 400, Beam splitter; 500, Electronic equipment; 210, Main optical communication module; 220, Sub-module of optical communication; 100, Optical communication module; 111, Local oscillator light source; 112, First optical mixer; 113, Second optical mixer; 114, Wavelength division multiplexer; 115, Polarization beam splitter; 121, First demodulator; 131, First amplifier; 141, First detector; 132, Second amplifier; 142, Second detector; 122, Second demodulator; 133, Third amplifier; 143, Third detector; 134, Fourth amplifier; 144, Fourth detector; 123, Third demodulator; 135, Fifth... Amplifier; 145, Fifth Detector; 136, Sixth Amplifier; 146, Sixth Detector; 124, Fourth Demodulator; 137, Seventh Amplifier; 147, Seventh Detector; 138, Eighth Amplifier; 148, Eighth Detector; 151, Control Chip; 152, DSP Unit; 116, Driver; 117, Seed Light Source; 118, Polarization Combiner; 161, First Phase Modulator; 162, Second Phase Modulator; 163, Third Phase Modulator; 164, Fourth Phase Modulator. Detailed Implementation

[0072] The technical solutions of the embodiments of this application will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only a part of the embodiments of this application, and not all of them. All other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art based on the embodiments of this application without creative effort are within the protection scope of this application.

[0073] Optical communication can effectively increase the bandwidth of communication; however, due to the low power of the transmitted optical signal, the quality of optical communication is poor.

[0074] To solve the above-mentioned technical problems, according to the first aspect of this application, referring to FIG1, this application provides an optical communication module 100, including: a local oscillator light source 111 and an optical mixer.

[0075] The local oscillator light source 111 is configured to generate a local oscillator optical signal; the optical mixer is configured to mix the local oscillator optical signal with the optical signal received by the optical communication module 100 to obtain a mixed optical signal.

[0076] By adopting the above technical solution, the received optical signal is strengthened by mixing the local oscillator optical signal with the received optical signal, thereby improving the optical communication quality of the optical communication module 100.

[0077] In some embodiments, referring to FIG1, the optical communication module 100 includes at least two optical mixers; the optical mixers are configured to mix the local oscillator optical signal with one of the polarized optical signals obtained by beam splitting the optical signal received by the optical communication module 100 to obtain a mixed optical signal.

[0078] Specifically, the optical communication module 100 includes a first optical mixer 112 and a second optical mixer 113, which are respectively connected to the local oscillator light source 111 via optical fibers.

[0079] For example, after the optical signal enters the optical communication module 100, it is split into two beams, X-polarized and Y-polarized, after beam splitting. These beams, along with the two beams split from the local oscillator light source 111, enter two optical mixers respectively. The local oscillator optical signal and the input signal light are mixed in the optical mixers. Each optical mixer outputs four mixed signals with a relative phase difference of 0°, 90°, 180°, and 270° respectively.

[0080] In some embodiments, referring to FIG1, the optical communication module 100 further includes a polarization beam splitter 115. The polarization beam splitter 115 is configured to split the optical signal received by the optical communication module 100 into at least two polarized optical signals.

[0081] Specifically, the first optical mixer 112 and the second optical mixer 113 are respectively connected to the polarization beam splitter 115 via optical fibers.

[0082] In some embodiments, referring to FIG1, the optical communication module 100 includes at least two detectors; the detectors are configured to convert the mixed optical signal output by the optical mixer into a mixed electrical signal.

[0083] Specifically, at least two detectors include: a first detector 141, a second detector 142, a third detector 143, a fourth detector 144, a fifth detector 145, a sixth detector 146, a seventh detector 147, and an eighth detector 148.

[0084] The first optical mixer 112 is connected to the first detector 141, the second detector 142, the third detector 143, and the fourth detector 144 via optical fibers. The first detector 141, the second detector 142, the third detector 143, and the fourth detector 144 are used to convert the four mixed optical signals output by the first optical mixer 112 into mixed electrical signals.

[0085] The second optical mixer 113 is connected to the fifth detector 145, the sixth detector 146, the seventh detector 147, and the eighth detector 148 via optical fibers. The fifth detector 145, the sixth detector 146, the seventh detector 147, and the eighth detector 148 are used to convert the four mixed optical signals output by the second optical mixer 113 into mixed electrical signals.

[0086] In some embodiments, referring to FIG1, the optical communication module 100 further includes at least two amplifiers, each amplifier being connected to one of the corresponding detectors. The amplifiers are configured to amplify the mixed electrical signals output by the detectors to which they are connected.

[0087] Specifically, corresponding to multiple detectors, at least two amplifiers include: a first amplifier 131, a second amplifier 132, a third amplifier 133, a fourth amplifier 134, a fifth amplifier 135, a sixth amplifier 136, a seventh amplifier 137, and an eighth amplifier 138. They are electrically connected to the first detector 141, the second detector 142, the third detector 143, the fourth detector 144, the fifth detector 145, the sixth detector 146, the seventh detector 147, and the eighth detector 148, respectively; each amplifier can amplify the mixed electrical signal output from the detector it is connected to.

[0088] In some embodiments, referring to FIG1, the optical communication module 100 further includes a demodulator. The demodulator is connected to at least two amplifiers and is configured to combine the mixed electrical signals output by the at least two amplifiers into a single demodulated electrical signal.

[0089] In some embodiments, referring to FIG1, the optical communication module 100 includes at least two demodulators, and the optical communication module 100 further includes a DSP unit 152 (including a digital signal processing chip (DSP, the same below). Each demodulator is connected to the DSP unit 152, and the DSP unit 152 is configured to restore multiple demodulated electrical signals into a single electrical signal.

[0090] Specifically, at least two demodulators include: a first demodulator 121, a second demodulator 122, a third demodulator 123, and a fourth demodulator 124.

[0091] The first demodulator 121 is electrically connected to the first amplifier 131 and the second amplifier 132 to combine the mixed electrical signals output by them.

[0092] The second demodulator 122 is electrically connected to the third amplifier 133 and the fourth amplifier 134 respectively to combine the mixed electrical signals output by them.

[0093] The third demodulator 123 is electrically connected to the fifth amplifier 135 and the sixth amplifier 136 respectively to combine the mixed electrical signals output by them.

[0094] The fourth demodulator 124 is electrically connected to the seventh amplifier 137 and the eighth amplifier 138 to combine their output mixed electrical signals.

[0095] The first demodulator 121, the second demodulator 122, the third demodulator 123, and the fourth demodulator 124 are all electrically connected to the DSP unit 152 to transmit the demodulated electrical signal to the DSP unit 152.

[0096] The DSP unit 152 performs signal processing on the demodulated electrical signals, including analog-to-digital conversion, received spectrum shaping, wavelength dispersion / nonlinearity compensation, adaptive equalization, signal mapping, error correction code decoding, etc., to remove interference factors such as dispersion, noise, and nonlinearity, and then merge multiple demodulated electrical signals into one electrical signal.

[0097] In some embodiments, the multiplexed demodulated electrical signals have different polarization directions and / or different phases.

[0098] It can be understood that each pair of demodulated electrical signals has different polarization directions; or, each pair of demodulated electrical signals has different phases; or, each pair of demodulated electrical signals has both different polarization directions and different phases.

[0099] For example, each optical mixer outputs four mixed optical signals with relative phase differences of 0°, 90°, 180°, and 270° (other phases are also possible). These mixed optical signals are received by a detector and converted into mixed electrical signals. After signal amplification, these mixed electrical signals enter the demodulator. Two specific sets of mixed electrical signals with relative phase differences of 0° and 180°, and 90° and 270°, pass through the same demodulator to obtain demodulated electrical signals carrying I or Q components, i.e., four parallel polarized IQ (in-phase and quadrature) signals: XI, XQ, YI, and YQ. These four demodulated electrical signals then enter the DSP unit.

[0100] In some embodiments, referring to FIG1, the optical communication module 100 further includes a wavelength division multiplexer 114 (WDM, Wavelength Division Multiplexing, configured to isolate uplink and downlink wavelengths transmitted in the same optical fiber so that uplink and downlink data do not interfere with each other, the same below). The wavelength division multiplexer 114 is configured to enable the optical communication module 100 to receive optical signals.

[0101] Specifically, wavelength division multiplexer 114 and polarization beam splitter 115 are connected by optical fiber, and the received optical signal is input into polarization beam splitter 115.

[0102] In some embodiments, referring to FIG1, the optical communication module 100 further includes a seed light source 117 and a phase modulator. The seed light source 117 is configured to generate an optical signal; the phase modulator is configured to modulate the optical signal generated by the seed light source 117 based on the electrical signal received by the optical communication module 100 to obtain a modulated optical signal.

[0103] Specifically, the phase modulator is connected to the seed light source 117 via optical fiber.

[0104] Optionally, the phase modulator is an MZ modulator (Mach-zehnder modulator, a device that works based on the Mach-zehnder interference principle).

[0105] In some embodiments, referring to FIG1, the optical communication module 100 includes at least two phase modulators; the phase modulators are configured to modulate the optical signal generated by the seed light source based on one of the polarized electrical signals divided from the electrical signal received by the optical communication module 100, so as to obtain a modulated optical signal.

[0106] Specifically, at least two phase modulators include: a first phase modulator 161, a second phase modulator 162, a third phase modulator 163, and a fourth phase modulator 164. The first phase modulator 161, the second phase modulator 162, the third phase modulator 163, and the fourth phase modulator 164 respectively receive optical signals from the seed light source 117.

[0107] In some embodiments, referring to FIG1, the DSP unit 152 is configured to divide the electrical signal received by the optical communication module 100 into at least two polarized electrical signals.

[0108] Specifically, the DSP unit 152 performs signal processing on the electrical signals received by the optical communication module 100, including digital-to-analog conversion, transmission spectrum shaping, signal mapping, error correction code encoding, etc., and then divides the received electrical signals into multiple polarized electrical signals.

[0109] In some embodiments, the multiple modulated optical signals have different polarization directions and / or different phases.

[0110] It can be understood that each pair of modulated optical signals has different polarization directions; or, each pair of modulated optical signals has different phases; or, each pair of modulated optical signals has both different polarization directions and different phases.

[0111] In some embodiments, referring to FIG1, the optical communication module 100 further includes a driver 116. The driver 116 is configured to drive a corresponding phase modulator based on a polarization electrical signal; at least two phase modulators are respectively connected to the driver 116, and the driver 116 is also connected to the DSP unit 152.

[0112] Specifically, the DSP unit 152 divides the electrical signal received by the optical communication module 100 into four parallel polarized IQ (in-phase and quadrature) signals: XI, XQ, YI, and YQ, and sends them to the driver 116. The driver 116 drives the first phase modulator 161, the second phase modulator 162, the third phase modulator 163, and the fourth phase modulator 164, respectively, so that the first phase modulator 161, the second phase modulator 162, the third phase modulator 163, and the fourth phase modulator 164 modulate modulated optical signals with different polarization directions or phases, such as the four optical signals XI, XQ, YI, and YQ. Here, X and Y represent different polarization directions, that is, XI and YI represent the same phase but different polarization directions; I and Q represent different phases, that is, XI and XQ have the same polarization direction but different phases. The purpose of this is to realize the encoding of optical signal transmission.

[0113] With this scheme, the DSP unit 152 can modulate the data to be transmitted into a signal that conforms to the optical signal transmission protocol through the driver 116.

[0114] In some embodiments, referring to FIG1, the optical communication module 100 further includes a polarization combiner 118. The polarization combiner 118 is configured to combine modulated optical signals output from at least two phase modulators into a single optical signal.

[0115] Specifically, the first phase modulator 161, the second phase modulator 162, the third phase modulator 163, and the fourth phase modulator 164 are respectively connected to the polarization combiner 118 via optical fibers.

[0116] In some embodiments, referring to FIG1, wavelength division multiplexer 114 is configured to cause optical communication module 100 to output optical signal.

[0117] Specifically, wavelength division multiplexer 114 and polarization multiplexer 118 are connected by optical fiber, and the optical signal obtained by polarization multiplexer 118 is output.

[0118] In some embodiments, referring to FIG1, the optical communication module 100 includes a control chip 151. The control chip 151 is configured to perform signal protocol conversion on the electrical signals received and / or output by the optical communication module 100.

[0119] Specifically, the DSP unit 152 is connected between the control chip 151 and the demodulator. Furthermore, the DSP unit 152 is connected between the control chip 151 and the driver 116.

[0120] Specifically, since the receiving devices that transmit electrical signals are different, their received signal protocol formats are also different. The control chip 151 will convert the electrical signals of different protocol signal formats received by the optical communication module 100 into electrical signals of a unified protocol format and send them to the DSP unit 152, and convert the electrical signals of the unified protocol format sent by the DSP unit 152 into electrical signals of different protocol signal formats for output.

[0121] The structure of the optical communication module 100 has been described above. The working process of the optical communication module 100 provided in the embodiments of this application will be described and explained by way of example.

[0122] When the optical communication module 100 receives an electrical signal, it converts the electrical signal to an optical signal through the following steps:

[0123] St101: The control chip 151 converts the signal protocol of the received electrical signal into a unified protocol format.

[0124] St102: DSP unit 152 divides the received electrical signal into multiple polarized electrical signals.

[0125] St103: The driver 116 drives the corresponding phase modulator to perform signal modulation based on the polarization electrical signal, so that the four optical signals generated by the seed light source 117 carry four parallel modulation signals; wherein, the four optical signals can be the aforementioned XI, XQ, YI, YQ optical signals.

[0126] St104: The modulated optical signal is combined by the polarization multiplexer 118 and then output through the wavelength division multiplexer 114.

[0127] Similarly, when the optical communication module 100 receives an optical signal, it converts the optical signal to an electrical signal through the following steps:

[0128] St201: Wavelength division multiplexer 114 sends the received optical signal to polarization beam splitter 115, which splits the optical signal into two polarized optical signals, X and Y, which enter two optical mixers respectively.

[0129] St202: The two local oscillator light signals split from the local oscillator light source 111 enter two optical mixers respectively. The local oscillator light in each optical mixer is mixed with the polarized light signal to obtain four mixed light signals with a relative phase difference of 0°, 90°, 180° and 270°.

[0130] St203: The eight mixed optical signals in the two optical mixers are converted into mixed electrical signals by their respective detectors.

[0131] St204: The mixed electrical signal is amplified by an amplifier, and then the two sets of mixed electrical signals with a phase difference of 0° and 180° and 90° and 270° enter the same demodulator for demodulation, and four demodulated electrical signals are recovered and enter the DSP unit 152.

[0132] St205: After the DSP unit 152 processes the demodulated electrical signals, it merges the four demodulated electrical signals into one electrical signal and sends it to the control chip 151.

[0133] St206: The control chip 151 outputs the signal after converting the signal protocol.

[0134] According to a second aspect of this application, referring to Figures 3 and 4, this application provides an optical communication system 10, including: an optical communication main module 210 and an optical communication submodule 220.

[0135] The optical communication main module 210 is configured to communicate with the controller 300; the optical communication submodule 220 is configured to communicate with the electronic device 500; the optical communication main module 210 and the optical communication submodule 220 communicate based on optical signals.

[0136] Specifically, the main optical communication module 210 is the optical communication module 100 as described above, and the optical communication sub-module 220 is the optical communication module 100 as described above.

[0137] Referring to Figure 3, the controller 300 is electrically connected to the control chip in the optical communication main module 210, and together with the optical communication main module 210, constitutes a central computing platform 10a (SOC, System on Chips). The central computing platform 10a can be a central computing chip for automobiles, including multiple processor units such as a central processing unit (CPU), a graphics processing unit (GPU), a high-speed digital signal processor (DSP), a network processor (NPU), storage, interface units, etc. The electronic device 500 includes sensors and / or actuators.

[0138] The controller 300 is the overall control and logic processing unit of the vehicle. It is configured to process and analyze the information collected by the sensors and send commands to the actuators for execution, or to autonomously send commands to the sensors or actuators.

[0139] Referring to Figure 4, the electronic device 500 is electrically connected to the control chip in the optical communication submodule 220. The electronic device 500 is configured to receive electrical signals from the optical communication submodule 220 and perform related operations, and to send the collected data information / control commands to the optical communication submodule 220 via electrical signals.

[0140] It is understandable that both the optical communication main module 210 and the optical communication sub-module 220 may have a local oscillator light source 111, or one of them may have a local oscillator light source 111.

[0141] Through the above technical solution, due to the presence of the local oscillator light source 111, the signal strength of the optical signal is enhanced after it is transmitted to the optical communication main module 210 and the optical communication sub-module 220, thereby ensuring the stability of the vehicle-mounted optical communication network.

[0142] In some embodiments, the sensor or actuator includes a camera, a display, an antenna, a 4G / 5G / 6G communication module, a lidar, a millimeter-wave radar, and other sensors or actuators based on the CAN (Controller Area Network) / LIN (Local Interconnect Network) bus.

[0143] Since different electronic devices 500 or controllers 300 have different protocol types, control chip 151 needs to perform conversion. Control chip 151 performs protocol conversion on electrical signals of the same protocol type, converting them into a protocol type that the sensor, actuator or controller 300 can receive.

[0144] In some embodiments, referring to Figures 2 to 4, the optical communication main module 210 is configured to convert the electrical signal output by the controller 300 into an optical signal and send it to the optical communication submodule 220; the optical communication submodule 220 is configured to convert the received optical signal into an electrical signal and send it to the electronic device 500 so that the electronic device 500 can perform corresponding operations.

[0145] In some embodiments, referring to Figures 2 to 4, the optical communication submodule 220 is configured to convert the electrical signal uploaded by the electronic device 500 into an optical signal and send it to the optical communication main module 210; the optical communication main module 210 is configured to convert the received optical signal into an electrical signal and send it to the controller 300 so that the controller 300 can perform analysis and processing.

[0146] In some embodiments, referring to Figures 2 to 4, the optical communication system 10 further includes a beam splitter 400. The beam splitter 400 is configured to communicate with at least two optical communication submodules 220 and an optical communication main module 210, so that the optical communication main module 210 and the at least two optical communication submodules 220 can communicate based on optical signals.

[0147] Specifically, the optical signal emitted from the main optical communication module 210 is transmitted via optical fiber and split by the optical splitter 400, and then distributed to N (N is a positive integer ≥ 1) optical communication sub-modules 220. Similarly, the optical signals emitted from the N (N is a positive integer ≥ 1) optical communication sub-modules 220 are transmitted via optical fiber and split by the optical splitter 400 and then transmitted back to the main optical communication module 210.

[0148] In other embodiments, at least two optical communication submodules 220 and the optical communication main module 210 transmit information based on wirelessly propagated optical signals.

[0149] Specifically, both the optical communication main module 210 and the optical communication submodule 220 include an optical transmitter and an optical receiver. The optical signal (visible light or infrared light) output by the optical transmitter is sent to the optical receiver through a wireless propagation medium (such as air) to realize wireless communication.

[0150] According to a third aspect of this application, referring to FIG5, this application provides an optical communication method, which should be configured as the optical communication system 10 as described above. The optical communication method includes the following main steps:

[0151] S110: The optical communication main module 210 converts the electrical signal output by the controller 300 into an optical signal and sends it to the optical communication submodule 220.

[0152] S120: The optical communication submodule 220 converts the received optical signal into an electrical signal and sends it to the electronic device 500 so that the electronic device 500 can perform the corresponding operation.

[0153] Specifically, steps S110 and S120 constitute the optical communication downlink (the link from the optical communication main module 210 to the optical communication submodule 220). The optical communication downlink emits light signals in a broadcast manner. All electronic devices 500 can receive the information sent by the controller 300 (central computing platform 10a) and identify whether it is the information they need. If it is, they receive it; otherwise, they discard it directly.

[0154] The optical communication downlink provided in the embodiments of this application will now be described by way of example, with reference to FIG6.

[0155] St301: Power generation signal (control command or communication data stream, etc.) under vehicle controller.

[0156] St302: The control chip in the optical communication main module converts the signal protocol of the electrical signal into a unified protocol format.

[0157] St303: In the main optical communication module, the DSP unit divides the received electrical signal into multiple polarized electrical signals.

[0158] St304: The driver in the main optical communication module drives the phase modulator to modulate the four optical signals generated by the seed light source to obtain modulated optical signals.

[0159] St305: The modulated optical signal is emitted after passing through the polarization multiplexer and wavelength division multiplexer in the main optical communication module.

[0160] St306: The optical splitter divides the optical signal emitted by the main optical communication module into N beams, which are then transmitted to N optical communication sub-modules respectively.

[0161] St307: After the optical signal enters the optical communication submodule, it is split into two polarized optical signals, X and Y, after passing through the wavelength division multiplexer and polarization beam splitter and entering two optical mixers respectively.

[0162] St308: The two local oscillator light signals split from the local oscillator light source in the optical communication submodule enter two optical mixers respectively. The local oscillator light in each optical mixer is mixed with the polarized light signal to obtain four mixed light signals with a relative phase difference of 0°, 90°, 180° and 270°.

[0163] St309: The eight mixed optical signals in the two optical mixers are converted into mixed electrical signals by their respective detectors.

[0164] St310: The mixed electrical signal is amplified by an amplifier, and then two sets of mixed electrical signals with a phase difference of 0° and 180°, and 90° and 270° enter the same demodulator for demodulation, and four demodulated electrical signals are recovered and enter the DSP unit.

[0165] St311: After the DSP unit processes the demodulated electrical signals, it merges the four demodulated electrical signals into one electrical signal and sends it to the control chip.

[0166] St312: The control chip in the optical communication submodule converts the signal protocol and sends it to the sensor or actuator.

[0167] St313: The sensor or actuator receives a signal from the controller.

[0168] In some embodiments, referring to FIG7, the optical communication method further includes the following main steps:

[0169] S210: The optical communication submodule 220 converts the electrical signal uploaded by the electronic device 500 into an optical signal and sends it to the optical communication main module 210.

[0170] S220: The optical communication main module 210 converts the received optical signal into an electrical signal and sends it to the controller 300 so that the controller 300 can perform analysis and processing.

[0171] Specifically, steps S210 and S220 constitute the optical communication uplink. The optical communication uplink is where the electronic device 500 actively sends control commands or communication data streams to the controller 300 (central computing platform 10a), similar to the optical communication downlink, and will not be described in detail here. The communication principle is basically the same, the difference being that the wavelengths of the seed light sources 117 for uplink and downlink are different, so that the wavelength division multiplexer 114 can separate the uplink and downlink data.

[0172] The optical communication uplink transmits data using time-division multiplexing, which divides time into multiple time slots and allocates them to N electronic devices 500. Each device takes turns speaking and transmitting according to its allocated time slot. At the same time, the N electronic devices 500 can send bandwidth allocation signals to the control chip 151 in the optical communication main module 210 according to their own data needs. The control chip 151 in the optical communication main module 210 can adjust the time slot allocation for the N electronic devices 500, thereby achieving dynamic allocation of communication bandwidth.

[0173] The optical communication downlink provided in the embodiments of this application will now be described with reference to FIG8 as an example.

[0174] St401: The sensor or actuator transmits an electrical signal.

[0175] St402: The control chip in the optical communication submodule converts the signal protocol of the electrical signal into a unified protocol format.

[0176] St403: In the optical communication submodule, the DSP unit divides the received electrical signal into multiple polarized electrical signals.

[0177] St404: The driver in the optical communication submodule drives the phase modulator to modulate the four optical signals generated by the seed light source to obtain the modulated optical signal.

[0178] St405: The modulated optical signal is emitted after passing through the polarization multiplexer and wavelength division multiplexer in the optical communication submodule.

[0179] St406: The optical splitter transmits the optical signals emitted by the optical communication submodule only to the optical communication main module.

[0180] St407: After the optical signal enters the main optical communication module, it passes through a wavelength division multiplexer and a polarization beam splitter, and is split into two X-polarized optical signals and Y-polarized optical signals, which then enter two optical mixers respectively.

[0181] St408: The two local oscillator light signals split from the local oscillator light source in the optical communication main module enter two optical mixers respectively. The local oscillator light in each optical mixer is mixed with the polarized light signal to obtain four mixed light signals with a relative phase difference of 0°, 90°, 180° and 270°.

[0182] St409: The eight mixed optical signals in the two optical mixers are converted into mixed electrical signals by their respective detectors.

[0183] St410: The mixed electrical signal is amplified by an amplifier, and then two sets of mixed electrical signals with a phase difference of 0° and 180°, and 90° and 270° enter the same demodulator for demodulation, and four demodulated electrical signals are recovered and enter the DSP unit.

[0184] St411: After the DSP unit processes the demodulated electrical signals, it merges the four demodulated electrical signals into one electrical signal and sends it to the control chip.

[0185] St412: The control chip in the optical communication main module converts the signal protocol and sends it to the controller.

[0186] St413: The controller receives signals from sensors or actuators and processes them accordingly.

[0187] According to a fourth aspect of this application, embodiments of this application also provide a vehicle that includes the optical communication module 100 as described above, the optical communication system 10 as described above, or the vehicle is configured to implement the optical communication method as described above. This vehicle possesses all the beneficial effects of the optical communication module 100, the optical communication system 10, or the optical communication method described above, which will not be elaborated upon further herein.

[0188] The vehicle may be a gasoline-powered vehicle, a plug-in hybrid electric vehicle, or a new energy vehicle, etc., and this application does not make any specific restrictions.

[0189] Employing fiber optic communication, bandwidths can reach 100Gbps, 400Gbps, 800Gbps, or even higher, significantly increasing the bandwidth limit of in-vehicle communication systems and providing strong communication bandwidth support for future intelligent driving and even autonomous driving. Furthermore, coherent communication and demodulation technologies can greatly improve communication quality and enhance the reliability of vehicle communication. Because the transmission link medium in the communication network provided in this application is optical fiber, the vehicle communication wiring harness is characterized by electromagnetic interference resistance, lightweight design, and low cost. In addition, the communication network structure proposed in this application achieves point-to-multipoint connections through an optical coupler structure, which can significantly reduce the number of wiring harnesses in the vehicle and realize a centrally integrated architecture.

[0190] In the description of this application, the terms "first" and "second" are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly specifying the number of technical features indicated. Therefore, a feature defined as "first" or "second" may explicitly or implicitly include one or more features. In the description of this application, "multiple" means two or more, unless otherwise explicitly specified.

[0191] In the above embodiments, the descriptions of each embodiment have different focuses. For parts not described in detail in a certain embodiment, please refer to the relevant descriptions in other embodiments.

[0192] The embodiments, implementation methods, and related technical features of this application can be combined and substituted for each other without conflict.

[0193] The above are merely preferred embodiments of this application and are not intended to limit this application in any way. Any simple modifications, equivalent changes, and alterations made to the above embodiments based on the technical essence of this application without departing from the scope of the technical solution of this application shall still fall within the scope of the technical solution of this application.

Claims

1. An optical communication module (100), comprising: The local oscillator light source (111) is configured to generate a local oscillator light signal; and The optical mixer (112, 113) is configured to mix the local oscillator optical signal with the optical signal received by the optical communication module (100) to obtain a mixed optical signal.

2. The optical communication module (100) according to claim 1, wherein, The optical communication module (100) includes at least two of the optical mixers (112, 113); The optical mixer (112, 113) is configured to mix the local oscillator optical signal with one of the polarized optical signals obtained by beam splitting the optical signal received by the optical communication module (100) to obtain a mixed optical signal.

3. The optical communication module (100) according to claim 2, wherein the optical communication module (100) further comprises: The polarization beam splitter (115) is configured to split the optical signal received by the optical communication module (100) into at least two polarized optical signals.

4. The optical communication module (100) according to claim 2 or 3 further includes at least two detectors (141, 142, 143, 144, 145, 146, 147, 148); The detectors (141, 142, 143, 144, 145, 146, 147, 148) are configured to convert the mixed optical signal output by the optical mixer (112, 113) into a mixed electrical signal.

5. The optical communication module (100) according to claim 4 further includes: At least two amplifiers (131, 132, 133, 134, 135, 136, 137, 138) are connected to one of the detectors (141, 142, 143, 144, 145, 146, 147, 148) respectively. The amplifiers (131, 132, 133, 134, 135, 136, 137, 138) are configured to amplify the mixed electrical signals output by the detectors (141, 142, 143, 144, 145, 146, 147, 148) to which they are connected.

6. The optical communication module (100) according to claim 5 further includes: Demodulators (121, 122, 123, 124) are connected to amplifiers (131, 132, 133, 134, 135, 136, 137, 138). The demodulator (121, 122, 123, 124) is configured to combine the mixed electrical signals output from at least two of the amplifiers (131, 132, 133, 134, 135, 136, 137, 138) into a single demodulated electrical signal.

7. The optical communication module (100) according to claim 6, wherein, The optical communication module (100) includes at least two demodulators (121, 122, 123, 124), and the optical communication module (100) further includes a DSP unit (152), wherein each demodulator (121, 122, 123, 124) is connected to the DSP unit (152). The DSP unit (152) is configured to combine multiple demodulated electrical signals into a single electrical signal.

8. The optical communication module (100) according to claim 7, wherein, The demodulated electrical signals described above have different polarization directions and / or different phases.

9. The optical communication module (100) according to any one of claims 1 to 8 further comprises: A wavelength division multiplexer (114) is configured to enable the optical communication module (100) to receive optical signals.

10. The optical communication module (100) according to any one of claims 1 to 9, further comprising: Seed light source (117) is set to generate light signals; and Phase modulators (161, 162, 163, 164) are configured to modulate the optical signal generated by the seed light source (117) based on the electrical signal received by the optical communication module (100) to obtain a modulated optical signal.

11. The optical communication module (100) according to claim 10, wherein, The optical communication module (100) includes at least two of the phase modulators (161, 162, 163, 164); The phase modulators (161, 162, 163, 164) are configured to modulate the optical signal generated by the seed light source (117) based on one of the polarized electrical signals divided from the electrical signal received by the optical communication module (100), so as to obtain a modulated optical signal.

12. The optical communication module (100) according to claim 11 further includes: The DSP unit (152) is configured to divide the electrical signal received by the optical communication module (100) into at least two polarized electrical signals.

13. The optical communication module (100) according to claim 12, wherein, At least two of the modulated optical signals have different polarization directions and / or different phases.

14. The optical communication module (100) according to claim 12 or 13 further comprises: The driver (116) is configured to drive the corresponding phase modulator (161, 162, 163, 164) based on the polarization electrical signal; At least two of the phase modulators (161, 162, 163, 164) are respectively connected to the driver (116), and the driver (116) is also connected to the DSP unit (152).

15. The optical communication module (100) according to claim 11 further comprises: The polarization combiner (118) is configured to combine the modulated optical signals output by at least two of the phase modulators (161, 162, 163, 164) into a single optical signal.

16. The optical communication module (100) according to claim 15 further includes: A wavelength division multiplexer (114) is configured to cause the optical communication module (100) to output an optical signal.

17. The optical communication module (100) according to any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein, The optical communication module (100) includes: The control chip (151) is configured to perform signal protocol conversion on the electrical signals received and / or output by the optical communication module (100).

18. An optical communication system (10), the optical communication system (10) comprising: The optical communication main module (210) is configured to communicate with the controller (300); and An optical communication submodule (220) is configured to communicate with an electronic device (500); The optical communication main module (210) and the optical communication sub-module (220) communicate based on optical signals. Wherein, the optical communication main module (210) is the optical communication module (100) according to any one of claims 1 to 17, and / or, the optical communication sub-module (220) is the optical communication module (100) according to any one of claims 1 to 17.

19. The optical communication system (10) according to claim 18, wherein, The optical communication main module (210) is configured to convert the electrical signal output by the controller (300) into an optical signal and send it to the optical communication submodule (220); The optical communication submodule (220) is configured to convert the received optical signal into an electrical signal and send it to the electronic device (500) so that the electronic device (500) can perform a corresponding operation.

20. The optical communication system (10) according to claim 18, wherein, The optical communication submodule (220) is configured to convert the electrical signals uploaded by the electronic device (500) into optical signals and send them to the optical communication main module (210); The optical communication main module (210) is configured to convert the received optical signal into an electrical signal and send it to the controller (300) so that the controller (300) can perform analysis and processing.

21. The optical communication system (10) according to any one of claims 18 to 20, wherein, The electronic device (500) includes sensors and / or actuators.

22. The optical communication system (10) according to any one of claims 18 to 20, further comprising: The optical splitter (400) is configured to communicate with at least two of the optical communication sub-modules (220) and the optical communication main module (210) to enable the optical communication main module (210) to communicate with the at least two of the optical communication sub-modules (220) based on optical signals.

23. An optical communication method applied to the optical communication system (10) as described in any one of claims 18 to 22, the optical communication method comprising: The optical communication main module (210) converts the electrical signal output by the controller (300) into an optical signal and sends it to the optical communication submodule (220); The optical communication submodule (220) converts the received optical signal into an electrical signal and sends it to the electronic device (500) so that the electronic device (500) can perform corresponding operations; And / or, the optical communication method includes: The optical communication submodule (220) converts the electrical signals uploaded by the electronic device (500) into optical signals and sends them to the optical communication main module (210); The optical communication main module (210) converts the received optical signal into an electrical signal and sends it to the controller (300) for analysis and processing.

24. A vehicle comprising an optical communication module (100) as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 17, or comprising an optical communication system (10) as claimed in any one of claims 18 to 22, or configured to implement the optical communication method of claim 23.

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