Optical Beam Radiation Control for Stable Communication

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional communication devices experience degradation in signal quality and noise ratio due to adverse propagation environments, such as fog, hail, or marine snow, leading to reduced light power and communication instability.

Innovation Solution

A communication device equipped with a signal to noise ratio calculator and a beam radiation state controller that adjusts the beam diameter or divergence based on calculated signal quality, ensuring stable communication by optimizing beam radiation states in response to changing environmental conditions.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Productivity

If the beam diameter and divergence are kept small to maintain high received light power per unit area, then communication efficiency is improved, but communication quality degrades when the propagation environment worsens (fog, hail, snow, marine snow)

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecommunication efficiencyVSAvoidcommunication quality
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies dynamics by making the beam parameters (diameter and divergence angle) adjustable rather than fixed. The beam radiation state controller dynamically changes these parameters based on real-time S/N ratio measurements. When communication quality degrades due to adverse propagation conditions, the system enlarges the beam diameter and increases the divergence angle to capture more scattered light, thereby maintaining reliable communication while adapting to changing environmental conditions.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The patent implements parameter changes by modifying physical characteristics of the laser beam - specifically the beam diameter and divergence angle. These parameter changes are controlled based on the S/N ratio of received signals. When the S/N ratio drops below a threshold indicating poor communication quality, the system adjusts the beam parameters to enlarge the beam diameter and increase divergence, allowing the beam to better penetrate adverse propagation media like fog, hail, snow, or marine snow.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

2Reliability

If multiple beams are used with optimized light intensity variations to reduce pointing errors, then communicative stabilization is achieved, but the system complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecommunicative stabilizationVSAvoidsystem complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies feedback by implementing a closed-loop control system where the S/N ratio calculator continuously monitors the quality of received signals and provides this information to the beam radiation state controller. The controller uses this feedback to automatically adjust beam parameters in real-time. This feedback mechanism enables the system to maintain stable communication by adapting to propagation conditions without requiring complex manual intervention or multiple separate control systems.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #23Feedback

Applied Scientific Principles

This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.

Function Achieved in This Case

The solution effectively prevents communication quality degradation and maintains stability even in adverse environments by dynamically adjusting beam parameters, optimizing signal transmission and reducing power consumption.

Implementation Method 1

a beam transmitter to radiate a beam toward a communication device which is a communications partner

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectLaser: Laser

Implementation Method 2

a beam receiver to receive a beam coming from the communication device which is a communications partner

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectPhotoelectric Effect: Photoelectric Effect

Data Source

PatentEP2996262B1Communication device
Publication Date: 2020.01.08 MITSUBISHI ELECTRIC CORP
  • EP2996262B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP2996262B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP2996262B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

An S/N calculation circuit 12 to calculate the S/N ratio of a received signal, and an S/N comparison circuit 13 to compare the S/N calculated by the S/N calculation circuit 12 with a threshold Th are disposed, and a parameter setting circuit 14 controls the radiation state of a beam radiated from a transmission optical system 5 according to the result of the comparison performed by the S/N comparison circuit 13. As a result, even if the state of the propagation environment gets worse, degradation in the communication quality can be prevented and communicative stabilization can be achieved.