Optical Module Laser Switchover for Thermal Protection
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Current photonic technologies for radio base stations face challenges with low energy efficiency, high frequency-dependent channel loss, and thermal management issues in co-packaged optical transceivers, leading to increased costs and reduced serviceability due to thermal stress and integration limitations.
Innovation Solution
An optical module with internal and external lasers, a temperature sensor, and a controller that switches to an external optical signal when thermal stress occurs, managing thermal protection by reducing internal laser power and ensuring seamless handover to maintain optical power and avoid interference.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If integrated laser sources are used in co-packaged optics to reduce packaging cost and improve integration, then device-level heat flux dissipation becomes extremely challenging and serviceability is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the laser source functionality into separate replaceable modules rather than integrating them permanently into the photonic chip. Each laser source becomes an independent serviceable unit that can be individually replaced without replacing the entire transceiver assembly, thus addressing the heat dissipation and serviceability issues while maintaining integration benefits.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent extracts the laser sources from the integrated photonic chip structure, allowing them to be mounted separately on the transceiver module. This extraction enables independent thermal management of the laser sources and improves serviceability, as failed lasers can be replaced without replacing the entire integrated assembly.
2Ease of manufacture
If integrated laser sources are used to reduce packaging cost, then serviceability deteriorates as the whole module must be replaced upon laser failure
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the laser source into a separate replaceable component from the main photonic integrated circuit. This segmentation allows individual laser replacement without replacing the entire module, thus improving serviceability while maintaining the cost benefits of integration.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent enables the discarding of failed laser sources and replacement with new or refurbished units. The modular design allows recovered or replacement lasers to be installed without replacing the entire transceiver, improving both serviceability and economic efficiency.
3Ease of manufacture
If multiple laser sources are integrated into a single optical transceiver to reduce cost, then thermal management becomes more difficult due to concentrated heat flux
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments multiple laser sources into separate mountable units rather than integrating them densely on the photonic chip. This segmentation distributes the heat sources across different locations and thermal zones, making thermal management more effective while maintaining integration benefits.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent extracts laser sources from the photonic integrated circuit substrate and mounts them separately on the transceiver module. This extraction creates physical separation between heat-generating laser sources and sensitive photonic components, improving thermal management while maintaining system integration.
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 mitigates thermal stress and performance degradation in internal lasers, enhancing reliability and cost-effectiveness by using external lasers only when needed, thus maintaining module performance and extending laser lifetime.
Implementation Method 1
The temperature sensor is arranged to sense a temperature of the internal lasers and to generate a temperature reporting signal
Implementation Method 2
The optical modulators are arranged to modulate optical signals
Implementation Method 3
The internal lasers arranged to generate internal optical signals to be modulated by the optical modulators
Implementation Method 4
the use of solid state thermo-electric cooler, also indicated as macro-TEC. The TEC acts to maintain a reference temperature of the photonic chip
Data Source
AI summary
Communications network optical apparatus (100) comprising an optical module (120) and a controller (140). The optical module (120) comprises optical modulators (122), internal lasers (124) to generate internal optical signals, an input port (126) to receive an external optical signal from an external laser, optical routing devices (128) to route internal optical signals from internal lasers to optical modulators and to route an external optical signal from the input port to at least one of the optical modulators, and a temperature sensor (130) to sense a temperature of the internal lasers and to generate a temperature reporting signal. The controller (140) comprises processing circuitry (142) and memory (144) containing instructions which when executed by the processing circuitry cause the controller to perform operations including receiving the temperature reporting signal, determining that a thermal protection condition exists based on the temperature of the internal lasers, and in response to the determining, generating control signals configured to cause the external optical signal to be provided to at least one optical modulator and to cause an operating power of at least one respective internal laser to be reduced.