Optical Slip Ring With Light Guide Blending for Redundant Data Transfer
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional optical slip rings for data transfer across rotating joints lack robustness and reliability, often requiring an unobstructed line of sight between emitters and receivers, which can lead to failures when obstructions occur or when components malfunction.
Innovation Solution
A redundant optical slip ring system using light guides to blend light from multiple emitters and direct it to an array of receivers, ensuring data transfer at full capacity even if a receiver or emitter fails, with emitters and receivers configured in a redundant manner to maintain operation through obstructions and component failures.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional optical slip rings use direct line-of-sight between emitters and receivers, then data transfer is achieved, but reliability deteriorates when obstructions occur or components fail
Solution Approach 1:
The system segments the optical transmission path by introducing multiple intermediate light guides that divide and redistribute light from multiple emitters to multiple receivers. This segmentation creates redundant pathways, so if one path is blocked or a component fails, data can still be transmitted through alternative paths, thereby improving reliability without requiring a completely complex reconfiguration of the system
Solution Approach 2:
Light guides serve as intermediary elements between emitters and receivers, blending and redirecting light paths. These intermediaries create multiple indirect routes for light transmission, replacing the direct line-of-sight requirement with mediated paths that can accommodate obstructions and component failures while maintaining data transfer capability
2Reliability
If redundant emitters and receivers are added to maintain operation during failures, then reliability improves, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
Multiple light guides are merged into a common blending region where their light paths converge and mix. This merging allows the system to combine redundant light sources and detection paths into a unified optical network, where the redundancy is achieved through the integration of multiple paths rather than through complex independent systems, thereby reducing overall device complexity while maintaining reliability
Solution Approach 2:
The light guides and blending region serve multiple functions simultaneously: they transmit light from multiple emitters, blend the light paths, provide redundancy for failed components, and direct light to multiple receivers. This multi-functionality reduces the need for separate dedicated components for each function, thereby achieving redundancy without proportionally increasing device complexity
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 system provides a robust and efficient data transfer solution that maintains full bandwidth and redundancy, allowing operation even with obstructions and component failures, resulting in a simpler, more reliable, and compact design compared to conventional slip rings.
Implementation Method 1
light guides that are configured to blend light from multiple light emitters and guide the blended light towards an array of light receivers
Implementation Method 2
light emitters
Implementation Method 3
light receivers
Data Source
AI summary
In one aspect, disclosed herein is a simple, robust, and redundant slip ring for transferring electrical signals over a rotary joint. One embodiment comprises light guides configured to blend light from multiple light emitters and guide the blended light towards an array of light receivers—the slip ring is configured to transfer data across the rotating joint even when a receiver or emitter has failed.