Patent Grant
11467759
The present invention relates to a system and method for extending the path length of a wave signal.
The expansion of data centers, broadband communications and computationally intensive signal processing is driving the demand for high capacity data storage that consumes less power. Modern data centers also often require a rapid access to the same data stored on a same common drive to perform, for example, high performance computing (HPC). In addition, there is an increasing interest among many actors within the information technology (IT) storage industry (e.g., end customers, data centers, in-system programmers (ISP), in-circuit programmers (ICP), etc.) in being able to erase sensitive data (e.g., government data, military data) definitively and completely in an immediate manner.
Currently, solid state drives (SSDs), such as non-volatile NAND flash memory-based drives, and hard disk drives (HDDs) are examples of storage devices used to store data in data centers. Conventional data centers based on those solid state-based storage devices have a variety of drawbacks. For example, data storage using those conventional storage devices consumes a large amount of power and requires expensive maintenance. In addition, data storage involving many of those conventional storage devices generates a large amount of heat, necessitating cooling systems, which in turn require additional cost and energy consumption. Moreover, the throughput at which data can be read from or written to those conventional electromagnetic wave storage devices is limited by the speed of electronics to, for example, a few Gb/s. Additionally, when data is erased from a conventional non-volatile solid-state memory, an imprint of the erased data typically remains and with proper skills and technology, one could recover the erased data. Furthermore, to scale up the data center using those conventional storage devices, it is necessary to either buy more of the storage devices or replace the current storage devices with better-performing ones. Accordingly, constructing and upgrading data centers using the conventional storage devices is a costly and time-consuming process.
There is, therefore, a need for a data storage apparatus and method that overcomes one or more of the above and other deficiencies of data storage using the conventional storage devices.
It has been shown that an alternative data storage approach is to store data in motion in a data storage loop.
It has now been found that the above and related objects of the present invention are obtained in the form of several related aspects, including a system and method for extending the path length of a wave signal using angle multiplexing.
More particularly, the present invention relates to a system for extending a path length of an electromagnetic wave signal, the system comprising N arrays having M1 through MN apertures, respectively, wherein N≥2, M1≥2, and each of M2 through MN≥1, a substantial number of the M1 apertures in a first array is configured to send the electromagnetic wave signal to a substantial number of the M2 apertures in a second array through the MN apertures in a N-th array, the substantial number of the M2 apertures in the second array through the MN apertures in the N-th array receiving the electromagnetic wave signal from the substantial number of the M1 apertures in the first array is configured to redirect the received electromagnetic wave signal back to the substantial number of the M1 apertures in the first array, and the substantial number of the M1 apertures in the first array is further configured to send the electromagnetic wave signal to another one of the M1 apertures in the first array after receiving the redirected electromagnetic wave signal from a MN-th aperture in the N-th array.
In at least one embodiment, the another one of the M1 apertures in the first array is adjacent to the M1 aperture in the first array that receives the redirected electromagnetic wave signal from a MN-th aperture in the N-th array.
In at least one embodiment, the substantial number of the M1 apertures in the first array includes each one of the M1 apertures. In at least one embodiment, the substantial number of the M2 apertures in the second array through the MN apertures in the N-th array includes each one of the M2 apertures in the second array through the MN apertures in the N-th array.
In at least one embodiment, the electromagnetic wave signal has a single wavelength.
In at least one embodiment, the electromagnetic wave signal comprises a plurality of signals each having a different wavelength in a multi-wavelength system.
In at least one embodiment, the system further comprises a dispersion compensation device configured to direct substantially all of the plurality of signals from one aperture to another aperture.
In at least one embodiment, the dispersion compensation device comprises a multi-wavelength beam directing device using an achromatic Fourier transform lens.
In at least one embodiment, the apertures in the first array comprise volume holographic gratings, corner cube retroreflectors, diffraction gratings, mirrors, partial regenerators, or full regenerators.
In at least one embodiment, the apertures in at least one of the second array through the N-th array comprise volume holographic gratings, corner cube retroreflectors, diffraction gratings, mirrors, partial regenerators, or full regenerators.
In at least one embodiment, the apertures in the first array are located in one or more sets of one or more satellites, and the apertures in at least one of the second array through the N-th array are located in one or more sets of one or more satellites.
In at least one embodiment, the apertures in the first array through the N-th array are located within a substantially sealed cavity.
The present invention also relates to a system for extending a path length of an electromagnetic wave signal, the system comprising N arrays having M1 through MN apertures, respectively, wherein N≥2, M1≥2, and each of M2 through MN≥1, a substantial number of the M1 apertures in a first array is configured to send the electromagnetic wave signal to a substantial number of the M2 apertures in a second array through the MN apertures in a N-th array, the substantial number of a first aperture in the second array through a (MN−1)-th aperture in the N-th array, if MN≥2, and through a MN-1-th aperture in the (N−1)-th array, if MN=1, receiving the electromagnetic wave signal from the substantial number of the M1 apertures in the first array is configured to redirect the received electromagnetic wave signal back to the substantial number of the M1 apertures in the first array, and a MN-th aperture in the N-th array is configured to send the electromagnetic wave signal to another one of the M1 apertures in the first array after receiving the electromagnetic wave signal from the substantial number of the M1 apertures in the first array.
In at least one embodiment, the another one of the M1 apertures in the first array is adjacent to the substantial number of the M1 apertures in the first array.
In at least one embodiment, the substantial number of the M1 apertures in the first array includes each one of the M1 apertures. In at least one embodiment, the substantial number of the M2 apertures in the second array through the MN apertures in the N-th array includes each one of the M2 apertures in the second array through the MN apertures in the N-th array.
In at least one embodiment, the electromagnetic wave signal has a single wavelength.
In at least one embodiment, the electromagnetic wave signal comprises a plurality of signals each having a different wavelength in a multi-wavelength system.
In at least one embodiment, the system further comprises a dispersion compensation device configured to direct substantially all of the plurality of signals from one aperture to another aperture.
In at least one embodiment, the dispersion compensation device comprises a multi-wavelength beam directing device using an achromatic Fourier transform lens.
In at least one embodiment, the apertures in the first array comprise volume holographic gratings, corner cube retroreflectors, diffraction gratings, mirrors, partial regenerators, or full regenerators.
In at least one embodiment, the apertures in at least one of the second array through the N-th array comprise volume holographic gratings, corner cube retroreflectors, diffraction gratings, mirrors, partial regenerators, or full regenerators.
In at least one embodiment, the apertures in the first array are located in one or more sets of one or more satellites, and the apertures in at least one of the second array through the N-th array are located in one or more sets of one or more satellites.
In at least one embodiment, the apertures in the first array through the N-th array are located within a substantially sealed cavity.
The present invention further relates to a system for extending a path length of an electromagnetic wave signal, the system comprising N arrays having M1 through MN apertures, respectively, wherein N≥2, M1≥2, and each of M2 through MN≥1, a first aperture in the second array is configured to send the electromagnetic wave signal to a first aperture in the first array, a substantial number of the M1 apertures in a first array is configured to send the electromagnetic wave signal to a substantial number of the M2 apertures in a second array through the MN apertures in a N-th array, except that the first aperture in the first array is configured not to send the electromagnetic wave signal to the first aperture in the second array, the substantial number of a first aperture in the second array through a (MN−1)-th aperture in the N-th array, if MN≥2, and through a MN-1-th aperture in the (N−1)-th array, if MN=1, receiving the electromagnetic wave signal from the substantial number of the M1 apertures in the first array is configured to redirect the received electromagnetic wave signal back to the substantial number of the M1 apertures in the first array, and a MN-th aperture in the N-th array is configured to send the electromagnetic wave signal to another one of the M1 apertures in the first array after receiving the electromagnetic wave signal from the substantial number of the M1 apertures in the first array.
In at least one embodiment, the another one of the M1 apertures in the first array is adjacent to the substantial number of the M1 apertures in the first array.
In at least one embodiment, the substantial number of the M1 apertures in the first array includes each one of the M1 apertures. In at least one embodiment, the substantial number of the M2 apertures in the second array through the MN apertures in the N-th array includes each one of the M2 apertures in the second array through the MN apertures in the N-th array.
In at least one embodiment, the electromagnetic wave signal has a single wavelength.
In at least one embodiment, the electromagnetic wave signal comprises a plurality of signals each having a different wavelength in a multi-wavelength system.
In at least one embodiment, the system further comprises a dispersion compensation device configured to direct substantially all of the plurality of signals from one aperture to another aperture.
In at least one embodiment, the dispersion compensation device comprises a multi-wavelength beam directing device using an achromatic Fourier transform lens.
In at least one embodiment, the apertures in the first array comprise volume holographic gratings, corner cube retroreflectors, diffraction gratings, mirrors, partial regenerators, or full regenerators.
In at least one embodiment, the apertures in at least one of the second array through the N-th array comprise volume holographic gratings, corner cube retroreflectors, diffraction gratings, mirrors, partial regenerators, or full regenerators.
In at least one embodiment, the apertures in the first array are located in one or more sets of one or more satellites, and the apertures in at least one of the second array through the N-th array are located in one or more sets of one or more satellites.
In at least one embodiment, the apertures in the first array through the N-th array are located within a substantially sealed cavity.
In addition, the present invention also relates to a method for extending a path length of an electromagnetic wave signal traversing between N arrays having M1 through MN apertures, respectively, wherein N≥2, M1≥2, and each of M2 through MN≥1, the method comprising sending, by a substantial number of the M1 apertures in a first array, the electromagnetic wave signal to a substantial number of the M2 apertures in a second array through the MN apertures in a N-th array, receiving, by the substantial number of the M2 apertures in the second array through the MN apertures in the N-th array, the electromagnetic wave signal from the substantial number of the M1 apertures in the first array, redirecting, by the substantial number of the M2 apertures in the second array through the MN apertures in the N-th array, the received electromagnetic wave signal back to the substantial number of the M1 apertures in the first array, and after receiving, by the substantial number of the M1 apertures in the first array, the redirected electromagnetic wave signal from a MN-th aperture in the N-th array, sending, by the substantial number of the M1 apertures in the first array, the electromagnetic wave signal to another one of the M1 apertures in the first array.
In at least one embodiment, the another one of the M1 apertures in the first array is adjacent to the M1 aperture in the first array that receives the redirected electromagnetic wave signal from a MN-th aperture in the N-th array.
In at least one embodiment, the substantial number of the M1 apertures in the first array includes each one of the M1 apertures. In at least one embodiment, the substantial number of the M2 apertures in the second array through the MN apertures in the N-th array includes each one of the M2 apertures in the second array through the MN apertures in the N-th array.
In at least one embodiment, the electromagnetic wave signal has a single wavelength.
In at least one embodiment, the electromagnetic wave signal comprises a plurality of signals each having a different wavelength in a multi-wavelength system.
In at least one embodiment, the method further comprises directing, by using a dispersion compensation device, substantially all of the plurality of signals from one aperture to another aperture.
In at least one embodiment, the dispersion compensation device comprises a multi-wavelength beam directing device using an achromatic Fourier transform lens.
In at least one embodiment, the apertures in the first array comprise volume holographic gratings, corner cube retroreflectors, diffraction gratings, mirrors, partial regenerators, or full regenerators.
In at least one embodiment, the apertures in at least one of the second array through the N-th array comprise volume holographic gratings, corner cube retroreflectors, diffraction gratings, mirrors, partial regenerators, or full regenerators.
In at least one embodiment, the apertures in the first array are located in one or more sets of one or more satellites, and the apertures in at least one of the second array through the N-th array are located in one or more sets of one or more satellites.
In at least one embodiment, the apertures in the first array through the N-th array are located within a substantially sealed cavity.
The present invention further relates to a method for extending a path length of an electromagnetic wave signal traversing between N arrays having M1 through MN apertures, respectively, wherein N≥2, M1≥2, and each of M2 through MN≥1, the method comprising sending, by a substantial number of the M1 apertures in a first array, the electromagnetic wave signal to a substantial number of the M2 apertures in a second array through the MN apertures in a N-th array, receiving, by the substantial number of a first aperture in the second array through a (MN−1)-th aperture in the N-th array, if MN≥2, and through a MN-1-th aperture in the (N−1)-th array, if MN=1, the electromagnetic wave signal from the substantial number of the M1 apertures in the first array, redirecting, by the substantial number of the first aperture in the second array through the (MN−1)-th aperture in the N-th array, if MN≥2, and through the MN-1-th aperture in the (N−1)-th array, if MN=1, the received electromagnetic wave signal back to the substantial number of the M1 apertures in the first array, and after receiving, by a MN-th aperture in the N-th array, the electromagnetic wave signal from the substantial number of the M1 apertures in the first array, sending, by the MN-th aperture in the N-th array, the electromagnetic wave signal to another one of the M1 apertures in the first array.
In at least one embodiment, the another one of the M1 apertures in the first array is adjacent to the substantial number of the M1 apertures in the first array.
In at least one embodiment, the substantial number of the M1 apertures in the first array includes each one of the M1 apertures. In at least one embodiment, the substantial number of the M2 apertures in the second array through the MN apertures in the N-th array includes each one of the M2 apertures in the second array through the MN apertures in the N-th array.
In at least one embodiment, the electromagnetic wave signal has a single wavelength.
In at least one embodiment, the electromagnetic wave signal comprises a plurality of signals each having a different wavelength in a multi-wavelength system.
In at least one embodiment, the method further comprises directing, by using a dispersion compensation device, substantially all of the plurality of signals from one aperture to another aperture.
In at least one embodiment, the dispersion compensation device comprises a multi-wavelength beam directing device using an achromatic Fourier transform lens.
In at least one embodiment, the apertures in the first array comprise volume holographic gratings, corner cube retroreflectors, diffraction gratings, mirrors, partial regenerators, or full regenerators.
In at least one embodiment, the apertures in at least one of the second array through the N-th array comprise volume holographic gratings, corner cube retroreflectors, diffraction gratings, mirrors, partial regenerators, or full regenerators.
In at least one embodiment, the apertures in the first array are located in one or more sets of one or more satellites, and the apertures in at least one of the second array through the N-th array are located in one or more sets of one or more satellites.
In at least one embodiment, the apertures in the first array through the N-th array are located within a substantially sealed cavity.
Additionally, the present invention relates to a method for extending a path length of an electromagnetic wave signal traversing between N arrays having M1 through MN apertures, respectively, wherein N≥2, M1≥2, and each of M2 through MN≥1, the method comprising sending, by a first aperture in the second array, the electromagnetic wave signal to a first aperture in the first array, sending, by a substantial number of the M1 apertures in a first array, the electromagnetic wave signal to a substantial number of the M2 apertures in a second array through the MN apertures in a N-th array, except that the first aperture in the first array does not send the electromagnetic wave signal to the first aperture in the second array, receiving, by the substantial number of a first aperture in the second array through a (MN−1)-th aperture in the N-th array, if MN≥2, and through a MN-1-th aperture in the (N−1)-th array, if MN=1, the electromagnetic wave signal from the substantial number of the M1 apertures in the first array, except that the first aperture in the second array does not receive the electromagnetic wave signal from the first aperture in the first array, redirecting, by the substantial number of the first aperture in the second array through the (MN−1)-th aperture in the N-th array, if MN≥2, and through a MN-1-th aperture in the (N−1)-th array, if MN=1, the received electromagnetic wave signal back to the substantial number of the M1 apertures in the first array, and after receiving, by a MN-th aperture in the N-th array, the electromagnetic wave signal from the substantial number of the M1 apertures in the first array, sending, by the MN-th aperture in the N-th array, the electromagnetic wave signal to another one of the M1 apertures in the first array.
In at least one embodiment, the another one of the M1 apertures in the first array is adjacent to the substantial number of the M1 apertures in the first array.
In at least one embodiment, the substantial number of the M1 apertures in the first array includes each one of the M1 apertures. In at least one embodiment, the substantial number of the M2 apertures in the second array through the MN apertures in the N-th array includes each one of the M2 apertures in the second array through the MN apertures in the N-th array.
In at least one embodiment, the electromagnetic wave signal has a single wavelength.
In at least one embodiment, the electromagnetic wave signal comprises a plurality of signals each having a different wavelength in a multi-wavelength system.
In at least one embodiment, the method further comprises directing, by using a dispersion compensation device, substantially all of the plurality of signals from one aperture to another aperture.
In at least one embodiment, the dispersion compensation device comprises a multi-wavelength beam directing device using an achromatic Fourier transform lens.
In at least one embodiment, the apertures in the first array comprise volume holographic gratings, corner cube retroreflectors, diffraction gratings, mirrors, partial regenerators, or full regenerators.
In at least one embodiment, the apertures in at least one of the second array through the N-th array comprise volume holographic gratings, corner cube retroreflectors, diffraction gratings, mirrors, partial regenerators, or full regenerators.
In at least one embodiment, the apertures in the first array are located in one or more sets of one or more satellites, and the apertures in at least one of the second array through the N-th array are located in one or more sets of one or more satellites.
In at least one embodiment, the apertures in the first array through the N-th array are located within a substantially sealed cavity.
In at least one embodiment, the apertures may be located in outer space, in free space, either in the atmosphere or in partial or intense vacuum.
Although specific features, capabilities and advantages have been enumerated above, various embodiments may include some, none, or all of the enumerated features, capabilities and advantages. These and other technical features, capabilities and advantages of the disclosed subject matter, along with the invention itself, will be more fully understood after a review of the following figures, detailed descriptions and claims.
Exemplary embodiments of the present invention will be described with references to the accompanying figures, wherein:
Information or any kind of data can be stored as electromagnetic waves (e.g., generated by lasers, optical beam, radio frequency (RF) signals, other types of electromagnetic wave signals, to name a few), which can be transmitted and/or reflected between structures or within structures in various transmission media (e.g., free space, vacuum, crystals, nonlinear media, optical waveguides, optical fibers, to name a few). The terms “electromagnetic wave signal” and “electromagnetic wave beam” are used herein interchangeably. Electromagnetic radiation or electromagnetic beam as used herein may include any kind of electromagnetic signal, including a laser beam or signal, a maser beam or signal, an optical beam or signal, or any type of wired or wireless signal, including acoustic waves, radio waves, IR radiation, UV radiation, microwave-band transmission, or any combination of more than one of the foregoing. While referred to herein sometimes simply as a laser beam or signal, other types of optical signals and other types of electromagnetic radiation transmissions, including radio waves, microwaves, IR, UV and combinations of bandwidths of wavelengths of electromagnetic radiation, whether guided, shaped, phased, or none of the foregoing, are also intended to be included.
A recirculating loop may be used to store “data in motion” by keeping electromagnetic wave signals, which may carry data, in a continuous motion, transmitted and/or reflected between or within structures and regenerated (e.g., by signal amplification or regeneration) as needed. The recirculating loop may be formed by, for example, satellites or other vessels that reflect or otherwise retransmit the data in free space. The recirculating loop may comprise a waveguide, such as an optical fiber. Various systems and methods of storing data in motion in a recirculating loop are described in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 15/465,356, which has been published as US 2017/0280211 A1 and is incorporated by reference herein in its entirety.
In embodiments, systems for storing electromagnetic wave signals in a recirculating loop may be configured to extinguish or “turn off” the electromagnetic wave signals stored therein. When the electromagnetic wave signals are extinguished, data stored therein is definitively and instantly lost and cannot be recovered, unlike the data erased from a solid-state memory.
To increase the data storage time and capacity for such systems, electromagnetic wave signals need to be held or “delayed” in a recirculating loop as long as possible. There may be other applications for the delay of electromagnetic signals, such as the ability to use a shorter coherence length master oscillator in a long range lidar or radar.
The electromagnetic wave signal path length is a distance traveled by an electromagnetic wave signal in a recirculating loop, and the electromagnetic wave signal storage time is the electromagnetic wave signal path length divided by the speed of light, or electromagnetic wave signal, within a medium or vacuum. By extending the electromagnetic wave signal path length and thereby increasing the electromagnetic wave signal storage time, one can store a greater amount of data in motion without requiring a higher data rate.
Disclosed are systems and methods for extending the path length of an electromagnetic wave signal by using a space division multiplexing technique called “angle multiplexing.” As used herein, the term “angle multiplexing” refers to a technique for extending the electromagnetic wave signal path length by increasing (e.g., multiplying) the number and/or lengths of paths between apertures, or between sets of apertures, that an electromagnetic wave signal uses to travel a recirculation loop (e.g., traversing the recirculation loop only in part, a single time, or multiple times). For example, the angle multiplexing technique can extend the electromagnetic wave signal path length by creating an electromagnetic wave signal path that goes from a first aperture in a first set of apertures to and from every aperture, or a large number of apertures, in a second set of apertures, and then from a second aperture in the first set of apertures to and from every aperture, or a large number of apertures, in the second set of apertures, and so on. Since the electromagnetic wave signal traverses back and forth across the same region many times, the electromagnetic wave signal path length can be extended within a given space.
The order of travel of the electromagnetic wave signal from one aperture, or aperture array, to another aperture, or aperture array, can be flexible, as may be chosen by the designer of that particular embodiment. Furthermore, the number of apertures can be flexible, as may be chosen by the designer of that particular embodiment. In embodiments, all available apertures in participating arrays may be used. In alternative embodiments, a substantial number of the available apertures may be used.
As used herein, the term “aperture” refers to any optical/photonic/electromagnetic (including, as defined herein, acoustic) element or device configured to receive, send, reflect, redirect and/or re-transmit an electromagnetic wave signal. Examples of apertures include, but are not limited to, mirrors, gratings, such as diffraction gratings or volume holographic gratings, corner cube retroreflectors, photonic crystal structure, optical devices comprising gradient index materials, partial regenerators, full regenerators and any appropriate combinations thereof, to name a few. The term “a set of apertures” refers to a discrete set of apertures (e.g., an arbitrary number of arrays each having an arbitrary number of apertures), or a limited number of apertures that may be long in one direction, with portions of the long aperture acting as independent apertures. For example, in
For example, in a system having two arrays of apertures facing each other, the electromagnetic wave signal path length can be extended by an electromagnetic wave signal traveling over all possible paths, or over a substantial number of possible paths, between each of the apertures in the first array and each of the apertures in the second array. In embodiments, this can be generalized for a system having an arbitrary number of arrays each having an arbitrary number of apertures.
The angle multiplexing technique can significantly extend the electromagnetic wave signal path length among multiple apertures, resulting in a longer distance the electromagnetic wave signal travels, and hence a longer electromagnetic wave signal storage time in a recirculating loop. At a given data rate, such an increase in the electromagnetic wave signal storage time can increase the amount of data in motion that can be stored by the recirculation loop.
Referring now to the drawings and in particular to
The angle multiplexing technique may be applied to arrays of apertures placed at any location as long as an electromagnetic wave signal can travel between the apertures. For example, apertures in one or more arrays may be located in one or more sets of one or more satellites in outer space and apertures in at least one of the other arrays may be located in one or more sets of one or more satellites in outer space. In embodiments, the apertures may be located in outer space, in free space, and may be located in the atmosphere, in a partial vacuum, or in an intense vacuum.
In another example, arrays of apertures may be located within a partially open or substantially sealed cavity of any size or shape. As used herein, the term “cavity” refers to any structure that includes at least one partially or fully enclosed space (e.g., partly open or fully sealed enclosure) of any size or shape where an electromagnetic wave signal can travel. The enclosed space within a cavity may be hollow, and such a hollow space in a near vacuum condition has an index of refraction of approximately one, which allows electromagnetic wave signals to travel at near the speed of light in vacuum. Alternatively, the enclosed space within a cavity may be filled with a material (e.g., solid, crystal, amorphous material, liquid, etc.) having an index of refraction greater than one, where electromagnetic wave signals travel more slowly than in vacuum. In another example, a cavity may be a solid material (e.g., crystal, amorphous solid, to name a few) enclosed by its own interior and exterior surfaces. Preferably, such a material filling the cavity is configured to allow electromagnetic wave signals to travel at a low loss. Exemplary geometrical shapes of a cavity include a cubic cavity, a rectangular shaped cavity, a tube cavity, a torus shaped cavity, a spherical cavity, a polyhedron cavity, a parallelogram shaped cavity, a prism shaped cavity and an egg-shaped cavity, to name a few. For example, arrays of apertures implementing angle multiplexing may be located within a rectangular shaped chamber having a length of 100 meters, a width of 30 meters and a height of 2 meters. In embodiments, arrays of apertures implementing angle multiplexing may be located within a sealed cavity substantially under a vacuum condition.
In embodiments, the optical path for the electromagnetic wave signal 101 may end at this point (e.g., the electromagnetic wave signal 101 is retrieved). In alternative embodiments, the electromagnetic wave signal 101 may be sent from the last aperture 113 in the first array back to the first aperture 111 in the first array and the entire processes may be repeated all over again. In yet another alternative embodiment, the entire processes may be conducted in reverse order from this point by sending the electromagnetic wave signal 101 from the last aperture in the first array (e.g., aperture 113) to the second to last aperture in the first array (e.g., aperture 112) and then ultimately back to the first aperture 111 in the first array, from which the entire processes may be repeated again in forward order. In yet another alternative embodiment, the electromagnetic wave signal 101 may be sent from the last aperture 113 in the first array to the first aperture 121 in the second array. Starting from the first aperture 121 in the second array, apertures in the second array may conduct processes that are analogous to the processes initially conducted by the apertures in the first array.
In embodiments, the electromagnetic wave signal may traverse all or some of the paths between different apertures and different arrays in any pre-determined, re-arranged, tunable, and/or reconfigurable manner that is different from the exemplary processes described above with regard to
In embodiments, the optical path for the electromagnetic wave signal 201 may end at this point (e.g., the electromagnetic wave signal 201 is retrieved). In alternative embodiments, the electromagnetic wave signal 201 may be sent from the last aperture in the last array (e.g., aperture 234) back to the first aperture 211 in the first array and the entire processes may be repeated all over again. In yet other alternative embodiments, the entire processes may be conducted in reverse order from this point by sending the electromagnetic wave signal 201 from the last aperture in the last array (e.g., aperture 234 in the third array) to the second to last aperture in the first array (e.g., aperture 212) and then ultimately back to the first aperture 211 in the first array, from which the entire processes may be repeated again in forward order. In yet another alternative embodiment, the electromagnetic wave signal 201 may be sent from the last aperture in the last array (e.g., aperture 234) to the first aperture 221 in the second array. Starting from the first aperture 221 in the second array, apertures in the second and third arrays may conduct processes that are analogous to the processes initially conducted by the apertures in the first and third arrays.
In embodiments, the electromagnetic wave signal may traverse all or some of the paths between different apertures and different arrays in any pre-determined, re-arranged, tunable, and/or reconfigurable manner that is different from the exemplary processes described above with regard to
In embodiments, the optical path for the electromagnetic wave signal 301 may end at this point (e.g., the electromagnetic wave signal 301 is retrieved). In alternative embodiments, the electromagnetic wave signal 301 may be sent from the last aperture in the last array (e.g., aperture 334) back to the first aperture 311 in the first array and the entire processes may be repeated all over again, except that they will now include a roundtrip travel from the first aperture 311 in the first array to the first aperture 321 in the second array and back to the first aperture 311 in the first array. In yet other alternative embodiments, the entire processes may be conducted in reverse order from this point by sending the electromagnetic wave signal 301 from the last aperture in the last array (e.g., aperture 334 in the third array) to the second to last aperture in the first array (e.g., aperture 312) and then ultimately back to the first aperture 311 in the first array, from which the entire processes may be repeated again in forward order, except that they will now include a roundtrip travel from the first aperture 311 in the first array to the first aperture 321 in the second array and back to the first aperture 311 in the first array. In yet another alternative embodiment, the electromagnetic wave signal 301 may be sent from the last aperture in the last array (e.g., aperture 334) to the first aperture 321 in the second array. Starting from the first aperture 321 in the second array, apertures in the second and third arrays may conduct processes that are analogous to the processes initially conducted by the apertures in the first and third arrays.
In embodiments, the electromagnetic wave signal may traverse all or some of the paths between different apertures and different arrays in any pre-determined, re-arranged, tunable, and/or reconfigurable manner that is different from the exemplary processes described above with regard to
In embodiments, angle multiplexing may be used alone or may be used in combination with other types of multiplexing methods, such as wavelength division multiplexing, spatial mode multiplexing, to name a few, to expand the data storage capacity for a recirculating loop. For example, angle multiplexing may be used in combination with multiple channels for different wavelengths and multiple channels for different spatial modes (e.g., orbital angular modes (OAM)) at each wavelength.
Apertures that may be used to implement angle multiplexing include, but are not limited to, mirrors, gratings, such as diffraction gratings or volume holographic gratings, corner cube retroreflectors, photonic crystal structure, optical devices comprising gradient index materials, partial regenerators, full regenerators and any appropriate combinations thereof, to name a few.
In embodiments, angle multiplexing may be implemented by using volume holographic gratings (“VHGs”), which comprise optical elements configured to perform more than one function. VHGs are diffractive optical elements consisting of a periodic phase, or absorption perturbation, throughout the entire volume of the elements. When an incident electromagnetic wave beam satisfies the Bragg phase matching condition, it is diffracted by the periodic perturbation. For volume phase holograms, it is possible to diffract approximately 100% of the incoming reference light into the signal wave, i.e., full diffraction of an electromagnetic wave beam can be achieved. This high deflection percentage makes VHGs particularly useful for angle multiplexing. For VHGs, the incident electromagnetic wave beam is diffracted only when the Bragg phase-matching condition is met. Hence, VHGs can be made transparent to light coming from certain angles. Due to the limited range of wavelengths and angles over which diffraction occurs, it is possible to have multiple VHGs inside the same volume that work independently and without interfering with each other. For example, if two VHGs are recorded in the same device for two different Bragg wavelengths at the same incidence angle, the device can diffract the two selected wavelengths into different output directions with limited crosstalk. In embodiments, such features and capabilities of VHGs may be used in implementation of angle multiplexing.
In embodiments, angle multiplexing may be implemented by using an electromagnetic wave signal having a single wavelength and using apertures comprising, for example, a combination of corner cube retroreflectors, reflecting surfaces and VHGs.
In embodiments, angle multiplexing may be implemented by an electromagnetic wave signal comprising a plurality of signals each having a different wavelength in a multi-wavelength system. In such embodiments, a dispersion compensation device or method may be used. The dispersion compensation device or method may be configured to direct substantially all of the plurality of signals from one aperture to another aperture such that the signals can all follow the same optical path between apertures simultaneously. According to the grating equation, gratings direct to an angle proportional to the wavelength for small angle directing. Hence, a longer wavelength signal steers to a larger angle, while a shorter wavelength signal steers to a smaller angle. If angle multiplexing requires all the light to go from one specific aperture to another specific aperture, the spread of light from the gratings based on the size of wavelength needs to be eliminated (e.g., dispersive effects need to be compensated). For example, dispersion compensation can be achieved by a multi-wavelength beam directing device using one or more achromatic Fourier transform lenses. Even though those lenses have variable focal length so that their focal length may change, they have a constant back focal distance so that they may focus in the same spot.
In embodiments, angle multiplexing may be implemented by using electromagnetic wave signals having different wavelengths and allowing them to be emitted from an aperture (e.g., dispersive elements) at different angles and to take different optical paths in a recirculating loop, as shown in
In embodiments, one or more amplifiers and/or regenerators may be used to restore some or all aspects of the electromagnetic wave signal to their original or previous conditions. In embodiments, additional devices configured to clean up the electromagnetic wave signal may also be used. An electromagnetic wave signal traveling in a system of multiple apertures may experience loss in intensity and amplitude, spreading of the signal and/or addition of noise and errors due to, for example, multiple reflections at apertures, various dispersive and nonlinear effects, various scattering events and/or spontaneous emission of light. Accordingly, the electromagnetic wave signal may need to be amplified and/or regenerated at various points in time or space while traveling between multiple apertures.
In embodiments, amplifiers and/or regenerators may be placed within some or all of apertures. In embodiments, amplifiers and/or regenerators may be placed outside the apertures and along the electromagnetic wave beam path between the apertures. The amplifiers and/or regenerators are configured to restore the passing electromagnetic wave signal to its original or previous state and/or compensate for any degradation. An amplifier may be any device configured to amplify an electromagnetic wave signal. In embodiments, an amplifier may comprise crystals or optical fibers. In embodiments, the crystals and optical fibers may be doped by fluorescent elements. In embodiments, the optical fiber used in the amplifier may include additional devices at the input to inject the electromagnetic wave signal into the optical fiber, and other devices at the output to restore the electromagnetic wave beam to its original shape and size.
Full signal regeneration is typically called a “3R” process that includes signal retiming, reshaping, and reamplification (or amplification) of the signal. A regenerator may be configured to conduct full electromagnetic wave signal regeneration. Alternatively, the regenerator may be configured to restore only some aspects of the electromagnetic wave signal by re-timing and/or re-shaping and/or re-amplification of the electromagnetic wave signal in part. In embodiments, the regenerator may also be configured to implement error correction to restore lost information or correct errors introduced into the data in motion. The number of regenerators may depend on the number and design of apertures, transmission medium through which the electromagnetic wave signal travels, and/or performance of angle multiplexing, and may span from none to a very large number.
Any apparatus configured to re-amplify, re-shape, and/or re-time the electromagnetic wave signal in full or in part may be used to build regenerators. Regenerators can be implemented in a number of ways. In embodiments, the regenerator may be all-optical or optoelectronic regenerator, wherein the all-optical regenerator is configured to regenerate the electromagnetic wave signal all optically in the optical domain, while the optoelectronic regenerator is configured to convert some, or all, of the electromagnetic wave signal to a corresponding electrical signal in the electrical domain, regenerate the converted electrical signal electrically and convert the regenerated electrical signal to a corresponding electromagnetic wave signal in the optical domain. In embodiments, the regenerator may comprise at least one amplifier and at least one absorber. In embodiments, the regenerator may comprise at least one amplifier configured to operate in a saturation regime. In embodiments, the regenerator may comprise a nonlinear filter configured to provide gain stabilization and reduce noise in the electromagnetic wave signal. In embodiments, the regenerator may comprise crystals or optical fibers. In embodiments, the regenerator may comprise crystals or optical fibers doped by fluorescent elements. In embodiments, the optical fiber used in the regenerator may comprise additional devices at the input to inject the electromagnetic wave signal into the optical fiber, and other devices at the output to restore the electromagnetic wave beam to its original shape and size.
While this invention has been described in conjunction with exemplary embodiments outlined above and illustrated in the drawings, it is evident that the principles of the present invention may be implemented using any number of techniques, whether currently known or not, and many alternatives, modifications and variations in form and detail will be apparent to those skilled in the art. Modifications, additions, or omissions may be made to the systems, apparatuses, and methods described herein without departing from the scope of the present invention. For example, the components of the systems and apparatuses may be integrated or separated. Furthermore, the operations of the systems and apparatuses disclosed herein may be performed by more, fewer, or other components and the methods described may include more, fewer, or other steps. Additionally, steps may be performed in any suitable order.
As defined herein, electromagnetic waves include acoustic waves. Accordingly, storage in motion of information or any kind of data can also be implemented using acoustic (i.e., sound) waves. Representative values for the speed of sound include about 1,500 m/sec in water, about 330 m/sec in air, and about 6,000 m/sec in steel. (There are a range of velocities for each case.) In terms of frequency, sound waves can be in the region of tens of MHz. For example, some medical ultrasound devices operate in the regions of tens of MHz. Usually, lower frequency sound also has less attenuation over distance.
In this regard, if the wave signal carrying information or any kind of data in motion is an acoustic wave, the much lower speed of sound (as compared to the speed of light) enables one to store a greater amount of data in motion without requiring a higher data rate at which the data is introduced.
Information or any kind of data can be transmitted and/or reflected between structures or within structures using acoustic waves in various transmission media (e.g., air and steel, to name a few). Embodiments of storage in motion using acoustic waves could be constructed using such media. For steel, railroad tracks could be a long-distance medium. Acoustic waves can be generated using various sources of vibration, including crystal transducers and speakers, to name a few. Microphones detect acoustic waves. There is a significant base of acoustic technology in sound systems, in systems to eliminate vibration, and in systems to measure vibration. This device technology can be utilized in developing storage in motion systems using acoustic waves in accordance with the principles employed in the embodiments disclosed in the present application.
Accordingly, the exemplary embodiments of the invention, as set forth above, are intended to be illustrative, not limiting, and the spirit and scope of the present invention is to be construed broadly and limited only by the appended claims, and not by the foregoing specification.
In addition, unless otherwise specifically noted, articles depicted in the drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale.
The present application is a continuation of U.S. application Ser. No. 16/536,358, filed Aug. 9, 2019 entitled SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR EXTENDING PATHLENGTH OF A WAVE SIGNAL USING ANGLE MULTIPLEXING which claims the benefit of and priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62/717,107, filed Aug. 10, 2018, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.
| Number | Name | Date | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3141153 | Klein | Jul 1964 | A |
| 3164809 | Pearce et al. | Jan 1965 | A |
| 3229258 | Heibeck et al. | Jan 1966 | A |
| 3277450 | Edson | Oct 1966 | A |
| 3350697 | Hirvela | Oct 1967 | A |
| 3411142 | Lee et al. | Nov 1968 | A |
| 4014166 | Cateora et al. | Mar 1977 | A |
| 4136929 | Suzaki | Jan 1979 | A |
| 4166212 | Judeinstein | Aug 1979 | A |
| 4180814 | Barton | Dec 1979 | A |
| 4359733 | O'Neill | Nov 1982 | A |
| 4455651 | Baran | Jun 1984 | A |
| 4469397 | Shaw et al. | Sep 1984 | A |
| 4473270 | Shaw | Sep 1984 | A |
| 4479701 | Newton et al. | Oct 1984 | A |
| 4586779 | Huignard et al. | May 1986 | A |
| 4588255 | Tur et al. | May 1986 | A |
| 4652079 | Shaw et al. | Mar 1987 | A |
| 4653042 | d'Auria et al. | Mar 1987 | A |
| 4656666 | Piekenbrock | Apr 1987 | A |
| 4708421 | Desurvire et al. | Nov 1987 | A |
| 4738503 | Desurvire et al. | Apr 1988 | A |
| 4744083 | O'Neill et al. | May 1988 | A |
| 4815804 | Desurvire et al. | Mar 1989 | A |
| 4856862 | Passmore et al. | Aug 1989 | A |
| 4877952 | Halemane et al. | Oct 1989 | A |
| 4896948 | Dono et al. | Jan 1990 | A |
| 4923267 | Su | May 1990 | A |
| 4974931 | Poole | Dec 1990 | A |
| 5058060 | Su | Oct 1991 | A |
| 5144322 | Gabriel | Sep 1992 | A |
| 5319482 | Tsuchiya et al. | Jun 1994 | A |
| 5335098 | Leyva et al. | Aug 1994 | A |
| 5339284 | Kaiser | Aug 1994 | A |
| 5392154 | Chang et al. | Feb 1995 | A |
| 5438337 | Aguado | Aug 1995 | A |
| 5440669 | Rakuljic et al. | Aug 1995 | A |
| 5533154 | Smith | Jul 1996 | A |
| 5555127 | Abdelkader et al. | Sep 1996 | A |
| 5566261 | Hall et al. | Oct 1996 | A |
| 5602838 | Kartalopoulos | Feb 1997 | A |
| 5740117 | Bona et al. | Apr 1998 | A |
| 5844700 | Jeganathan et al. | Dec 1998 | A |
| 5862286 | Imanishi et al. | Jan 1999 | A |
| 5896213 | Nagahori | Apr 1999 | A |
| 5978130 | Fee et al. | Nov 1999 | A |
| 5991069 | Jander | Nov 1999 | A |
| 6002916 | Lynch | Dec 1999 | A |
| 6035081 | Poustie et al. | Mar 2000 | A |
| 6043918 | Bozzay et al. | Mar 2000 | A |
| 6144486 | Bennett et al. | Nov 2000 | A |
| 6172926 | Drayer | Jan 2001 | B1 |
| 6275479 | Snell et al. | Aug 2001 | B1 |
| 6301037 | Fischer et al. | Oct 2001 | B1 |
| 6304354 | Carlson | Oct 2001 | B2 |
| 6317095 | Teshirogi et al. | Nov 2001 | B1 |
| 6317232 | Fee et al. | Nov 2001 | B1 |
| 6347099 | da Silva et al. | Feb 2002 | B1 |
| 6366356 | Brosnan et al. | Apr 2002 | B1 |
| 6437890 | Scheps | Aug 2002 | B1 |
| 6452719 | Kinoshita | Sep 2002 | B2 |
| 6535314 | Mendenhall et al. | Mar 2003 | B1 |
| 6580552 | Welch | Jun 2003 | B2 |
| 6609840 | Chow et al. | Aug 2003 | B2 |
| 6647163 | Song | Nov 2003 | B2 |
| 6674754 | Ofek | Jan 2004 | B1 |
| 6819817 | Kaneko | Nov 2004 | B2 |
| 6826335 | Grudinin et al. | Nov 2004 | B1 |
| 6829439 | Sidorovich et al. | Dec 2004 | B1 |
| 6839520 | Dreischer et al. | Jan 2005 | B1 |
| 6850364 | Xie et al. | Feb 2005 | B2 |
| 6912075 | Ionov et al. | Jun 2005 | B1 |
| 6917739 | Chen | Jul 2005 | B2 |
| 6930825 | Nagel et al. | Aug 2005 | B2 |
| 6973271 | Farmer et al. | Dec 2005 | B2 |
| 7103239 | Kish, Jr. et al. | Sep 2006 | B2 |
| 7103280 | Ionov et al. | Sep 2006 | B1 |
| 7110651 | Golowich et al. | Sep 2006 | B2 |
| 7149431 | Jung et al. | Dec 2006 | B2 |
| 7167286 | Anderson et al. | Jan 2007 | B2 |
| 7174067 | Murshid et al. | Feb 2007 | B2 |
| 7177510 | Ramachandran | Feb 2007 | B2 |
| 7180447 | Jacomb-Hood | Feb 2007 | B1 |
| 7199343 | Mosley | Apr 2007 | B2 |
| 7235150 | Bischel et al. | Jun 2007 | B2 |
| 7369085 | Jacomb-Hood | May 2008 | B1 |
| 7450618 | Dantus et al. | Nov 2008 | B2 |
| 7542679 | Price | Jun 2009 | B2 |
| 7557365 | Gorrell | Jul 2009 | B2 |
| 7729398 | Livingston | Jun 2010 | B2 |
| 7733930 | Livingston | Jun 2010 | B2 |
| 7742209 | Curtis | Jun 2010 | B2 |
| 7742210 | Raguin et al. | Jun 2010 | B2 |
| 7756169 | Livingston et al. | Jul 2010 | B2 |
| 7796487 | Chu et al. | Sep 2010 | B2 |
| 7843791 | Kwon et al. | Nov 2010 | B2 |
| 7950812 | Roes et al. | May 2011 | B2 |
| 8036537 | Cai | Oct 2011 | B2 |
| 8232028 | Askham | Jul 2012 | B2 |
| 8253625 | Kim | Aug 2012 | B2 |
| 8305863 | Tatsuta et al. | Nov 2012 | B2 |
| 8417125 | Chand et al. | Apr 2013 | B2 |
| 8532486 | Stead et al. | Sep 2013 | B2 |
| 8582972 | Small et al. | Nov 2013 | B2 |
| 8699888 | Scaffardi et al. | Apr 2014 | B2 |
| 8913894 | Coleman et al. | Dec 2014 | B2 |
| 9077577 | Ashrafi et al. | Jul 2015 | B1 |
| 9176280 | Li et al. | Nov 2015 | B2 |
| 9188798 | Taylor | Nov 2015 | B2 |
| 9213095 | Huizing | Dec 2015 | B2 |
| 9503186 | Kawanishi et al. | Nov 2016 | B2 |
| 9570811 | Ohshima et al. | Feb 2017 | B2 |
| 9609402 | Long et al. | Mar 2017 | B2 |
| 9625878 | Fontecchio et al. | Apr 2017 | B2 |
| 9712239 | Murshid et al. | Jul 2017 | B2 |
| 9749080 | Lam et al. | Aug 2017 | B2 |
| 9760061 | Ayres et al. | Sep 2017 | B2 |
| 9812845 | Lee et al. | Nov 2017 | B1 |
| 9843388 | Astakhov et al. | Dec 2017 | B1 |
| 9912409 | Jia et al. | Mar 2018 | B2 |
| 9917646 | Turgeon et al. | Mar 2018 | B2 |
| 10001603 | Martinelli | Jun 2018 | B2 |
| 10073417 | Ashrafi et al. | Sep 2018 | B2 |
| 10084532 | Buer et al. | Sep 2018 | B2 |
| 10103799 | Luddy et al. | Oct 2018 | B2 |
| 10122456 | Hreha | Nov 2018 | B2 |
| 10142012 | Welle | Nov 2018 | B2 |
| 10305560 | Adachi et al. | May 2019 | B2 |
| 10312999 | Neuman | Jun 2019 | B2 |
| 10326526 | Ashrafi | Jun 2019 | B2 |
| 10411811 | Willner et al. | Sep 2019 | B2 |
| 10606146 | Heine | Mar 2020 | B2 |
| 10827911 | Ramachandran et al. | Nov 2020 | B2 |
| 20010012142 | Carlson | Aug 2001 | A1 |
| 20020075536 | Cao | Jun 2002 | A1 |
| 20020093450 | Martin-Neira | Jul 2002 | A1 |
| 20020196488 | Myers | Dec 2002 | A1 |
| 20030007230 | Kaneko et al. | Jan 2003 | A1 |
| 20030128365 | Strandjord et al. | Jul 2003 | A1 |
| 20030219258 | Ellis et al. | Nov 2003 | A1 |
| 20040151428 | Nikonov | Aug 2004 | A1 |
| 20040190845 | Chen | Sep 2004 | A1 |
| 20040246583 | Mueller et al. | Dec 2004 | A1 |
| 20050025486 | Zhong | Feb 2005 | A1 |
| 20050084801 | El-Hafidi et al. | Apr 2005 | A1 |
| 20050232182 | Shattil | Oct 2005 | A1 |
| 20060173983 | Naito | Aug 2006 | A1 |
| 20070072546 | Jenkin et al. | Mar 2007 | A1 |
| 20070081785 | Hays | Apr 2007 | A1 |
| 20070098052 | Budic | May 2007 | A1 |
| 20080002981 | Valley | Jan 2008 | A1 |
| 20080008076 | Raguin et al. | Jun 2008 | A1 |
| 20080144164 | Metivier | Jun 2008 | A1 |
| 20080239428 | Bell | Oct 2008 | A1 |
| 20090202191 | Ramachandran | Aug 2009 | A1 |
| 20090219959 | Murison et al. | Sep 2009 | A1 |
| 20100269143 | Rabowsky | Oct 2010 | A1 |
| 20100279604 | Wood | Nov 2010 | A1 |
| 20100322058 | Hutt et al. | Dec 2010 | A1 |
| 20120063752 | Cochran | Mar 2012 | A1 |
| 20120188865 | Michaelis et al. | Jul 2012 | A1 |
| 20130120831 | McClean et al. | May 2013 | A1 |
| 20130175450 | Scherer et al. | Jul 2013 | A1 |
| 20130216180 | Tan et al. | Aug 2013 | A1 |
| 20130315590 | Thou | Nov 2013 | A1 |
| 20140334284 | Byun | Nov 2014 | A1 |
| 20150104141 | Logunov et al. | Apr 2015 | A1 |
| 20150244458 | Erkmen et al. | Aug 2015 | A1 |
| 20150288542 | Ashrafi et al. | Oct 2015 | A1 |
| 20160043794 | Ashrafi | Feb 2016 | A1 |
| 20160204866 | Boronson et al. | Jul 2016 | A1 |
| 20160204896 | Yu et al. | Jul 2016 | A1 |
| 20170034250 | Sobhani et al. | Feb 2017 | A1 |
| 20170139079 | Alfano et al. | May 2017 | A1 |
| 20170280211 | Damaghi | Sep 2017 | A1 |
| 20170302048 | Li et al. | Oct 2017 | A1 |
| 20180131447 | Soares et al. | May 2018 | A1 |
| 20190074893 | Kaen | Mar 2019 | A1 |
| 20190334609 | Alavi et al. | Oct 2019 | A1 |
| 20200050959 | Ashrafi | Feb 2020 | A1 |
| 20200277087 | Kaen | Sep 2020 | A1 |
| Number | Date | Country |
|---|---|---|
| 2266132 | Sep 2000 | CA |
| 0080841 | Nov 1982 | EP |
| 174540 | Mar 1986 | EP |
| 883322 | Jul 2000 | EP |
| 1462883 | Sep 2004 | EP |
| 1742408 | Jan 2007 | EP |
| H5-72591 | Mar 1993 | JP |
| 2759346 | May 1998 | JP |
| 2014529758 | Nov 2014 | JP |
| 10-2011-0131300 | Dec 2011 | KR |
| 10-2012-0130011 | Nov 2012 | KR |
| 101494821 | Mar 2015 | KR |
| 10-1524793 | Jun 2015 | KR |
| 2155447 | Aug 2000 | RU |
| 2579610 | Apr 2016 | RU |
| 9508778 | Mar 1995 | WO |
| 9844512 | Oct 1998 | WO |
| 2000019559 | Apr 2000 | WO |
| 2002097467 | Dec 2002 | WO |
| 2004023192 | Mar 2004 | WO |
| 2011142849 | Nov 2011 | WO |
| 2016022309 | Feb 2016 | WO |
| 2016164038 | Oct 2016 | WO |
| 2017165429 | Sep 2017 | WO |
| 2020144319 | Jul 2020 | WO |
| Entry |
|---|
| A. E. Willner, et al., Star Couplers With Gain Using Multiple Erbium-Doped Fibers Pumped With a Single Layer, IEEE Photonics Technology Letters, Mar. 1991, pp. 250-252, vol. 3, No, 3. IEEE Xplore Digital Library, United States. |
| A. Hasegawa, H. Toda, M. Shikata, Y. Ozeki, T, Suzaki, Y. Ueno, K. Tajima, Experimental demonstration of the compressed optical packet multiplexing scheme, Journal of Optical Networking, vol. 1, No. 7 (Jul. 2002), pp. 221-236, 42304250. |
| Anjali Agarwal, et al., All-Optical Loadable and Erasable Storage Buffer Based on Parametric Nonlinearity in Fiber, Journal of Lightwave Technology, Jul. 2005, pp. 2229-2238, vol. 23, Issue No. 7, United States. |
| Bernd Friedrichs et al., Error-Control Coding and Packet Processing for Broadband Relay Satellite Networks with Optical and Microwave Links, 2012 6th Advanced Satellite Multimedia Systems Conference (ASMS) and 12th Signal Processing for Space Communications Workshop (SPSC) (2012), pp. 101-110. |
| Bo E. Miller and Yuzuru Takashima, Cavity Techniques for Holographic Data Storage Recording, Optics Express, Mar. 14, 2016, vol. 24, Issue 6, pp. 6300-6317, Optical Society of America, United States. |
| E. V. Carrera, R. Bianchini, Disk caching with an optical ring, Appl. Opt. Dec. 10, 2000:39 (35):666380 (Camrera 2000). |
| European Search Report and Written Opinion, dated Nov. 5, 2019 issued in corresponding European Application 17 770 999.5 (Search Report 4 pgs.; Opinion 3 pgs.; totaling 7 pgs.). |
| F. Della Valle, et al., Extremely Long Decay Time Optical Cavity, Optics Express, May 6, 2014, pp. 11570-11577, vol. 22, Issue 10, Optical Society of America, United States. |
| Federal Institute of Industrial Property, Search Report dated Apr. 1, 2019. |
| Federal Institute of Industrial Property, Search Report dated Jun. 4, 2019 (issued Jul. 29, 2019). |
| Francois Leo et al., Temporal cavity solitons in one-dimensional Kerr media as bits in all-optical buffer, Nature Photonics, 4:471-476, May 23, 2010. |
| G. S. Mcdonald et al., Spatial solitary-wave optical memory. Journal of the Optical Society of America B (Opted Physics) (J. Opt. Soc. Am.), 7(7):1328-1335, Jul. 1990. |
| G.D. Bartolini, D.K. Serkland, P. Kumar, W.L. Kath. (1997), All-optical storage of a picosecondpulse packet using parametric ampfification. IEEE Photomcs Technology Letters, 9(7), 1020-1022 [Bartolini 1997]. |
| Geoffrey W. Burr et al., Angle and Space Multiplexed Holographic Storage Using the 90° Geometry, Optics Communications, May 15, 1995, pp. 49-55, vol. 117, Issues 1-2, United States. |
| Geoffrey W. Burr et al., Volume Holographic Data Storage At an Areal Density of 250 Gigapixels/In.^2, Optics Letters, vol. 26, No. 7, Apr. 1, 2001, pp. 444-446, United States. |
| J .H. Reif, A. Tyagi. An Optical Delay Line Memory Model with Efficient Algorithms, Optical Engineering, 36(9), (1997). |
| J. Ashley et al., Holographic Data Storage, IBM Journal of Research and DeveIopment, vol. 44, Issue May 2000, pp. 341-368, United States. |
| Keiji Kuroda and Yuzo Yoshikuni, Two-Wavelength Pump-Probe Technique Using Single Distributed Feedback Laser Array to Probe Gain Recovery of an Erbium-Doped Fiber Amplifier, Optical Fiber Technology, Mar. 2017, pp. 20-22, vol. 34, Elsevier, Inc. |
| Mansour I. Irshid and Moshen Kavehrad, Star Couplers With Gain Using Fiber Amplifiers, IEEE Photonics Technology Letters, Jan. 1992, pp. 58-60, vol. 4, No. 1, IEEE Xplore Digital Library, United States. |
| Obulapathi N. Challa et al., Distributed Data Storage on CubeSat Clusters, Advances in Computing, 3(3):36-49 (2013). |
| Paul F. Mcmanamon et al., Laser Radar, Progress and Opportunities in Active Electra-Optical Sensing, National Research Council of the National Academies, 2014. |
| PCT International Search Report, dated Aug. 22, 2017 in International Application No. PCT/US2017/023431 (4 pages). |
| Robert W. Boyd et al., Applications of Slow Light in Telecommunications, Optics & Photonics News, 17(4):18-23, Apr. 2006. |
| S.L. Tsao, T.Y. Chen, Comparison of Two 1550 rim Ultra Narrow-Band Optical infinite Impulse Response Filters for High-Speed Optical Signal Processing, Optical Storage and Optical Information Processing, Proceedings of SPIE, vol. 4081, 2000. |
| Shankar Pidishety et al., Investigation of scalability of all-fiber fused mode selective coupler for generating multiple OAM states, Proceedings of International Conference on Fiber Optics and Photonics, Jan. 2016. |
| Singapore Search Report and Written Opinion, dated Aug. 20, 2019 issued in Singapore Application No. 10201901665X. |
| Stephane Gagnon et al., Recent developments in satellite laser communications: Canadian context. Proc. International Conference on Space Optical Systems and Applications (ICSOS) (2012). |
| The International Bureau of WIPO, International Preliminary Report on Patentability for Intl. Appl. No. PCT/US2017/023431, dated Sep. 25, 2018, 7 pages, Geneva, Switzerland. |
| V.W.S. Chan, K. L. Hall, E. Modiano, K. A. Rauschenback. Architectures and Technologies for High-Speed Optical Data Networks, Journal of Lightwave Technology, vol. 16, Issue: 12, Dec. 1998. |
| Paul Marks, It's a Cloud, but Not as We Know It, ACM News, Communications of the ACM, Jul. 8, 2019, United States. |
| KIPO Notice of Prelimary Rejection (English Translation), dated Nov. 25, 2019, in S. Korean Patent Application No. 10-2018-7030269 (3 pages). |
| PCT International Search Report and Written Opinion in International Application No. PCT/US2019/044744 dated Oct. 29, 2019 (11 pages). |
| PCT International Search Report and Written Opinion in International Application No. PCT/US2019/045825 dated Nov. 1, 2019 (7 pages). |
| PCT International Search Report and Written Opinion in International Application No. PCT/US2019/059523 dated Jan. 22, 2020 (12 pages). |
| JPO Notice of Preliminary Rejection (English Translation), dated Jan. 14, 2020, in Japanese Patent Application No. 2018-550424 (4 pages). |
| JPO Notice of Preliminary Rejection (English Translation), dated Jan. 14, 2020, in Japanese Patent Application No. 2019-056078 (4 pages). |
| KIPO Notice of Preliminary Rejection (With English Translation), dated Jul. 21, 2020, in S. Korean Patent Application No. 10-2019-7005794 (10 pages). |
| U.S. Appl. No. 16/262,225, Office Action dated Jul. 21, 2020. |
| U.S. Appl. No. 16/672,221, Office Action dated Jun. 25, 2020. |
| U.S. Appl. No. 16/262,225, Office Action dated Oct. 15, 2020, 12 pp. |
| U.S. Appl. No. 16/529,479, Office Action dated Dec. 18, 2020, 10 pp. |
| U.S. Appl. No. 16/672,221, Office Action dated Dec. 16, 2020, 34 pp. |
| Israel Patent Office, Israeli Patent Application No. 27826, Office Action, dated Oct. 29, 2020, 10 pp., Israel. |
| Japanese Patent Office, Japanese Patent Application No. 2019-056078, Decision of Refusal, dated Nov. 25, 2020, 6 pp., Japan. |
| Japanese Patent Office, Japanese Patent Application No. 2018-550424, Notice of Reasons for Refusal, dated Nov. 25, 2020, 5 pp., Japan. |
| Extended European Search Report and Search Opinion for EP Application No. 20 184 820.7, dated Oct. 29, 2020, (Search Report 4 pgs.; Opinion 1 pg.; totaling 5 pgs.). |
| Extended European Search Report and Search Opinion for EP Application No. 20 184 821.5, dated Nov. 4, 2020 (Search Report 5 pgs.; Opinion 6 pgs.; totaling 11 pgs.). |
| Russian Federal Institute of Industrial Property, Office Action and Search Report in Russian Patent Application No. 2020141783, dated Feb. 19, 2021. (Office Action and translation 8 pgs; Search Report and translation 4 pgs.; totaling 12 pgs.). |
| Japanese Patent Office, Preliminary Notice of Reasons for Rejection in Japanese Patent Application No. 2020-553470, dated Feb. 24, 2021. (Preliminary Notice and translation 7 pgs.). |
| Korean Intellectual Property Office, Notice of Preliminary Rejection in Korean Patent Application No. 10-2021-7000241, dated Apr. 7, 2021. (Notice and translation 4 pgs.). |
| European Patent Office, Extended European Search Report in EPO Application No. 19848330.7, dated Aug. 3, 2021, 10 pp., Munich, Germany. |
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20200393988 A1 | Dec 2020 | US |
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 62717107 | Aug 2018 | US |
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Parent | 16536358 | Aug 2019 | US |
| Child | 17002174 | US |
