Optical cables for consumer electronics
View Patent ↗Digital optical cables for communication between digital consumer electronic devices. The digital optical cable can include an optical fiber, a first interface configured to couple a digital source device to a first end of the optical fiber, the first interface can comprise an optical transmitter for receiving an electronic video signal from the digital source device, converting the electronic video signal to an optical signal, and for transmitting the optical signal onto the first end of the optical fiber. A second interface can be configured to couple a digital sink device to a second end of the optical fiber, the second interface comprising an optical receiver for receiving the optical signal transmitted by the optical transmitter from the second end of the optical fiber, converting the optical signal to an electronic video signal, and transmitting the electronic signal to the digital sink device.
1. A digital optical cable for coupling a digital source device with a digital sink device, the digital optical cable comprising:
a single optical fiber having a first end and a second end;
a first interface integrated with a first end of the digital optical cable and configured to connect to and disconnect from a receptacle of the digital source device, the first interface comprising:
circuitry contained within the first interface and configured to serialize at least three TMDS electrical signals including R, G, and B electrical signals received from the digital source device into a single electrical serialized signal; and
an optical transmitter contained within the first interface and configured to receive the electrical serialized signal, convert the electrical serialized signal to an optical signal, and transmit the optical signal onto the first end of the optical fiber; and
a second interface integrated with a second end of the digital optical cable and configured to connect to and disconnect from a receptacle of the digital sink device, the second interface comprising:
an optical receiver contained within the second interface and configured to receive the optical signal transmitted by the optical transmitter from the second end of the optical fiber and convert the optical signal back to the electrical serialized signal; and
circuitry contained within the second interface and configured to receive the electrical serialized signal and deserialize the electrical serialized signal back into the at least three TMDS signals including R, G, and B electrical signals received from the digital source device and transmit the electrical signals to the digital sink device.
2. A digital optical cable according to claim 1 , wherein the first interface is configured to connect to and disconnect from a digital video interface (DVI) receptacle of the digital source device.
3. A digital optical cable according to claim 1 , wherein the first interface is configured to connect to and disconnect from a high definition multimedia (HDMI) receptacle of the digital source device.
4. A digital optical cable according to claim 1 , wherein the second interface is configured to connect to and disconnect from a digital video interface (DVI) receptacle of the digital sink device.
5. A digital optical cable according to claim 1 , wherein the second interface is configured to connect to and disconnect from a high definition multimedia (HDMI) receptacle of the digital sink device.
6. A digital optical cable according to claim 1 , wherein the first interface comprises:
a VCSEL;
a monitor optical receiver for monitoring the output of the VCSEL;
a modulation laser driver configured to modulate a bias drive current supplied to the VCSEL; and
a TO-Can package encasing the VCSEL, the monitor optical receiver, and the modulation laser driver.
7. A digital optical cable according to claim 1 , further comprising:
an electrical cable having a first end and a second end;
the first interface coupled to the first end of the electrical cable, the first interface configured to couple the electrical cable for communication to the digital source device; and
the second interface coupled to the second end of the electrical cable, the second interface configured to couple the electrical cable for communication with the digital sink device.
8. A digital optical cable according to claim 7 , wherein the electrical cable electrically transmits a Display Data Channel signal from the first interface to the second interface.
9. A digital optical cable according to claim 7 , wherein the electrical cable electrically transmits a CEC TMDS signal from the first interface to the second interface.
10. A digital optical cable according to claim 1 , wherein the first interface includes an optoelectronic device comprising:
a transmitter diode comprising a first PN junction with a first p layer and a first n layer;
a first tunnel junction coupled monolithically to the transmitter diode, the tunnel junction comprising a heavily doped n+ layer and a heavily doped p+ layer; and
a first photodiode coupled monolithically to the first tunnel junction, the first tunnel junction comprising a second PN junction.
11. A digital optical cable according to claim 1 , wherein power for the optical transmitter is supplied by a 5VDC power source connection of the first interface.
12. A digital optical cable according to claim 1 , wherein power for the optical receiver is supplied by a 5VDC power source connection of the second interface.
13. A digital optical cable according to claim 1 , further comprising:
an electrical link having a first end connected to the first interface and a second end connected to the second interface, wherein:
the electrical link transmits an electrical HDMI DDC signal received from first interface to the second interface;
the first interface, optical fiber, electrical link, and the second interface are integrated in the digital optical cable which is not part of the digital source device or the digital sink device but is configured to detachably connect to the digital source device and detachably connect to the digital sink device; and
the optical fiber and the electrical link extend along the length of the digital optical cable from the first interface of the digital optical cable to the second interface of the digital optical cable.
14. A system comprising the digital source device, the digital sink device, and the digital optical cable according to claim 1 .