IP Library Granted Patent US 12,463,730
Granted Patent B1
US 12,463,730 · App. 17/939,857 · Granted Nov 4, 2025

Wavelength locking

Inventors: Graeme Pendock (Carlisle, MA); Hongbin Zhang (Holmdel, NJ); Christopher Doerr (Middletown, NJ); Tom Williams (Sudbury, MA)
H04B10/58H04B10/07H04B10/40H04B10/505H04B10/572
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,463,730
App. No.
17/939,857
Granted
Nov 4, 2025
Kind
B1
Abstract

A system, method, an apparatus to change a frequency of a laser of a first transceiver based on a difference of a frequency of a laser of a second transceiver.

Claims (40)

1 . A method comprising:

digitally determining, at a first transceiver, a first frequency difference between a first laser of the first transceiver and a second laser of a second transceiver, wherein the first and second transceivers are optically connected; and

based on the first frequency difference being greater than an offset, changing the frequency of the first laser of the first transceiver and the second laser of the second transceiver using bidirectional tuning between the first transceiver and the second transceiver, to shift the frequency of the first laser toward the frequency of the second laser or to shift the frequency of the second laser toward the frequency of the first laser, wherein the bidirectional tuning comprises:

transmitting, by the first transceiver, the first frequency difference to the second transceiver;

receiving, by the second transceiver, the first frequency difference; and

changing, by the second transceiver, the frequency of the second laser based on the first frequency difference determined at the first transceiver.

2 . The method of claim 1 wherein a set of digital filters determines the first frequency difference between the first laser and the second laser.

3 . The method of claim 2 , further comprising receiving, at the first transceiver, a second frequency difference determined by the second transceiver.

4 . The method of claim 3 wherein the second frequency difference is determined at the second transceiver by comparing a received frequency from an optical communication received from the first transceiver to a second frequency of the second laser; wherein the optical communication is driven by the first laser at the first transceiver.

5 . The method of claim 4 further comprising:

determining a third frequency difference between the first laser of the first transceiver and the second laser of the second transceiver at the first transceiver based on the second frequency difference; and

based on the third frequency difference being not zero, changing the frequency of the first laser on the first transceiver.

6 . The method of claim 1 , wherein changing the frequency of the second laser shifts the frequency of the second laser toward the center of a tuning range of the second laser of the second transceiver.

7 . The method of claim 1 , comprising:

measuring, by the second transceiver, a wavelength of a signal from the first transceiver; and sending, by the second transceiver, the wavelength of the signal to the first transceiver;

receiving, by the first transceiver, the wavelength of the signal; and

changing, by the first transceiver, the wavelength of the first laser based on the wavelength of the signal.

8 . An apparatus, the apparatus comprising logic stored on a computer readable medium to enable:

digitally determining, at a first transceiver, a first frequency difference between a first laser of the first transceiver and a second laser of a second transceiver; wherein the first and second transceivers are optically connected; and

based on the first frequency difference being greater than an offset, changing the frequency of the second laser of the second transceiver using bidirectional tuning between the first transceiver and the second transceiver to shift the frequency of the second laser toward the frequency of the first laser, wherein the bidirectional tuning comprises:

transmitting, by the first transceiver, the first frequency difference to the second transceiver;

receiving, by the second transceiver, the first frequency difference; and

changing, by the second transceiver, the frequency of the second laser based on the first frequency difference determined at the first transceiver.

9 . The apparatus of claim 8 wherein a set of digital filters determines the first frequency difference between the first laser and the second laser.

10 . The apparatus of claim 9 , further comprising receiving, at the first transceiver, a second frequency difference determined by the second transceiver.

11 . The apparatus of claim 10 wherein the second frequency difference is determined at the second transceiver by comparing a received frequency from an optical communication received from the first transceiver to a second frequency of the second laser; wherein the optical communication is driven by the first laser at the first transceiver.

12 . The apparatus of claim 11 further comprising: determining a third frequency difference between the first laser of the first transceiver and the second laser of the second transceiver at the first transceiver based on the second frequency difference; and

based on the third frequency difference being not zero, changing the frequency of the first laser on the first transceiver.

13 . The apparatus of claim 8 , wherein changing the frequency of the second laser shifts the frequency of the second laser toward the center of a tuning range of the second laser of the second transceiver.

14 . A system, the system comprising circuitry configured to:

digitally determine, at a first transceiver, a first frequency difference between a first laser of the first transceiver and a second laser of a second transceiver; wherein the first and second transceivers are optically connected; and

based on the first frequency difference being greater than an offset, changing the frequency of the second laser of the second transceiver using bidirectional tuning between the first transceiver and the second transceiver, to shift the frequency of the second laser toward the frequency of the first laser, wherein the bidirectional tuning comprises:

transmitting, by the first transceiver, the first frequency difference to the second transceiver;

receiving, by the second transceiver, the first frequency difference; and

changing, by the second transceiver, the frequency of the second laser based on the first frequency difference determined at the first transceiver.

15 . The system of claim 14 wherein a set of digital filters determines the first frequency difference between the first laser and the second laser.

16 . The system of claim 15 , further comprising receiving, at the first transceiver, a second frequency difference determined by the second transceiver.

17 . The system of claim 16 wherein the second frequency difference is determined at the second transceiver by comparing a received frequency from an optical communication received from the first transceiver to a second frequency of the second laser; wherein the optical communication is driven by the first laser at the first transceiver.

18 . The system of claim 14 further comprising: determining a third frequency difference between the first laser of the first transceiver and the second laser of the second transceiver at the first transceiver based on the second frequency difference; and

based on the third frequency difference being not zero, changing the frequency of the first laser on the first transceiver.

Assignments (2)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Mar 19, 2024
From: ACACIA COMMUNICATIONS, INC.
To: ACACIA TECHNOLOGY, INC.
Reel/Frame 066832/0659 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Sep 7, 2022
From: PENDOCK, GRAEME; ZHANG, HONGBIN; DOERR, CHRISTOPHER; WILLIAMS, TOM
To: ACACIA COMMUNICATIONS, INC.
Reel/Frame 061019/0339 →
Continuity (4)
Continuation 16456582 · Jun 28, 2019
Provisional Application 62825953 · Mar 29, 2019
Provisional Application 62788389 · Jan 4, 2019
Provisional Application 62783702 · Dec 21, 2018
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