JPS6297438A - Optical transmission and reception equipment - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To facilitate the adjustment of the light direction of infrared rays by sending the beam of visual light together with the infrared rays in an optical transmission and reception equipment transmitting a signal through the space propagation of the infrared rays. CONSTITUTION:A lens L at the sending side converts generated light from infrared light emitting element D1 and a visual light emitting element D2 into collimated light and the result is sent to the reception side. Since the color of the visual light from the light emitting element D2 and the location of the optical transmitter 1 being the source of the light are known in advance, it is noticed, the location where the color light is strongest is decided as the visual light beam center from the optical transmitter 1, that is the beam center of the infrared rays sent from the optical transmitter 1.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Field of Industrial Application] The present invention relates to an optical transceiver that transmits signals by spatial propagation of infrared light.

[Conventional technology]

Communication by spatial propagation of light is mainly used for short distances of several hundred meters or less, and infrared wavelengths are mainly used as the optical wavelength region. In general, in the spatial propagation of light, the light beam propagating through the space is narrow, and even a slight angular deviation of the light beam can cause a reception point.In order to perform stable reception, the direction of the optical transceiver must be adjusted when the receiver is aligned. It is desirable to adjust the optical receiver so that it is placed in the center of the beam. However, with an optical transmitter 5 that uses infrared light, it is impossible for the human eye to directly see the received light and confirm the position of the light beam. For this reason, conventionally, the position of the light beam has been confirmed using a night vision mirror that converts infrared light into visible light.

[Means for solving problems]

However, since night vision mirrors can also see infrared light in addition to light beams, it is difficult to distinguish between them.There are disadvantages in that it takes time to adjust the light beam position and requires a special device called a night vision mirror. Ta.

The optical transmitter/receiver of the present invention is an optical transmitter/receiver that transmits visible light in addition to infrared light used for communication by transmitting visible light on the same optical axis or parallel optical axis as the infrared light. The purpose of this system is to make it possible to determine the direction of infrared light and easily adjust the direction of infrared light by directly checking visible light with the eyes of the person on the other end's optical transmitter/receiver side. shall be.

[Means for solving problems]

The optical transmitter/receiver of the present invention is an optical transmitter/receiver that performs signal transmission by spatial propagation of infrared light, and has a visible light beam aligned with or parallel to the optical axis of the infrared light used for signal transmission. It is configured to include visible light sending means for sending out visible light.

〔Example〕

Next, the present invention will be explained with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a first embodiment of the present invention, which is an embodiment in which the optical axes of infrared light and visible light are aligned.

1 is an optical transmitter (or optical receiver), S is a transmission signal power (or output), Dl is an infrared light emitting element such as a laser diode or light emitting diode that generates infrared light (or receives infrared light) (infrared receiving elements such as photo diodes), D
2 is a visible light emitting element such as a laser diode or light emitting diode that generates visible light, M is a mirror that passes infrared light and reflects visible light, and L is a lens, which is a red I-ray light emitting element 1) 1. Converts the light generated by the visible light emitting element n2 into parallel light and sends it to the receiving side (or focuses the infrared light from the transmitting side on the infrared receiving element D1, and converts the light generated by the visible light emitting element D2 into parallel light.
(the generated light is sent to the transmitting side). The actual fIM indicates an infrared light beam, and the dotted line indicates a visible light beam.

In Figure 1, both infrared light and visible light travel on the same optical path, so O
Infrared light is present at the position where the T-visual light can be seen by the human eye. That is, the color of the visible light from the light-emitting element 1) 2 and the position of the optical transmitter (or optical receiver) 1 where it is generated are known in advance 20, and by gazing at that part and emitting light of that color. The most intense position is the center of the visible light beam from the optical transmitter (or optical receiver) 1, that is, the infrared light transmitted from (or sent to) the optical transmitter (or optical receiver) 1. Just set it as the center of the beam.

Therefore, keep an eye on the optical transmitter (or optical receiver) 1 and place the other party's optical receiver (or advance I δ device) at a position where the visible light from the optical transmitter (or optical receiver) 1 is also strong. The direction of the infrared rays of the optical transmitter/receiver may be adjusted so that the

The viewing angles of J visible light and infrared light do not necessarily have to match; as long as the beam directions match, the position of the infrared light beam can be determined from the visible range of mT visible light. be.

Furthermore, if the distance between the optical transmitter (or optical receiver) l and the eye observing the light beam is large and the gT viewing light becomes weak and cannot be seen with the naked eye, use binoculars etc. to transmit the optical transmitter (or optical receiver). It is possible to confirm the beam of visible light from the receiver) 1.

Well, if visible light enters the infrared signal light as noise, you can either insert an optical filter that blocks or blocks the visible light, or cut off the visible light source during signal transmission.

If you transmit a signal by infrared light while transmitting the light, if someone who is between the optical transceiver and sees the visible light from IF device (or transmitter) 1. For example, this means that the person has blocked the infrared beam, and in that case, if the person quickly moves away from between the optical transmitter and receiver, signal transmission using infrared light can be prevented.

Figure rg2 is a schematic diagram of a second practical example of the present invention, and is an example in which the optical axes of infrared light and visible light are made parallel. 1 is an optical transmitter (or optical receiver), S is a transmission signal input (or output), and Dl is an infrared light emitting element such as a laser diode or light emitting diode that generates infrared light (or an infrared light emitting element such as a photodiode). light receiving element), D2. D3 is a visible light emitting element such as a laser diode or light emitting diode that generates visible light, and L is a lens that converts and sends out the infrared light of the infrared light emitting element D1 (or converts the received infrared light into infrared light). Light receiving element D
Lenses L2 and L3 that focus the light on I are lenses that send out the visible light of the visible light emitting elements D2 and D3 at a constant viewing angle with axes parallel to the infrared light. Solid lines indicate beams of infrared light and dotted lines indicate beams of visible light.

Figure 2 shows the case where two visible light beams travel in parallel on both sides of an infrared light beam, and the visible light beams are divided into two depending on the distance from the optical transmitter (or optical receiver) 1 of the human eye. In some cases, the infrared beam can be seen as one, but in the case of two, the infrared beam is in the middle, and in the case of one, the center is the position of the infrared beam.

FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram of a third embodiment of the present invention, which is an embodiment of an optical transceiver in which five optical transmitters and optical receivers are integrated. 2 is an optical transceiver, 8T is a transmission signal input, SR is a transmission signal output,
D4 is an infrared light emitting element such as a laser diode or light emitting diode that generates infrared light, D5 is a visible light receiving element such as a photodiode that receives infrared light, and D2. i) 3 is a visible light emitting element such as a laser diode or light emitting diode that generates visible light, L4 is a lens that converts the infrared light from the infrared light emitting element D4 into parallel light, and L5 is the infrared light from the other side. Lens L2 that focuses light on the infrared light receiving element D5
．． L3iii] "Visual luminescence tree D2, D3 is a lens that converts visible light into infrared light and parallel beams.

The dotted line shows the visible light beam, and the solid line shows the infrared light beam.

In this case as well, as in Figure 2, depending on the viewing angle of visible light and the distance seen by the human eye, the visible beam can be seen in two cases or in one case.
In some cases, the center of the infrared beam may appear to be two, but in the case of two, the center is the center of the infrared light beam.

〔Effect of the invention〕

As explained above, the present invention transmits a visible light beam whose optical axis is the same as or parallel to the infrared light used for signal transmission, so that the direction of the optical transceiver, that is, the direction of the infrared light beam, is the same as that of the visible light beam. It can be determined by checking with the human eye, and it is effective to easily adjust the direction of the optical transmitter/receiver.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

1 to 3 are schematic diagrams of first to third embodiments of the present invention, respectively. 1... optical transmitter (or receiver), 2...-
・Optical transmitting/receiving lens (or receiving raise), L2. L3...
...Visible light transmitting lens, D4...Infrared light emitting element, D5...Infrared light receiving element, L4...
Infrared light transmitting lens, L5... Infrared light receiving lens. Agent: Susumu Uchihara, patent attorney

Claims (1)

[Claims] An optical transceiver that performs signal transmission by spatial propagation of infrared light, characterized by including visible light sending means for sending out a visible light beam in the same direction or parallel to the optical axis of the infrared light used for signal transmission. Optical transmitter/receiver.