CN114696901B - Beam alignment method and related equipment - Google Patents

Abstract

The embodiment of the present application discloses a beam alignment method and related equipment. The method in the embodiment of the present application includes: the first optical communication device transmits the first light beam to the second optical communication device, and receives the second light beam transmitted by the second optical communication device. Wherein, the second optical communication device includes a first liquid crystal beam deflection device, and an initial light spot of the second light beam and a target light spot of the first light beam are formed on the first liquid crystal light beam deflection device. The first optical communication device acquires the first imaging information corresponding to the first liquid crystal beam deflection device, and determines the first position offset information between the target spot of the first light beam and the initial spot of the second light beam according to the first imaging information, wherein , the position and size of the initial spot of the second beam are fixed. The first optical communication device adjusts the deflection direction of the first beam according to the first position offset information, so that the distance between the center of the target spot of the first beam and the center of the initial spot of the second beam is less than or equal to a preset distance.

Description

A beam alignment method and related equipment

technical field

The present application relates to the field of space optical communication, in particular to a beam alignment method and related equipment.

Background technique

The space laser communication system refers to an optical communication system that uses laser light waves as the carrier and the atmosphere as the transmission medium. Among them, how to realize the acquisition, tracking and pointing (ATP) of light beams is the core issue of free space optical communication. For example, if a station (station, STA) is deflected by an angle θ relative to an access point (Access Point, AP), it is necessary to let the STA know the deflection angle θ and perform angle correction.

A current method is to configure a transceiver, a processor, and an antenna for wireless communication on the AP and the STA respectively. The STA can obtain the deflection angle information of the light beam emitted by itself from the AP through the wireless communication link, so as to realize ATP. However, this method requires additional configuration of a wireless communication system, which increases the system cost. Moreover, the communication time delay introduced by the wireless communication system will also make the time delay for realizing beam alignment relatively large.

Contents of the invention

This application provides a beam alignment method and related equipment. The local equipment does not need to additionally configure a wireless communication system to obtain the beam deflection information from the peer equipment, which reduces the system cost and reduces the time delay for beam alignment. .

In a first aspect, the present application provides a beam alignment method, which includes the following steps. Firstly, the first optical communication device transmits the first light beam to the second optical communication device, and receives the second light beam transmitted by the second optical communication device. Wherein, the second optical communication device includes a first liquid crystal beam deflecting device, the spot formed by the second beam on the first liquid crystal beam deflecting device is the initial spot of the second beam, and the spot formed by the first beam on the first liquid crystal beam deflecting device The light spot is the target light spot of the first light beam. Afterwards, the first optical communication device acquires the first imaging information corresponding to the first liquid crystal beam deflection device, and determines the first position offset information between the target spot of the first beam and the initial spot of the second beam according to the first imaging information . Wherein, the position and size of the initial spot of the second light beam are fixed. Furthermore, the first optical communication device adjusts the deflection direction of the first light beam according to the first position offset information, so that the distance between the center of the target spot of the first light beam and the center of the initial spot of the second light beam is less than or equal to a preset distance.

In this embodiment, the light spot formed by the beam emitted by the peer device on the peer device has invariance in position and size, and the local device uses this light spot to calibrate and adjust the deflection direction of the emitted beam to realize the beam alignment. In the same way, the spot formed by the beam emitted by the local device also has invariance in position and size, and the peer device uses this spot to calibrate, and realizes beam alignment by adjusting the deflection direction of the emitted beam . Through the above method, the local device does not need to additionally configure a wireless communication system to obtain the beam deflection information from the peer device, which reduces system cost and reduces the time delay for beam alignment.

In some possible implementation manners, the first optical communication device includes a second liquid crystal beam deflection device, the spot formed by the first beam on the second liquid crystal beam deflection device is the initial spot of the first beam, and the second beam is on the second liquid crystal beam deflection device. The light spot formed on the light beam deflection device is the target light spot of the second light beam. On the basis that the beam alignment is completed by the first optical communication device, the second optical communication device will also perform similar operations to complete the beam alignment. Specifically, the second optical communication device acquires the second imaging information corresponding to the second liquid crystal beam deflection device, and determines the second positional offset between the target spot of the second light beam and the initial spot of the first light beam according to the second imaging information information. Wherein, the position and size of the initial spot of the first light beam are fixed. Further, the second optical communication device adjusts the deflection direction of the second light beam according to the second position offset information, so that the distance between the center of the target light spot of the second light beam and the center of the initial light spot of the first light beam is less than or equal to the preset distance. Through the above method, the optical communication devices at both ends will realize beam alignment, so that the optical communication devices at both ends can communicate normally.

In some possible implementation manners, the first light beam is directed to the first liquid crystal beam deflection device after passing through the second liquid crystal beam deflection device. The second light beam is guided to the second liquid crystal beam deflection device after passing through the first liquid crystal beam deflection device. In this embodiment, the optical communication equipment at both ends adjusts the deflection direction of the beam emitted by itself through the liquid crystal beam deflection device, so that the initial spot position of the beam emitted by itself remains unchanged, and the target spot position of the beam emitted by itself Adjustable, it is convenient for optical communication equipment at both ends to complete beam alignment.

In some possible implementations, the first liquid crystal beam deflection device and the second liquid crystal beam deflection device include but are not limited to liquid crystal on silicon (Liquid Crystal On Silicon, Lcos), liquid crystal polarization grating (Liquid CrystalPolarization Grating, LCPG), liquid crystal light wedge and liquid crystal phased array. The present application provides various specific implementations of the liquid crystal beam deflection device, which improves the scalability of the solution.

In some possible implementation manners, the first optical communication device adjusting the deflection direction of the first light beam according to the first position offset information includes: the first optical communication device adjusting the load on the second liquid crystal beam deflection device according to the first position offset information The grating is used to adjust the refraction direction of the first light beam after passing through the second liquid crystal light beam deflection device. Alternatively, the first optical communication device adjusts the grating loaded on the second liquid crystal beam deflection device according to the first position offset information, so as to adjust the reflection direction of the first light beam after passing through the second liquid crystal beam deflection device. In this embodiment, either a refraction-type liquid crystal beam deflection device or a reflection-type liquid crystal beam deflection device may be used, which improves the flexibility of the solution.

In some possible implementation manners, the center of the target spot of the first light beam coincides with the center of the initial spot of the second light beam, so that the precision of beam alignment is higher.

In some possible implementation manners, the transmitting the first light beam to the second optical communication device by the first optical communication device includes: performing beam collimation on the first light beam by the first optical communication device. Furthermore, the first optical communication device transmits the collimated first light beam to the second optical communication device. That is, the emitted light is a collimated beam, which improves the accuracy of the beam transmission direction and facilitates beam alignment.

In some possible implementations, the first light beam and the second light beam are beacon lights. Alternatively, the first light beam and the second light beam are communication lights. It should be understood that the beacon light and the communication light are lights with different frequency bands. The beacon light and the communication light can be emitted by the same light source or by different light sources, which improves the flexibility of the solution.

In some possible implementation manners, types of the first optical communication device and the second optical communication device include but are not limited to APs and STAs, which improves the feasibility of this solution.

In a second aspect, the present application provides an optical communication device. The optical communication device includes: an optical transceiver, an imaging device and a first liquid crystal light beam deflecting device. The optical transceiver is used for: transmitting the first light beam to the second optical communication device, and receiving the second light beam transmitted by the second optical communication device. Wherein, the second optical communication device includes a second liquid crystal beam deflecting device, the spot formed by the second beam on the second liquid crystal beam deflecting device is the initial spot of the second beam, and the spot formed by the first beam on the second liquid crystal beam deflecting device The light spot is the target light spot of the first light beam. The imaging device is used to: acquire the first imaging information corresponding to the second liquid crystal beam deflection device, determine the first position offset information between the target spot of the first beam and the initial spot of the second beam according to the first imaging information, and set the second A position offset information is sent to the first liquid crystal beam deflection device. Wherein, the position and size of the initial spot of the second light beam are fixed. The first liquid crystal beam deflection device is used for: adjusting the deflection direction of the first beam according to the first position offset information, so that the distance between the center of the target spot of the first beam and the center of the initial spot of the second beam is less than or equal to preset distance.

In some possible implementations, the light spot formed by the first light beam on the first liquid crystal beam deflection device is the initial light spot of the first light beam, and the light spot formed by the second light beam on the first liquid crystal beam deflection device is the target of the second light beam spot. The second optical communication device acquires second imaging information corresponding to the second liquid crystal beam deflection device, and determines second position offset information between the target spot of the second light beam and the initial spot of the first light beam according to the second imaging information. Wherein, the position and size of the initial spot of the first light beam are fixed. Further, the second optical communication device adjusts the deflection direction of the second light beam according to the second position offset information, so that the distance between the center of the target light spot of the second light beam and the center of the initial light spot of the first light beam is less than or equal to the preset distance.

In some possible implementation manners, the first light beam is directed to the second liquid crystal beam deflection device after passing through the first liquid crystal beam deflection device. The second light beam is directed to the first liquid crystal beam deflection device after passing through the second liquid crystal beam deflection device.

In some possible implementation manners, the first liquid crystal beam deflection device and the second liquid crystal beam deflection device include but are not limited to Lcos, LCPG, liquid crystal wedge or liquid crystal phased array.

In some possible implementation manners, the first liquid crystal beam deflection device is specifically configured to: adjust the grating loaded on the first liquid crystal beam deflection device according to the first position offset information, so as to adjust the position of the first light beam after passing through the first liquid crystal beam deflection device direction of refraction. Alternatively, the grating loaded on the first liquid crystal beam deflection device is adjusted according to the first position offset information, so as to adjust the reflection direction of the first light beam after passing through the first liquid crystal beam deflection device.

In some possible implementations, the center of the target spot of the first light beam coincides with the center of the initial spot of the second light beam.

In some possible implementation manners, the optical communication device further includes a fiber collimator. The fiber collimator is used to collimate the first beam, and transmit the collimated first beam to the second optical communication device.

In some possible implementation manners, the first light beam and the second light beam are beacon lights, or, the first light beam and the second light beam are communication lights.

In some possible implementation manners, types of the first optical communication device and the second optical communication device include but are not limited to APs and STAs.

In a third aspect, the present application provides an optical communication device. The optical communication device includes a processor, a memory and an optical transceiver. Wherein, the processor, the memory and the optical transceiver are connected to each other through a line, and the processor calls the program code in the memory to execute the beam alignment method shown in any one of the implementation manners in the first aspect above.

In a fourth aspect, the present application provides an optical communication system, including: a first optical communication device and a second optical communication device. The first optical communication device includes a first optical transceiver, a first imaging device and a first liquid crystal beam deflecting device. The second optical communication device includes a second optical transceiver, a second imaging device and a second liquid crystal beam deflecting device.

The first optical transceiver is used for emitting the first light beam. Wherein, the spot formed by the first beam on the first liquid crystal beam deflecting device is the initial spot of the first beam, and the spot formed by the second beam on the first liquid crystal beam deflecting device is the target spot of the second beam. The first imaging device is configured to: acquire first imaging information corresponding to the second liquid crystal beam deflection device, determine first position offset information between the target spot of the first beam and the initial spot of the second beam according to the first imaging information, Sending the first position offset information to the first liquid crystal beam deflection device. Wherein, the position and size of the initial spot of the second light beam are fixed. The first liquid crystal beam deflection device is used for: adjusting the deflection direction of the first beam according to the first position offset information, so that the distance between the center of the target spot of the first beam and the center of the initial spot of the second beam is less than or equal to preset distance.

The second optical transceiver is used for emitting the second light beam. The spot formed by the second beam on the second liquid crystal beam deflecting device is the initial spot of the second beam, and the spot formed by the first beam on the second liquid crystal beam deflecting device is the target spot of the first beam. The second imaging device is configured to: obtain second imaging information corresponding to the first liquid crystal beam deflection device, determine second position offset information between the target spot of the second light beam and the initial spot of the first light beam according to the second imaging information, Sending the second position offset information to the second liquid crystal beam deflection device. Wherein, the position and size of the initial spot of the first light beam are fixed. The second liquid crystal beam deflection device is used for: adjusting the deflection direction of the second beam according to the second position offset information, so that the distance between the center of the target spot of the second beam and the center of the initial spot of the first beam is less than or equal to preset distance.

In a fifth aspect, the present application provides a computer-readable storage medium, where a computer program is stored in the computer-readable storage medium, wherein, when the computer program is executed by hardware, part or all of any one of the methods in the above-mentioned first aspect can be implemented step.

In this embodiment of the application, the light spot formed by the beam emitted by the peer device on the peer device has invariance in position and size. alignment. In the same way, the spot formed by the beam emitted by the local device also has invariance in position and size, and the peer device uses this spot to calibrate, and realizes beam alignment by adjusting the deflection direction of the emitted beam . Through the above method, the local device does not need to additionally configure a wireless communication system to obtain the beam deflection information from the peer device, which reduces system cost and reduces the time delay for beam alignment.

Description of drawings

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a space optical communication system architecture;

Fig. 2 is a schematic diagram of an embodiment of the beam alignment method in the embodiment of the present application;

FIG. 3 is a schematic structural diagram of an optical communication system provided by an embodiment of the present application;

FIG. 4 is a schematic structural diagram of another optical communication system provided by an embodiment of the present application;

FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram of beam alignment implemented by an optical communication system in an embodiment of the present application;

FIG. 6 is a schematic structural diagram of a possible optical communication device;

FIG. 7 is a schematic structural diagram of another possible optical communication device;

FIG. 8 is a schematic structural diagram of an optical communication system provided by an embodiment of the present application.

Detailed ways

This application provides a beam alignment method and related equipment. The local equipment does not need to additionally configure a wireless communication system to obtain the beam deflection information from the peer equipment, which reduces the system cost and reduces the time delay for beam alignment. . It should be noted that the terms "first" and "second" in the specification and claims of the present application and the above drawings are used to distinguish similar objects, but not to limit a specific sequence or sequence. It is to be understood that the above terms are interchangeable under appropriate circumstances such that the embodiments described herein can be practiced in sequences other than those described herein. Furthermore, the terms "comprising" and "having", as well as any variations thereof, are intended to cover a non-exclusive inclusion. For example, a process, method, system, product, or device comprising a series of steps or units is not necessarily limited to those steps or units explicitly listed, but may include steps or units not explicitly listed or for these processes, methods, products, or Other steps or units inherent to equipment.

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a spatial optical communication system architecture. As shown in FIG. 1 , the free optical communication system includes APs and STAs. When the light beams emitted by the AP and STA are aligned, the AP and STA can perform space optical communication normally. If the STA is deflected by an angle θ relative to the AP, the STA needs to be able to obtain the deflection angle θ to complete the angle correction. However, the STA cannot detect the deflection angle θ by itself, and only the AP can detect the deflection angle θ. Then, in order for the STA to obtain the deflection angle θ from the AP, it is necessary to configure a set of wireless communication devices for the AP and the STA. The wireless communication device may include a transceiver, a processor, an antenna, and the like. The STA can obtain the deflection angle θ from the AP through the wireless communication link, and complete the angle correction. However, this method requires additional configuration of a wireless communication system, which increases the system cost. Moreover, the communication time delay introduced by the wireless communication system will also make the time delay for realizing beam alignment relatively large.

For this reason, this application provides a beam alignment method. The local device does not need to additionally configure a wireless communication system to obtain the beam deflection information from the peer device, which reduces system costs and reduces the time delay for beam alignment. .

FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of an embodiment of a beam alignment method in an embodiment of the present application. In an example, the beam alignment method includes the following steps. It should be noted that this application does not limit the specific types of the first optical communication device and the second optical communication device in the following embodiments. For example, the types of the first optical communication device and the second optical communication device include but are not limited to AP and STA .

201. A first optical communication device transmits a first light beam to a second optical communication device.

FIG. 3 is a schematic structural diagram of an optical communication system provided by an embodiment of the present application. As shown in FIG. 3 , the first optical communication device 30 transmits a first light beam through a local optical transceiver 301 . Firstly, the first light beam is projected to the liquid crystal beam deflecting device 302 of the first optical communication device 30 , and then the first light beam passes through the liquid crystal beam deflecting device 302 and is projected to the liquid crystal beam deflecting device 402 of the second optical communication device 40 . Wherein, the first light beam forms an initial spot of the first light beam on the liquid crystal beam deflection device 302 . The first light beam forms a target spot of the first light beam on the liquid crystal beam deflection device 402 .

It should be noted that the position of the initial light spot of the first light beam on the liquid crystal beam deflection device 302 is fixed, and the size and phase of the initial light spot of the first light beam are also fixed. The liquid crystal beam deflecting device 302 also has the ability to change the beam deflection, therefore, the position of the target spot of the first light beam on the liquid crystal beam deflecting device 402 is variable. That is to say, the optical path of the first beam between the optical transceiver 301 and the liquid crystal beam deflecting device 302 is fixed, and the optical path of the first beam between the liquid crystal beam deflecting device 302 and the liquid crystal beam deflecting device 402 is adjustable.

202. The second optical communication device transmits a second light beam to the first optical communication device.

As shown in FIG. 3 , the second optical communication device 40 transmits a second light beam through a local optical transceiver 401 . Firstly, the second light beam is projected to the liquid crystal beam deflecting device 402 of the second optical communication device 40 , and then the second light beam passes through the liquid crystal beam deflecting device 402 and is projected to the liquid crystal beam deflecting device 302 of the first optical communication device 30 . Wherein, the second light beam forms an initial spot of the second light beam on the liquid crystal beam deflection device 402 . The second light beam forms a target spot of the second light beam on the liquid crystal beam deflection device 302 .

It should be noted that the position of the initial light spot of the second light beam on the liquid crystal beam deflection device 402 is fixed, and the size and phase of the initial light spot of the second light beam are also fixed. The liquid crystal beam deflecting device 402 also has the ability to change the beam deflection, therefore, the position of the target spot of the second light beam on the liquid crystal beam deflecting device 302 is variable. That is to say, the optical path of the second beam between the optical transceiver 401 and the liquid crystal beam deflecting device 402 is fixed, and the optical path of the second beam between the liquid crystal beam deflecting device 402 and the liquid crystal beam deflecting device 302 is adjustable.

In some possible implementation manners, the first optical communication device 30 will also perform beam collimation on the first beam, and the collimated first beam then passes through the liquid crystal beam deflection device 302 and is transmitted to the liquid crystal beam deflection device 402 . Similarly, the second optical communication device 40 will also perform beam collimation on the second beam, and the collimated second beam passes through the liquid crystal beam deflection device 402 and is transmitted to the liquid crystal beam deflection device 302 . Optionally, the optical transceiver 301 and the optical transceiver 401 may be independently packaged spatial optical transceiver devices, that is, the first beam emitted by the optical transceiver 301 and the second beam emitted by the optical transceiver 401 have been collimated beams. Alternatively, the optical transceiver 301 and the optical transceiver 401 can also be optical modules, wherein the optical module can be connected to the fiber collimator through an optical fiber, that is, the first light beam emitted by the optical transceiver 301 and the second light beam emitted by the optical transceiver 401 are both It is to complete the beam collimation after passing through the fiber collimator.

It should be understood that the present application does not limit the specific types of the liquid crystal beam deflecting device 302 and the liquid crystal beam deflecting device 402 mentioned above. For example, the types of the liquid crystal beam deflecting device 302 and the liquid crystal beam deflecting device 402 include but are not limited to liquid crystal on silicon (Liquid Crystal On Silicon, Lcos), liquid crystal polarization grating (Liquid Crystal PolarizationGrating, LCPG), liquid crystal wedge and liquid crystal phased array .

Optionally, the above-mentioned first light beam and second light beam may be beacon light specially used for beam alignment, or communication light used for normal communication. It should be understood that the beacon light and the communication light are lights with different frequency bands. The beacon light and the communication light may be emitted by the same light source, or may be emitted by different light sources.

203. The first optical communication device acquires first imaging information.

As shown in FIG. 3 , the first optical communication device 30 further includes an imaging device 303 . The imaging device 303 is used to acquire the first imaging information on the liquid crystal beam deflecting device 402 . That is to say, taking the target light spot of the first light beam and the initial light spot of the second light beam on the liquid crystal beam deflection device 402 as the shooting objects, the imaging device 303 can obtain the target light spot of the first light beam and the initial light spot of the second light beam through geometric optical imaging. The first imaging information of the light spot. It should be understood that the present application does not limit the specific type of the imaging device 303 , for example, the imaging device 303 may be a Charge Coupled Device (Charge Coupled Device, CCD) camera or the like.

204. The first optical communication device determines first position offset information according to the first imaging information.

After the imaging device 303 acquires the first imaging information, it will also determine the first position offset information between the target spot of the first light beam and the initial spot of the second light beam according to the first imaging information. Specifically, the imaging device 303 may first determine the center of the target light spot of the first light beam and the center of the initial light spot of the second light beam, and then calculate the first difference between the center of the target light spot of the first light beam and the center of the initial light spot of the second light beam. - Position offset information. Wherein, the first position offset information may include the distance and angle offset between the centers of the two light spots. It should be understood that there may be multiple manners for the imaging device 303 to acquire the center of the light spot, which are not specifically limited here. For example, the imaging device 303 may determine the position with the highest light intensity of the light spot as the center of the light spot by means of light spot fitting.

205. The first optical communication device adjusts the deflection direction of the first light beam according to the first position offset information.

In this embodiment, the imaging device 303 sends the first position offset information to the liquid crystal beam deflecting device 302 . The deflection direction of the first beam is adjusted by the liquid crystal beam deflection device 302 according to the first position offset information, so that on the liquid crystal beam deflection device 402, the center of the target spot of the first beam and the center of the initial spot of the second beam The distance is less than or equal to the preset distance. That is to say, since the initial spot position and size of the second beam are fixed, the initial spot of the second beam is used for calibration, and the target spot of the first beam is aligned with the initial spot of the second beam, so that The first light beam can be transmitted to the optical transceiver 401 after passing through the liquid crystal beam deflection device 402 . In a preferred implementation, the target spot of the first light beam and the initial spot of the second light beam should at least partially overlap, or the center of the target spot of the first light beam coincides completely with the center of the initial spot of the second light beam, In order to achieve a more ideal beam alignment effect.

In a possible implementation manner, the liquid crystal beam deflection device 302 can adjust the deflection direction of the first beam by adjusting a grating loaded on itself. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 3 , the liquid crystal beam deflection device 302 transmits the first light beam, that is, adjusts the refraction direction of the first light beam after passing through the liquid crystal beam deflection device 302 . Alternatively, as shown in FIG. 4 , the liquid crystal beam deflecting device 302 reflects the first light beam, that is, adjusts the reflection direction of the first light beam after passing through the liquid crystal beam deflecting device 302 .

206. The second optical communication device acquires second imaging information.

As shown in FIG. 3 , the second optical communication device 40 further includes an imaging device 403 . The imaging device 403 is used to acquire the second imaging information on the liquid crystal beam deflecting device 302 . That is to say, taking the target light spot of the second light beam and the initial light spot of the first light beam on the liquid crystal beam deflection device 302 as the shooting object, the imaging device 403 can obtain the target light spot of the second light beam and the initial light spot of the first light beam through geometric optics imaging. The second imaging information of the light spot.

207. The second optical communication device determines second position offset information according to the second imaging information.

After the imaging device 403 acquires the second imaging information, it will also determine the second position offset information between the target spot of the second light beam and the initial spot of the first light beam according to the second imaging information. Specifically, the imaging device 403 may first determine the center of the target light spot of the second light beam and the center of the initial light spot of the first light beam, and then calculate the center of the target light spot of the second light beam relative to the center of the initial light spot of the first light beam. 2. Position offset information. Wherein, the second position offset information may include the distance and angle offset between the centers of the two light spots.

208. The second optical communication device adjusts the deflection direction of the second light beam according to the second position offset information.

In this embodiment, the imaging device 403 sends the second position offset information to the liquid crystal beam deflecting device 402 . The deflection direction of the second light beam is adjusted by the liquid crystal beam deflection device 402 according to the second position offset information, so that on the liquid crystal beam deflection device 302, the center of the target spot of the second light beam is between the center of the initial spot of the first light beam The distance is less than or equal to the preset distance. That is to say, since the initial spot position and size of the first beam are fixed, the initial spot of the first beam is used for calibration, and the target spot of the second beam is aligned with the initial spot of the first beam, so that The second light beam can be transmitted to the optical transceiver 301 after passing through the liquid crystal beam deflection device 302 . In a preferred implementation, the target spot of the second light beam and the initial spot of the first light beam should at least partially overlap, or the center of the target spot of the second light beam coincides completely with the center of the initial spot of the first light beam, In order to achieve a more ideal beam alignment effect. It should be understood that the liquid crystal beam deflecting device 402 may be a transmissive liquid crystal beam deflecting device as shown in FIG. 3 , or a reflective liquid crystal beam deflecting device as shown in FIG. 4 .

FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram of beam alignment implemented by an optical communication system in an embodiment of the present application. As shown in FIG. 5 , in order to enable the first optical communication device 30 and the second optical communication device 40 to communicate normally, both the first optical communication device 30 and the second optical communication device 40 have to complete beam alignment operations. That is, the first optical communication device 30 completes beam alignment by performing the above steps 203 to 205 . The second optical communication device 40 completes beam alignment by performing the above steps 206 - 208 . In a preferred implementation manner, the above-mentioned steps 203-205 and steps 206-208 are performed simultaneously, so that the beam alignment at both ends can be completed as soon as possible. In another possible implementation, step 203-step 205 can also be executed first, and then step 206-step 208 can be executed, or step 206-step 208 can be executed first, and then step 203-step 205 can be executed, which is not limited here .

In this embodiment of the application, the light spot formed by the beam emitted by the peer device on the peer device has invariance in position and size. alignment. In the same way, the spot formed by the beam emitted by the local device also has invariance in position and size, and the peer device uses this spot to calibrate, and realizes beam alignment by adjusting the deflection direction of the emitted beam . Through the above method, the local device does not need to additionally configure a wireless communication system to obtain the beam deflection information from the peer device, which reduces system cost and reduces the time delay for beam alignment.

The beam alignment method in the embodiment of the present application is described above, and the optical communication device in the embodiment of the present application is described below. It should be understood that the optical communication device may be the first optical communication device in the embodiment shown in FIG. 2 , or the second optical communication device in the embodiment shown in FIG. 2 .

Fig. 6 is a schematic structural diagram of a possible optical communication device. The optical communication device includes an optical transceiver 601 , an imaging device 602 and a liquid crystal beam deflecting device 603 . Specifically, the optical transceiver 601 is configured to perform operations of sending and receiving light beams in the above-mentioned embodiment shown in FIG. 2 . The imaging device 602 is configured to execute steps 203 - 204 or 206 - 207 in the above embodiment shown in FIG. 2 . The liquid crystal beam deflection device 603 is used to execute step 205 or step 208 in the embodiment shown in FIG. 2 above.

Fig. 7 is a schematic structural diagram of another possible optical communication device. The optical communication device includes a processor 701 , a memory 702 and an optical transceiver 703 . The processor 701, the memory 702 and the optical transceiver 703 are connected to each other through wires, wherein the memory 702 is used for storing program instructions and data. Optical transceiver 703 includes a transmitter and a receiver. In a possible implementation manner, the memory 702 stores program instructions and data supporting the steps in the embodiment shown in FIG. 2 , and the processor 701 and the optical transceiver 703 are used to execute the method steps in the embodiment shown in FIG. 2 . Specifically, the optical transceiver 601 is used to perform operations of transmitting and receiving light beams, and the processor 701 is used to perform operations other than transmitting and receiving light beams.

It should be noted that the processor shown in FIG. 7 above can be a general-purpose central processing unit (Central Processing Unit, CPU), a microprocessor, an application-specific integrated circuit ASIC, or at least one integrated circuit for executing related programs, In order to realize the technical solutions provided by the embodiments of the present application. The memory shown in FIG. 7 above can store an operating system and other application programs. When implementing the technical solutions provided by the embodiments of the present application through software or firmware, the program codes for realizing the technical solutions provided by the embodiments of the present application are stored in a memory and executed by a processor. In one embodiment, the processor may include a memory inside. In another embodiment, the processor and memory are two separate structures.

FIG. 8 is a schematic structural diagram of an optical communication system provided by an embodiment of the present application. The optical communication system includes a first optical communication device 801 and a second optical communication device 802 . The first optical communication device 801 is configured to perform some or all steps of any method performed by the first optical communication device in the embodiment shown in FIG. 2 . The second optical communication device 802 is configured to perform some or all steps of any method performed by the second optical communication device in the embodiment shown in FIG. 2 .

Those skilled in the art can clearly understand that for the convenience and brevity of the description, the specific working process of the above-described system, device and unit can refer to the corresponding process in the foregoing method embodiment, which will not be repeated here.

Those of ordinary skill in the art can understand that all or part of the steps for implementing the above embodiments can be completed by hardware, and can also be completed by instructing related hardware through a program. The program can be stored in a computer-readable storage medium. The above-mentioned The storage medium mentioned may be read-only memory, random access memory and the like. Specifically, for example: the above-mentioned processing unit or processor can be a central processing unit, a general-purpose processor, a digital signal processor (DSP), an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a field programmable gate array (FPGA) or other programmable logic devices , transistor logic devices, hardware components, or any combination thereof. Whether the above-mentioned functions are executed by means of hardware or software depends on the specific application and design constraints of the technical solution. Skilled artisans may use different methods to implement the described functions for each specific application, but such implementation should not be regarded as exceeding the scope of the present application.

When implemented by software, the method steps described in the above embodiments may be fully or partially implemented in the form of computer program products. The computer program product includes one or more computer instructions. When the computer program instructions are loaded and executed on the computer, the processes or functions according to the embodiments of the present application will be generated in whole or in part. The computer can be a general purpose computer, a special purpose computer, a computer network, or other programmable devices. The computer instructions may be stored in or transmitted from one computer-readable storage medium to another computer-readable storage medium, for example, the computer instructions may be transmitted from a website, computer, server or data center Transmission to another website site, computer, server, or data center by wired (eg, coaxial cable, optical fiber, digital subscriber line (DSL)) or wireless (eg, infrared, wireless, microwave, etc.). The computer-readable storage medium may be any available medium that can be accessed by a computer, or a data storage device such as a server or a data center integrated with one or more available media. The available medium may be a magnetic medium (for example, a floppy disk, a hard disk, or a magnetic tape), an optical medium (for example, DVD), or a semiconductor medium (for example, a Solid State Disk (SSD)).

Claims (20)

1. A method of beam alignment comprising:

the first optical communication device transmits a first light beam to a second optical communication device and receives a second light beam transmitted by the second optical communication device, wherein the second optical communication device comprises a first liquid crystal light beam deflection device, a light spot formed by the second light beam on the first liquid crystal light beam deflection device is an initial light spot of the second light beam, and a light spot formed by the first light beam on the first liquid crystal light beam deflection device is a target light spot of the first light beam;

the first optical communication device acquires first imaging information corresponding to the first liquid crystal beam deflection device;

the first optical communication device determines first position offset information between a target light spot of the first light beam and an initial light spot of the second light beam according to the first imaging information, wherein the position and the size of the initial light spot of the second light beam are fixed;

the first optical communication device adjusts the deflection direction of the first light beam according to the first position offset information so that the distance between the center of the target light spot of the first light beam and the center of the initial light spot of the second light beam is smaller than or equal to a preset distance.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the first optical communication device comprises a second liquid crystal beam deflection device, wherein the spot of the first beam formed on the second liquid crystal beam deflection device is an initial spot of the first beam, and wherein the spot of the second beam formed on the second liquid crystal beam deflection device is a target spot of the second beam;

the second imaging information corresponding to the second liquid crystal beam deflection device is acquired by the second optical communication device, second position offset information between a target light spot of the second light beam and an initial light spot of the first light beam is determined by the second optical communication device according to the second imaging information, the position and the size of the initial light spot of the first light beam are fixed, and the deflection direction of the second light beam is adjusted by the second optical communication device according to the second position offset information, so that the distance between the center of the target light spot of the second light beam and the center of the initial light spot of the first light beam is smaller than or equal to the preset distance.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the first beam is directed to the first liquid crystal beam deflector after passing through the second liquid crystal beam deflector, and the second beam is directed to the second liquid crystal beam deflector after passing through the first liquid crystal beam deflector.

4. A method according to claim 2 or 3, wherein the first and second liquid crystal beam deflection devices are liquid crystal on silicon Lcos, liquid crystal polarization grating LCPG, liquid crystal wedges or liquid crystal phased arrays.

5. A method according to claim 2 or 3, wherein the first optical communication device adjusting the deflection direction of the first light beam according to the first positional offset information comprises:

the first optical communication device adjusts the grating loaded on the second liquid crystal beam deflection device according to the first position deviation information so as to adjust the refraction direction of the first light beam after passing through the second liquid crystal beam deflection device;

or,

and the first optical communication equipment adjusts the grating loaded on the second liquid crystal light beam deflection device according to the first position deviation information so as to adjust the reflection direction of the first light beam after passing through the second liquid crystal light beam deflection device.

6. A method according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the centre of the target spot of the first beam coincides with the centre of the initial spot of the second beam.

7. A method according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the first optical communication device transmitting a first light beam to the second optical communication device comprises:

The first optical communication device performs beam collimation on the first light beam;

the first optical communication device transmits the first light beam after the collimation of the light beam to the second optical communication device.

8. A method according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the first and second light beams are beacon light or the first and second light beams are communication light.

9. A method according to any of claims 1 to 3, wherein the first optical communication device is an access point AP, the second optical communication device is a station STA, or the first optical communication device is a STA and the second optical communication device is an AP.

10. An optical communication device, comprising: an optical transceiver, an imaging device and a first liquid crystal beam deflection device;

the optical transceiver is used for: transmitting a first light beam to a second optical communication device and receiving a second light beam transmitted by the second optical communication device, wherein the second optical communication device comprises a second liquid crystal light beam deflection device, a light spot formed by the second light beam on the second liquid crystal light beam deflection device is an initial light spot of the second light beam, and a light spot formed by the first light beam on the second liquid crystal light beam deflection device is a target light spot of the first light beam;

The imaging device is used for: acquiring first imaging information corresponding to the second liquid crystal beam deflection device, determining first position offset information between a target light spot of the first light beam and an initial light spot of the second light beam according to the first imaging information, and sending the first position offset information to the first liquid crystal beam deflection device, wherein the position and the size of the initial light spot of the second light beam are fixed;

the first liquid crystal beam deflection device is used for: and adjusting the deflection direction of the first light beam according to the first position offset information so that the distance between the center of the target light spot of the first light beam and the center of the initial light spot of the second light beam is smaller than or equal to a preset distance.

11. The optical communication apparatus according to claim 10, wherein a spot of the first light beam formed on the first liquid crystal beam deflection device is an initial spot of the first light beam, and a spot of the second light beam formed on the first liquid crystal beam deflection device is a target spot of the second light beam;

the second imaging information corresponding to the first liquid crystal light beam deflection device is acquired by the second optical communication device, second position offset information between a target light spot of the second light beam and an initial light spot of the first light beam is determined by the second optical communication device according to the second imaging information, the position and the size of the initial light spot of the first light beam are fixed, and the deflection direction of the second light beam is adjusted by the second optical communication device according to the second position offset information, so that the distance between the center of the target light spot of the second light beam and the center of the initial light spot of the first light beam is smaller than or equal to the preset distance.

12. The optical communication device of claim 11, wherein the first light beam passes through the first liquid crystal beam deflector and is directed to the second liquid crystal beam deflector, and wherein the second light beam passes through the second liquid crystal beam deflector and is directed to the first liquid crystal beam deflector.

13. The optical communication device according to claim 11 or 12, wherein the first and second liquid crystal beam deflection means are liquid crystal on silicon Lcos, liquid crystal polarization grating LCPG, liquid crystal wedge or liquid crystal phased array.

14. The optical communication device according to any one of claims 10 to 12, wherein the first liquid crystal beam deflection means is specifically configured to:

adjusting a grating loaded on the first liquid crystal beam deflection device according to the first position deviation information so as to adjust the refraction direction of the first light beam passing through the first liquid crystal beam deflection device;

or,

and adjusting the grating loaded on the first liquid crystal light beam deflection device according to the first position deviation information so as to adjust the reflection direction of the first light beam after passing through the first liquid crystal light beam deflection device.

15. The optical communication device according to any one of claims 10 to 12, wherein the center of the target spot of the first beam coincides with the center of the initial spot of the second beam.

16. The optical communication device according to any one of claims 10 to 12, further comprising an optical fiber collimator;

the optical fiber collimator is used for carrying out beam collimation on the first light beam and transmitting the first light beam after beam collimation to the second optical communication equipment.

17. The optical communication device according to any one of claims 10 to 12, wherein the first and second light beams are beacon light or the first and second light beams are communication light.

18. The optical communication device according to any one of claims 10 to 12, the optical communication device being an access point, AP, the second optical communication device being a station, STA, or the optical communication device being a STA, the second optical communication device being an AP.

19. An optical communication system, comprising: a first optical communication device including a first optical transceiver, a first imaging means, and a first liquid crystal beam deflection means, and a second optical communication device including a second optical transceiver, a second imaging means, and a second liquid crystal beam deflection means;

The first optical transceiver is used for emitting a first light beam;

the second optical transceiver is configured to emit a second light beam, where a light spot formed by the first light beam on the first liquid crystal light beam deflection device is an initial light spot of the first light beam, a light spot formed by the second light beam on the first liquid crystal light beam deflection device is a target light spot of the second light beam, a light spot formed by the second light beam on the second liquid crystal light beam deflection device is an initial light spot of the second light beam, and a light spot formed by the first light beam on the second liquid crystal light beam deflection device is a target light spot of the first light beam;

the first imaging device is used for: acquiring first imaging information corresponding to the second liquid crystal beam deflection device, determining first position offset information between a target light spot of the first light beam and an initial light spot of the second light beam according to the first imaging information, and sending the first position offset information to the first liquid crystal beam deflection device, wherein the position and the size of the initial light spot of the second light beam are fixed;

the second imaging device is used for: acquiring second imaging information corresponding to the first liquid crystal beam deflection device, determining second position offset information between a target light spot of the second light beam and an initial light spot of the first light beam according to the second imaging information, and sending the second position offset information to the second liquid crystal beam deflection device, wherein the position and the size of the initial light spot of the first light beam are fixed;

The first liquid crystal beam deflection device is used for: adjusting the deflection direction of the first light beam according to the first position offset information so that the distance between the center of the target light spot of the first light beam and the center of the initial light spot of the second light beam is smaller than or equal to a preset distance;

the second liquid crystal beam deflection device is used for: and adjusting the deflection direction of the second light beam according to the second position offset information so that the distance between the center of the target light spot of the second light beam and the center of the initial light spot of the first light beam is smaller than or equal to the preset distance.

20. A computer readable storage medium comprising computer instructions which, when run on a computer device, cause the computer device to perform the method of any of claims 1 to 9.