JPS63220622A - Optical multiple communication system - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To overlap and transmit other arbitrary information together with image information to an image fiber by implanting a signal converted to a pair of mutually complementary optical signals together with the image information to the areas different with each other on the incident edge surface of an optical fiber flux. CONSTITUTION:The left side of an optical fiber flux 1 is a transmitting side, an image linked on an incident edge surface with a lens 2 is expanded by a television camera 3 at other edge, and can be observed by a monitor 4. A signal processing system 8 transfers the sound information of a microphone 8a to a light transmitting device 6 as an electric signal. The light transmitting device 6 is equipped with two electric light converters 11 and 12 and the electric signal corresponding to the input sound information is converted and outputted to a mutually complementary light signal. The converters 11 and 12, while respective emitting parts are physically arranged at a mutually different position, implant the light signal to the mutually different area on the incident edge surface of the optical fiber flux 1 through a half mirror 5a.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION Field of Industrial Application The present invention relates to an optical multiplex communication system. More specifically, the present invention relates to a new technique for transmitting image information by superimposing it as an optical signal on an optical fiber bundle that directly transmits image information.

2. Description of the Related Art A so-called image fiber has been put into practical use, which is capable of transmitting image information as is from one end of the optical fiber bundle to the other end by bundling together a large number of extremely thin optical fibers. The scope of use of this image fiber is being expanded as a medium capable of transmitting image information without using a negative converter or modulator.

Problems to be Solved by the Invention By the way, when transmitting image information in actual use, it is often necessary to transmit information other than image information at the same time. That is, unless an audio signal, a control signal, etc. related to the image information to be transmitted is transmitted together with the image information, the transmitted image information cannot be used systematically.

On the other hand, in the conventional technology, other information is transmitted using another transmission line installed in parallel to the image fiber.

However, in such a system, two types of transmission systems are simply installed, and the installation cost and operation cost are simply doubled. In addition, there were also defects in handling, such as an increase in the outer diameter of the transmission line.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a new technique for superimposing and transmitting image information and other arbitrary information onto an image fiber that transmits images.

Means for solving the problem, namely, according to the present invention, in a method in which an image formed on one end of a fiber bundle is directly transmitted as an optical signal to the other end of the optical fiber, it is converted into a pair of mutually complementary optical signals. An optical multiplex communication system is provided, characterized in that the image information is injected into different areas on the input end face of the optical fiber bundle, and the signal and the image signal are multiplexed and transmitted. Ru.

In the transmission of image information using a working image fiber, the image formed at the input end of the image fiber is propagated to the output end without any conversion. Therefore, it is easy to superimpose other optical signals within the image fiber without interfering with this operation.

That is, it is sufficient to inject half the amount near the input end of the image fiber.

However, if the superimposed optical signal is light in the visible range, the superimposed optical signal on the output side may impede the quality of the transmitted image information.

In other words, the light intensity of the optical signal (image + optical signal) passing through the fiber bundle, which is the image fiber, changes depending on the presence or absence of the superimposed optical signal, and this change affects the output side as a fluctuation in the brightness of the image. It turns out. Therefore, when superimposing another optical signal on image information, it is necessary to devise ways to transmit the superimposed signal without deteriorating the quality of the image information as described above.

As a result of various studies, the inventors of the present invention have concluded that the following characteristic configuration is advantageous.

That is, two optical transmitters that generate optical signals to be superimposed are provided, these optical transmitters generate mutually complementary optical signals, and the transmitted optical signals are transmitted to different areas of the input surface of the optical fiber bundle. This injection ensures that the sum of the optical signal intensities generated by the two optical transmitters is always constant.

Furthermore, if the image is to be magnified by, for example, a television camera at the output end of the optical fiber bundle, the television camera generally scans the screen at a rate of 60 times/second.
The signal to be superimposed may be modulated at a sufficiently higher period than this period. Such an operation can be easily performed when converting a signal to be superimposed into an optical signal.

EXAMPLES The present invention will be described in more detail below with reference to the drawings, but what is disclosed below is only one example of the present invention and does not limit the technical scope of the present invention in any way. .

FIG. 1 shows a configuration example of an optical communication system employing an optical multiplex communication system according to the present invention.

In this system, the left side of the optical fiber bundle 1 is the transmitting side, and the image formed on the incident end face by the lens 2 is magnified by the television camera 3 at the other end, and is configured so that it can be observed by the monitor 4. There is.

In this embodiment, an audio signal is superimposed and transmitted to such an image information transmission system. A pair of half mirrors 5a and 5b are provided on the input optical path and output optical path of the optical fiber bundle 1.
are inserted, and are configured so that optical signals can be injected or extracted from the sides of the optical fiber bundle I, respectively. For each half mirror 5a, 5b, an optical transmitter 6,
An optical receiver 7 is arranged, and an optical transmitter 6, an optical
The receivers 7 are coupled to respective signal processing systems 8.9. That is, the signal processing system 8 transfers the audio information obtained by the microphone 8a to the optical transmitter 6 as an electrical signal,
On the other hand, the signal processing system 9 amplifies the audio information obtained from the optical receiver 7 and drives the speaker 9a.

FIG. 2 shows in detail the structure of the means for injecting an optical signal into the optical fiber bundle 1 using the half mirror 5a in the system shown in FIG.

That is, this optical transmitter 6 includes two electro-optical converters 11.1.
2, which converts the electrical signals corresponding to the audio information transferred from the signal processing system 8 into mutually complementary optical signals and outputs them. Here, the complementary signals refer to the electro-optic converter 1
1.12 is a signal in which the sum of the intensities of the output optical signals is always constant.

In addition, the electro-optic converters 11 and 12 have light emitting parts physically arranged at different positions, and emit light to different areas on the incident end surface of the optical fiber bundle 1 via the half mirror 5a. configured to inject a signal.

On the other hand, FIG. 3 is a diagram showing in detail the configuration of means for extracting audio information from the output end of the optical fiber 1 on the receiving side in the system shown in FIG.

On the receiving side, a part of the optical signal emitted from the end face of the optical fiber bundle 1 is branched by the half mirror 5b. Of these branched lights, as shown in FIG. 3, only the optical signal in the area corresponding to the optical signal emitted from the electro-optic converter 11 is configured to be converted into an electrical signal by the opto-electric conversion element 13. There is. That is, as mentioned above, the main reason for transmitting optical signals as a pair of complementary optical signals is to prevent the quality of image information from deteriorating. This is because it is sufficient to receive the optical signal of .

Note that if high accuracy is also required for the transmission of the optical signals to be superimposed, it is also meaningful to receive and reproduce each optical signal and compare them.

Now, as mentioned above, in the optical multiplex communication system configured as described above, other signals can be multiplexed and transmitted together with images, and the total optical intensity of the optical signals involved in these transmissions is always constant. . However, if we focus on only part of the image signal,
The amount of light still changes depending on the superimposed signal.

Therefore, in the above configuration, since the output image is enlarged using a general television camera that scans the screen 60 times/second, it is necessary to modulate the superimposed signal with a signal having a frequency of 60 Hz or higher.

As mentioned above, in this example, since the audio signal was superimposed,
12dB from 1001jz to the signal processing system on the transmitting side 10
The quality of the transmitted image was maintained simply by inserting a bypass filter with a characteristic of attenuation at CT.

Note that, considering that it is preferable that the modulation frequency of the signal to be superimposed is high and that the signal is transmitted as a complementary signal, it is also preferable that the signal to be superimposed and transmitted be a digitally converted signal.

Effects of the Invention As detailed above, in the optical multiplex communication system according to the present invention,
Since an optical fiber bundle can be used without adding any optical transmission lines, it is possible to superimpose and transmit image signals and other signals without increasing the cost of installing transmission lines.

In other words, since images and other signals can be multiplexed and sent through a single fiber bundle, the communication path becomes only the fiber bundle, which can be made smaller in diameter. Furthermore, it also simplifies accessory parts such as connectors, making it possible to construct a compact and low-cost optical communication system that includes the transmission of image information.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing the configuration of an optical multiplex communication system configured to implement the method of the present invention, and FIG. 2 particularly shows the configuration of the signal transmission side in the system shown in FIG. FIG. 3 is a diagram depicting the system shown in FIG. 1 in detail, particularly the configuration of the signal receiving side. (Main reference numbers) 1... Fiber bundle, 2... Lens, 3... Television camera, 4... Monitor, 5a, 5b... Half mirror 1 6... Optical transmitter, 7 ...Receiver, 8.9...Signal processing system, 8a...Microphone, 9a...Speaker, 11, 12...Electro-optical converter, 13...Opto-electrical converter

Claims (1)

[Claims] In a system in which an image formed at one end of a fiber bundle is directly transmitted as an optical signal to the other end of the optical fiber bundle, another signal converted into a pair of mutually complementary optical signals is transmitted to the other end of the optical fiber bundle. An optical multiplex communication system characterized by injecting the image information together with the image information into mutually different areas on the input end face of an optical fiber bundle, and multiplexing and transmitting the signal and the image signal.