US 7,321,735 B1
Optical down-converter using universal frequency translation technology
Francis J. Smith, Livermore, Calif. (US); Michael J. Bultman, Jacksonville, Fla. (US); Robert W. Cook, Switzerland, Fla. (US); Richard C. Looke, Jacksonville, Fla. (US); Charley D. Moses, Jr., Jacksonville, Fla. (US); Gregory S. Rawlins, Lake Mary, Fla. (US); Michael W. Rawlins, Lake Mary, Fla. (US); Robert T. Short, Salt Lake City, Utah (US); David F. Sorrells, Middleburg, Fla. (US); and Danny E. Stoneking, Hayward, Calif. (US)
Assigned to ParkerVision, Inc., Jacksonville, Fla. (US)
Filed on May 10, 2000, as Appl. No. 9/567,977.
Application 09/567977 is a continuation in part of application No. 09/550644, filed on Apr. 14, 2000.
Application 09/550644 is a continuation in part of application No. 09/521879, filed on Mar. 09, 2000, abandoned.
Application 09/521879 is a continuation in part of application No. 09/376359, filed on Aug. 18, 1999, granted, now 6,266,518.
Application 09/376359 is a continuation in part of application No. 09/176154, filed on Oct. 21, 1998, granted, now 6,091,940.
Int. Cl. H04B 10/06 (2006.01)
U.S. Cl. 398—202  [398/204] 33 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A method of demodulating an optical data signal to retrieve information, comprising:
receiving the optical data signal with in-phase and quadrature phase components;
optically phase-splitting the optical data signal into in-phase and quadrature components;
converting the phase-split optical signal to electrical charge;
accumulating said electrical charge;
periodically transferring said accumulated charge;
accumulating said transferred charge over multiple charge transfer cycles; and
controllably discharging partially said accumulated transferred charge, resulting in at least one electrical information signal representative of the information that was used to modulate the optical data signal.