An optical/RF wireless hybrid communication system and a control method capable of solving the instability of link states of an RF wireless link and an optical wireless link is provided. According to an optical/RF wireless hybrid communication system and a control method of the present invention, when data is transmitted, the link is not limited to one of an RF wireless link and an optical wireless link, a link state is determined based on signal quality received in channels of both the RF wireless link and the optical wireless link, and a distribution of data to be transmitted in each link is determined based on a result thereof. For this reason, the link can be switched according to circumstances of the transmission state due to an external disturbance and the like.

Low power and/or low footprint optical communication technologies that support short to medium range exoatmospheric communications and provide bidirectional communication with nearly spherical coverage.

Optical communication with a remote node comprises: transmitting at least one optical beam to the remote node; receiving at least a portion of at least one optical beam from the remote node; providing intensity information based on one or more signals from one or more optical detector modules in an array of optical detector modules detecting the portion of the optical beam received from the remote node; and controlling at least one optical phased array to steer the optical beam transmitted to the remote node based on intensity information received from the remote node.

A system and method wherein electromagnetic radiation is used for free-space communication and wireless power transfer. The electromagnetic radiation used is preferably optical radiation. The optical free-space communication and wireless power transfer system includes an optical receiver device comprising an optical filter, a photodetector, and a photovoltaic cell, wherein a band of the incoming optical radiation is extracted by the optical filter and directed to the photodetector for communication data signal detection. The remaining optical radiation is converted by the photovoltaic cell into electrical power so that the harvested energy can be stored, used as the power source of the photodetector, or used as the power source of external devices.

It is detected of an interference of a reverse link communication in a feeder link of a communication relay apparatus, which tends to occur when the number of movable aerial-floating type communication relay apparatuses increases in the same area. A communication system comprises a plurality of movable aerial-floating type communication relay apparatuses that respectively include a relay communication station of performing a service-link radio communication with a terminal apparatus, plural gateway stations that respectively perform a feeder-link radio communication with the plurality of the communication relay apparatuses, and a common baseband processing apparatus connected to the plural gateway stations. The baseband processing apparatus detects an interference of the reverse link communication due to an interference wave from a relay communication station of another communication relay apparatus, the interference wave interfering with a signal wave from the relay communication station of the communication relay apparatus connected to the gateway station, based on plural reception signals received by the plural gateway stations.

Embodiments are directed to systems and methods for providing light communication (LC) for an aircraft. An LC transmitter is mounted on an aircraft fuselage and is configured to broadcast light signals within a defined region outside the aircraft. An LC receiver mounted on the aircraft fuselage is configured to receive light signals broadcast by a remote LC device. A controller is configured to manage LC signals in the aircraft, and an interface is provided between the controller and an aircraft data network. The light signals may be in a visible light spectrum, an invisible light spectrum, or both. The remote LC device may be, for example, a ground station, an aircraft, a ground vehicle, a ship, a building, or a portable transmitter.

A system and method for high speed communication are provided. The system comprises a laser-based system for communication, the system comprising: an acquisition module configured to acquire and characterize a plurality of laser beams; a tracking module configured to track the acquired laser beams, the tracking module comprising: a beaconing feedback and beam divergence mechanism configured to control a beam and detect a beam; an adaptive learning unit configured to implement an adaptive learning detection algorithm to identify and track a unique optical signature from at least one of the acquired laser beams; and a pointing module configured to point at least one laser beam towards a target based on the acquired laser beams.

Architectures and techniques are presented that improve or enhance a network planning procedure such as by selecting a more efficient test buffer that is used to identify objects that might intersect a Fresnel zone between two transceivers. An improved test buffer (e.g., buffer region) can be one that is constructed from a plurality of rectangles situated along a line of sight of the two transceivers and that are oriented according to cardinal directions.

Monostatic optical transceivers, systems, and methods of operating the same include a single aperture, a transmitter that provides a modulated and polarized optical transmit beam, a receiver that receives a modulated and polarized optical receive beam at an optical resonator included therein and processes the received optical receive beam to determine information from the received optical receive beam, a polarizing beam splitter that reflects the optical transmit beam, a polarization rotator that rotates the polarization of the reflected optical transmit beam by a fixed number of degrees in a transmit direction in a coordinate system of the monostatic transceiver, and a waveplate that modifies the polarization of the rotated optical transmit beam.

A method for establishing a free-space data transmission channel between movable and/or spatially fixed network nodes. Dynamic position information is collected regarding movable network nodes and static position information relating to spatially fixed network nodes. Specific and node-dependent parameters for the fixed network nodes is collected, based on collected dynamic and static position information. A prioritization list is created of the fixed network nodes. Checking occurs, for the network node having the highest priority of the multiplicity of movable or spatially fixed network nodes in the created prioritization list, which of a selection of movable or spatially fixed network nodes are possible for setting up a directional free-space data transmission channel with the network node having the highest priority of the fixed network nodes. A directional free-space data transmission channel is set up.