Abstract:
An opto-electronic combiner (32) for converting a plurality of discrete optical signals into a combined electrical signal. The ends of a bundle of optical fibres (42a) are arranged such that discrete optical signals emitted therefrom are incident upon discrete areas of a photosensitive surface of a single photodetector (40). The optical signals are converted to electrical signals by the photodetector (40), and an electrical signal comprising a combination of the individual optical signals is available at the electrical output of the photodetector (40).
Abstract:
A high speed non-blocking buffered banyan packet switching architecture which utilizes parallel switching fabrics (16, 17, 18, 19) to switch slices of serial packets in parallel. A highly parallel interconnect network within each fabric allows for high speed effective data switching at relatively low clock speeds.
Abstract:
A method and apparatus for acquiring and analysing PCM data in a communications system. The method comprises extracting a PCM data of a selected circuit from PCM streams (30), sampling the PCM data for one or more predetermined periods and storing them in PC memory (14), converting the stored data from PCM format to a non-compressed format suitable for analysis, display or comparison. The method allows for a simple PC based monitoring of PCM data in a communications system.
Abstract:
The present invention relates to a method for the metal organic chemical vapour deposition of a Group 15 and/or a Group 16 element on a substrate, characterized in that the method comprises employing as a feedstock at least one compound of the formula R2EER2, RE'E'R, R2EE'R, R2EE'ER2, RE(E'R)2 or E(E'R)3, wherein E is a Group 15 element, E' is a Group 16 element and R is an organic ligand. The present invention also provides methods for p-type doping of a II-VI semiconductor and N-type doping of a III-V semiconductor involving the method described above. A novel compound, ethyltellurodiethylstibine (Et2SbTeEt) is also described.
Abstract:
A three terminal optical device (26, 25, 30) is disclosed based on a Sagnac interferometer. Control pulses (29) are coupled into the Sagnac loop (L) which switch the system from transmission to reflection. The control pulses preferably have a different wavelength from the signal, allowing their separation by suitable means for separating different wavelengths. Applications are described for signal routing, unchirped pulse generation, autocorrelation and signal sampling.
Abstract:
A method of forming periodic regions of differing refractive index within a glass light transmitting device, typically an optical fibre, and in which the device is formed in a manner to create weak chemical bonds that have a weak binding energy relative to that of oxygen-linking bonds in the device. Tensile stress is established within a portion of the device containing the weak bonds at a level which permits preservation of at least a majority of the weak bonds. The device after its formation is exposed to optical irradiation at the spaced-apart periodic regions, the irradiation having an energy level which is sufficient to break the weak chemical bonds and thereby effect a stress level reduction and consequential refractive index increase in the exposed periodic regions of the device.
Abstract:
A telecommunications terminal (6) for originating a call, comprising means (48) for storing charging data, and means (20) for determining a charging rate for a call based on said charging data and the destination number entered for said call, and means (20) for determining the cost of said call on the basis of said charging rate and the duration of said call.
Abstract:
A telecommunications system (2) having a cellular mobile telephone system (6) in which calls from cellular telephones (20) are routed through a mobile service switching centre exchange (14, 30). Users of the system, having control of respective groups of mobile telephones (20) are able via user terminals (110) to access respective databases in a signalling processor (100) and to place in the database information about call parameters, such as call restrictions, for ones of the telephones of that users controlled group. When a call is made from any mobile telephone (20) the call signal is decoded at the relevant exchange (14, 30) and a determination made as to whether the call originates from a mobile telephone which is a member of a controlled group. If so, the related database in the controller (100) is accessed and the call is controlled in accordance with the appropriate call parameters, on the basis of the information in the related data base.
Abstract:
A non-reciprocal optical phase shifter is disclosed, together with various applications. The phase shifter includes direction dependent and independent polarisation rotating devices (52, 53) in parallel optical paths which are recombined, so that the relative phase shift of the output signal depends on the direction of propagation. The device can be employed to form simple isolators, bidirectional wavelength dependent isolators, circulators, and enables bidirectional communications down a single fibre at different wavelengths without polarisation selection. Bulk optics and fibre implementations are disclosed.
Abstract:
A configuration enabling passive modelocking in an optical fibre device is disclosed, utilising the non-linear Kerr effect. Various configurations are disclosed, using both standard and polarisation maintaining fibre, and a bulk optics implementation. One embodiment comprises a figure of eight arrangement formed by two cross-coupled fibre loops, one of the loops being a Sagnac mirror. A further embodiment exploits the non-linearity of polarisation in polarisation maintaining fibres.