JP2000332698A - Optical communication device - Google Patents

Abstract

(57) [Summary] [PROBLEMS] For a plurality of devices having an optical communication function (for example, an optical remote control function) installed on the same surface (for example, arranged on a shelf) or between the devices, Auxiliary device for transmitting and receiving optical signals from a light emitting (transmitting) device installed in the same plane (on the same shelf) in the light receiving window. It is wireless without directly connecting the devices with electric wires or optical fibers. It is an object of the present invention to provide an optical communication device which enables communication by using the optical communication device. SOLUTION: The configuration is such that annular conical reflectors 15 and 16 are provided on the optical axis of the optical communication function of each device 1 and 2 installed on the same shelf, and the optical axis of each device 1 and 2 is 90 degrees. It is bent so that optical signals can be guided to each other optical element. Further, since the reflection plate has an annular conical shape, it is possible to mutually communicate with a device located in front of the device, a remote control transmitter, and the like.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an optical communication device for exchanging signals and information using an optical signal.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In recent years, optical communication applied devices such as an optical remote control device utilizing infrared rays have been mounted on most household appliances. Optical two-way communication such as IrDA has also been performed, and optical communication has become common as a means of wirelessly communicating between devices.

Hereinafter, a conventional optical communication device will be described with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of a conventional optical communication device. As shown in FIG. 4, the optical communication transmitting device 1 includes a transmission signal input terminal 3, a modulation circuit 4, a carrier transmission circuit 5, ,
It comprises a driving circuit 6 for driving a light emitting element, a light emitting element 7 and a condenser lens 8.
Represents an optical filter 9, a lens 10, and a light receiving element 11
, A waveform shaping circuit 12, a demodulation circuit 13, and a transmission signal output terminal 14.

The operation of the conventional optical communication apparatus configured as described above will be described below. Optical communication transmitting device 1
Is input to the modulation circuit 4 together with the carrier generated by the carrier oscillation circuit 5 for superimposing information on the transmission optical signal, and is electrically modulated. The light emitting element 7 is caused to emit light by the drive circuit 6 based on the modulated signal, and a transmission optical signal is obtained. The transmitted optical signal is condensed by a condensing lens 8 disposed on the front surface of the light emitting element 7 to generate a light beam having a certain width.

On the other hand, the transmission optical signal that has reached the optical communication receiver 2 passes through the optical filter 9, and is guided to the lens 10 after unnecessary components such as disturbance light are attenuated and removed. Lens 10
Collects the light beam diffused in the transmission space on the light receiving element 11. The light signal is converted into an electric signal by the light receiving element 11, and noise components other than the carrier frequency band are removed by the waveform shaping circuit 12. The output is guided to the demodulation circuit 13 and restored to the original signal.

[0007] With the above configuration and operation, communication between devices can be performed wirelessly.

The transmitting optical system including the light emitting element 7 and the condenser lens 8 and the receiving optical system including the optical filter 9 and the lens 10 and the light receiving element 11 each have a certain width in the optical axis direction. With a certain directivity,
Communication can be performed by placing it within the range.

[0009]

However, in the configuration of the above-mentioned conventional optical communication apparatus, the sensitive optical axes of the light receiving element 11 and the light emitting element 7 mounted on the front of each device are:
The angle is at most about 30 to 40 degrees with respect to the normal line of the front panel of the device. When optical communication is performed between the devices, the front panel of each device having the light emitting element 7 and the light receiving element 11 needs to face to some extent. In other words, there is a problem that the front panels cannot be aligned and installed on the same shelf.

In the case where a plurality of receivers are installed for one transmitter and signals are transmitted simultaneously, transmission is performed in a place where the receivable directivities of the respective receivers overlap as shown in FIG. There is also a problem that a machine must be installed, which occupies a large space.

In view of the above-mentioned conventional problems, the present invention provides an optical communication device which enables communication without directly connecting devices with electric wires or optical fibers even when the devices are installed on the same shelf. The purpose is to do.

[0012]

According to the present invention, in order to achieve the above object, light can be transmitted to an optical transmission / reception window provided on a front panel of each device in a direction 90 degrees to a panel surface and a normal direction. Thus, an optical communication device having an annular conical reflector is provided.

According to the present invention, it is possible to provide an optical communication device that enables communication without directly connecting the devices with an electric wire or an optical fiber even when the devices are installed on the same shelf.

[0014]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS The invention according to claim 1 of the present invention is directed to a light emitting element for converting an electric signal into an optical signal, and a transmitting side for separating an optical signal emitted from the light emitting element into a forward direction and a lateral direction. An annular conical reflector, a light-receiving element that converts an optical signal into an electrical signal, and a receiving-side annular element that receives the optical signal reflected laterally by the transmitting-side annular conical reflector and guides the light to the light-receiving element. An optical communication device composed of a conical reflector and an optical communication device that has a function of enabling communication without moving each device between devices installed with their front panels aligned and between devices installed facing each other in the forward direction. Have.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the optical communication device according to the first aspect, the annular conical reflector is provided.
It is molded with a visible light opaque resin that constitutes an optical filter, removes noise light components other than transmission signals such as indoor lighting and reduces interference, and facilitates attachment of the annular conical reflector. Further, it has an effect of protecting the shape of the reflector and the anti-slope.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, in the optical communication apparatus according to the first or second aspect, the annular conical reflector is formed in a notched shape, and an optical signal passing forward is formed. The ratio of the intensity of the optical signal reflected to the side can be changed, and the effect that the ratio of the required light flux due to the difference in the light transmission distance with the communication partner located in front can be appropriately adjusted can be adjusted. Have.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

(Embodiment 1) FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram of an optical communication apparatus according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention. In the drawings, the same components as those of the conventional example are denoted by the same reference numerals.

In FIG. 1, reference numeral 1 denotes an optical communication transmitting device, and reference numeral 2 denotes an optical communication receiving device. The optical communication transmitting device 1
And the optical communication receiver 2 are installed on the same shelf. Also,
The optical communication transmitting device 1 includes a light emitting element 7 and a condenser lens 8, and the optical communication receiving device 2 includes a lens 10 and a light receiving element 11.
It has. An annular conical reflector 15 on the transmitting side is arranged in front of the light emitting element 7, and an annular conical reflector 16 on the receiving side is arranged in front of the lens 10. The optical axis of the light emitting element 7 and the light receiving element 11 is bent by 90 degrees by the annular conical reflecting plate 15 and the receiving side circular conical reflecting plate 16, that is, the light of the light emitting element 7 and the light receiving element 11 performing optical communication. The optical axis from the optical communication transmitting device 1 installed on the same shelf is guided to the optical communication receiving device 2 so that the axis is in the normal direction, that is, parallel to the front panel of the device. I can do it.

In the optical communication apparatus configured as described above, the light axis of the light emitting element 7 and the light receiving element 11 is set to 90 by the circular conical reflector 15 on the transmitting side and the circular conical reflector 16 on the receiving side. The optical signal from the optical communication transmitting device 1 installed on the same shelf can be guided to the optical communication receiving device 2. Further, since the reflecting plate has an annular conical shape, it can communicate with each other, such as a device located in front of the device and a remote control transmitter.

As described above, according to the first embodiment, there is an effect that optical communication can be performed between devices installed with their front panels aligned and between devices installed facing each other in the forward direction.

(Embodiment 2) FIG. 2 is a configuration diagram of an optical communication apparatus according to Embodiment 2 of the present invention.

In FIG. 2, 1 is an optical communication transmitting device, 2 is an optical communication receiving device installed on the same shelf as the optical communication transmitting device 1,
7 is a light emitting element of the optical communication transmitting device 1 of the optical communication receiving device 2,
Reference numeral 8 denotes a condenser lens of the optical communication transmitting device 1, 10 denotes a lens of the optical communication receiving device 2, and 11 denotes a light receiving element of the optical communication receiving device 2. The feature of the second embodiment is that, as shown in FIG. 2, the transmission-side annular conical reflection plate 15 of the optical communication transmitting device 1 and the optical communication receiving device 2 is made of transparent resin or visible light impermeable resin 1.
7, and similarly, the circular conical reflector 16 on the receiving side is molded.
Is molded with a transparent resin or a visible light opaque resin 18.

The operation of the optical communication device configured as described above will be described below. Originally, the wavelength of light used for optical communication depends on the type characteristics of the light emitting element, but infrared light of a single spectrum is mainly used. On the other hand, the light receiving sensitivity of the light receiving element often has a wide band extending to visible light, and has a property of being easily affected by natural light, illumination, and the like. For this purpose, the annular conical reflector of the present invention is molded with a resin having an optical filter effect that transmits only the wavelength components necessary for communication, thereby suppressing the incident light to the light receiving element other than the wavelength components necessary for communication. can do.

As described above, according to the second embodiment, it is difficult to be hindered by natural light, lighting, and the like, and between the devices installed with the front panels aligned and the devices installed facing each other in the front direction. Can communicate with each other. In addition, it is easy to maintain and protect the shape of the annular conical reflection, and
The effect that attachment to a device becomes easy also arises.

(Embodiment 3) FIGS. 3A, 3B and 3C
FIG. 9 is a configuration diagram of an annular conical reflector in an optical communication device according to a third embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3A shows a basic annular conical reflector. (B) shows a configuration in which the reflector portion has a parabolic shape or the like. If the distance from the light-emitting or light-receiving element to the reflector is indefinite, if the distance is within a certain range, the optical axis is oriented in the 90-degree direction. Can be changed,
Also, the angle of incidence can be reduced.
(C) is an example of the shape of a reflector used when a forward traveling light amount or a wide radiation angle is required. The reflector has a small-diameter cut-out so as to increase the forward light amount.

As described above, according to the third embodiment, the optimum conditions for the installation distance between the devices on the same shelf, the distance to the front device, the necessary radiation angle, and the like are obtained by counting the annular conical reflector. Can be set.

[0029]

As is apparent from the above description, the present invention enables the optical transmission / reception window provided on the front panel of each device to transmit light even in a direction at 90 degrees to the normal direction of the panel surface. By adopting a configuration with an annular conical reflector, communication can be performed without directly connecting the devices with wires or optical fibers, even if the devices are installed on the same shelf while maintaining communication in the forward direction. Can be provided.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram of an optical communication device according to a first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a configuration diagram of an optical communication device according to a second embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a configuration diagram of an annular conical reflector in an optical communication device according to a third embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a configuration diagram of a conventional optical communication device.

[Description of Signs] 1 Optical communication transmitting device 2 Optical communication receiving device 7 Light emitting element 8 Condensing lens 10 Lens 11 Light receiving element 15 Annular conical reflector 16 Annular conical reflector

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Claims (3)

[Claims] A light emitting element for converting an electric signal into an optical signal;
An annular conical reflector on the transmitting side that separates an optical signal emitted by the light emitting element into a forward direction and a lateral direction, a light receiving element that converts an optical signal into an electric signal, An optical communication device, comprising: a receiving-side annular conical reflector that receives an optical signal reflected toward the light receiving device and guides the light signal to the light receiving element. 2. The optical communication device according to claim 1, wherein the annular conical reflector is molded with a visible light opaque resin constituting an optical filter. 3. An annular conical reflector is formed in a notched shape so that a ratio of an intensity of an optical signal passing forward and an intensity of an optical signal reflected laterally can be changed. The optical communication device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein: