US3590248A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Laser arrays
Assignee: Massachusetts Institute of Technology
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Filing: 1965-04-13
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Granted: 1971-06-29
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Expires: 1985-04-13
Abstract
Abstract Radiation from a semiconductor laser which radiates from a relatively small area of the semiconductor is directed to a target by a bundle of light conducting tubes or fibers, such that substantially all of the fibers in the bundle actively conduct the radiation from the laser, the bundle being formed by selecting from a larger bundle of fibers which abuts the semiconductor only those fibers which actively conduct the laser radiation.
Inventors
- 👤 Edward J Chatterton Jr
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-23 14:52
CPC Classifications
H; H04; H04B; H04B10/00; H04B10/50; G; G02; G02B; G02B6/00; G02B6/24; G02B6/42; G02B6/4201; G02B6/4249; H01; H01S; H01S5/00; H01S5/02; H01S5/022; H01S5/0225; H01S5/02251; H01S5/40; H01S5/4012; H01S5/4018
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 15
Claim 1
Independent Claim
138 words
A radiation-producing device comprising a body of semiconductor material, means for defining an optical cavity enclosing at least a portion of said body of semiconductor material, means for directing energy to said body of semiconductor material whereby an inversion of energy states occurs in said material accompanied by the production of substantially coherent radiation by a process of simulated emission, a bundle of radiation-conducting tubes disposed with their ends adjacent said optical cavity so as to intercept substantially all of the portion of said radiation emanating from said optical cavity, said intercepted radiation being conducted by substantially less than all of said tubes, and a smaller bundle of said radiation-conducting tubes including substantially only those tubes from said first-mentioned bundle which conduct radiation from said cavity, whereby substantially all of the tubes in said smaller bundle conduct radiation.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
145 words
A radiation-producing device comprising a body of semiconductor material, a PN junction in said body, means for defining an optical cavity enclosing at least a portion of said junction, means for directing energy to said body of semiconductor material whereby an inversion of energy states occurs in said material accompanied by the production of substantially coherent radiation at said junction by a process of stimulated emission, a bundle of radiation conducting tubes disposed with their ends adjacent said optical cavity so as to intercept substantially all of the portion of said radiation emanating from said optical cavity, said intercepted radiation being conducted by substantially less than all of said tubes, and a smaller bundle of said radiation-conducting tubes including substantially only those tubes from said first-mentioned bundle which conduct radiation from said cavity, whereby substantially all of the tubes in said smaller bundle conduct radiation.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
121 words
A radiation-producing device comprising a multitude of separate bodies of semiconductor material, means for directing energy to each of said bodies of semiconductor material of sufficient intensity to produce radiation therein, a plurality of bundles of radiation-conducting tubes, each bundle abutting a different one of said bodies, so as to intercept a substantial portion of the radiation emanating therefrom, said intercepted radiation being conducted by substantially less than all of said tubes, a second plurality of bundles of radiation-conducting tubes, each including substantially only those tubes from among said first plurality of bundles which actively conduct radiation when the associated body of semiconductor material is energized and means for directing radiation emanating from said second plurality of bundles to a target.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
168 words
A radiation-producing device comprising a multitude of separate bodies of semiconductor material, means for directing energy to each of said bodies of semiconductor material producing an inversion of energy states therein accompanied by the emission and amplification of radiation by the process of stimulated emission, means associated with each of said bodies of semiconductor material for defining an optical cavity, each of said cavities enclosing at least a portion of one of said bodies of said semiconductor material, a plurality of bundles of radiation-conducting tubes, each bundle abutting a different one of said cavities, so as to intercept a substantial portion of the radiation emanating therefrom, said intercepted radiation being conducted by substantially less than all of said tubes, a second plurality of bundles of radiation-conducting tubes, each including substantially only those tubes from among said first plurality of bundles which actively conduct radiation wheN the associated body of semiconductor material is energized and means for directing radiation emanating from said second plurality of bundles to a target.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
160 words
A radiation-producing device comprising a multitude of separate PN junction in semiconductor material, means for directing energy to each of said junctions producing an inversion of energy states therein accompanied by the emission and amplification of radiation at said junction by the process of stimulated emission, means associated with each of said junctions for defining an optical cavity, each of said cavities enclosing at least a portion of said junction, a plurality of bundles of radiation-conducting tubes, each bundle abutting a different one of said cavities, so as to intercept a substantial portion of the radiation emanating therefrom, said intercepted radiation being conducted by substantially less than all of said tubes, a second plurality of bundles of light-conducting tubes, each including substantially only those tubes from among said first plurality of bundles which actively conduct radiation when the associated body of semiconductor material is energized and means for directing radiation emanating from said second plurality of bundles to a target.
Claim 6
Independent Claim
126 words
A device for producing a spatially scanning beam or radiation comprising a plurality of semiconductor laser devices, a plurality of separate bundles of radiation-conducting tubes each associated with a different one of said semiconductor laser devices and arranged in an orderly relationship, means for energizing said plurality of devices in a predetermined sequence and an optical system for intercepting and directing radiation emanating from the ends of said bundles of light-conducting tubes, the order of energization of said radiation-producing devices, the arrangement of said ends of said bundles of tubes and the positions of the ends of said bundles in said optical system being such that a beam of radiation is directed from said optical system to sweep an area of space in a predetermined manner.
Claim 7
Independent Claim
148 words
A device for producing a spatially scanning laser beam comprising a plurality of semiconductor laser devices, a plurality of separate bundles of radiation-conducting tubes each associated with a different one of said semiconductor laser devices and each formed from a larger such bundle by selection of active tubes therein, said plurality of separate bundles being arranged in an orderly relationship, means for energizing said plurality of semiconductor laser devices in a predetermined sequence and an optical system for intercepting and directing radiation emanating from the ends of said bundles of radiation-conducting tubes, the order of energization of said semiconductor laser devices, the arrangement of said ends of said bundles of tubes and the positions of the ends of said bundles in said optical system being such that a beam of laser radiation is directed from said optical system to sweep an area of space in a predetermined manner.
Claim 8
Independent Claim
126 words
A device for producing a spatially scanning laser beam comprising a plurality of semiconductor laser devices, a plurality of separate bundles of radiation-conducting tubes each associated with a different one of said semiconductor laser devices and each formed from a larger such bundle by selection of active tubes therein, said plurality of separate bundles being arranged in an orderly series of rows and columns, means for energizing said plurality of semiconductor laser devices in a predetermined sequence row after row down a column and an optical system for intercepting and directing radiation emanating from the ends of said bundles of radiation conducting tubes to a target, whereby a beam of laser radiation is directed from said optical system to sweep said target in a regular manner.
Claim 9
Independent Claim
117 words
A device for producing a wavelength-multiplexed laser beam and directing said beam to a target comprising a plurality of semiconductor laser device, means for energizing each of said laser devices, said laser devices being of diFferent kinds producing different wavelength bands of radiation when energized, a separate bundle of radiation conducting tubes optically coupled to each of said semiconductor laser devices, one end of said bundles of light-conducting tubes being arranged in a relatively larger bundle, means for controlling the sequence of energization of said laser devices in response to information signals so that combinations of said wavelength bands in the radiation emanating from said relatively large bundle of radiation conducting tubes is indicative of said information.
Claim 10
Independent Claim
126 words
A device for producing a wavelength-multiplexed laser beam and directing said beam to a target comprising a plurality of binary energizing devices, separate semiconductor laser device coupled to each of said binary devices, said laser devices being of different kinds producing different wavelength bands of radiation when energized and a separate bundle of radiation-conducting tubes, optically coupled to each of said semiconductor laser devices, one end of said bundles of radiation-conducting tubes being arranged to form a relatively large single bundle, means for controlling said binary devices in response to information signals so that said different semiconductor laser devices are energized producing combinations of said wavelength bands in the radiation emanating from said relatively large bundle of radiation conducting tubes which is indicative of said information.
Claim 11
Independent Claim
113 words
A device producing a wavelength-multiplexed laser beam and directing said beam to a target, comprising an orderly array of ferrite cores, a separate semiconductor laser device coupled to each of said cores, said laser devices being of different kinds producing different frequency bands of radiation when energized and a separate bundle of radiation conducting tubes optically coupled to each of said semiconductor laser devices, one end of said bundles of radiation-conducting tubes being arranged to form a relatively large bundle, means for energizing said ferrite cores in response to information signals so that the wavelength bands of radiation emanating from said relatively large bundle of radiation conducting tubes are indicative of said information.
Claim 12
Independent Claim
137 words
A device for producing a multiplexed laser beam comprising a plurality of semiconductor laser devices, a plurality of bundles of radiation-conducting tubes each optically coupled at one end with a different one of said laser devices, the other ends of said bundles being formed into a single bundle of radiation-conducting tubes, a plurality of different communication channels, each coupled to a different group of said laser devices for energizing said devices, means in each of said channels for generating information signals, means in each of said channels for energizing the associated group of laser devices in a manner characteristic of said channel, signals from different channels, a means for detecting radiation which issues from said single bundle and means associated with said detecting means for distinguishing said characteristic manners of energization, thereby distinguishing said different information channels.
Claim 13
Independent Claim
102 words
A device for producing a pulse-multiplexed laser beam comprising a plurality of semiconductor laser devices, a plurality of bundles of radiation-conducting tubes each optically coupled at one end with a different one of said laser devices, the other ends of said bundles being formed into a single bundle of radiation conducting tubes, means for energizing different groups of said laser devices by different pulse trains in response to information signals from different channels, means for detecting radiation which issues from said single bundle and means associated with said detecting means for distinguishing said different pulse trains thereby distinguishing said different information channels.
Claim 14
Independent Claim
109 words
A device for producing a frequency-multiplexed laser beam comprising a plurality of semiconductor laser devices, a plurality of bundles of radiation-conducting tubes eacH optically coupled at one end with a different one of said laser devices, the other ends of said bundles being formed into a single bundle of radiation conducting tubes, means for energizing said laser devices, means for modulating the energization of different groups of said laser devices at different frequencies in response to information signals from different channels, means for detecting radiation which issues from said single bundle and means associated with said detecting means for distinguishing said different frequencies thereby distinguishing said different information channels.
Claim 15
Independent Claim
114 words
A device for producing a spatially scanning laser beam comprising a plurality of semiconductor laser devices, a plurality of separate bundles of radiation-conducting tubes each bundle having one end optically coupled with a different one of said semiconductor laser devices, the other ends of said bundles being arranged in an orderly array, a plurality of ferrite cores, means coupling each of said ferrite cores to a different one of said semiconductor laser devices for energizing said laser devices and means for energizing said ferrite cores, whereby laser radiation from said laser devices is conducted by said bundles of radiation conducting tubes and launched from said other ends into space spatially scanning an area thereof.
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1974-06-28 | 1974-12-28 | 1975-06-29 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1978-06-28 | 1978-12-28 | 1979-06-29 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1982-06-28 | 1982-12-28 | 1983-06-29 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |