Laser link communication system

Claim 1

A communication system comprising a television transmitting station for the transmission of a television signal containing information; television signal receiving means remotely located from said television transmitting station arranged for receiving said television signals; conversion means associated with said television signal receiving means for detecting said television signal information, means coupled to said conversion means for modulating a beam of optical energy at a responsive to said information and for projecting said modulated beam; a local receiving station arranged for receiving said beam and including means for detecting said information signal transmitted thereby; a secondary antenna located proximate said local receiving station arranged for receiving said television signal; a communication line normally coupled to the output of said local receiving station for transmission to a plurality of external television receivers, and, switching means coupled to said beam detecting means and actuated in response to a predetermined minimum level of said detected at said local receiving station, and effective when thus actuated to disconnect said receiving station from said communication line and to connect said secondary signal receiving antenna to said communication line.