Radiation sensitive remote control system

Claim 2

Remote control system comprising: means for sensing incident light having a first quality of polarization and incident light having a second quality of polarization; control means connected to said sensing means for effecting a first control function in response to sensed incident light having said first quality of polarization, and a second control function in response to sensed incident light having said second quality of polarization; means for projecting a beam of light in a direction away from said sensing means; and a portable remote unit including means for reflecting said beam of light to said sensing means and means combined in said remote unit with said reflecting means for selectively imparting on said beam of light said first quality of polarization and alternatively said second quality of polarization.

Claim 3

Remote control system as claimed in claim 1, wherein: said beam of light is a beam of invisible radiation.

Claim 4

Remote control system as claimed in claim 1, wherein: said beam of light is a beam of infrared radiation.

Claim 5

Remote control system as claimed in claim 1, wherein: said remote unit includes reflector means for said beam of light, and light polarization means combined with said reflector means and constructed to selectively impart on said beam of light said first quality of polarization and alternatively said second quality of polarization.

Claim 6

Remote control system as claimed in claim 1, wherein: said projecting means are located adjacent said sensing means; and said remote unit includes substantially retrodirective reflector means for said beam of light, and light polarization means combined with said reflector means and constructed to selectively impart on said beam of light said first quality of polarization an alternatively said second quality of polarization.

Claim 7

Remote control system as claimed in claim 5, wherein: said beam of light is a beam of invisible radiation.

Claim 8

Remote control system as claimed in claim 5, wherein: said beam of light is a beam of infrared radiation.

Claim 9

Remote control system as claimed in claim 1, wherein: said sensing means include means for sensing incident light polarized in a first plane, and incident light polarized in a second plane; said control means include means for effecting said first control function in response to sensed incident light polarized in said first plane, and said second control function in response to sensed incident light polarized in said second plane; and said remote unit includes a combination of substantially retrodirective reflector means and light polarization means for selectively polarizing said beam of light in said fIrst plane and for reflecting said beam of light polarized in said first plane to said control means for initiation of said first control function, and for alternatively polarizing said beam of light in said second plane and for reflecting said beam of light polarized in said second plane to said control means for initiation of said second control function.

Claim 10

Remote control system as claimed in claim 8, wherein: said remote unit includes a portable housing containing said retrodirective reflector means, and said light polarization means include a linear polarization filter mounted in said housing for polarizing said beam of light in said first plane when said housing is held in at least one rotational position, and for polarizing said beam of light in said second plane when said housing is held in at least another rotational position displaced from said one rotational position by a predetermined angle.

Claim 11

Remote control system as claimed in claim 9, wherein: said second plane is displaced from said first plane by an angle of 90*, and said predetermined angle of rotational position displacement is 90*.

Claim 12

Remote control system as claimed in claim 10, wherein: said housing has a first dimension in a first direction perpendicular to said beam of light, and a second dimension in a second direction perpendicular to said beam of light and to said first direction, with one of said first and second dimensions being greater than the other of said first and second dimensions to facilitate the orientation of said housing into any one of said rotational positions.

Claim 13

Remote control system as claimed in claim 10, wherein: said housing has a width greater than its height to facilitate the orientation of said housing into angular positions displaced from each other by 90*.

Claim 14

Remote control system as claimed in claim 1, wherein: said first control function includes several first control operations, and said second control function includes several second control operations; said control means are constructed to selectively effect said first control operations in response to sensed pulsed incident light having a first quality of polarization, and to selectively effect said second control operations in response to sensed pulsed incident light having a second quality of polarization; said remote unit includes means for selectively pulsing said beam of light having said first quality of polarization and alternatively said second quality of polarization; and said sensing means include means for sensing said pulsed beam of light having said first quality of polarization and alternatively said second quality of polarization.

Claim 15

Remote control system comprising: means for sensing incident light having a first quality of polarization and incident light having a second quality of polarization; control means connected to said sensing means for effecting a first control function in response to sensed incident light having said first quality of polarization, and a second control function in response to sensed incident light having said second quality of polarization; means for projecting in a direction away from said sensing means a beam of light polarized in a predetermined plane; and a portable remote unit including means for reflecting said polarized beam of light to said control means and means combined in said remote unit with said reflecting means for selectively realizing in said reflected beam of light said first quality of polarization and alternatively said second quality of polarization.

Claim 16

Remote control system comprising: means for sensing incident light having a first quality of polarization and incident light having a second quality of polarization; control means connected to said sensing means for effecting a first control function in response to sensed incident light having said first quality of polarization, and a second control function in response to sensed incident light having said second quality of polarization; means for projecting in a direction away from said sensing means a beam of light polarized in a predetermined plane; and a portable remote unit including means for reflecting said polarized beam of light to said control means and means combined in said remote unit with said reflecting means for selectively realizing in said reflected beam of light said first quality of polarization and alternatively said second quality of polarization.

Claim 17

Remote control system as claimed in claim 14, wherein: said sensing means include means for sensing incident light polarized in a first plane, and incident light polarized in a second plane; said control means include means for effecting said first control function in response to sensed incident light polarized in a first plane, and said second control function in response to sensed incident light polarized in a second plane; and said remote unit includes means for selectively reflecting said beam of light with a polarization in said first plane and alternatively reflecting said beam of light with a polarization in a second plane.

Claim 18

Remote control system as claimed in claim 15, wherein: said projection means are constructed to polarize said projected beam of light in said first plane; and said remote unit includes means for selectively rotating the polarization of said beam of light to said second plane.

Claim 19

Remote control system as claimed in claim 16, wherein: said selective rotation means include phase retardation means.

Claim 20

Remote control system as claimed in claim 16, wherein: said selective rotation means include a quarter-wave retardation plate.

Claim 21

Remote control system as claimed in claim 15, wherein: said beam of light is a beam of invisible radiation.

Claim 22

Remote control system as claimed in claim 15, wherein: said beam of light is a beam of infrared radiation.