US3740560A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Communication means
Assignee: Westinghouse Electric Corp
•
Filing: 1971-09-08
•
Granted: 1973-06-19
•
Expires: 1991-09-08
Abstract
Abstract There is disclosed optical communication apparatus for transferring digital information at high rates, as high as 1010 bits per second. The communication channel is a mode-or phaselocked CW laser which generates optical pulses of very short duration, typically of 10 9 seconds, at short intervals. Typically 108 pulses are transmitted per second. Each pulse is subdivided into time-spaced sub-pulses by beam splitters and each sub-pulse, in its turn, is incident on one of an array of electro-optic cells. The cells are electrically modulated in accordance with the intelligence to be communicated. For ten cells there are a total of 109 sub-pulses per second each pulse carrying a bit of information. In transmission to a receiver the sub-pulses overlap to produce a beam. The receiver includes a line scanner which converts the timed distribution of the subpulses into spaced distribution. The beam scans an array of photo-multiplier detectors which derive the intelligence from the beam.
Inventors
- 👤 J Wentz
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-27 11:45
CPC Classifications
H; H04; H04B; H04B10/00
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 10
Claim 1
Independent Claim
212 words
Communication apparatus including a source of pulses of radiant energy, an array of beam splitters, successively interposed in the path of said radiant energy, subdividing each of said pulses into a plurality of sub-pulses, said sub-pulses occurring in a predetermined timed succession dependent on the spacing along the path of said radiant energy between said beam splitters, an array of electro-optic cells interposed in the path of said sub-pulses, each sub-pulses of each pulse impinging on a cell of said array, means connected to each said cells for impressing intelligence on its associated sub-pulse, each cell emitting a sub-pulse modulated by said intelligence, and receiver means, spaced from said cells but in communication with said emitted sub-pulses, said receiver means being spaced a distance from said cells such that over said distance the sub-pulses emitted by said cells are converged into a single beam with the modulated sub-pulses spaced in succession along said single beam in the order in which they emerge from said cells, the said receiver means including means actuating said single beam to convert said emitted sub-pulse occurring in timed succession in said single beam into sub-pulses occurring in spatial succession, and means responsive to said sub-pulses in spatial succession for deriving the said intelligence impressed on said sub-pulses.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
212 words
Communication apparatus including a source of pulses of radiant energy, an array of beam splitters, successively interposed in the path of said radiant energy, subdividing each of said pulses into a plurality of sub-pulses, said sub-pulses occurring in a predetermined timed succession dependent on the spacing along the path of said radiant energy between said beam splitters, an array of electro-optic cells interposed in the path of said sub-pulses, each sub-pulses of each pulse impinging on a cell of said array, means connected to each said cells for impressing intelligence on its associated sub-pulse, each cell emitting a sub-pulse modulated by said intelligence, and receiver means, spaced from said cells but in communication with said emitted sub-pulses, said receiver means being spaced a distance from said cells such that over said distance the sub-pulses emitted by said cells are converged into a single beam with the modulated sub-pulses spaced in succession along said single beam in the order in which they emerge from said cells, the said receiver means including means actuating said single beam to convert said emitted sub-pulse occurring in timed succession in said single beam into sub-pulses occurring in spatial succession, and means responsive to said sub-pulses in spatial succession for deriving the said intelligence impressed on said sub-pulses.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
15 words
The apparatus of claim 1 including means for synchronizing the source with the actuating means.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
80 words
The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the means responsive to the sub-pulses in spatial succession includes a plurality of responsive elements spaced along a single dimension, and wherein the actuating means includes line-scanning means for causing the sub-pulses occurring in spatial succession to scan said responsive elements along said single dimension, the spacing of said elements being so correlated to the time intervals between said sub-pulses in timed succession that each element responds to a sub-pulse of said timed succession.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
159 words
An intelligence communication system including a CW laser source, means for mode-locking said source to produce a train of optical pulses, means for converting each said mode-locked pulse in said train into a burst of spatially and time separated sub-pulses, means for impressing intelligence on said sub-pulses, said modulated sub-pulses being emitted from said intelligence impressing means, means, spaced from said intelligence impressing means, for receiving the sub-pulses having intelligence impressed thereon, said receiver means being spaced a distance from said intelligence impressing means such that, over said distance, the sub-pulses emitted by said inteLligence impressing means are converged into a single beam with the sub-pulses spaced in succession along said single beam in the order in which they emerge from said intelligence impressing means, means synchronized with the burst of sub-pulse and responsive to the time separation between said received sub-pulses for space separating said received sub-pulses and means for deriving said intelligence from said received space-separated sub-pulses.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
159 words
An intelligence communication system including a CW laser source, means for mode-locking said source to produce a train of optical pulses, means for converting each said mode-locked pulse in said train into a burst of spatially and time separated sub-pulses, means for impressing intelligence on said sub-pulses, said modulated sub-pulses being emitted from said intelligence impressing means, means, spaced from said intelligence impressing means, for receiving the sub-pulses having intelligence impressed thereon, said receiver means being spaced a distance from said intelligence impressing means such that, over said distance, the sub-pulses emitted by said inteLligence impressing means are converged into a single beam with the sub-pulses spaced in succession along said single beam in the order in which they emerge from said intelligence impressing means, means synchronized with the burst of sub-pulse and responsive to the time separation between said received sub-pulses for space separating said received sub-pulses and means for deriving said intelligence from said received space-separated sub-pulses.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
44 words
The apparatus of claim 4 wherein the space separating means includes an array of contiguous electro-optic prisms on which the single beam impinges and also includes means for impressing potentials on said prism to cause said beam to be deflected over a spatial path.
Claim 8
Independent Claim
123 words
The method of communicating digital intelligence at a high speed of the order of 1010 digits per second, which comprises converting a beam of radiant energy into a succession of sub-pulses having a timed distribution by progressive increase of the lengths of the paths over which parts of the said beam are transmitted, impressing said digital intelligence on said sub-pulses, transmitting said pulses together over a distance such that the sub-pulses are converged into a single beam with the sub-pulses spaced along said single beam in accordance with the timed distribution receiving said single beam, periodically deflecting the received single beam to convert said timed distribution of sub-pulses into a spatial distribution, and deriving said intelligence sub-pulse by sub-pulse from said spatial distribution.
Claim 9
Independent Claim
123 words
The method of communicating digital intelligence at a high speed of the order of 1010 digits per second, which comprises converting a beam of radiant energy into a succession of sub-pulses having a timed distribution by progressive increase of the lengths of the paths over which parts of the said beam are transmitted, impressing said digital intelligence on said sub-pulses, transmitting said pulses together over a distance such that the sub-pulses are converged into a single beam with the sub-pulses spaced along said single beam in accordance with the timed distribution receiving said single beam, periodically deflecting the received single beam to convert said timed distribution of sub-pulses into a spatial distribution, and deriving said intelligence sub-pulse by sub-pulse from said spatial distribution.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
70 words
The method of claim 6 practiced with a continuous wave laser, the said method including the step of producing the beam of radiant energy by mode locking said laser thus producing a train of periodically occurring main pulses, each of said last-named pulses being converted into a succession of sub-pulses, the said method also including the step of synchronizing the deflection of the received single beam with the main pulses.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1976-06-18 | 1976-12-18 | 1977-06-19 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1980-06-18 | 1980-12-18 | 1981-06-19 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1984-06-18 | 1984-12-18 | 1985-06-19 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |