Scanning system for optical transmitter beams

Claim 1

An optical scanning system for scanning a remote field of regard comprising: a plurality of lasers having output ports, respectively; a like number of optical fibers connected to said output ports, respectively, for transmitting laser outputs; means to fire said lasers separately and in a predetermined sequence with each laser being fired at least once in a time interval T 1 , whereby correspondingly to produce a plurality of outputs at said ports; an optical system having a focal plane; said fibers having respective ends remote from said laser output ports disposed in said focal plane and aligned in a first direction for transmitting said laser outputs to said focal plane whereby said optical system forms said laser outputs into beams, respectively; and means for scanning said beams in a second direction transversely of said first direction across said field of regard in a time interval T 2 where, T 2 >>T 1 .

Claim 6

A system for optically illuminating a remote field of regard having a predetermined area with laser means having an output beam with an area at the field of regard substantially less than said predetermined area, comprising: a plurality of lasers having output ports, respectively; a like number of optical fibers having one set of adjacent ends connected to said output ports, respectively, and having the opposite ends thereof aligned in a first direction in a common plane whereby to transmit output beams from said lasers to said plane; an optical system between said field of regard and said ends of said fibers, said optical system having a focal plane coincident with said common plane whereby to focus the laser output beams emanating from said ends of the fibers, respectively, in said first direction on said field of regard; means to operate said lasers sequentially with each laser being fired at least once in a time interval T 1 , whereby to so illuminate a portion of said field of regard with the output beams, respectively, of said lasers; and means to move said beams in a second direction transversely of said first direction to illuminate the entire area of said field of regard over a time interval T 2 where, T 2 >>T 1 .

Claim 7

A system for optically illuminating a remote field of regard having a predetermined area with laser means having an output beam with an area at the field of regard substantially less than said predetermined area, comprising: a plurality of lasers having output ports, respectively; a like number of optical fibers having one set of adjacent ends connected to said output ports, respectively, and having the opposite ends thereof aligned in a first direction in a common plane whereby to transmit output beams from said lasers to said plane; an optical system between said field of regard and said ends of said fibers, said optical system having a focal plane coincident with said common plane whereby to focus the laser output beams emanating from said ends of the fibers, respectively, in said first direction on said field of regard; means to operate said lasers sequentially with each laser being fired at least once in a time interval T 1 , whereby to so illuminate a portion of said field of regard with the output beams, respectively, of said lasers; and means to move said beams in a second direction transversely of said first direction to illuminate the entire area of said field of regard over a time interval T 2 where, T 2 >>T 1 .