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US5329395A Expired / Lapsed US ⏱️ 0.0 years remaining

Optical atmospheric communication system

Assignee: Sony Corp
•
Filing: 1992-12-23
•
Granted: 1994-07-12
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Expires: 2012-12-23
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Abstract

Abstract In an optical atmospheric communication apparatus for transmitting desired information via an optical beam circulating in the atmosphere, the position of a transmitting object can be easily detected and thus the projecting position of an optical beam can be corrected, even in the case where the optical beam coming from the transmission object cannot be received. The projecting position of the optical beam is displaced within a prescribed range, and the light receiving area of the optical beam reflected at a corner cube reflector is detected in order that the projecting position of the optical beam is corrected based on the centroidal position of the light receiving area.

Inventors

  • 👤 Kazuo Endo
  • 👤 Yujiro Ito

Bibliographic Details

Application Number —
Jurisdiction US
Data Source google_patents
Last Synchronized 2026-11-03 10:45
CPC Classifications
H; H04; H04B; H04B10/00; H04B10/11; H04B10/112; H04B10/1123; H04B10/1125

Claims Analysis

Total Claims: 5
Claim 1
Independent Claim 161 words
An optical atmospheric communication apparatus having first and second terminals remotely located from each other for transmitting an optical beam between transmitting means and receiving means having an optical beam reflector for reflecting a received optical beam to an opposite direction, said transmitting means comprising: light source means for generating an optical beam; beam scanning means for scanning the optical beam so as to change the projecting direction of the optical beam; means for receiving the optical beam reflected from said optical beam reflector; means for detecting a quantity of the optical beam incident to said receiving means in each projecting direction; and means for determining a suitable projecting direction of the optical beam in accordance with an output signal of said detecting means, in which said determining means determine the suitable projecting direction by a following function, ##EQU5## (here, X w , Y w ) is a centroid and P(x, y) is an optical quantity of the received light beam).
Claim 2
Dependent Claim 161 words
An optical atmospheric communication apparatus having first and second terminals remotely located from each other for transmitting an optical beam between transmitting means and receiving means having an optical beam reflector for reflecting a received optical beam to an opposite direction, said transmitting means comprising: light source means for generating an optical beam; beam scanning means for scanning the optical beam so as to change the projecting direction of the optical beam; means for receiving the optical beam reflected from said optical beam reflector; means for detecting a quantity of the optical beam incident to said receiving means in each projecting direction; and means for determining a suitable projecting direction of the optical beam in accordance with an output signal of said detecting means, in which said determining means determine the suitable projecting direction by a following function, ##EQU5## (here, X w , Y w ) is a centroid and P(x, y) is an optical quantity of the received light beam).
Claim 3
Dependent Claim 33 words
The optical atmospheric communication apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said determining means executes said equations (1) and (2), as P(x, y)=0 when P(x, y)<P.sub.0 (where here, P 0 is a threshold value).
Claim 4
Dependent Claim 25 words
The optical atmospheric communication apparatus according to claim 2, wherein said determining means executes said equations (1) and (2), as P(x, y)=1 when P(x, y)≧P.sub.0
Claim 5
Dependent Claim 26 words
The optical atmospheric communication apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising: means for adjusting the projecting direction of the optical beam to a suitable projecting direction.

References Cited (Backward Citations)

US4227261A Cited
US4823402A Cited
US5065455A Cited
JPH01305734A Cited
JPH02276328A Cited
US5060304A Cited
US5221985A Cited

USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows

Annuity Stage Window Opens Payment Deadline Surcharge Period Until Estimated Fee Status
3.5 Years (Year 4) 1997-07-11 1998-01-10 1998-07-12 $2000.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8) 2001-07-11 2002-01-10 2002-07-12 $3760.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12) 2005-07-11 2006-01-10 2006-07-12 $7700.00 Window Closed / Lapsed

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