Patent US5390040A successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
US5390040A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Optical transceiver for free-space communication links
Assignee: Lockheed Martin Corp
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Filing: 1994-02-04
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Granted: 1995-02-14
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Expires: 2014-02-04
Abstract
Abstract An optical transceiver for full-duplex communications employs a single gimbaled steering mirror, a receiver for receiving an incoming beam reflected from a field of view on the central portion of the mirror, and a transmitter for directing an outgoing beam onto a peripheral portion of the steering mirror outside of the field of view of the receiver. In the preferred embodiment, the receiver includes a Cassegranian telescope that receives the incoming beam reflected by the steering mirror and directs the beam through a beam splitter to produce separate beams for tracking and data recovery. The transmitter consists of a plurality of lasers positioned at the periphery of the telescope that have been boresighted to effectively produce a combined beam that is substantially parallel to the incoming beam. The transmitted beam has a divergence of at least approximately 200 micro-radians.
Inventors
- 👤 Eric J. Mayeux
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-01 21:32
CPC Classifications
H; H04; H04B; H04B10/00; H04B10/11; H04B10/118
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 26
Claim 1
Independent Claim
67 words
An optical transceiver for full-duplex communications comprising: a gimbaled steering mirror; positioning means for moving said steering mirror into desired orientations; a receiver for receiving an incoming beam reflected from a predetermined field of view on said steering mirror; and a transmitter for directing an outgoing beam onto said steering mirror in a predetermined region of said steering mirror outside said field of view of said receiver.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
67 words
An optical transceiver for full-duplex communications comprising: a gimbaled steering mirror; positioning means for moving said steering mirror into desired orientations; a receiver for receiving an incoming beam reflected from a predetermined field of view on said steering mirror; and a transmitter for directing an outgoing beam onto said steering mirror in a predetermined region of said steering mirror outside said field of view of said receiver.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
23 words
The optical transceiver of claim 1, wherein said receiver comprises: a detector; and a telescope for focusing said incoming beam onto said detector.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
12 words
The optical transceiver of claim 2, wherein said telescope comprises Cassegranian optics.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
19 words
The optical transceiver of claim 2, further comprising baffle means for isolating said incoming beam from said outgoing beam.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
26 words
The optical transceiver of claim 1, wherein said transmitter comprises a plurality of lasers aligned to produce an overlapping beam at distances remote from said transceiver.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
21 words
The optical transceiver of claim 1, wherein said transmitter produces a beam having a divergence of at least approximately 200 micro-radians.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
34 words
The optical transceiver of claim 1, wherein said receiver further comprises a beam splitter for splitting said incoming beam into a first portion used for tracking and a second portion used for recovering data.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
21 words
The optical transceiver of claim 7, further comprising a quad cell photodetector for receiving said tracking portion of said incoming beam.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
33 words
The optical transceiver of claim 1, wherein said steering mirror comprises a flat reflective surface and said transmitter is boresighted to produce an outgoing beam that is substantially parallel to said incoming beam.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
37 words
The optical transceiver of claim 1, wherein said field of view of said receiver covers a central portion of said steering mirror and said transmitter directs said outgoing beam onto a peripheral portion of said steering mirror.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
111 words
An optical transceiver for full-duplex communications comprising: a gimbaled steering mirror having a flat reflective surface; a detector for recovering data from an incoming beam; a telescope for receiving an incoming beam reflected along a predetermined axis from within a predetermined field of view on said steering mirror, and for focusing said incoming beam onto said detector; positioning means for controlling the azimuth and elevational orientation of said steering mirror relative to said axis of said telescope; and at least one transmitting laser for directing an outgoing beam parallel to said axis of said telescope onto a portion of said steering mirror outside of said field of view of said telescope.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
111 words
An optical transceiver for full-duplex communications comprising: a gimbaled steering mirror having a flat reflective surface; a detector for recovering data from an incoming beam; a telescope for receiving an incoming beam reflected along a predetermined axis from within a predetermined field of view on said steering mirror, and for focusing said incoming beam onto said detector; positioning means for controlling the azimuth and elevational orientation of said steering mirror relative to said axis of said telescope; and at least one transmitting laser for directing an outgoing beam parallel to said axis of said telescope onto a portion of said steering mirror outside of said field of view of said telescope.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
12 words
The optical transceiver of claim 11, wherein said telescope comprises Cassegranian optics.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
19 words
The optical transceiver of claim 11, further comprising baffle means for isolating said incoming beam from said outgoing beam.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
26 words
The optical transceiver of claim 11, wherein said transmitter comprises a plurality of lasers aligned to produce an overlapping beam at distances remote from said transceiver.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
21 words
The optical transceiver of claim 11, wherein said transmitter produces a beam having a divergence of at least approximately 200 micro-radians.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
35 words
The optical transceiver of claim 11, further comprising a beam splitter for splitting said incoming beam focused by said telescope into a first portion used for tracking and a second portion used for recovering data.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
21 words
The optical transceiver of claim 16, further comprising a quad cell photodetector for receiving said tracking portion of said incoming beam.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
38 words
The optical transceiver of claim 11, wherein said field of view of said telescope covers a central portion of said steering mirror and said transmitting laser directs said outgoing beam onto a peripheral portion of said steering mirror.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
136 words
An optical transceiver for full-duplex communications comprising: a gimbaled steering mirror having a flat reflective surface; positioning means for controlling the azimuth and elevational orientation of said steering mirror relative to a predetermined axis; a telescope extending along said axis for focusing an incoming beam reflected from within a predetermined field of view on said steering mirror; a beam splitter for splitting said incoming beam focused by said telescope into a first beam and a second beam; a data detector for recovering data from said first beam; a tracking detector for receiving said second beam and generating a tracking signal to control said positioning means; and at least one transmitting laser for directing an outgoing beam parallel to said axis onto a portion of said steering mirror outside of said field of view of said telescope.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
136 words
An optical transceiver for full-duplex communications comprising: a gimbaled steering mirror having a flat reflective surface; positioning means for controlling the azimuth and elevational orientation of said steering mirror relative to a predetermined axis; a telescope extending along said axis for focusing an incoming beam reflected from within a predetermined field of view on said steering mirror; a beam splitter for splitting said incoming beam focused by said telescope into a first beam and a second beam; a data detector for recovering data from said first beam; a tracking detector for receiving said second beam and generating a tracking signal to control said positioning means; and at least one transmitting laser for directing an outgoing beam parallel to said axis onto a portion of said steering mirror outside of said field of view of said telescope.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
23 words
The optical transceiver of claim 19, wherein said transmitting lasers produce a combined beam having a divergence of at least approximately 200 micro-radians.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
12 words
The optical transceiver of claim 19, wherein said telescope comprises Cassegrainian optics.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
19 words
The optical transceiver of claim 19, further comprising baffle means for isolating said incoming beam from said outgoing beam.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim
15 words
The optical transceiver of claim 19, wherein said tracking detector comprises a quad cell photodetector.
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1998-02-13 | 1998-08-15 | 1999-02-14 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 2002-02-13 | 2002-08-15 | 2003-02-14 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2006-02-13 | 2006-08-15 | 2007-02-14 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |