Optical space communication apparatus

Claim 2

An optical space communication apparatus comprising: light-emitting means for emitting an elliptic light beam; and a light-projecting optical system for converting the elliptic light beam emitted by said light-emitting means into a transmission light beam, said light-projecting optical system comprising a plurality of optical elements, said system shaping a cross section of said transmission light beam into an elliptic shape immediately after having left said light-projecting optical system, and shaping the cross section of said transmission light beam at a farthest distance in a transmissible distance range such that a first width of said cross section along a first axis is substantially the same as a second width of said cross section along a second axis that is perpendicular to said first axis.

Claim 3

An optical space communication apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said light-emitting means is a laser diode.

Claim 4

An optical space communication apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said light-projecting optical system comprises a lens surface having different curvatures in two directions perpendicular to each other, as an arbitrary surface.

Claim 5

An optical space communication apparatus according to claim 3, wherein said lens surface is a cylindrical surface.

Claim 6

An optical space communication apparatus according to claim 3, wherein said lens surface is a toric surface.

Claim 7

An optical space communication apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said light-projecting optical system comprises a prism.

Claim 8

An optical space communication apparatus for communicating with a partner optical space communication apparatus comprising: a receiving optical system for receiving a first transmission of a light beam from the partner optical space communication apparatus; and a transmission optical system for transmitting a second transmission light beam to the partner optical space communication apparatus, said transmission optical system comprising a light-emitting element for emitting light to an optical element having a lens surface with different curvatures in two directions perpendicular to each other, as an arbitrary surface, said optical element being set in an optical path separated from an optical path of said receiving optical system, wherein said transmission optical system shapes a cross section of the second transmission light beam into an elliptic shape immediately after having left said transmission optical system and also shapes the cross section of the second transmission light beam into a nearly circular shape at a receiving point being located at a farthest point in a transmissible distance range.

Claim 9

An optical space communication apparatus for communicating with a partner optical space communication apparatus comprising: a receiving optical system for receiving a first transmission of a light beam from the partner optical space communication apparatus; and a transmission optical system for transmitting a second transmission light beam to the partner optical space communication apparatus, said transmission optical system comprising a light-emitting element for emitting light to an optical element having a lens surface with different curvatures in two directions perpendicular to each other, as an arbitrary surface, said optical element being set in an optical path separated from an optical path of said receiving optical system, wherein said transmission optical system shapes a cross section of the second transmission light beam into an elliptic shape immediately after having left said transmission optical system and also shapes the cross section of the second transmission light beam into a nearly circular shape at a receiving point being located at a farthest point in a transmissible distance range.

Claim 10

An optical space communication apparatus according to claim 7, wherein said transmission optical system comprises light-emitting means for emitting an elliptic light beam.

Claim 11

An optical space communication apparatus according to claim 8, wherein said light-emitting means is a laser diode.

Claim 12

An optical space communication apparatus according to claim 7, wherein said lens surface is a cylindrical surface.

Claim 13

An optical space communication apparatus according to claim 7, wherein said lens surface is a toric surface.

Claim 14

An optical space communication apparatus for communicating with a partner optical space communication apparatus, comprising: a receiving optical system for receiving a first transmission light beam from the partner optical space communication apparatus; and a transmission optical system comprising a light-emitting element for emitting a second transmission light beam to be transmitted to the partner optical space communication apparatus, said transmission optical system further comprising a prism, said prism being set in an optical path separated from an optical path of said receiving optical system, wherein said transmission optical system shapes a cross section of the second transmission light beam into an elliptic shape immediately after having left said transmission optical system and also shapes the cross section of the second transmission light beam located at a farthest point in a transmissible distance range such that a first width of said cross section along a first axis is substantially the same as a second width of said cross section along a second axis that is perpendicular to said first axis.

Claim 15

An optical space communication apparatus for communicating with a partner optical space communication apparatus, comprising: a receiving optical system for receiving a first transmission light beam from the partner optical space communication apparatus; and a transmission optical system comprising a light-emitting element for emitting a second transmission light beam to be transmitted to the partner optical space communication apparatus, said transmission optical system further comprising a prism, said prism being set in an optical path separated from an optical path of said receiving optical system, wherein said transmission optical system shapes a cross section of the second transmission light beam into an elliptic shape immediately after having left said transmission optical system and also shapes the cross section of the second transmission light beam located at a farthest point in a transmissible distance range such that a first width of said cross section along a first axis is substantially the same as a second width of said cross section along a second axis that is perpendicular to said first axis.

Claim 16

An optical space communication apparatus according to claim 12, wherein said transmission optical system comprises light-emitting means for emitting an elliptic light beam.

Claim 17

An optical space communication apparatus according to claim 13, wherein said light-emitting means is a laser diode.