System and method for line-of-sight optical broadcasting using beam divergence and an orbiting or airborne corner cube reflector

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9948395-B2
Application number	US-201615262200-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 12, 2016
Priority date	Sep 12, 2016
Publication date	Apr 17, 2018
Grant date	Apr 17, 2018

Abstract

A system comprises a tracking electromagnetic beam generator, a retro-reflecting device, a signal generator, a communication electromagnetic beam generator and a receiver. The tracking electromagnetic beam generator transmits a tracking electromagnetic beam. The retro-reflecting device reflects the tracking electromagnetic beam toward the tracking electromagnetic beam generator. The signal generator generates a communication signal. The communication electromagnetic beam generator transmits a communication electromagnetic beam, based on the communication signal, to the retro-reflecting device. The receiver receives a portion of the communication electromagnetic beam as reflected from the retro-reflecting device.

First claim

What is claimed as new and desired to be protected by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. A system comprising:
a tracking electromagnetic beam generator operable to transmit a tracking electromagnetic beam;
a retro-reflecting device operable to reflect the tracking electromagnetic beam toward said tracking electromagnetic beam generator;
a signal generator operable to generate a communication signal;
a communication electromagnetic beam generator operable to transmit a communication electromagnetic beam, based on the communication signal, to said retro-reflecting device; and
a receiver operable to receive a portion of the communication electromagnetic beam as reflected from said retro-reflecting device.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein said communication electromagnetic beam generator comprises a laser operable to transmit the communication electromagnetic beam as a laser beam including a wavelength of 1550 nm.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein said communication electromagnetic beam generator comprises a laser operable to transmit the communication electromagnetic beam as a laser beam including a wavelength within a wavelength band of 200 nm-10600 nm.

4. The system of claim 1 , further comprising:
a second communication electromagnetic beam generator operable to transmit a second communication electromagnetic beam,
wherein the communication electromagnetic beam and the second communication electromagnetic beam have different wavelengths.

5. The system of claim 1 , further comprising:
a second communication electromagnetic beam generator operable to transmit a second communication electromagnetic beam,
wherein the communication electromagnetic beam and the second communication electromagnetic beam have different encoding schemes.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein said retro-reflecting device comprises an eight-corner spherical retroreflector.

7. The system of claim 1 , wherein said retro-reflecting device comprises an array of corner cube retro-reflectors.

8. The system of claim 1 , wherein said retro-reflecting device comprises a curved mirror.

9. The system of claim 1 , wherein said retro-reflecting device comprises a mirror and a lens.

10. A method comprising:
transmitting, via a tracking electromagnetic beam generator, a tracking electromagnetic beam;
reflecting, via a retro-reflecting device, the tracking electromagnetic beam toward the tracking electromagnetic beam generator;
generating, via a signal generator, a communication signal;
transmitting, via a communication electromagnetic beam generator, a communication electromagnetic beam, based on the communication signal, to the retro-reflecting device; and
receiving, via a receiver, a portion of the communication electromagnetic beam as reflected from the retro-reflecting device.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein said transmitting, via a communication electromagnetic beam generator, a communication electromagnetic beam comprises transmitting, via a communication laser, the communication electromagnetic beam as a laser beam including a wavelength of 1550 nm.

12. The method of claim 10 , wherein said transmitting, via a communication electromagnetic beam generator, a communication electromagnetic beam comprises transmitting, via a communication laser, the communication electromagnetic beam as a laser beam including a wavelength within a wavelength band of 400-550 nm.

13. The method of claim 10 , further comprising:
transmitting, via a second communication electromagnetic beam generator, a second communication electromagnetic beam,
wherein the communication electromagnetic beam and the second communication electromagnetic beam have different wavelengths.

14. The method of claim 10 , further comprising:
transmitting, via a second communication electromagnetic beam generator, a second communication electromagnetic beam,
wherein the communication electromagnetic beam and the second communication electromagnetic beam have different encoding schemes.

15. The method of claim 10 , wherein said reflecting, via a retro-reflecting device, the tracking electromagnetic beam toward the tracking electromagnetic beam generator comprises reflecting via an eight-corner spherical retroreflector.

16. The method of claim 10 , wherein said reflecting, via a retro-reflecting device, the tracking electromagnetic beam toward the tracking electromagnetic beam generator comprises reflecting via an array of corner cube retro-reflectors.

17. The method of claim 10 , wherein said reflecting, via a retro-reflecting device, the tracking electromagnetic beam toward the tracking electromagnetic beam generator comprises reflecting via a curved mirror.

18. The method of claim 10 , wherein said reflecting, via a retro-reflecting device, the tracking electromagnetic beam toward the tracking electromagnetic beam generator comprises reflecting via a mirror and a lens.

19. A method comprising:
transmitting, via a tracking electromagnetic beam generator, a tracking electromagnetic beam;
reflecting, via a retro-reflecting device, the tracking electromagnetic beam toward the tracking electromagnetic beam generator;
generating, via a signal generator, a communication signal;
encoding, via an encoder, the communication signal to generate an encoded signal;
transmitting, via a communication electromagnetic beam generator, a communication electromagnetic beam, based on the communication signal, to the retro-reflecting device;
receiving, via a receiver, a portion of the communication electromagnetic beam as reflected from the retro-reflecting device to generate a received signal; and
decoding, via a decoder, the received signal.

20. The method of claim 19 , wherein said reflecting, via a retro-reflecting device, the tracking electromagnetic beam toward the tracking electromagnetic beam generator comprises reflecting via an eight-corner spherical retroreflector.

Assignees

• Us Navy
• Us Navy

Inventors

• Neuner Iii Burton H
• Swanson Paul D
• Wayne David T
• Degrassie John S

Classifications

• H04B10/118 Primary

  specially adapted for satellite communication · CPC title

• H04B10/1129

  Arrangements for outdoor wireless networking of information · CPC title