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"What, sir, would you make a ship sail against the wind and currents by lighting a bonfire under her deck? I pray you, excuse me, I have not the time to listen to such nonsense."
Napoleon Bonaparte ; When told of the Robert Fulton steamboat
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| Number | Title | Issue Date |
| 8155527 | Apparatus and method for sending and receiving free space optical signals A free space optical communication system incorporates a kinematic sensor, such as an accelerometer, proximate an optical signal generator or emitter, such as a laser. Kinematic information generated using an output signal from the kinematic sensor is encoded along ... | 04/10/2012 |
| 7689127 | Deformable mirrors for multi-access laser communications terminal A multi-access laser communications terminal is disclosed. The communications terminal includes a deformable mirror whose surface contour is deformable by one or more actuators. The communications terminal further includes a closed-loop tracking system which control... | 03/30/2010 |
| 7657183 | Method and apparatus for hemispherical retargeting A method and apparatus for steering energy over a wide field of view is disclosed. The apparatus comprises a beam steering system for directing a first beam from an optical source across an image plane and a WFOV optical system having the image plane, the WFOV optic... | 02/02/2010 |
| 7406263 | Combined wavefront sensor and data detector for a free space optical communications system with adaptive optics In an adaptive optics module, wavefront sensing and data detection are implemented in a single device. For example, an optical-to-electrical converter converts a data-encoded optical beam to an intermediate electrical signal, which contains both the data encoded in ... | 07/29/2008 |
| 7391975 | Method of synchronizing servo timing in an optical wireless link A technique for synchronizing the servo control systems between two optical wireless links (OWLs) that are in communication with one another. This synchronization allows the alignment in time of the various tasks to be assigned in a desired time period. The synchron... | 06/24/2008 |
| 7366419 | Spatial transmit/receive isolation method for optical communication systems Apparatus, and a corresponding method, for spatially isolating a transmit beam and a receive beam, which, in satellite communication systems, are inherently separated by a look ahead angle. A receive beam separation mirror is positioned in the receive beam path but ... | 04/29/2008 |
| 7346281 | Hybrid RF/optical communication system with deployable optics and atmosphere compensation system and method An antenna system for receiving both RF wave and optical wave radiation via a single antenna aperture that may be moved between stowed and deployed configurations as needed. The system includes a wavefront correction system for correcting optical wavefront distortio... | 03/18/2008 |
| 7343099 | Free space optical (FSO) laser communication system employing fade mitigation measures based on laser beam speckle tracking and locking principles A free-space adaptive optical laser communication system having signal transmission and reception channels at all terminals in the communication system, wherein wavefront sensing and wavefront correction mechanisms are employed along signal transmission and receptio... | 03/11/2008 |
| 7336903 | Optical wireless transmission apparatus There is disclosed an optical wireless transmission apparatus in which a pilot light emitting section of a receiving/emitting section sends a pilot light in a wavelength region of 930 nm to 960 nm to a target apparatus, and a light receiving device having a light re... | 02/26/2008 |
| 7292789 | Multi-channel wide-field laser communications method and apparatus A communications terminal includes a first aperture configured to receive laser signals from ground laser sources, pick-off mirrors configured to receive laser signals from mobile laser sources, an optical assembly configured to receive the laser communications sign... | 11/06/2007 |
| 7292788 | Multi-beam laser communications system and method A laser communications system includes a wide-field sensor, configured to detect a first set of laser communications sources within a first field of view, a narrow-field sensor includes a tracking portion and a control portion configured to receive laser communicati... | 11/06/2007 |
| 7289736 | Adaptive optics imaging system with object acquisition capability An adaptive optics imaging system has an acquisition imaging subsystem to assist in initial acquisition and alignment of the system to a target object. A wavefront sensor in the adaptive optics imaging system is aligned to a reference object in the acquisition imagi... | 10/30/2007 |
| 7272322 | Modular free space optical (FSO) device and related methods A modular free space optical (FSO) communications device may include an adaptive optics (AO) module and an interchangeable optical relay (OR) module. More particularly, the AO module may include an AO housing and at least one AO device carried thereby. Also, the int... | 09/18/2007 |
| 7268699 | Highway-rail grade crossing hazard mitigation A hazard mitigation system to detect an object in a highway-railway grade crossing. A structure is provided that includes a fixed foundation and a surface layer that is cushionably placed above the foundation, such that the structure is located between tracks at the... | 09/11/2007 |
| 7257327 | Wireless communication system with high efficiency/high power optical source An optical communication system is provided which includes an optical signal transmitter which communicates high bandwidth, high power frequencies. The optical signal transmitter includes a high efficiency/high power optical source such as an optical magnetron or a ... | 08/14/2007 |
| 7245217 | Hazard mitigation for railway track intrusions at train station platforms A hazard mitigation system to detect intrusion by an object into a track zone at a train station platform. A structure is provided that includes a fixed foundation and a surface layer that is cushionably placed above the foundation, such that the structure is locate... | 07/17/2007 |
| 7221874 | Free space optical (FSO) device providing remote control features and related methods A modular free space optical (FSO) communications device may include an optical relay (OR) module and a base module. More particularly, the OR module may include an OR housing and at least one OR device carried thereby. Further, the base module may include a base ho... | 05/22/2007 |
| 7200335 | Optical transceiver An optical transceiver is equipped with at least one coupling lens which condenses reception signal light from an optical medium and condenses transmission signal light to the optical medium, an optical plate which passes the reception signal light and reflects the ... | 04/03/2007 |
| 7190905 | Spatial optical communication apparatus In a disclosed spatial optical communication apparatus, the optical-axis deviation correction is possible at the same time for both high-speed angular variation with a small amplitude and low-speed angular variation with a large amplitude, and the apparatus has a fu... | 03/13/2007 |
| 7171126 | Airborne free-space-optical system utilizing three-tier, ultrafine steering An optical head is provided for a free space optical communications system. The optical head is utilized for transmitting and receiving modulated infrared laser beams. The optical head includes an optical amplifier, a circulator, an ultrafine-steering element, a fin... | 01/30/2007 |
| 7157695 | Optical deflection device including an optical deflection surface having controllable attitude and control method thereof An optical deflection device has a movable mirror including a mirror portion to deflect a light beam, a driver, which drives the movable mirror, a control circuit, which generates a control signal to control the driver, a light intensity detector, which outputs a li... | 01/02/2007 |
| 7158726 | Backbone interface, a terminal interface for communications in a space vehicle, and a communications network comprising such interfaces The invention relates to a communications backbone interface between at least three members of a communications network for a space vehicle. In the invention, the interface combines various signals received at inlets, which signals may be analog, digital, and optica... | 01/02/2007 |
| 7139067 | Three-dimensional imaging with multiframe blind deconvolution Methods and systems for three-dimensional imaging through turbulence such as produced by the Earth's atmosphere are described. A first light source may direct an output of pulses to a target through atmospheric turbulence. A first image sensor, for example a time of... | 11/21/2006 |
| 7133617 | Reflection detection in an optical wireless link In an optical wireless network, where light beams are transmitted over-the-air, reflections of the transmitted light beams may cause a receiver of an optical wireless device to detect and subsequently lock onto the signal that it transmitted. By doing so, the networ... | 11/07/2006 |
| 7116911 | Optical transceiver design and mechanical features A node for use in a wireless communication network that facilitates alignment of the node with other nodes in the network and a method for aligning the node. The node includes mounting fixtures that enables the mounting of GPS receivers and a tiltmeter to obtain pos... | 10/03/2006 |
| 7113707 | Dynamic optical interconnect This invention provides a dynamic interconnection system which allows to couple a pair of optical beams carrying modulation information. In accordance with this invention, two optical beams emanate from transceivers at two different locations. Each beam may not see ... | 09/26/2006 |
| 7103280 | Architecture for an optical satellite communication network A satellite constellation has a plurality of satellites. Each of the satellites has an RF ground link for communicating with a ground station and an optical link for communication with at least one of the plurality of satellites. Each of the satellites has a reconfi... | 09/05/2006 |
| 7079774 | Free-space optical communication system A free-space optical communication system serves transmit/receive subscriber terminals. Each subscriber terminal includes a photo-detector and one or more sources of modulated radiation. A base terminal comprises sources of modulated optical radiation intended for t... | 07/18/2006 |
| 7058307 | Free-space optical communication apparatus and free-space optical communication system A free-space optical communication apparatus includes a storage unit which stores angle-setting information for the mirror for communicating with each of the plurality of other apparatuses, a mirror driving unit which drives the mirror to an angle corresponding to t... | 06/06/2006 |
| 7058308 | Method for communicating multimedia data between electronic devices by means of IR ray The invention relates to a method for communicating multimedia data between electronic devices by means of IR ray, which comprises the steps of converting data to be transmitted into a document by a document processing program installed in an electronic device for t... | 06/06/2006 |
| 7054561 | Reduction of polarization-dependent loss from grating used in double-pass configuration A wavelength router receives light having a plurality of spectral bands at an input port. Subsets of these spectral bands are directed to output ports. The wavelength router includes an optical train and a routing mechanism. The optical train is disposed between the... | 05/30/2006 |
| 7046934 | Optical communication system using a high altitude tethered balloon An optical communication system using a high altitude tethered balloon 10 that operates above most clouds and atmospheric turbulence. An optical communication system includes a balloon 10 with an optical communication payload 30, a fiber optic c... | 05/16/2006 |
| 7039321 | Method of controlling alignment of an optical wireless communication link A method that allows an optical wireless communication link between transmitting and receiving stations to be established and used reliably without the need for position sensing capabilities. A small random nudge of the center of the acquisition spiral is used to pr... | 05/02/2006 |
| 7010227 | Optical/radio local access network A communication system includes a plurality of nodes and a plurality of point-to-point links that interconnect the plurality of nodes into a network. Each node includes an optical switch to controllably route a plurality of in-ports of the optical switch into a plur... | 03/07/2006 |
| 7002127 | Method and system for wavefront compensation Techniques for predicting and correcting for optical distortions. A method for correcting optical distortions in a laser system includes operating a laser system at a first time to emit a laser beam. The laser system includes a laser source, a beam transfer assembly... | 02/21/2006 |
| 6978092 | Apparatus for optical communication using a large-area primary reflector An optical transceiver includes an opaque element having a concave reflective surface arranged in a path of each of an outgoing and an incoming light signal, the reflective surface configured to redirect the paths of the respective light signals. An optical detector... | 12/20/2005 |
| 6968133 | Optical free-space communication apparatus An optical free-space communication apparatus includes a first light-emitting source for emitting a first transmission optical beam having a plane of polarization in a predetermined direction, the first transmission optical beam being modulated according to a primar... | 11/22/2005 |
| 6957020 | Optical inter-satellite link (OISL) gimbal An optical inter-satellite link (OISL) gimbal 10 that is particularly suited for directing an optical beam in an optical inter-satellite communications system is disclosed. The OISL gimbal 10 includes an azimuth drive housing 20, a generally cyl... | 10/18/2005 |
| 6867889 | Transceiver for a wireless optical telecommunication system A holographic optical element (HOE) device is mounted in wireless optical telecommunication system transceiver. The HOE device includes a developed emulsion material having an interference pattern recorded thereon, sandwiched between a pair of elements, such as a pa... | 03/15/2005 |
| 6839520 | Method and arrangement for an interruption-proof optical satellite linkage A method and an arrangement for the employment of free space transmission systems for interruption-proof links between individual satellites of satellite communications systems by utilizing optical terminals. The communication link between two satellites is establis... | 01/04/2005 |
