The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Jan. 27, 1981
Filed:
Sep. 07, 1978
Albert B Welch, Dallas, TX (US);
Other;
Abstract
A high-energy laser (22) carried in an aircraft (10) directs a laser beam (16) downward to a point (18) on the earth's surface beneath the aircraft (10). The intensity of the laser beam (16) is such that the material at the point (18) of contact is vaporized and thereby caused to emit atomic emission spectra characteristic of the material. A spectrometer (28) carried in the aircraft (10) collects the resulting spectra which is analyzed to determine the type and quantity of chemical elements present in the vaporzied sample. The laser beam (16) is directed at the point (18) on the surface with sufficient energy and for a period of time so as to penetrate the surface layer and vaporize the underlying material more representative of the overall mineral composition present in the region of the sample. A second laser beam from laser (29) is directed to the point (18) of contact to generate radiation for Raman and fluorescence spectrometry.