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:
Dec. 15, 1981
Filed:
Oct. 20, 1977
Charles E Davis, Coldwater, MI (US);
Other;
Abstract
A system for beaming solar energy from space to an earth location and putting it to useful work either as heat or light energy, or by converting it into some other form of energy such as steam or electrical power. In the system illustrated, a receiver satellite is in polar orbit and a relay satellite is in equatorial orbit, rotating with the earth and therefore stationary with respect to earth location. Solar energy is collected by the receiver satellite through an array of parabolic collectors and focused by a series of mirrors onto a coherent radiation energy generator, preferably a laser beam generator. The laser beam is directed by a mirror to another mirror on the relay satellite which redirects it to a selected earth location. Alternatively, the relay satellite may convert the laser beam to a maser beam to better penetrate clouds, smoke and haze at the earth location. The mirrors on the two satellites are mounted on gimbals and are power-operated under continuous automatic telemetry control between the satellites and the ground to direct the laser or maser beam to the eath location. Provision is made on one of the satellites for modifying the beam through a constructive interference filter or a diffuser/expander lens, or both, to regulate the kind of energy and the area covered at the earth location.