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:
Sep. 12, 1989
Filed:
Apr. 01, 1983
Richard J Borken, St. Louis Park, MN (US);
William W Durand, Edina, MN (US);
Honeywell Inc., Minneapolis, MN (US);
Abstract
An optical system for determining if a target object is an object of a first kind, including means for illuminating the target object along an incident path with coherent light of a selected nature means, for retro-reflecting coherent light from an object of a first kind, means for detecting the nature of light reflected from at least a portion of the target object, means for comparing the nature of the detected light to the selected nature, and means for indicating that said target object is an object of a first kind if the nature of said detected light is the same as the selected nature. Alternative embodiments include encoding interrogating and retro-reflected light signals at both the interrogating station and target stations, and the use of a verification signal directed at the target object prior to illumination of the target object with an interrogating beam. Phase conjugate mirrors are preferably employed as the retro-reflecting means and it is preferable that the phase conjugate mirror be comprised of HgCdTe. Methods of determining whether a target object is an object of a first kind, corresponding to the disclosed devices, are also disclosed.