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:
May. 26, 1992
Filed:
Feb. 23, 1990
Harold E Sweeney, Menlo Park, CA (US);
GTE Government Systems Corporation, Stamford, CT (US);
Abstract
Spectrally pure optical radiation (SPOR) such as laser radiation is effectively distinguished from broadband optical radiation such as sunlight and herein called radiation of unknown spectral purity (RUSP) by apparatus including an etalon, which apparatus determines balance or unbalance between the respective portions of a signal incident on the etalon that are reflected by and transmitted through the etalon. Unbalance between the two signal portions indicates the presence of SPOR. The intensities of the reflected and transmitted radiation are compared and a determination of inequality or unbalance indicates SPOR whereas equality or balance indicates spectrally impure radiation. Measurement of the sum of the intensities of the reflected and transmitted radiation also provides an estimate of the angle of incidence of RUSP on the etalon. The invention also comprehends the method of identifying SPOR consisting of the steps of directing RUSP toward an etalon, comparing the intensities of the transmitted and reflected radiation, and indicating that RUSP is SPOR if the intensities are unequal or unbalanced. The method also includes measuring the sum of intensities of the reflected and transmitted radiation to provide an estimate of the angle of incidence of RUSP.