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:
Jun. 13, 2000
Filed:
Nov. 23, 1998
Scott E Farleigh, Denver, CO (US);
Lucent Technologies Inc., Murray Hill, NJ (US);
Abstract
The present system for redirecting a light beam makes use of a transparent pressure vessel that is filled with a compressible fluid, whose refractive index changes as a function of the pressure applied to the compressible fluid to redirect the path of a light beam that is transmitted through the transparent pressure vessel. An incident beam of coherent monochromatic light is applied to a transparent segment of a wall of the transparent pressure vessel, where this incident light beam is refracted by the compressible fluid contained in the transparent pressure vessel. The refracted light beam traverses the transparent pressure vessel and exits the transparent pressure vessel at a point along the opposite wall of the transparent pressure vessel as determined by the refractive index of the compressible fluid, which is determined by the pressure of the compressible fluid. The pressure of the compressible fluid is controlled by using a pump that is fluidically connected to the transparent pressure vessel. By varying the pressure of the compressible fluid and thus its refractive index, the exit point of the refracted light beam on the wall of the transparent pressure vessel can be precisely controlled. The incident light beam can therefore be switched among a plurality of light sensing or optically transmissive elements that are arrayed in a linear array along the wall of the transparent pressure vessel by simply regulating the pressure applied to the compressible fluid.