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:
Feb. 12, 2002
Filed:
Nov. 03, 1998
Robert Arnold, Escondido, CA (US);
Richard G. Trissel, Cardiff, CA (US);
Scott Bloom, Encinitas, CA (US);
Trex Communications Corporation, San Diego, CA (US);
Abstract
A free-space laser communication system having six axes of movement. The system includes a fine tracking and acquisition system comprising a low inertia steering mirror having two axes of movement which points the communication laser transmission optical apertures separately from the optical apertures for the beacon laser, a coarse tracker, and a communication receiver. A fine tracking centroider and the communication lasers have the steerable mirror in common, and thus do not experience any alignment error that might arise from use of a separate deflecting element for each. The fine tracking and acquisition system is preferably mounted on a gimbal having two axes of movement, and the gimbal in turn is preferably mounted in a housing having two axes of movement.