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:
Jan. 25, 2005
Filed:
Jul. 12, 2001
Herman Presby, Highland Park, NJ (US);
Herman Presby, Highland Park, NJ (US);
Terabeam Corporation, Falls Church, VA (US);
Abstract
A method and apparatus for improving the transmission of a free-space optical communications signals through windows having surface imperfections. A void-filling material is applied to one or both surfaces of the window to fill any non-flat surface voids on those surfaces in areas through which an optical communications signal passes. In one embodiment, one or two substantially perfect optically translucent plates are mounted to the imperfect surface(s) of the window so as to capture the void-filling material between an inside surface of each optically translucent plate and the imperfect surfaces of the window. The void-filling material is selected to have an index of refraction that substantially matches an index of refraction for the window at an optical wavelength corresponding to the free-space optical communication signal. As a result, the adverse effects that would normally be caused to free-space optical communication signals that are passed through windows having surface imperfections are substantially eliminated.