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US4025194A Expired / Lapsed US ⏱️ 0.0 years remaining

Common aperture laser transmitter/receiver

Assignee: United States Department of the Navy
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Filing: 1976-03-22
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Granted: 1977-05-24
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Expires: 1996-03-22
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Abstract

Abstract A common-optics laser transceiver has a common aperture for transmitting receiving a laser beam, and uses the resonator polarizer to separate the resonator beam from the receiver beam, resulting in a polarization sensitive, lightweight laser transmitter/receiver.

Inventors

  • 👤 Edward A. Teppo

Bibliographic Details

Application Number —
Jurisdiction US
Data Source google_patents
Last Synchronized 2026-10-23 09:56
CPC Classifications
H; H04; H04B; H04B10/00; H04B10/11; H04B10/112; H04B10/1123; H04B10/1125; H01; H01S; H01S3/00; H01S3/0007; H01S3/05; H01S3/08; H01S3/08054; H01S3/081; H01S3/0813; H01S3/0815; H01S3/10; H01S3/11; H01S3/1123

Claims Analysis

Total Claims: 7
Claim 1
Independent Claim 215 words
A common-optics laser transceiver comprising: a resonant laser cavity having a cell of lasing material which provides a linearly polarized beam when excited, and two reflective end mirrors situated one on either side of said lasing cell along the optical axis; means for providing phase retardation of said beam, said retardation means being situated along the optical axis between said lasing cell and the first of said end mirrors; means for polarizing said beam to provide a transmitted beam and a resonator beam, said polarizing means being situated along the optical axis between said lasing cell and the second of said end mirrors so that said resonator beam is directed to said second end mirror, the amplitude of said resonator beam being a function of the amount of phase retardation, and being sufficient to maintain resonance in said laser cavity; means for circularly polarizing said transmitted beam, said polarizing means being situated along the optical axis of said transmitted beam; and means for detecting a received beam, said received beam being that portion of said transmitted beam reflected from a target, the path of said received beam being coincident with the path of said transmitted beam through the circularly polarizing means to said polarizing means where said received beam is directed to said detecting means.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim 215 words
A common-optics laser transceiver comprising: a resonant laser cavity having a cell of lasing material which provides a linearly polarized beam when excited, and two reflective end mirrors situated one on either side of said lasing cell along the optical axis; means for providing phase retardation of said beam, said retardation means being situated along the optical axis between said lasing cell and the first of said end mirrors; means for polarizing said beam to provide a transmitted beam and a resonator beam, said polarizing means being situated along the optical axis between said lasing cell and the second of said end mirrors so that said resonator beam is directed to said second end mirror, the amplitude of said resonator beam being a function of the amount of phase retardation, and being sufficient to maintain resonance in said laser cavity; means for circularly polarizing said transmitted beam, said polarizing means being situated along the optical axis of said transmitted beam; and means for detecting a received beam, said received beam being that portion of said transmitted beam reflected from a target, the path of said received beam being coincident with the path of said transmitted beam through the circularly polarizing means to said polarizing means where said received beam is directed to said detecting means.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim 31 words
A common-optics laser transceiver as recited in claim 1 further comprising means for focusing said received beam onto said detecting means after said received beam has passed through said polarizing means.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim 54 words
A common-optics laser transceiver as recited in claim 2 further comprising means for collimating said transmitted beam and collecting said received beam, said collimating and collecting means being situated after said circularly polarizing means along the optical axis of said transmitted and received beams, whereby the common aperture of said laser cavity is determined.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim 35 words
A common-optics laser transceiver as recited in claim 3 wherein said circularly polarizing means comprises a quarter wave plate whose optic axis is oriented at 45° to the plane of polarization of said transmitted beam.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim 51 words
A common-optics laser transceiver as recited in claim 4 further comprising a fold mirror situated between said lasing cell and said polarizing means so that said beam is reflected at an acute angle between said polarizing means and said lasing cell, whereby the physical size of said laser cavity is reduced.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim 33 words
A common-optics laser transceiver as recited in claim 5 further comprising an exit mirror situated in relation to said polarizing means so that said transmitted beam is deflected to said circularly polarizing means.

References Cited (Backward Citations)

No citation records indexed.

USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows

Annuity Stage Window Opens Payment Deadline Surcharge Period Until Estimated Fee Status
3.5 Years (Year 4) 1980-05-23 1980-11-22 1981-05-24 $2000.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8) 1984-05-23 1984-11-22 1985-05-24 $3760.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12) 1988-05-23 1988-11-22 1989-05-24 $7700.00 Window Closed / Lapsed

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