US4099879A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Optical antenna or lens
Assignee: Individual
•
Filing: 1976-01-23
•
Granted: 1978-07-11
•
Expires: 1996-01-23
Abstract
Abstract An opto-electronic antenna system includes a plurality of transmitting/receiving antennas disposed over a prescribed geometrical surface such as a sphere. To the antennas are optically coupled transmitter/receiver units such as photo-detectors or laser transmitters. The antenna units are scanned electronically according to their position on the geometrical surface by supplying to the individual units, signals differing in phase in accordance with the position of the antenna with which the units are associated both in the vertical and horizontal directions. An evaluation circuit is associated with each unit for determining the azimuth and elevation directions of received radiation. The antennas are constructed of a multitude of lenses having a hexagonal shape.
Inventors
- 👤 Hans Ernst Britz
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-23 03:40
CPC Classifications
H; H01; H01Q; H01Q3/00; H01Q3/24; G; G01; G01S; G01S17/00; G01S17/02; G01S17/06; G01S17/42; H01Q25/00
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 21
Claim 1
Independent Claim
54 words
An optical antenna or lens comprising a plurality of separate and individual bubbles filled with a material transparent to the optical frequency to be utilized for the antenna or lens, at least the separate and individual bubbles surrounded by other bubbles in contacting relation therewith having a hexagonal shape in at least one plane.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
54 words
An optical antenna or lens comprising a plurality of separate and individual bubbles filled with a material transparent to the optical frequency to be utilized for the antenna or lens, at least the separate and individual bubbles surrounded by other bubbles in contacting relation therewith having a hexagonal shape in at least one plane.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
27 words
An optical antenna or lens according to claim 1, wherein said filling material of each of said bubbles is one of a refracting liquid and a gas.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
24 words
An optical antenna or lens according to claim 1, wherein said plurality of separate and individual bubbles comprises closed separate and individual elastic bubbles.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
21 words
An optical antenna or lens according to claim 1, wherein said filling material of each of said bubbles is a gas.
Claim 6
Independent Claim
135 words
A method for the evaluation of the information received from an opto-electronic antenna system having a plurality of stationary antennas disposed on a prescribed geometrical surface, the optical axis of each antenna having an elevation and azimuth and being disposed at a solid angle with respect to the optical axes of the other antennas and intercepting a single base point comprising the steps of: obtaining voltage components from a plurality of detectors connected to selected ones of the plurality of antennas; modifying the phase of the obtained voltage components by the neighboring solid angle components in elevation and azimuth; forming a resultant quotient from the modified voltage components; and calculating accurate information of the direction of the solid angle associated with the information received in elevation and azimuth on the basis of the resultant quotient.
Claim 7
Independent Claim
135 words
A method for the evaluation of the information received from an opto-electronic antenna system having a plurality of stationary antennas disposed on a prescribed geometrical surface, the optical axis of each antenna having an elevation and azimuth and being disposed at a solid angle with respect to the optical axes of the other antennas and intercepting a single base point comprising the steps of: obtaining voltage components from a plurality of detectors connected to selected ones of the plurality of antennas; modifying the phase of the obtained voltage components by the neighboring solid angle components in elevation and azimuth; forming a resultant quotient from the modified voltage components; and calculating accurate information of the direction of the solid angle associated with the information received in elevation and azimuth on the basis of the resultant quotient.
Claim 8
Independent Claim
134 words
A method for the evaluation of the information received from an opto-electronic antenna system having a plurality of stationary antennas disposed on a prescribed geometrical surface, the optical axis of each antenna having an elevation and azimuth and being disposed at a solid angle with respect to the optical axes of the other antennas and intercepting a single base point comprising the steps of: obtaining voltage components from a plurality of detectors connected to selected ones of the plurality of antennas; modifying the phase of at least selected voltage components by the neighboring solid angle components; forming the quotients of the voltages of said neighboring components, wherein the quotients are numerically less than or equal to one; and calculating the directional information associated with a received signal on the basis of the formed quotients.
Claim 9
Independent Claim
134 words
A method for the evaluation of the information received from an opto-electronic antenna system having a plurality of stationary antennas disposed on a prescribed geometrical surface, the optical axis of each antenna having an elevation and azimuth and being disposed at a solid angle with respect to the optical axes of the other antennas and intercepting a single base point comprising the steps of: obtaining voltage components from a plurality of detectors connected to selected ones of the plurality of antennas; modifying the phase of at least selected voltage components by the neighboring solid angle components; forming the quotients of the voltages of said neighboring components, wherein the quotients are numerically less than or equal to one; and calculating the directional information associated with a received signal on the basis of the formed quotients.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
144 words
In an antenna system having a plurality of stationary antennas disposed on a prescribed geometrical surface, the optical axis of each antenna having an elevation and azimuth and being disposed at a solid angle with respect to the optical axes of the other antennas and intercepting a single base point, apparatus for evaluating information received from the antenna system comprising: means for obtaining voltage components from a plurality of detectors connected to selected ones of the plurality of antennas, means for modifying the phase of the obtained voltage components by the neighboring solid angle components in elevation and azimuth; means for adding at least selected modified and unmodified voltage components by vector addition to form a resultant output; and means responsive to the resultant output for calculating accurate information for one of a vertical angle and a horizontal angle associated with the information received.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
144 words
In an antenna system having a plurality of stationary antennas disposed on a prescribed geometrical surface, the optical axis of each antenna having an elevation and azimuth and being disposed at a solid angle with respect to the optical axes of the other antennas and intercepting a single base point, apparatus for evaluating information received from the antenna system comprising: means for obtaining voltage components from a plurality of detectors connected to selected ones of the plurality of antennas, means for modifying the phase of the obtained voltage components by the neighboring solid angle components in elevation and azimuth; means for adding at least selected modified and unmodified voltage components by vector addition to form a resultant output; and means responsive to the resultant output for calculating accurate information for one of a vertical angle and a horizontal angle associated with the information received.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
52 words
An antenna system according to claim 7, wherein said antennas are optical antennas comprising a plurality of bubbles filled with a material transparent to the optical frequency utilized for the antenna, at least the bubbles surrounded by other bubbles in contacting relation therewith having a hexagonal shape in at least one plane.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
23 words
An antenna system according to claim 8, wherein said filling material of said bubbles is one of a refracting liquid and a gas.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
18 words
An optical antenna or lens according to claim 8, wherein said plurality of bubbles comprises closed elastic bubbles.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
19 words
An optical antenna or lens according to claim 8, wherein said filling material of said bubbles is a gas.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
135 words
In an antenna system having a plurality of stationary antennas disposed on a prescribed geometrical surface, the optical axis of each antenna having an elevation and azimuth and being disposed at a solid angle with respect to the optical axes of the other antennas and intercepting a single base point, apparatus for evaluating information received from the antenna system comprising: means for obtaining voltage components from a plurality of detectors connected to selected ones of the plurality of antennas; means for modifying the phase of at least selected voltage components by the neighboring solid angle components; means for forming, the quotients of said voltages of said neighboring components, wherein said quotients are numerically less than or equal to one; and means responsive to the formed quotients for calculating directional information associated with a received signal.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
135 words
In an antenna system having a plurality of stationary antennas disposed on a prescribed geometrical surface, the optical axis of each antenna having an elevation and azimuth and being disposed at a solid angle with respect to the optical axes of the other antennas and intercepting a single base point, apparatus for evaluating information received from the antenna system comprising: means for obtaining voltage components from a plurality of detectors connected to selected ones of the plurality of antennas; means for modifying the phase of at least selected voltage components by the neighboring solid angle components; means for forming, the quotients of said voltages of said neighboring components, wherein said quotients are numerically less than or equal to one; and means responsive to the formed quotients for calculating directional information associated with a received signal.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
52 words
An antenna system according to claim 12, wherein said antennas are optical antennas comprising a plurality of bubbles filled with a material transparent to the optical frequency utilized for the antenna, at least the bubbles surrounded by other bubbles in contacting relation therewith having a hexagonal shape in at least one plane.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
23 words
An antenna system according to claim 13, wherein said filling material of said bubbles is one of a refracting liquid and a gas.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
18 words
An optical antenna or lens according to claim 13, wherein said plurality of bubbles comprises closed elastic bubbles.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
19 words
An optical antenna or lens according to claim 13, wherein said filling material of said bubbles is a gas.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
US1549579A
Cited
US2326970A
Cited
US3090831A
Cited
US3757333A
Cited
US3329818A
Cited
DE1273835B
Cited
US3263088A
Cited
US3299203A
Cited
US3629592A
Cited
US3691483A
Cited
US3860811A
Cited
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1981-07-10 | 1982-01-09 | 1982-07-11 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1985-07-10 | 1986-01-09 | 1986-07-11 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1989-07-10 | 1990-01-09 | 1990-07-11 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |