IDENTIFICATION AND COMMUNICATION SYSTEMS USING OPTICAL FIBERS

• US 20120002970A1
• Filed: 06/30/2011
• Published: 01/05/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 07/01/2010
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Analysis First LLC
• Original Assignee: Analysis First LLC
• Inventors: Gerber, Peter, Lasky, Jodi
• Application Number:
  US13/173,835
• Publication Number:
  US 20120002970A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 398/108
• CPC Class Codes: F41G 3/2655 in which the light beam is sent from the weapon to the target
• CPC Class Codes: F41G 3/2683 with reflection of the beam on the target back to the weapon
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 10/1143 Bidirectional transmission
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 10/25 Arrangements specific to fibre transmission

Abstract

In one aspect, identification and communication systems are described herein. An identification and communication system described herein, in some embodiments, comprises one or more query units and one or more response units, wherein at least one response unit comprises one or more detectors comprising one or more optical fibers operable to direct one or more signals received from at least one query unit to the one or more detectors. In some embodiments, at least one optical fiber is operable to receive a signal from at least one query unit through the side of the optical fiber. In some embodiments, at least one optical fiber comprises a fluorescent plastic fiber (FPF). In some embodiments, at least one optical fiber is disposed in a textile.

Claims

1. An identification and communication system comprising:

one or more query units; and

one or more response units,

wherein at least one response unit comprises one or more detectors comprising one or more optical fibers operable to direct one or more signals received from at least one query unit to the one or more detectors.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein at least one optical fiber is operable to receive a signal from at least one query unit through the side of the optical fiber.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein at least about 1% of the surface area of the side of at least one optical fiber is operable to receive a signal from at least one query unit.

4. The system of claim 2, wherein at least one optical fiber comprises a fluorescent plastic fiber.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein at least one optical fiber is operable to receive a signal from at least one query unit through a first end of the optical fiber.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein at least one optical fiber is disposed in a textile.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein at least one optical fiber comprises at least about 0.01% of the exterior surface area of the textile.

8. The system of claim 6, wherein at least one optical fiber is woven into the textile.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the textile comprises a garment.

10. The system of claim 6, wherein a first end of at least one optical fiber is disposed at or above an outer surface of the textile.

11. The system of claim 10 further comprising a cap at least partially covering the first end of at least one optical fiber.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the cap is operable as a lens.

13. The system of claim 6, wherein at least about 0.01% of the exterior surface area of at least one fiber is disposed at or above an outer surface of the textile.

14. The system of claim 1, wherein at least one optical fiber is disposed on or in a vehicle, a structure, an explosive device, a box, or a crate.

15. The system of claim 1, wherein the received signal comprises infrared electromagnetic radiation.

16. The system of claim 1, wherein at least one query unit comprises a query beam source operable to emit a query beam and at least one response unit comprises at least one detector comprising an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC) comprising an amplifier operable to amplify the query beam.

17. The system of claim 1, wherein at least one response unit comprises at least one detector capable of detecting incident radiation having a power of about 100 pW or less.

18. The system of claim 1, wherein at least one query unit comprises a query beam source comprising a light emitting diode operable to emit a query beam.

19. The system of claim 1, wherein at least one query unit comprises a first query beam source operable to emit a first component beam and a second query beam source operable to emit a second component beam.

20. The system of claim 1, wherein at least one query unit is a handheld device.