PULSE LASER COMMUNICATION SYSTEM

• US 3,727,061 A
• Filed: 07/06/1970
• Issued: 04/10/1973
• Est. Priority Date: 07/06/1970
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Larry U. Dworkin
• Original Assignee: Larry U. Dworkin
• Inventors: Dworkin, Larry U.
• Primary Examiner(s): Safourek, Benedict V.
• Application Number:
  US05/052,498
• Time in Patent Office: 1,009 Days
• Field of Search: 250/199 331/45,50,52,55,57,94.5 332/7.51,42 325/38,143
• US Class Current: 398/98
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 10/00 Transmission systems employing electromagnetic waves other than radio-waves, e.g. infrared, visible or ultraviolet light, or employing corpuscular radiation, e.g. quantum communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 14/026 using pulse time characteristics modulation, e.g. width, position, interval

Abstract

A wide band tactical pulsed laser communication system capable of operating at high bit rates wherein an incoming digital data stream, as for example, a multi-channel time division multiplexed pulse code modulated signal, first is converted into a pulse position modulated signal and the corresponding pulse position modulated pulses of each channel are applied by way of appropriate gating circuitry in sequence to an array of injection lasers, each capable of generating optical signals at relatively high peak power.

Claims

1. A pulse laser communication system comprising means for generating a multi-channel pulse stream consisting of a number of digital input data pulses, means for converting said input data pulses of each channel into a lesser number of pulse position modulated data pulses, an array of lasers, and means for sequentially applying individual ones of said pulse position modulated pulses from each channel to corresponding ones of said lasers to generate in sequence laser optical pulses.

2. A pulse laser communication system according to claim 1 wherein said data input pulses generated by said means for generating are in the form of pulse code modulated pulses.

3. A pulse laser communication system according to claim 1 further including optical means for directing the optical pulses from said lasers along a transmission path, and receiving means for receiving the laser optical pulses directed along said transmission path, said receiving means including means for detecting said propagated optical pulses and converting said detected optical pulses into electrical data output pulses of the same form as said digital input data pulses.

4. A pulse laser communication system according to claim 3 wherein said data input pulses generated by said means for generating and said output pulses from said means for detecting are in the form of pulse code modulated pulses.

5. A pulse laser communication system according to claim 3 further including a laser repeater interposed between said optical means for directing and said receiving means;

said laser repeater comprising a plurality of repeater lasers and gating means for sequentially firing said repeater lasers in response to said optical pulses directed along said path.

6. A pulse laser communication system according to claim 5 further including beam optics for propagating said repeater laser pulses toward said receiving means along a second transmission path.

7. A pulse laser communication system according to claim 1 wherein said lesser number is one.

8. A pulse laser communication system according to claim 1 wherein said lasers are diode injection lasers.

9. A pulse laser communication system according to claim 7 wherein said lasers are diode injection lasers.

10. A pulse laser communication system according to claim 2 wherein said lasers are diode injection lasers.

11. A pulse laser communication system according to claim 3 wherein said lasers are diode injection lasers.

12. A pulse laser communication system according to claim 4 wherein said lasers are diode injection lasers.

13. A pulse laser communication system according to claim 5 wherein said lasers are diode injection lasers.