Communication system and method
First Claim
1. A communication system comprising:
- a central data receiving station,first means at said central data receiving station for generating an intense radiant energy beam,an out-station located remote from said central data station,second means for directing radiant energy from said beam generating means at said central station to said out-station,third means at said out-station for receiving radiation from said first means,fourth means connected to said third means including a sensor and means for converting said radiation received from said central data station to electrical energy,means for applying said electrical energy to power said sensor so as to cause said sensor to sense a variable phenomenon existing in the vicinity of said out-station and to generate an information signal which is indicative of the condition of said varying phenomenon,fifth means at said out-station for short wave transmitting said information signal to said central data receiving station, said fifth means being connected to receive a portion of the electrical energy converted from radiation received from said central station and to power said fifth means to cause it to transmit information signals generated by said sensor to said central data receiving station, andsixth means at said central data receiving station for processing information defined by said information signals.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A system and a method of communicating information between remote locations are provided wherein either or both the functions of interrogation of the communicating equipment at the remote locations and the generation of electrical energy thereat for powering the communication equipment is effected by the transmission of a beam of radiation to the remote locations from either a receiving station for the information or an auxiliary source of radiation. In one form, the receiving station for information or an auxiliary station generates beam radiation at fixed time intervals and predeterminately directs pulses of the beam radiation along different predetermined paths whereby the radiation is directed to receiving devices at a plurality of different remote locations and serves to either initiate a transducing function at each location such as the measurement of a process variable, the electro-optical or electro-magnetic scanning of a particular area of said remote location for security purposes, the reading of a recording device containing previously recorded information at each remote location or other variables. The beamed radiation received by each remote location may also be converted by a radiant-electrical energy cell thereat to electrical energy which may be immediately used to power a transmitter and energize a transducer thereat and/or to charge a battery at the remote location for energizing such a transmitter and one or more transducers so as to effect the transmission of information by short wave or modulated light beam means to either a central receiving station for such information or a relay station therefore. The relay station may be similarly energized by energy received from a remotely generated beam means such as a laser or may be the source of beam energy for the remote receiving locations.
148 Citations
10 Claims
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1. A communication system comprising:
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a central data receiving station, first means at said central data receiving station for generating an intense radiant energy beam, an out-station located remote from said central data station, second means for directing radiant energy from said beam generating means at said central station to said out-station, third means at said out-station for receiving radiation from said first means, fourth means connected to said third means including a sensor and means for converting said radiation received from said central data station to electrical energy, means for applying said electrical energy to power said sensor so as to cause said sensor to sense a variable phenomenon existing in the vicinity of said out-station and to generate an information signal which is indicative of the condition of said varying phenomenon, fifth means at said out-station for short wave transmitting said information signal to said central data receiving station, said fifth means being connected to receive a portion of the electrical energy converted from radiation received from said central station and to power said fifth means to cause it to transmit information signals generated by said sensor to said central data receiving station, and sixth means at said central data receiving station for processing information defined by said information signals. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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Specification