Communication system and method

• US 4,710,977 A
• Filed: 02/27/1984
• Issued: 12/01/1987
• Est. Priority Date: 03/10/1978
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Jerome H. Lemelson
• Original Assignee: Jerome H. Lemelson
• Inventors: Lemelson, Jerome H.
• Primary Examiner(s): Orsino, Jr., Joseph A.
• Application Number:
  US06/583,670
• Time in Patent Office: 1,373 Days
• Field of Search: 455/603, 455/606, 455/607, 455/608, 455/612, 455/617, 455/68, 455/70, 455/343, 455/605, 340/310 R, 340/310 A, 343/6.5 R, 343/6.5 SS, 343/6.8 R, 342/50
• US Class Current: 398/171
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 10/1125 using a single common optical path
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 10/807 Optical power feeding, i.e. transmitting power using an optical signal
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 10/808 Electrical power feeding of an optical transmission system

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 comunication 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.

Claims

1. A communication system comprising in combination:

a computer including a central processing unit for processing information,

first means controlled by said computer for generating radiation,

second means controlled by said computer for modulating the radiation generated by said first means with control information,

a plurality of control locations remote from said first means,

means for selectively transmitting the radiation generated by said first means to selected of said plurality of control locations,

third means at each of said control locations for receiving radiation generated by said first means and directed thereto,

fourth means at each of said control locations for converting a first portion of the received radiation from said first means to operating electrical energy and a second portion of such received radiation to control electrical signals defined by the control information with which said radiation is modulated,

an electrically operated device at each of said control locations and fifth means for applying and said operating electrical energy received to operate said electrical device,

sixth means for controlling the operation of the electrically operated device of each control location,

seventh means for applying said control electrical signals to said sixth means to cause said sixth means to control the operation of said electrical device,

eighth means at each of said control locations for generating feedback signals indicative of the operation of said electrical device,

nineth means including short wave signal transmitting means at each control location for receiving signals generated by said eighth means and short wave transmitting same,

tenth means for short wave receiving signals transmitted by said ninth means and converting said signals to electrical signals, and

eleventh means connected to receive said latter electrical signals, perform computations thereon and control the operation of said first and second means.

2. A system in accordance with claim 1 wherein said eleventh means includes said computer.

3. A system in accordance with claim 1 wherein said first means includes means for generating laser light energy and means for selectively directing at least a portion of the light energy so generated to selected of said plurality of control locations.

4. A system in accordance with claim 3 wherein said means for generating said laser light energy comprises a single laser,

means for deflection controlling the beam generated by said laser, said computer being operable to generate deflection control signals and means for applying said deflection control signals to the deflection control means for said laser to cause the laser beam generated under the control of said computer to be selectively directed at selected of said control locations in accordance with the operation of said computer with respect to the feedback signals generated by the eight means at each of said control locations.

5. A method of remotely operating and controlling an electrical device comprising:

generating a beam of light radiation with a laser and modulating said beam with information by controllably operating said laser at a first location,

directing said modulated light beam from said first location along a select path to a second location,

receiving radiant energy of said beam with a photoelectric cell at said second location and transducing at least a portion of the received radiation by means of said photoelectric cell to operating electrical energy,

detecting the information contained in said beam and generating such information as variable electrical signals,

applying said variable electrical signals to control said electrical device at said second location,

operating said electrical device with electrical energy transduced from the radiant energy transmitted from said first location to said second location, and

transducing a portion of the energy of the laser generated radiation beam received at said second location to power-electrical energy and applying said power-electrical energy to charge an electric battery and employing said battery to provide electrical energy to operate said electrical device under the control effected by said information electrical signals.

6. A method in accordance with claim 5 including computer controlling the operation of said laser to generate said beam of radiation and to modulate said beam with said information.

7. A method in accordance with claim 5 including generating said beam of radiant energy by operating said laser in a manner to cause said laser to generate light energy of sufficient intensity to operate said electrical device and transmitting the output of said laser along a light pipe to said second location.

8. A method in accordance with claim 7 wherein said electrical device is a sensor for sensing a variable at said second location, said method further including recording information sensed by said sensor at said second location by operating an electrically energized recording means with electrical energy derived from the energy transduced from the beam energy received at said second location.

9. A communication system comprising:

a central data station including a first laser having an output for generating a beam of coherent monochromatic radiant light energy,

means for modulating the beam of light energy output by said first laser with information,

a length of first fiber-optical cable along which light may be conducted, said first fiber-optical cable having an input end and an output end,

means for coupling the output of said first laser to the input end of said first fiber-optical cable to permit light generated by said first laser to be received by and transmitted along said first fiber-optical cable to said output end thereof,

a rceiving station including means for supporting the output end of said first fiber-optical cable,

first transducing means at said receiving station for converting light to electrical energy,

means for coupling said first transducing means to said output end of said first fiber-optical cable to permit light transmitted along said first fiber-optical cable to be operatively received by said first transducing and to be converted thereby to electrical signals which vary in accordance with variations in the light energy output by said first laser,

second transducing means at said receiving station for receiving and converting at least a portion of the electrical energy generated by said first transducing means to light energy,

a length of second fiber-optical cable having an input end at said receiving station and an output end,

means for coupling the output of said second transducing means to the input end of said second fiber-optical cable to permit light generated by said second transducing means to be transmitted along said second fiber-optical cable,

third means at the output end of said second fiber-optical cable for receiving light energy generated by said second transducing means and transducing same to further electrical signals, and

fourth means connected to receive and record said further electrical signals.

10. A method for effecting control and communication functions comprising:

generating first radiation in the form of a beam of collimated monochromatic laser light at a first location,

directing said first laser light beam along a select path to a second location,

receiving said first radiation at said second location and transducing at least a portion of the received light radiation to electrical energy,

applying at least part of the electrical energy generated at said second location to a sensor to electrically operate said sensor for sensing a variable which varies in accordance with variations in the variable sensed by said sensor and generates variable output electrical signals,

employing the signals output by said sensor to control the operation of a laser at said second location to cause said laser to generate radiation which is modulated with information defined by the output of said sensor,

transmitting the radiation generated by said laser at said second location to a photolectric cell located remote from said sensor and generating information electrical signals on the output of said photoelectric cell modulated with the information generated by said sensor, and

recording said information electrical signals in a recording means for later analysis.