Near-omnidirectional optical communication system
AssigneeThe United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Navy
InventorRyan A Bell
Life of this patent
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Abstract
The present invention relates to a communication system for receiving electromagnetic radiation (EMR) signals from a plurality of sources or directions. A communication system comprises a transmission section surrounding an antenna section. The transmission section can be made of concentric layers of lens elements, mirror elements, or refraction medium. The layers allow incoming EMR to be directed to the antenna section through reflection or refraction. The antenna section can be made of a plurality of antenna elements such that each antenna element detects incoming EMR signals from different angles of origin even when the signals are received simultaneously.
Claims16
A communication system comprising:
- a transmission section;
- an antenna section disposed completely within the transmission section;
- wherein the transmission section comprising a spherical Lüneburg lens configured to bend electromagnetic radiation (EMR) towards the antenna section;
- wherein the antenna section comprises at least one antenna element;
- and
- input/output (I/O) lines coupled to the antenna section, wherein the I/O lines are disposed through the transmission section such that the I/O line extend outside of the transmission section.
A communication platform comprising:
- at least one communication system comprising:
- a transmission section comprising a spherical Lüneburg lens;
- and
- an antenna section disposed entirely within the transmission section;
- wherein the transmission section is configured to bend electromagnetic radiation (EMR) towards the antenna section;
- wherein the antenna section comprises at least one antenna element;
- and
- an electronics section electrically coupled to the at least one communication system.
A method of manufacturing communication systems comprising:
- providing at least one antenna element, a transmission section including a Lüneburg lens and input/output (I/O) lines;
- forming an antenna section comprising the at least one antenna element;
- coupling the I/O lines to the antenna section;
- and
- optically coupling the antenna section to the transmission section such that the transmission section entirely surrounds the antenna section with the I/O lines extending from the antenna section to an outside of the transmission section.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.