IPC분류정보
국가/구분 |
United States(US) Patent
등록
|
국제특허분류(IPC7판) |
|
출원번호 |
US-0805656
(2001-03-13)
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§371/§102 date |
20030929
(20030929)
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발명자
/ 주소 |
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출원인 / 주소 |
|
대리인 / 주소 |
Blakely Sokoloff Taylor &
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인용정보 |
피인용 횟수 :
0 인용 특허 :
11 |
초록
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A window-mounted positionable collector comprising a base that is secured to a window. An inner rotatable hollow wedge-cut member may be rotated about the base to produce a first degree of freedom, while an outer rotatable hollow wedge-cut member may be rotated about a top end of the inner rotatable
A window-mounted positionable collector comprising a base that is secured to a window. An inner rotatable hollow wedge-cut member may be rotated about the base to produce a first degree of freedom, while an outer rotatable hollow wedge-cut member may be rotated about a top end of the inner rotatable hollow wedge-cut member to provide a second degree a freedom. The combination of the first and second degrees of freedom enables the optical axis of an optical collector operatively coupled to the outer rotatable hollow wedge-cut member to be directed along any direction falling within a cone of angulation defined by acute angles corresponding to the angles of the wedge cuts defined in the rotatable hollow wedge cut members. In one embodiment, a cover is connected to a top end of the outer rotatable hollow wedge-cut member to form a sealed volume, whereby the apparatus may be secured to the window by applying a vacuum to the sealed volume.
대표청구항
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1. An apparatus comprising:a base adapted to be secured to a window; a inner rotatable hollow wedge-cut member having a base end defining a inner base plane, operatively coupled to the base so as to enable rotation of the inner rotatable hollow wedge-cut member about the base, and having a top end d
1. An apparatus comprising:a base adapted to be secured to a window; a inner rotatable hollow wedge-cut member having a base end defining a inner base plane, operatively coupled to the base so as to enable rotation of the inner rotatable hollow wedge-cut member about the base, and having a top end defining a top plane that forms an acute angle with the base plane; a outer rotatable hollow wedge-cut member having a base end defining a outer base plane, operative coupled to the top end of the inner rotatable hollow wedge-cut member so as to enable rotation of the outer rotatable hollow wedge-cut member about the top end of the inner rotatable hollow wedge-cut member; and a support coupled to the outer rotatable hollow wedge-cut member, providing a mounting interface for an optical device such that when the optical device is mounted to the mounting interface an optical axis of the optical device is not perpendicular to the outer base plane, wherein the optical axis of the optical device can be directed through the window along any angle within a cone of angulation by rotating the inner and outer rotatable hollow wedge-cut members to appropriate positions. 2. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:a cover, mounted to the a top end of the outer rotatable hollow wedge-cut member; a first sealing means for creating an air-tight seal between the base and the inner rotatable hollow wedge-cut member; and a second sealing means for creating an air-tight seal between the inner rotatable hollow wedge-cut member and the outer rotatable hollow wedge-cut member, wherein the window, base, inner and outer rotatable hollow edge-cut members and the cover form a sealed volume so as to enable the apparatus to be secured to the window by applying a vacuum to the sealed volume. 3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the cover further includes an air-tight optical aperture through which light can be pass, thereby enabling the optical device to be mounted outside of the sealed volume and receive and/or transmit light through the clear air-tight aperture.4. The apparatus of claim 2, further comprising a gasket disposed between the base and the window.5. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the base end of the inner rotatable hollow wedge-cut member comprises a first annular flange and the inner sealing means comprises a first sealing ring disposed between the inner first flange and the base, and the top end of the inner rotatable hollow wedge-cut member and the base end of the outer rotatable hollow wedge-cut member respectively comprise second and third annular flanges, and the outer sealing means comprises a second sealing ring disposed between said outer and third annular flanges.6. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein application of a vacuum to the sealed volume enables the base end of the inner rotatable hollow wedge-cut member to be operatively coupled to the base and the base end of the outer rotatable hollow wedge-cut member to be operatively coupled to the top end of the inner rotatable hollow wedge-cut member by causing a pressure differential between an atmospheric pressure condition on the outside of the sealed volume and the vacuum on the inside of the sealed volume, said pressure differential applying a first force between the inner annular flange and the base acting upon the first sealing ring and a second force between the second and third annular flanges acting on the second sealing ring.7. The apparatus of claim 5, further comprising a lubricant disposed between the first sealing ring and the first annular flange and the base and between the second sealing ring and the second and third annular flanges.8. The apparatus of claim 2, further comprising:a vacuum line having an input coupled to one of the components comprising the sealed volume and an output; and a check valve inline with the vacuum line that enables air to be expelled from the sealed volume when a vacuum is applied to the output of the vacuum line but prevents air from passing into the sealed volume when the output of the vacuum line is exposed to an atmospheric condition. 9. The apparatus of claim 2, further comprising a low-volume piezoelectric vacuum pump having an input operatively coupled to the sealed volume and an output exhausted to the atmosphere.10. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the base includes an inner annular flange and the base end of the inner rotatable hollow wedge-cut member comprises a outer annular flange, one of said inner and outer annular flanges having an overlapping tang that interlocks with the other annular flange, and the top end of the inner rotatable hollow wedge-cut member and the base end of the outer rotatable hollow wedge-cut member respectively comprise third and fourth annular flanges, one of said third and fourth annular flanges having an overlapping tang that interlocks with the other annular flange.11. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:a first mechanical positioning means coupled between the base and the inner rotatable hollow wedge-cut member for rotating the inner rotatable hollow wedge-cut member relative to the base; and a second mechanical positioning means coupled between the inner rotatable hollow wedge-cut member and the outer rotatable hollow wedge-cut member for rotating the inner rotatable hollow wedge-cut member relative to the outer rotatable hollow wedge-cut member. 12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the first mechanical positioning means comprises a first gear box mounted to the base and a first ring gear coupled to the inner rotatable hollow wedge-cut member, and wherein the second mechanical positioning means comprises a second gear box mounted to the inner rotatable hollow wedge-cut member and a second ring gear coupled to the outer rotatable hollow wedge-cut member.13. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the optical device comprises a Cassegrain collector comprising:a primary reflector operatively coupled to the outer rotatable hollow wedge-cut member; and a secondary reflector operatively coupled to the primary reflector. 14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the primary reflector includes a central aperture through which light may pass through, further comprising a lens disposed within a central portion of the secondary reflector having an optical axis in alignment with an axis extending through the central aperture of the primary reflector.15. A free space optical communications system comprising:a first optical transceiver mounted to a window in a first building; a second optical transceiver mounted to a window in a second building, each of said first and second optical transceivers comprising: a set of transceiver optics and electronics for transmitting and receiving an optical signal, and a multi-axis positioning mechanism mounted to the window and coupled to the set of transceiver optics and electronics for controlling an orientation of the set of transceiver optics and electronics such that outgoing optical signals emitting from each transceiver are directed toward the other transceiver so as to enable bi-directional communication between the first and second optical transceivers, wherein each of the multi-axis positioning mechanisms comprise: a base mounted to the window, an inner rotatable hollow wedge-cut member having a base end defining a inner base plane, operatively coupled to the base so as to enable rotation of the inner rotatable hollow wedge-cut member about the base, and having a top end defining a top plane that forms an acute angle with the base plane, an outer rotatable hollow wedge-cut member having a base end defining a outer base plane, operative coupled to the top end of the inner rotatable hollow wedge-cut member so as to enable rotation of the outer rotatable hollow wedge-cut member about the top end of the inner rotatable hollow wedge-cut member, and a support coupled to the outer rotatable hollow wedge-cut member, providing a mounting interface for an optical device corresponding to the transceiver optics and such that when the optical device is mounted to the mounting interface an optical axis of the optical device is not perpendicular to the outer base plane, wherein the optical axis of the optical device can be directed through the window along any angle within a cone of angulation by rotating the inner and outer rotatable hollow wedge-cut members to appropriate positions. 16. The free space optical communications system of claim 15, wherein the transceiver optics include a Cassegrain collector comprising a primary reflector that receives an incoming light signal and reflects the light signal toward a secondary reflector that in turn reflects the light toward a light detecting component.17. The free space optical communications system of claim 15, wherein the set of transceiver optics and electronics comprises a magnetic fluid based fiber optic positioning apparatus that controls a position and orientation of an end portion of a fiber optic cable from which optical signals are emitted by controlling a magnetic field acting on a magnetic fluid in which the end portion of the fiber optic cable is disposed.18. The free space optical communications system of claim 15, wherein each of the first and second transceivers is mounted to a respective window using a vacuum.19. The free space optical communications system of claim 18, wherein the vacuum that is used to mount each of the first and second transceivers to their respective windows in maintained by a low-volume piezoelectric vacuum pump.20. A free space optical communications system comprising:a first optical transceiver mounted to a window in a first building; a second optical transceiver mounted to a window in a second building, each of said first and second optical transceivers comprising: a set of transceiver optics and electronics for transmitting and receiving an optical signal, the set of transceiver optics and electronics comprising a magnetic fluid based fiber optic positioning apparatus that controls a position and orientation of an end portion of a fiber optic cable from which optical signals are emitted by controlling a magnetic field acting on a magnetic fluid in which the end portion of the fiber optic cable is disposed, and a multi-axis positioning mechanism mounted to the window and coupled to the set of transceiver optics and electronics for controlling an orientation of the set of transceiver optics and electronics such that outgoing optical signals emitting from each transceiver are directed toward the other transceiver so as to enable bi-directional communication between the first and second optical transceivers. 21. The free space optical communications system of claim 20, wherein each of the multi-axis positioning mechanisms comprise:a base mounted to the window; an inner rotatable hollow wedge-cut member having a base end defining a inner base plane, operatively coupled to the base so as to enable rotation of the inner rotatable hollow wedge-cut member about the base, and having a top end defining a top plane that forms an acute angle with the base plane; an outer rotatable hollow wedge-cut member having a base end defining a outer base plane, operative coupled to the top end of the inner rotatable hollow wedge-cut member so as to enable rotation of the outer rotatable hollow wedge-cut member about the top end of the inner rotatable hollow wedge-cut member; and a support coupled to the outer rotatable hollow wedge-cut member, providing a mounting interface for an optical device corresponding to the transceiver optics and such that when the optical device is mounted to the mounting interface an optical axis of the optical device is not perpendicular to the outer base plane; wherein the optical axis of the optical device can be directed through the window along any angle within a cone of angulation by rotating the inner and outer rotatable hollow wedge-cut members to appropriate positions. 22. The free space optical communications system of claim 20, wherein the transceiver optics include a Cassegrain collector comprising a primary reflector that receives an incoming light signal and reflects the light signal toward a secondary reflector that in turn reflects the light toward a light detecting component.23. The free space optical communications system of claim 20, wherein each of the first and second transceivers is mounted to a respective window using a vacuum.24. The free space optical communications system of claim 23, wherein the vacuum that is used to mount each of the first and second transceivers to their respective windows in maintained by a low-volume piezoelectric vacuum pump.
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