Patent · US Expired

Laser heterodyne system

US3950100A · kind A · utility

24Cited by
4References
13Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateOct 29, 1974
Grant dateApr 13, 1976
Priority date
Expiry dateOct 29, 1994

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC G)Physics
  • CPC primaryG01S17/58
  • WIPO fieldMeasurement
  • WIPO sectorInstruments

Abstract

A laser heterodyne system is disclosed wherein received reflections of a beam of coherent light are amplified in a laser. The amplified received reflections are heterodyned with the light produced by the laser and the resulting beat frequency is detected using a photodetector. A controller, responsive to the beat frequency, controls, in one case, the frequency of a transmitting laser, and hence the frequency of the received light, and, in another case, the frequency of the light produced by the amplifying laser so that, in either case, the difference between the frequency of the received light and the frequency of the light produced by the amplifying laser is adjusted to maximize the amplification of the received light by the amlifying laser prior to detection by the photodetector.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.