Multicube retroreflector and retroreflector-based communication system
Abstract
A “multicube” retroreflector may include “nested” corner cubes. Such a design combines the ease of fabrication of conventional corner cubes (e.g., stamping from a sheet) and the ability to easily and densely package them with a greater range of angles over which light will be reflected back towards the source. Such multicube retroreflectors may reflect 50% more light than corner cube retroreflectors. A retroreflector, or an array of retroreflectors, may be used as part of a communication system. A modulated retroreflector or an array thereof can form the basis of a unique communication system. For instance, by using a modulated retroreflector, or an array of such retroreflectors, a host system (e.g., an aircraft) can receive data from a remote system (e.g., a drone, an air-dropped sensor package, etc.) in a way that is difficult to intercept, and minimizes the power, computation, and antenna pointing requirements for the remote system.
- Inventors:
- Issue Date:
- Research Org.:
- Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States)
- Sponsoring Org.:
- USDOE
- OSTI Identifier:
- 1650897
- Patent Number(s):
- 10649117
- Application Number:
- 15/818,809
- Assignee:
- Triad National Security, LLC (Los Alamos, NM); Government of the United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Air Force (Kirtland AFB, NM)
- Patent Classifications (CPCs):
-
G - PHYSICS G02 - OPTICS G02B - OPTICAL ELEMENTS, SYSTEMS, OR APPARATUS
- DOE Contract Number:
- AC52-06NA25396
- Resource Type:
- Patent
- Resource Relation:
- Patent File Date: 11/21/2017
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
- Subject:
- 42 ENGINEERING
Citation Formats
Lewellen, John W., and Harris, John. Multicube retroreflector and retroreflector-based communication system. United States: N. p., 2020.
Web.
Lewellen, John W., & Harris, John. Multicube retroreflector and retroreflector-based communication system. United States.
Lewellen, John W., and Harris, John. Tue .
"Multicube retroreflector and retroreflector-based communication system". United States. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/1650897.
@article{osti_1650897,
title = {Multicube retroreflector and retroreflector-based communication system},
author = {Lewellen, John W. and Harris, John},
abstractNote = {A “multicube” retroreflector may include “nested” corner cubes. Such a design combines the ease of fabrication of conventional corner cubes (e.g., stamping from a sheet) and the ability to easily and densely package them with a greater range of angles over which light will be reflected back towards the source. Such multicube retroreflectors may reflect 50% more light than corner cube retroreflectors. A retroreflector, or an array of retroreflectors, may be used as part of a communication system. A modulated retroreflector or an array thereof can form the basis of a unique communication system. For instance, by using a modulated retroreflector, or an array of such retroreflectors, a host system (e.g., an aircraft) can receive data from a remote system (e.g., a drone, an air-dropped sensor package, etc.) in a way that is difficult to intercept, and minimizes the power, computation, and antenna pointing requirements for the remote system.},
doi = {},
journal = {},
number = ,
volume = ,
place = {United States},
year = {2020},
month = {5}
}
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