Timothy Patrick Stone

US Patent:

6438301, Aug 20, 2002

Filed:

Jul 7, 1999

Appl. No.:

09/348370

Inventors:

Dan R. Johnson - Los Angeles CA
Mark A. Carroll - Newport Beach CA
Daniel R. Sherman - Redondo Beach CA
Timothy R. Stone - Redondo Beach CA

Assignee:

TRW Inc. - Redondo Beach CA

International Classification:

G02B 644

US Classification:

385101, 385110, 385114, 174117 F, 174117 FF, 174117 A

Abstract:

An elongated electro-optical cable ( ) is presented, which includes a plurality of elongated electrical conductors ( ), a plurality of fiber optic elements ( ), and an elongated insulating film casing enveloping the plurality of electrical conductors ( ) and the plurality of fiber optic elements ( ). The fiber optic elements ( ), electrical conductors ( ), and the elongated insulating film casing are arranged to form a generally flat cable ( ). The cable may be arranged such that the electrical conductors ( ) are shielded, for example, with a silver epoxy. An outer jacket ( ) may be placed around the electrical conductors ( ), fiber optic elements ( ), and insulating film casing, which jacket ( ) may be made from a tetrafluoroethylene polymer fiber. The electrical conductors ( ) may be made from oxygen free copper and the insulating film casing may be made from a polyimide polymer. A method for making an elongated electro-optical cable ( ) is also presented, which includes insulating a sheet of a plurality of shielded elongated electrical conductors, affixing a sheet of a plurality of fiber optic elements to the laminated insulated electrical conductors, and then insulating the fiber optic elements.

US Patent:

6957020, Oct 18, 2005

Filed:

Feb 14, 2003

Appl. No.:

10/367069

Inventors:

Dan R. Johnson - Los Angeles CA, US
Mark A. Carroll - Newport Beach CA, US
Daniel R. Sherman - Gardena CA, US
Timothy R. Stone - Torrance CA, US

Assignee:

Northrop Grumman Corporation - Los Angeles CA

International Classification:

G02B026/10

US Classification:

398122, 398118, 398121

Abstract:

An optical inter-satellite link (OISL) gimbal that is particularly suited for directing an optical beam in an optical inter-satellite communications system is disclosed. The OISL gimbal includes an azimuth drive housing , a generally cylindrical azimuth shaft rotatably connected to the azimuth drive housing and an optical payload or beam-steering mirror rotatably connected to the azimuth shaft. The azimuth shaft has a clear aperture through which one or more optical beams may be directed to and from a stationary optical payload. A capacitive azimuth position sensor detects the rotational position of the azimuth shaft and a direct drive azimuth motor drives rotation of the azimuth shaft. The OISL gimbal preferably provides two-axis rotation of the optical payload or beam-steering mirror through approximately +/−180 degrees of inboard (azimuth) travel and +/−30 degrees of line-of-sight outboard (elevation) travel. Rotation of the optical payload or beam-steering mirror about the elevation axis may be driven by a direct-drive elevation motor.