Importance

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Abstract

A system and a method of communicating information between remote locations are provided wherein either or both the functions of interrogation of the communicating equipment at the remote locations and the generation of electrical energy thereat for powering the comunication equipment is effected by the transmission of a beam of radiation to the remote locations from either a receiving station for the information or an auxiliary source of radiation. In one form, the receiving station for information or an auxiliary station generates beam radiation at fixed time intervals and predeterminately directs pulses of the beam radiation along different predetermined paths whereby the radiation is directed to receiving devices at a plurality of different remote locations and serves to either initiate a transducing function at each location such as the measurement of a process variable, the electro-optical or electro-magnetic scanning of a particular area of said remote location for security purposes, the reading of a recording device containing previously recorded information at each remote location or other variables. The beamed radiation received by each remote location may also be converted by a radiant-electrical energy cell thereat to electrical energy which may be immediately used to power a transmitter and energize a transducer thereat and/or to charge a battery at the remote location for energizing such a transmitter and one or more transducers so as to effect the transmission of information by short wave or modulated light beam means to either a central receiving station for such information or a relay station therefore. The relay station may be similarly energized by energy received from a remotely generated beam means such as a laser or may be the source of beam energy for the remote receiving locations.

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First Claim