Abstract: A charging station for recharging the battery of and electrically powered vehicle includes a diagnostic interface with the vehicle via an OBDII-type connection or the equivalent or alternatively via a wireless interface, optical interface or an electronic encoding imposed upon the charging current. Optionally a cooling system may be integrated into the charging station to enable thermal control of the energy storage system by providing heating or cooling via a second electrical circuit, or a fluid heat exchange system or by a gas heat exchange system. The charging station may produce a diagnostic test report for the EV that is sold to the vehicle operator, or the report may be provided to the vehicle operator gratis as an incentive to increase utilization of the recharging service.

Abstract: A charging system for electrical vehicle batteries has a smart charge power meter with a computer control system to measure and integrate the delivered electrical power, enable/disable the charging stations and make all of the other necessary purchasing transaction steps equivalent to a gas station operation. The system may collect electricity by using whatever alternative energy system is available or can be incorporated into the charging system when it is constructed. The system may store the collected electricity in a high capacity energy storage system. The charging takes place at a charging lot which is within a secure perimeter to assure safety and prevent vandalism. The siting of charging lots is chosen to coincide with locations where vehicles are usually parked for extended times (e.g., parking lots, businesses, etc.).

Abstract: A wavelength division multiplexing device and method includes two prisms having a pair of coated, highly reflective opposed faces forming an etalon. A volume phase grating is sandwiched between the two prisms. The volume phase grating is positioned between the highly reflective opposed face portions so that a light beam incident on the etalon undergoes a preselected number of multiple reflections between the highly reflective face portions and a preselected number of traversals through the volume diffraction grating, whereby wavelengths satisfying a Bragg condition on each traversal are diffracted out of the volume grating means. One prism may be designed to separate TE and TM polarized light, and the other prism may be designed to combine the TE and TM modes so that the result is polarization independent. Each prism includes at least one transparent output face through which the separately diffracted wavelengths are transmitted at respective angles.

Abstract: A thermally stable etalon filter includes a pair of spaced apart mirrors defining a Fabry-Perot cavity and an optical medium disposed in the cavity. The optical medium is comprised two optically transparent materials, one having a coefficient of thermal expansion that is countervailing to the coefficient of thermal change of refractive index of the other. The thicknesses of the two materials are selected so that the thermal expansion of the optical medium offsets the thermal change in the refractive index, resulting in an etalon filter that is substantially immune to variations caused by temperature. In a further embodiment, the optical medium is comprised of a single material having having a coefficient of thermal expansion and a coefficient of thermal change in refractive index that are functionally opposite. These material properties lead to a beam insertion angle at which the beam refraction is not affected by temperature fluctuations in the material.

Abstract: The present application discloses a method and apparatus for making a low cost and highly efficient hollow waveguide for transmitting electromagnetic radiation. The waveguide is made from a solid substrate monolithic hollow tube with a reflectivity enhancing dielectric film formed directly over the inner surface. The film can be formed by native chemical reactions, with the material of the monolithic, hollow tube. The present application also discloses a method of polishing and cleaning the inner surface of the hollow tube. One of the problems identified with the hollow metallic waveguide has been the poor surface finish on the inner wall of the hollow tube which results from the processes used to fabricate the metallic tube into final form. The coated reflectivity enhancing dielectric films more or less duplicate the surface roughness in the as formed tube thus seriously affecting the performance of the waveguide especially at the shorter wavelengths.

Abstract: The present application discloses a method and apparatus for making a low cost and highly efficient hollow waveguide for transmitting electromagnetic radiation. The waveguide is made from a solid substrate monolithic hollow tube with a reflectivity enhancing dielectric film formed directly over the inner surface. The film can be formed by native chemical reactions, with the material of the monolithic, hollow tube. The present application also discloses a method of polishing and cleaning the inner surface of the hollow tube. One of the problems identified with the hollow metallic waveguide has been the poor surface finish on the inner wall of the hollow tube which results from the processes used to fabricate the metallic tube into final form. The coated reflectivity enhancing dielectric films more or less duplicate the surface roughness in the as formed tube thus seriously affecting the performance of the waveguide especially at the shorter wavelengths.

Abstract: The present application discloses a method and apparatus for making a low cost and highly efficient hollow waveguide for transmitting electromagnetic radiation. The waveguide is made from a solid substrate monolithic hollow tube with a reflectivity enhancing dielectric film formed directly over the inner surface. The film can be formed by native chemical reactions, with the material of the monolithic, hollow tube. The present application also discloses a method of polishing and cleaning the inner surface of the hollow tube.One of the problems identified with the hollow metallic waveguide has been the poor surface finish on the inner wall of the hollow tube which results from the processes used to fabricate the metallic tube into final form. The coated reflectivity enhancing dielectric films more or less duplicate the surface roughness in the as formed tube thus seriously affecting the performance of the waveguide especially at the shorter wavelengths.