Axicons appear to need some swift defence.

[The_Doctor]

http://www.photonlexicon.com/forums/...6389#post76389

Just drawing attention to this because it might need some attention right now. I'm thinking that the right to sell lasers built on axicons might go the way of the PBS and Arctos patent, unless a few of make it real, FAST, and prevent any single person making a claim.

No doubt some will say that the Axicon idea isn't worthy of a patent, but that's fine, I'm ok with that. But I'm NOT ok with being told it's worthless by someone who is clearly moving fast to make some themselves. Steve's attitude to my Axicon idea is aggressive, now looking like he's racing to get there first. Not the actions of a person who really thinks they're rubbish, is it? While I'd published every step of my design ideas, he's resisting giving out details, and I don't know why. Anyway, all I'm concerned with is that this doesn't go the way of the PBS cube, I want this to become unpatentable so that anyone can build an axicon combiner system for sale if they want. If you want this too, now is a good time to get in on that group buy. The more of us, the cheaper it gets, obviously, and the more people to defend their right to profit from their use.

[mixedgas]

go read my post in the for sale section. A patent is not gonna happen because there is prior disclosure at this time. I will have the bloody things made shortly, relax. If somebody files for one, it is a matter of sending the patent office a copy of a prior post, and Poof, its invalidated.

Steve

[mixedgas]

Defend What?

I'm the one who published it on alt lasers in the first place, and I didn't invent it. Boston Laser had a patent on it, now set to expire, years ago for combining diode lasers for a fiber launch.

You did some nice sketchup modeling,based on my post at AL, but it was not your idea, nor mine. I've seen it used by big German laser companies for beam effects years ago. Heck, I've got that on a LOBO promo video tape.

Edmund Optics has sold a 2 sided version for years for about 60$.

Dude, five minutes with a google groups search engine and I could be demanding a serious apology. WTF?

Steve Roberts

[The_Doctor]

That's cool. All I care about is that people can make these and sell if they want. That's the only way most people will justify getting them made, if they can recover some costs. I don't think anywone can make a claim on these things, it's too obvious an idea. As you say there's an expiring patent, that proves it's old enough. Should be good for those of us who might want to sell our work.

Patents are a minefield full of derivations of others ideas. Proving something is novel is hard, but clearly Arctos got a patent! Shouldn't have. All I care about is that these axicons don't go the same way. And the only power I have to prevent that is to make sure ALL my ideas are prior art if they're new. I don't want to trawl patents trying to find out, there will always be someone laying a claim in words that a team of lawyers would battle to interpret. It's enough to post here where people can see it so that nothing gets taken away if it wasn't already.

What is cool is that two of us seem keen on the idea now. It might happen. In more than one way.

BTW, posts on alt.lasers might be tricky, they tend to vanish with end of retention, unless someone rigorusly archives them. Could be same for forums too I guess, but they persist longer and get seen more, maybe. There are forum format usenet archives though.. Anyway, I remember mentioning the axicon idea on alt-lasers and you did say something about grinding the corner off a cube retroreflector. Is that what you meant? Remember, I already worked out the idea on my own, I was asking for actual sources of optics that might be adaptable cheaply, I already knew exactly what I wanted to do with them... Understand, I'm not denying your claim, just wanted to be sure you weren't thinking of patenting something that we can all see as easily as edging with mirrors and recombining with PBS's. Once bitten, twice shy. That Arctos palaver is going to haunt people for a decade, the moment they want to sell work. That sucks. I don't want axicons going the same way.