Patent ID: 7667190

Claim:
A pointer for use in a DIRCM system, comprising: A roll gimbal that rotates around a roll axis; A nod gimbal that rotates around a nod axis orthogonal to the roll axis to point an optical axis in a multi-dimensional space defined by said roll-nod axes; An optical receiver on the nod gimbal along the optical axis; An off-gimbal detector; A free-space optical path along the optical axis and roll axis to couple received light to the detector; A telescope on the nod gimbal offset from the optical axis but nominally aligned with the line-of-sight of the optical receiver; A fiber assembly including a continuous optical fiber; and A control mechanism for routing the fiber assembly to carry a laser beam from an off-gimbal laser across the roll-nod axes to the telescope, said mechanism pinning (a) a first portion of the fiber assembly off of the Roll gimbal and a second portion of the fiber assembly on the Roll gimbal and (b) a third portion of the fiber assembly on the Roll gimbal and a fourth portion of the fiber assembly on the Nod axis to so that the fiber assembly moves with the roll and nod gimbals as the gimbals rotate about their respective axis.