Language selection

Search

Patent 2586101 Summary

Third-party information liability

Some of the information on this Web page has been provided by external sources. The Government of Canada is not responsible for the accuracy, reliability or currency of the information supplied by external sources. Users wishing to rely upon this information should consult directly with the source of the information. Content provided by external sources is not subject to official languages, privacy and accessibility requirements.

Claims and Abstract availability

Any discrepancies in the text and image of the Claims and Abstract are due to differing posting times. Text of the Claims and Abstract are posted:

  • At the time the application is open to public inspection;
  • At the time of issue of the patent (grant).
(12) Patent Application: (11) CA 2586101
(54) English Title: TIME MEASURING DEVICE CAPABLE OF DETECTING GRAVITATIONAL WAVES
(54) French Title: DISPOSITIF CHRONOMETRIQUE POUVANT DETECTER DES ONDES DE GRAVITE
Status: Deemed Abandoned and Beyond the Period of Reinstatement - Pending Response to Notice of Disregarded Communication
Bibliographic Data
Abstracts

English Abstract


A device for measuring changes in the flow of time, capable of detecting
gravitational
waves, is disclosed. The device consists of an array of coherent light sources
(such as
lasers) with optical spectrum analyzers located in the center. The lasers are
located as
far away from each other as possible and are connected to the Optical Spectrum
Analyzers through a fiber optic network. The optical spectrum analyzers
continuously
measure the frequency output of each laser and send the results to analogue to
digital
converters. The output of the Analogue to Digital converters is then stored on
a multi--track
storage device for subsequent signal processing.


Claims

Note: Claims are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.


THE EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION IN WHICH AN EXCLUSIVE PROPERTY
OR PRIVILEGE IS CLAIMED ARE DEFINED AS FOLLOWS:
1. A time-based detector, capable of detecting gravitational waves, in a
network of
components including:
a. An array of ultra-stable coherent light sources (i.e. laser) separated by
large
geographical distances, connected to a fiber optic network.
b. Centrally located Optical Spectrum Analyzers connected to the fiber optic
network configured to measure the frequency fluctuations of each coherent
light source, as stated in claim 1a.
c. Analogue to Digital converters designed to convert the output of each
Optical
Spectrum Analyzer, as stated in claim 1b, into a digital format.
d. Multi-track storage device for storing the digital output streams of the
Analogue to Digital converters.
e. Comparators used to compare the frequency fluctuations of a laser pair,
thereby reducing the chance of false signals created by local disturbances.
f. Computer, with appropriate signal processing software, to analyze the
signals
stored in the device in claim 1d.
1

Description

Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.


CA 02586101 2007-04-02
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION:
This invention is a device for measuring minute variations in the flow of time
that can be
used to detect the presence of gravitational waves.
The general theory of relativity predicts that large astronomical bodies in
motion will
cause distortions in the surrounding geometry of space-time, thereby producing
gravitational waves. These gravitational waves will propagate in an outward
direction
and may pass through the earth. There will be a momentary change in the rate
of flow
of time if a gravitational wave passes through the earth. This change in the
flow of time,
at the earth's surface, is predicted by foamy ether theory
(http://www3.telus.net/foamyether/). There are numerous other gravitational
wave
detectors currently in operation, but they are designed to measure changes in
the length
of the device, not changes in the flow of time. For example, the LIGO project
(Laser
Interferometer for Gravitational Waves Observatory) uses lasers to measure
changes in
the length of its two arms. The AURIGA resonant bar detector uses a three
meter long
aluminum cylinder. Sensors are built in to the device to measure changes in
the
dimensions of the cylinder as gravitational waves pass through it.
Although many detectors around the world have been in operation for several
years,
none of them have been successful in detecting gravitational waves. The design
of
interferometer based detectors, such as LIGO, is based on the assumption that
light
travels at a constant velocity. It fails to take into account that as the
gravitational wave
distorts (stretches or compresses) space, the tension on that space is
affected as well,
thereby causing the speed of light to increase or decrease. In other words,
the change
in the speed of light is proportional to the change in the length of the LIGO
detector's
two arms. The wavelength of the laser light also becomes stretched, thereby
causing
the two returning beams of light to always be in phase. This will result in a
failure of
interferometer type devices in detecting gravitational waves.
1

CA 02586101 2007-04-02
The present invention, time-based gravitational wave detector, avoids the
problems
inherent in interferometer and resonant bar detectors by measuring changes in
the rate
of flow of time instead of changes in the length of space.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS:
Figure 1 shows a gravitational wave approaching earth, and the inflow of foamy
ether
(or space) around the earth;
Figure 2 is a simplified view of the present invention;
Figure 3 is a more detailed view of the components of the present invention
and how it
can be connected to other external systems;
Figure 4 is a graph that shows how a gravitational wave could affect time
dilation on the
west side of the earth, as displayed in Figure 1;
Figure 5 is a graph that shows how time dilation is affected as the same
gravitational
wave (as shown in Figure 4) passes through the earth. This waveform is
predicted by
foamy ether theory;
Figure 6 is a graph that shows how time dilation is affected as the same
gravitational
wave (as shown in Figure 4) passes through the earth. This waveform is
predicted by
general relativity theory.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
Figure 1 illustrates the distortions produced in foamy ether as a
gravitational wave
approaches the earth. Arrows indicate the inward flow of ether towards the
planet. As
stated in ether theory, the speed of this ether at the earth's surface is 11.2
km/sec.
Slight variations in the speed of ether will occur as the gravitational wave
passes
2

CA 02586101 2007-04-02
through the earth. This variation in ether flow will manifest itself as
momentary changes
in time dilation at the earth's surface. This time dilation is also explained
in general
relativity theory.
Figure 2 shows a simplified diagram of the invention that can be used to
measure
variations in time dilation caused by a passing gravitational wave. It is
comprised of
three lasers 1,2,3 located in three separate locations, arranged in a roughly
triangular
configuration. These lasers should be separated by as large a geographical
distance as
possible. Fiber optic cables 4 are used to transport the signals from these
lasers to a
central receiver. (Current fiber optics technology is capable of transmitting
a light signal
from distances of up to 120 km).
At the center, an Optical Spectrum Analyzer 5 is set up to measure the
frequency
fluctuations of the three lasers. The frequency shift of the lasers is caused
by a change
in time dilation, which is caused by the incoming gravitational wave varying
the speed of
the inflowing ether. For example, a gravitational wave may cause the flow of
ether to
momentarily increase at laser 1. This would cause an increase in time
dilation, and
consequently decrease the laser's frequency, compared to the other lasers (2
and 3).
The gravitational wave's direction and wavelength can then be determined by
comparing the differences in the shift of frequency of these three lasers.
A more detailed drawing of the gravitational wave detector is shown in Figure
3. The
sensitivity of the gravitational wave detector can be greatly increased by
installing the
lasers in pairs, so that there are three pairs of lasers arranged in a
triangular
configuration. Paired lasers 1,2,3 are located in the same town or vicinity,
but not in the
same building. For example, the laser in building Al is located on the east
side of town
A, and the laser in building A2 is located on the west side of town A. By
placing these
two lasers a small distance apart, the local disturbances, such as doors
slamming,
trucks rolling by, etc., are isolated. An atomic clock 6 could be connected to
each laser
to ensure the laser's frequency remains as constant as possible.
3

CA 02586101 2007-04-02
Each of the six lasers is then connected to fiber optic cables 4 that
terminate on six
Optical Spectrum Analyzers (OSA) 5 located at a Central Hub. The Optical
Spectrum
Analyzers measure the lasers' frequency changes (Af) and feed that into
Analogue to
Digital Converters (A/D) 7. The Analogue to Digital Converters convert the
analogue
frequency fluctuations into a digital format (i.e. Pulse Code Modulation)
which is then
stored on an electronic Multi-track Storage Device 8.
Signals from the three towns (A, B and C) can then be fed into three
comparators 9 to
remove local disturbances. For example, Cmp A will compare the two signals Al
and
A2. Any differences between signals from Al and A2 will be considered local
disturbances and will be discarded. Only signals that are identical between Al
and A2
will pass through Cmp A. This will eliminate random frequency fluctuations
caused by
an individual laser's instability (or environmental effects). The comparators
will only
allow frequency shifts to pass through that are identical within a laser pair,
since any
change in time dilation will affect both lasers in an equal manner. Any
frequency shift
that occurs on only one laser, will be considered an invalid signal. The
central detector
is also affected by time dilation as the gravitational wave passes through it,
but this will
register as identical, simultaneous frequency fluctuations coming from all
three laser
pairs.
The output of the three comparators can now be sent over the intemet for
analysis by a
computer 10, or to a distributed system such as BOINC (Berkeley Open
Infrastructure
for Network Computing). BOINC could analyze the signals in the same manner as
it
does for other gravitational wave detector projects, such as Einstein@Home.
The output data of this invention can also be sent over the internet to the
SETI@HOME
project, which can analyze the data to search for other types of signals.
Figure 4 shows a sample graph of the effects that a gravitational wave could
have on
ether inflow. Normally, the velocity of ether is a steady downward flow of
11.2 km/sec at
the earth's surface. A gravitational wave may momentarily cause the velocity
to increase
to 11.4 km/sec, and then to decease to 11.0 km/sec. This will cause the
laser's
4

CA 02586101 2007-04-02
frequency to decrease and increase respectively. Figure 4 shows a sample
gravitational
wave coming in from the west side of the earth as illustrated in Figure 1.
Since gravitational waves travel at the speed of light, 42.5 msec of time will
elapse
before the wave reaches the opposite side of the earth. Figure 5 illustrates
this. Notice
that the wave is inverted. This inversion is a result of the ether on the east
side of earth
flowing in an opposite direction to ether on the west side. Referring back to
Figure 1,
you can see that the ether is flowing from left to right on the west side of
the earth, and
from right to left on the east side. If the gravitational wave increases the
ether's velocity
on the west side of the earth, it will decrease ether velocity on the east
side. Ether
theory predicts this wave inversion as shown in Figure 5. General relativity
theory,
however, predicts a non-inverted wave as shown in Figure 6.

Representative Drawing
A single figure which represents the drawing illustrating the invention.
Administrative Status

2024-08-01:As part of the Next Generation Patents (NGP) transition, the Canadian Patents Database (CPD) now contains a more detailed Event History, which replicates the Event Log of our new back-office solution.

Please note that "Inactive:" events refers to events no longer in use in our new back-office solution.

For a clearer understanding of the status of the application/patent presented on this page, the site Disclaimer , as well as the definitions for Patent , Event History , Maintenance Fee  and Payment History  should be consulted.

Event History

Description Date
Application Not Reinstated by Deadline 2012-10-01
Inactive: Dead - No reply to s.30(2) Rules requisition 2012-10-01
Deemed Abandoned - Failure to Respond to Maintenance Fee Notice 2012-04-02
Inactive: Abandoned - No reply to s.30(2) Rules requisition 2011-09-29
Inactive: S.30(2) Rules - Examiner requisition 2011-03-29
Amendment Received - Voluntary Amendment 2010-11-22
Amendment Received - Voluntary Amendment 2008-01-03
Application Published (Open to Public Inspection) 2007-09-12
Inactive: Cover page published 2007-09-11
Letter Sent 2007-08-16
Inactive: Office letter 2007-07-18
Inactive: First IPC assigned 2007-07-05
Inactive: IPC assigned 2007-07-05
Early Laid Open Requested 2007-06-15
Request for Examination Requirements Determined Compliant 2007-06-15
All Requirements for Examination Determined Compliant 2007-06-15
Request for Examination Received 2007-06-15
Application Received - Regular National 2007-05-22
Inactive: Office letter 2007-05-22
Inactive: Filing certificate - No RFE (English) 2007-05-22
Small Entity Declaration Determined Compliant 2007-04-02

Abandonment History

Abandonment Date Reason Reinstatement Date
2012-04-02

Maintenance Fee

The last payment was received on 2011-01-31

Note : If the full payment has not been received on or before the date indicated, a further fee may be required which may be one of the following

  • the reinstatement fee;
  • the late payment fee; or
  • additional fee to reverse deemed expiry.

Patent fees are adjusted on the 1st of January every year. The amounts above are the current amounts if received by December 31 of the current year.
Please refer to the CIPO Patent Fees web page to see all current fee amounts.

Fee History

Fee Type Anniversary Year Due Date Paid Date
Application fee - small 2007-04-02
Request for examination - small 2007-06-15
MF (application, 2nd anniv.) - small 02 2009-04-02 2009-03-09
MF (application, 3rd anniv.) - small 03 2010-04-06 2010-01-21
MF (application, 4th anniv.) - small 04 2011-04-04 2011-01-31
Owners on Record

Note: Records showing the ownership history in alphabetical order.

Current Owners on Record
PETER C. M. HAHN
Past Owners on Record
None
Past Owners that do not appear in the "Owners on Record" listing will appear in other documentation within the application.
Documents

To view selected files, please enter reCAPTCHA code :



To view images, click a link in the Document Description column. To download the documents, select one or more checkboxes in the first column and then click the "Download Selected in PDF format (Zip Archive)" or the "Download Selected as Single PDF" button.

List of published and non-published patent-specific documents on the CPD .

If you have any difficulty accessing content, you can call the Client Service Centre at 1-866-997-1936 or send them an e-mail at CIPO Client Service Centre.


Document
Description 
Date
(yyyy-mm-dd) 
Number of pages   Size of Image (KB) 
Abstract 2007-04-01 1 18
Description 2007-04-01 5 206
Claims 2007-04-01 1 26
Representative drawing 2007-08-22 1 47
Drawings 2008-01-02 3 114
Drawings 2010-11-21 4 159
Drawings 2007-04-01 3 200
Filing Certificate (English) 2007-05-21 1 158
Acknowledgement of Request for Examination 2007-08-15 1 177
Notice: Maintenance Fee Reminder 2009-01-04 1 121
Notice: Maintenance Fee Reminder 2010-01-04 1 128
Notice: Maintenance Fee Reminder 2011-01-04 1 122
Notice: Maintenance Fee Reminder 2012-01-03 1 121
Courtesy - Abandonment Letter (R30(2)) 2011-12-21 1 165
Courtesy - Abandonment Letter (Maintenance Fee) 2012-05-27 1 173
Second Notice: Maintenance Fee Reminder 2012-10-02 1 118
Correspondence 2007-05-21 1 60
Correspondence 2007-05-21 1 13
Correspondence 2007-06-14 1 23
Correspondence 2007-07-17 1 16
Correspondence 2007-07-17 1 17
Correspondence 2007-07-23 1 17
Correspondence 2007-08-15 1 85
Correspondence 2009-01-04 1 54
Fees 2009-03-08 1 229
Correspondence 2010-01-04 1 53
Fees 2010-01-20 1 25
Correspondence 2011-01-04 1 54
Fees 2011-01-30 1 199
Correspondence 2011-12-21 1 71
Correspondence 2012-01-03 1 62
Correspondence 2012-05-27 1 97