Patents Examined by Alessandro V. Amari
  • Patent number: 6433907
    Abstract: A display apparatus includes a scanning assembly that scans about two or more axes, typically in a raster pattern. A plurality of light sources emit light from spaced apart locations toward the scanning assembly such that the scanning assembly simultaneously scans more than one of the beams. The scanning assembly includes a plurality of mirrors that sweep their respective beams through respective regions of an image field. The regions are immediately adjacent so that an overall image is produced by “tiling” of the regions. Because sweeps of the scanning assembly scan a plurality of tiles simultaneously the resolution and/or field of view of a display for a given scan angle and mirror size is increased relative to a single mirror sweeping a single beam. In alternative embodiments, tiling is used for imaging. Also, various approaches to controlling the frequency responses of the various scanners are described, including active control of MEMs scanners and passive frequency tuning.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 5, 1999
    Date of Patent: August 13, 2002
    Assignee: Microvision, Inc.
    Inventors: Thomas M. Lippert, Clarence T. Tegreene
  • Patent number: 6430335
    Abstract: A network healing smart fiber optic switch for fast, automatic switching between multiple paths of an optical transmission line with minimal disruption. The network healing smart fiber optic switch accepts multiple fiber optic inputs and splits each optical signal into primary and secondary signals. The primary optical signals go to an optical switch, which selects the primary optical signal to send to the output based on a control signal from a controller. The secondary optical signals go to the controller, and based on the relative signal strength of the secondary optical signals, the controller outputs a control signal to the optical switch. The controller is in communication with a remote computer or another controller and the controller's output signal to the optical switch can be overridden by the remote computer or other controller. The network healing smart fiber optic switch automatically senses the condition, including faults, on fiber optic cables and switches between fiber optic cables.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 25, 2000
    Date of Patent: August 6, 2002
    Assignee: Neptec Optical Solutions, Inc.
    Inventors: John Carberry, Michael L. Smith, Richard Racinskas
  • Patent number: 6425695
    Abstract: A surface emission laser (14) is disposed so that a side surface (15) of a semiconductor substrate of the surface emission laser (14) faces a plane (13) of a mounting substrate (12). By this means, emitted light (44) from the surface emission laser (14) travels in the direction along the plane (13) of the mounting substrate (12). Therefore, it is possible to dispose the optical fiber (16) so as to be along the plane (13) of the mounting substrate (12). By this means, an optical module (10) can be made thinner.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 3, 2000
    Date of Patent: July 30, 2002
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Akihiro Murata, Shojiro Kitamura
  • Patent number: 6427038
    Abstract: An optical switch includes an input optical fiber, an output optical fiber and a mirror that is either inclinable or rotatable or both and reflects a lightwave signal from the input optical fiber into the output optical fiber. The switch further includes a control circuit to sense a misalignment error and to adjust the mirror to correct the misalignment error. The misalignment error may be either an inclination misalignment error, a rotation misalignment error or both. In an alternative embodiment, an optical switch includes an input optical fiber that includes an input core and an input cladding, an output optical fiber that includes an output core and an output cladding, an input GRISM to insert a calibration signal into the input cladding and a mirror that is adjustable. The mirror reflects a lightwave signal from the input core into the output core and reflects the calibration signal from the input cladding into the output cladding.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 15, 2000
    Date of Patent: July 30, 2002
    Assignee: AT&T Corp
    Inventors: David M. Britz, Jeevan Prakash Dodley
  • Patent number: 6424466
    Abstract: A multi-cavity micro-optical Fabry-Perot filter uses electrostatically deflected MEMS membranes. The filter comprises a first electrostatically deflectable membrane device. A curved mirror structure is formed on its optical membrane. Similarly, a second electro-statically deflectable membrane device is provided, which has a second curved mirror structure on the membrane. The spacer is used to separate the first membrane device from the second membrane device. The spacer supports a mirror between the first and second curved mirror structures. Wafer-level and device level assembly techniques are also described.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 2, 2001
    Date of Patent: July 23, 2002
    Assignee: Axsun Technologies, Inc
    Inventor: Dale C. Flanders
  • Patent number: 6419402
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a fiber optic device including a connector housing including a front housing piece, an intermediate housing piece, and a rear housing piece that is non-unitarily connected to the intermediate housing piece. The rear housing piece and the intermediate housing piece define passages that are in general alignment with one another. The fiber optic device also includes a hub positioned within the connector housing. The hub includes a passage that aligns generally with the passage of the intermediate housing piece. The hub is spring biased toward a front end of the connector housing. The fiber optic device further includes a ferrule connected to the hub, and a fiber optic cable. The ferrule defines a passage that extends in general axial alignment with the passage of the hub. A fiber portion of the fiber optic cable is adhesively bonded within the passage of the ferrule. A buffered portion of the fiber optic cable extends through the passage of the rear housing piece.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 13, 1999
    Date of Patent: July 16, 2002
    Assignee: ADC Telecommunications, Inc.
    Inventor: Steven C. Zimmel
  • Patent number: 6415091
    Abstract: On a module carrier for digital communications technology modules, a guidance and support element for incoming and outgoing optical wave guides is arranged that is formed of two pieces, an LWL guidance and an LWL support element. An adjustable connector accomplishes the connection of both elements, whereby their position with each other is permitted to change.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 3, 1999
    Date of Patent: July 2, 2002
    Assignee: Schroff GmbH
    Inventors: Elmer Daub, Dieter Bender, Paul Mazura, Uwe Rieger
  • Patent number: 6412960
    Abstract: A mirror surface angle detector which can be used in common with a mirror surface angle adjusting device of a mirror. The mirror surface angle of the mirror is adjusted by oscillation of the mirror by the mirror surface angle adjusting device. The mirror surface angle detector for detecting the mirror surface angle of the mirror is provided separately from the mirror surface angle adjusting device, and is incorporated into the mirror surface angle adjusting device such that engagement claws provided at the mirror surface angle detector engage with engagement holes provided at the mirror surface angle adjusting device. When the mirror surface angle detector is removed from the mirror surface angle adjusting device, the mirror surface angle adjusting device can also be used in a type of vehicle which does not have a mirror surface angle detector in the mirror surface angle adjusting device. Therefore, vehicles of different types can make common use of the mirror surface angle adjusting device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 11, 2000
    Date of Patent: July 2, 2002
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Tokai-Rika-Denki-Seisakusho
    Inventors: Shigeki Yoshida, Masato Sakamoto, Junichi Nakaho, Morihiko Ogasawara
  • Patent number: 6402331
    Abstract: A vehicle mirror which is constructed of two joined base parts, wherein the one base part is a mirror frame secured to a vehicle and the other base part is a mirror frame covering, and both base parts comprise complementary plug-in parts of a plug-type connection. The one plug-in part (1a) is secured to a sliding block (3) movably supported on the one base part (2a) and the other plug-in part (1b) is secured to the other base part (2b), wherein the sliding block (3) slides resiliently biased on a slide way (4) of the other base part (2b) during joining the base parts (2a, 2b), and the slide way (4) and sliding block (3) are formed such that the plug-in parts (1a, 1b) engage each other during joining the base parts (2a, 2b).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 11, 2000
    Date of Patent: June 11, 2002
    Assignee: Magna Reflex Holding GmbH
    Inventor: Peter Juraschek
  • Patent number: 6400879
    Abstract: Disclosed is a single mode optical waveguide fiber having a core region refractive index profile designed to provide a highly non-linear refractive index. The core index profile of the highly non-linear waveguide is an &agr;-profile which has pre-selected values of relative refractive-index and core diameter so as to retain the advantageous optical waveguide properties of low attenuation, properly placed zero dispersion and cut off wavelengths, low, positive total dispersion over a pre-selected wavelength range, and low dispersion slope.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 7, 2000
    Date of Patent: June 4, 2002
    Assignee: Corning Incorporated
    Inventors: Robert M. Hawk, Daniel A. Nolan, Steven H. Tarcza
  • Patent number: 6396626
    Abstract: The antireflection film of the present invention comprises an alternately multi-layered film of 10 layers formed on a base member and having antireflection characteristics in two wavelength regions including a first wavelength (&lgr;1) of 248 nm and a second wavelength (&lgr;2) of 633 nm as central wavelengths, respectively, the multi-layered film of 10 layers comprising: low-refractive index layers arranged at odd-numbered positions from a side opposite to the base member and having a refractive index of 1.45 to 1.52 at the first wavelength (&lgr;1); and high-refractive index layers arranged at even-numbered positions from the side opposite to the base member and having a refractive index of 1.65 to 1.80 at the first wavelength (&lgr;1), wherein layers arranged at the first, second and third positions from the side opposite to the base member each have an optical thickness ranging from 0.21&lgr;1 to 0.28&lgr;1.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 1, 2000
    Date of Patent: May 28, 2002
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Minoru Otani, Kenji Ando, Yasuyuki Suzuki, Ryuji Biro, Hidehiro Kanazawa
  • Patent number: 6389187
    Abstract: An optical fiber bend sensor (10) measures the degree and orientation of bending present in a sensor length (30) portion of a fiber assembly (26). Within a multicored fiber (30, 32, 34), cores (62, 66) are grouped in non-coplanar pairs. An arrangement of optical elements (28, 36, 38) define within each core pair (62, 66) two optical paths (122, 124) which differ along the sensor length (30): one core (62) of a pair (62, 66) is included in the first path (122), and the other core (66) in the second path (124). A general bending of the sensor region (30) will lengthen one core (62, 66) with respect to the other. Interrogation of this length differential by means of interferometry generates interferograms from which the degree of bending in the plane of the core pair is extracted. Bend orientation can be deduced from data extracted from multiple core pairs.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 21, 2000
    Date of Patent: May 14, 2002
    Assignee: Qinetiq Limited
    Inventors: Alan H Greenaway, James G Burnett, Andrew R Harvey, Peter A Lloyd, Roy McBride, Philip St John Russell, Paul M Blanchard
  • Patent number: 6385367
    Abstract: The present invention is directed to a fiber optic rotary joint comprised of multiple segmented waveguides. Each of the multiple segmented waveguides is located on the stator. The segmented waveguides are circumferentially spaced from each other. Spaces between the segmented waveguides are non-reflective. Each of the segmented waveguides has an optical pickup. There are a plurality of optical transmitters located on the rotor. In the preferred embodiment there are sixteen transmitters with eight transmitters transmitting at one time and eight transmitters turned off at that time.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 31, 2000
    Date of Patent: May 7, 2002
    Assignee: Northrop Grumman Corporation
    Inventors: Robert Thomas Rogers, Alex Nalendra Persaud
  • Patent number: 6382839
    Abstract: Disclosed is an improved adapter for end-to-end abutting and connecting the ferrules of confronting optical cables. It uses resilient means which cooperates with the collars of the ferrules to cause the confronting ferrules to abut on each other as a counter action of the stretching or compressing of the resilient means, thus assuring that the confronting optical cables be put in good connection. The adapter is appropriate for mounting on a printed circuit board, and is simple in structure, small in size and less expensive.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 4, 2000
    Date of Patent: May 7, 2002
    Assignees: NEC Corporation, Honda Tsushin Kogyo Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Toshiaki Eguchi, Yasuaki Ohkubo, Seigo Takahashi
  • Patent number: 6381396
    Abstract: An optical fiber interconnection apparatus includes a flat flexible body member having a peripheral edge. A plurality of optical fibers are mounted to the body member so that their ends extend beyond the peripheral edge. The ends of a plurality of the fibers extend to different locations of the edge. A tube member surrounds the ends of at least a selected plurality of the fibers extending beyond said peripheral edge from at least one of said locations.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 8, 1999
    Date of Patent: April 30, 2002
    Assignee: Molex Incorporated
    Inventors: Igor Grois, Thomas R. Marrapode, Maurice X. Sun, Seymon Tkach
  • Patent number: 6366397
    Abstract: The infrared reflector of the present invention has an infrared-reflecting layer and an infrared-permeable layer which is formed on the infrared-reflecting layer. The infrared-reflecting layer has a reflectance of 60% or more and a permeability of 25% or less with respect to infrared rays having a wavelength within a range of 800 to 2600 nanometers. The infrared-permeable layer has a reflectance of less than 60%, an absorbance of 50% or less, and a permeability of 30% or more with respect to infrared rays having a wavelength within a range of 800 to 2600 nanometers. The infrared-permeable layer contains resin components and pigments, and the amount of carbon black contained in the infrared-permeable layer is 0.1 wt % or less.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 10, 2000
    Date of Patent: April 2, 2002
    Assignee: NTT Advanced Technology Corporation
    Inventors: Yasuhiro Genjima, Haruhiko Mochizuki
  • Patent number: 6364537
    Abstract: An apparatus for receiving a plurality of connector devices and for disposing the plurality of connector devices to facilitate communication among the plurality of connector devices the apparatus comprising: a first end including a first opening for receiving the connector devices; a second end disposed opposite the first end, the second end including a second opening for receiving the connector devices; an exterior surface connecting the first end and the second end; an interior surface connecting the first end and the second end; a plurality of protuberances disposed on the interior surface; a plurality of keyways disposed on the interior surface at the first end; and a latch assembly comprising a movable or a fixed member disposed on the exterior surface at the first end, capable of a first position concealing one of the plurality of keyways and a second position exposing the one of the plurality of keyways.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 8, 2000
    Date of Patent: April 2, 2002
    Assignee: The Siemon Company
    Inventor: Charlie Maynard
  • Patent number: 6360040
    Abstract: An improved highly doped waveguide is provided which comprises a waveguide employing an Er dopant and Pr sensitizer ions. The present invention also provides a method of efficient coupling from an optical source into a waveguide using a rotated optical element.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 23, 2000
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2002
    Assignee: University of New Mexico
    Inventors: Balaji Srinivasan, Ravinder K. Jain, Jason David Tafoya
  • Patent number: 6360046
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a dispersion-shifted optical fiber which comprises a structure for effectively eliminating the causes of deterioration in characteristics at the making stage thereof and is suitable for wavelength division multiplexing transmission. In the dispersion-shifted optical fiber according to the present invention, impurities to be added and the contents thereof are adjusted so as to reduce viscosity difference at each interface between individual glass regions. As a consequence of this structure, occurrence of structural irregularity and glass defect are effectively restrained in the vicinity of the interfaces between the regions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 28, 2000
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2002
    Assignee: Sumitomo Electric Industries, Ltd.
    Inventors: Eisuke Sasaoka, Takatoshi Kato, Akira Urano, Yoshio Yokoyama
  • Patent number: 6307983
    Abstract: A robotic optical cross-connect to operate with three motors irrespective of the number of input fibers. A preferred embodiment includes a ferrule loader arm operated by a first motor; a ferrule loader ring rotatably operated by a second motor; and a loading piston upon which the ferrule loader-ring is mounted. The first motor imparts a motion to the ferrule loader arm in a first direction. The loading piston imparts a motion to the ferrule loader ring in a second direction, the second direction being substantially orthogonal to the first direction. A plurality of connectorized patch fibers is connected at a first end (leaving a second end free) to a first fiber bundle arranged in a substantially circular fashion. A second fiber bundle is also arranged in a substantially circular fashion and is configured to receive connections from the free second end of the plurality of patch fibers. Ferrules are loaded from the ferrule loader arm onto the ferrule loader ring.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 1, 2000
    Date of Patent: October 23, 2001
    Assignee: Lucent Technologies, Inc.
    Inventor: Keith W. Goossen