Patents Examined by Michelle Connelly-Cushwa
  • Patent number: 7349592
    Abstract: An optical transmission device comprises an optical transmission medium and a plurality of optical receivers, and the optical transmission medium has a linear line waveguide. At least one of the optical receivers is adapted to receive a first optical signal propagated through the line waveguide, while at least one of the optical receivers is adapted to receive a second optical signal propagated through the optical transmission medium.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 20, 2004
    Date of Patent: March 25, 2008
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Tatsuya Iwasaki
  • Patent number: 7346259
    Abstract: A polymeric cladding material, cladded waveguides, devices that include cladded waveguides, and methods for using the cladding material. The polymeric cladding material is a thermally reversibly crosslinkable polymer having high conductivity above its glass transition temperature.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 18, 2005
    Date of Patent: March 18, 2008
    Assignee: University of Washington
    Inventors: Kwan-Yue Jen, Jingdong Luo, Sen Liu
  • Patent number: 7346237
    Abstract: An optical fiber coupling part capable of reducing coupling loss while maintaining a large operating distance, and having a good module assembling property. AT least one GRIN lens having numerical aperture NA that is larger than numerical aperture NAs of a light-emitting source (such as a semiconductor laser) is fusion-spliced with one end of the optical fiber. All lights emitted from the light-emitting source can enter the GRIN lens, and the loss of the light can thereby be reduced. In addition, a second GRIN lens having numerical aperture NA2 is fusion-spliced with one end of the optical fiber having numerical aperture NAf, and further a first GRIN lens having numerical aperture NA1, which is larger than numerical aperture NA2, is fusion-spliced with the other end of the second GRIN lens. Thereby, the light emitted from the light-emitting source can efficiently enter the optical fiber, and loss of the light can thereby be reduced. In this case, the formula expressed by NAf?NA2<NAs?NA1 is desirable.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 28, 2004
    Date of Patent: March 18, 2008
    Assignee: Toyo Glass Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Hiroyoshi Matsumura, Taro Suzuki
  • Patent number: 7343056
    Abstract: An acoustooptic filter 1 having an optical waveguide 3 disposed on an upper surface 2a of an acoustooptic substrate 2, an interdigital electrode 4 which excites a surface wave disposed on the acoustooptic substrate 2, a surface wave waveguide for the surface wave excited by the interdigital electrode 4 extends in substantially the same direction as the optical waveguide, and a mode of the light guided to the optical waveguide 3 is converted by the surface wave. The acoustooptic filter 1 includes a thin-film ridge 5 as a phase match condition changer that changes a phase match condition at a mutual action area by 0.235% or more from a state in which phases are matched, the mutual action area being an area where the surface acoustic wave and the light guided to the optical waveguide 3 act upon each other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 22, 2004
    Date of Patent: March 11, 2008
    Assignee: Murata Manufacturing Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Kiyokazu Yamada
  • Patent number: 7340121
    Abstract: An optoelectric composite substrate of the present invention includes an insulating film, an optical waveguide embedded in the insulating film in a state that an upper surface is exposed from the insulating film, a via hole formed to pass through the insulating film, a conductor formed in the via hole, and a connection terminal on which an optical device is mounted and which is connected to an upper end side of the conductor, wherein the connection terminal is embedded in an upper-side portion of the via hole or is projected from the insulating film.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 22, 2005
    Date of Patent: March 4, 2008
    Assignee: Shinko Electric Industries Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Hideki Yonekura, Tadashi Kodaira
  • Patent number: 7340140
    Abstract: In accordance with at least one embodiment of the present invention, a photonic crystal fiber apparatus includes a first cladding layer and a second cladding layer. The first cladding layer includes a plurality of photonic crystal rods disposed in an array along a longitudinal axis. The array has a separation between a first portion of the rods that defines a core region. A second portion of the photonic crystal rods is doped with two rare earth elements. The first cladding layer is configured to propagate signal light. The second cladding layer provides physical support for the plurality of photonic crystal rods and is configured to propagate pump light.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 9, 2005
    Date of Patent: March 4, 2008
    Assignee: The Boeing Company
    Inventors: Yuanjian Xu, Francis S. Auricchio, Jr.
  • Patent number: 7334947
    Abstract: The present invention provides an alignment system comprising a base having a feature that accepts a first optical element, a first eccentric element having a through hole that accepts an eccentric assembly comprising a second eccentric element having a feature that accepts a second optical element and is attached to the second optical element via second attachment means, wherein the first eccentric element is engaged with the base via first attachment means and axial alignment between optical axis of the first optical element and optical axis of the second optical element is achieved by rotationally adjusting at least one of the eccentric elements relative to the base. The present invention also provides methods to make and use this alignment system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 16, 2006
    Date of Patent: February 26, 2008
    Assignee: Ondine International Ltd
    Inventors: Andreas Rose, Guenter Herr, Kyle Johnston
  • Patent number: 7336413
    Abstract: A nonlinear fiber having a third-order nonlinear coefficient of at least 30 W?1km?1, and its cladding containing Er or Tm at a portion within 3 ?m from the interface with its core. A wavelength conversion method of making a signal light having a wavelength ?S and an intensity IS and a pump light having a wavelength ?P which is shorter than 2?S and an intensity higher than IS enter a nonlinear fiber 1, and generating a converted light having a wavelength ?C of ?S?P/(2?S??P) and an intensity IC by four wave mixing, wherein Er or Tm is present in the cladding at a portion with a diameter in the nonlinear fiber 1 of at most the mode field diameter, and the converted light is generated by four wave mixing while Er or Tm is excited by an excitation light.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 31, 2006
    Date of Patent: February 26, 2008
    Assignee: Asahi Glass Company, Limited
    Inventors: Tomoharu Hasegawa, Naoki Sugimoto, Tatsuo Nagashima
  • Patent number: 7336862
    Abstract: A fiber optic sensor is provided. The fiber optic sensor includes a fiber core having a plurality of Bragg grating elements wherein, the grating elements comprise a periodic or a quasiperiodic modulated microcrystalline and rigid silicon dioxide tetrahedral structure and a cladding disposed about the fiber core.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 22, 2007
    Date of Patent: February 26, 2008
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Hua Xai, Mahadevan Balasubramaniam, Jie Jiang, Huageng Luo, Abdul Rahman Abdallah Al-Khalidy, Clayton Ming Young, Kevin Thomas McCarthy
  • Patent number: 7331718
    Abstract: A plug-type optical connector 10 is provided with a ferrule 22 and an aligning sleeve member 24. The aligning sleeve member 24 receives a portion of the ferrule 22 including an abutting end face 48 inside a bore 58 to prevent staining and damage and uses a movable shutter 54 to prevent light emitted through the ferrule 22 from leaking to the outside. The socket type optical connector 14 is provided with a ferrule 92 and a holding section 94. The optical connector 14 is not provided with an aligning sleeve member and further can hold a coated optical fiber by a holding section 94 behind the ferrule 92 by a radius of curvature of at least a prescribed minimum radius of curvature. Optical loss in the coated optical fiber can be reduced while effectively reducing the external dimensions in the direction of extension of the ferrule 92 at the time of use.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 23, 2004
    Date of Patent: February 19, 2008
    Assignee: 3M Innovative Properties Company
    Inventors: Akihiko Yazaki, Takaya Yamauchi, James R. Bylander, Eric M. Morgan, Wesley A. Raider, Kirk L. Taylor
  • Patent number: 7333688
    Abstract: An apparatus and method are provided for manipulating light beams propagated through PLCs in free space. Light beams propagated in through an input/output waveguide of a PLC are propagated through a waveguide array to generate a phased array output at an edge facet of the PLC. The phased array output at the edge facet is spatially Fourier transformed by a lens in free space, generating a spectrally resolved image at the back focal plane of the lens. The spectrally resolved image is reflected, at least in part, by a reflector device and coupled into a desired waveguide array of a PLC to produce a desired output.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 31, 2004
    Date of Patent: February 19, 2008
    Assignee: Lucent Technologies Inc.
    Inventors: Christopher Richard Doerr, Dan Mark Marom
  • Patent number: 7331717
    Abstract: An optical connector system assembled from modular components. These components include connector modules that position ferrules for mating and providing fine alignment to fibers. The modules are assembled to support members to form connectors of various sizes. Mounting modules are attached to the support members. Various shaped mounting modules are provided, allowing connectors to be assembled for various configurations, such as a matrix configuration, a parallel board-to-board configuration or a panel mount configuration.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 1, 2004
    Date of Patent: February 19, 2008
    Assignee: Amphenol Corporation
    Inventors: Sepehr Kiani, Richard F. Roth, John A. Lehman
  • Patent number: 7329054
    Abstract: A compact optical transceiver is provided in which a substrate provides for an alignment surface for optical fibers and a lens assembly provides the necessary optical paths for coupling to laser diode and photodetector structures. Appropriate electrical connections on the substrate enable the substrate to be directly connected to a printed circuit board, grid array socket, and the like.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 5, 2007
    Date of Patent: February 12, 2008
    Assignee: Aprius, Inc.
    Inventors: Marc Epitaux, Peter E. Kirkpatrick
  • Patent number: 7330611
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for optimizing a non-ideal, real mode converter to substantially achieve the performance of an ideal mode converter. The method consists of optimizing the input linear polarization to the mode converter to balance the power in the principal modes of the mode converter at the output of the mode converter. This has the effect of maximizing the orthogonality of the output polarization states of the mode converter. The present invention also provides an electro-optical mode converter with means to adjust the orientation of the input polarization state to substantially balance the power in the principal modes at the output of the converter. In the case of an intensity modulator, the output polarization state can also be adjusted to maximize mode conversion and extinction ratio.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 29, 2004
    Date of Patent: February 12, 2008
    Assignee: Versawave Technologies Inc.
    Inventors: Jeffrey D. Bull, Adam Robert Reid, Nicolas August Fleming Jaeger
  • Patent number: 7329051
    Abstract: An optical connector apparatus includes a first connector having a first connecting portion adapted to be connected to and disconnected from a first connecting object in a first direction, a second connector which has a second connecting portion adapted to be connected to a second connection object and which is coupled to the first connector, and an optical fiber connected between the first and the second connectors. The first connector includes a first ferrule having an end portion formed at a position corresponding to the first connecting portion and having a first outer diameter. The second connector includes a second ferrule having an end portion formed at a position corresponding to the second connecting portion and having a second outer diameter greater than the first outer diameter. The optical fiber is coupled to the first and the second ferrules.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 13, 2007
    Date of Patent: February 12, 2008
    Assignee: Japan Aviation Electronics Industry, Limited
    Inventors: Yuichi Koreeda, Akihiro Onogawa, Hideto Shimazu, Kan Ozawa, Go Kaneko, Yasutaka Hiroki
  • Patent number: 7327512
    Abstract: A measured optical pulse and a sampling optical pulse having different wavelengths are input to a nonlinear optical effect, that is, (i) a nonlinear optical medium generating four optical wave mixing or three optical wave mixing, and the optical intensity of the wavelength converted light generated by the four optical wave mixing or four optical wave mixing generated in a common portion in time of the two optical pulses is detected, thereby observing the waveform of a measured light, or (ii) a nonlinear optical medium generating mutual phase modulation which generates mutual phase modulation, and the optical intensity of converted light switched using a phase shift by mutual phase modulation generated in a common portion in time is detected, thereby observing the waveform of measured light.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 24, 2004
    Date of Patent: February 5, 2008
    Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
    Inventor: Shigeki Watanabe
  • Patent number: 7327913
    Abstract: An optical device is provided with first and second inputs. A first coupler coupled is coupled to the first input and produces at least a first and second output. A second coupler is coupled to the second input and produces at least a first and second output. A third coupler is coupled to the first output of the first coupler and to the first output of the second coupler. A fourth coupler is coupled to the second output of the first coupler and to the second output of the second coupler. First and second crossing waveguides are provided with an angle selected to minimize crosstalk and losses between the first and second cross waveguides. The first crossing waveguide connects one of the first or second outputs from the first coupler with an input of the fourth coupler. The second crossing waveguide connects one of the first or second outputs from the second coupler with an input of the third coupler. A first phase shifter is coupled to the first and second waveguides.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 22, 2003
    Date of Patent: February 5, 2008
    Assignee: Celight, Inc.
    Inventors: Isaac Shpantzer, Arkady Kaplan, Aviv Salamon, Yaakov Achiam, Jacob B. Khurgin, Michael Tseytlin, Pak Shing Cho, Arthur Greenblatt, Christopher Kerr, Geoffrey Harston
  • Patent number: 7327930
    Abstract: A modular light system for a spa where replacement of a light emitter, such as but not limited to a LED and/or a cable is accomplished without needing access an area around a tub in the spa. Furthermore, replacing the cable and light emitter can be accomplished individually. The system comprises a light emitter, a power source, a controller, and a plurality of cables. When the light emitter fails, it is disconnected from the cable and replaced with a working light emitter. When the cable fails it may be disconnected from the light emitter and replaced with a working cable.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 25, 2005
    Date of Patent: February 5, 2008
    Assignee: Nexxus Lighting, Inc.
    Inventors: Pinhas P. Koren, Stephen Faber, Cristoffer Kvist
  • Patent number: 7324267
    Abstract: A wavelength converter device is provided for generating a converted radiation at frequency ?g through interaction between at least one signal radiation at frequency ?s and at least one pump radiation at frequency ?p, including an input for the at least one signal radiation at frequency ?s, a pump light source for generating the at least one pump radiation at frequency ?p, an output for taking out the converted radiation at frequency ?g, a structure for transmitting the signal radiation, including two optical resonators having a non-linear material, having an optical length of at least 40*?/2, ? being the wavelength of the pump radiation, and resonating at the pump, signal and converted frequencies ?p, ?s and ?g, wherein by propagating through the structure, the pump and signal radiation generate the converted radiation by non-linear interaction within the optical resonators.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 28, 2002
    Date of Patent: January 29, 2008
    Assignee: Pirelli & C. S.p.A.
    Inventors: Andrea Melloni, Francesco Morichetti, Silvia Maria Pietralunga, Mario Martinelli
  • Patent number: 7324717
    Abstract: A microlens structure is mounted directly onto the upper surface of a packaged VCSEL device and positioned to locate microlenses directly over corresponding VCSEL elements. The microlens structure includes a block-like pedestal having a lower surface that faces the upper surface of the VSCEL device. The microlenses are formed in a central region of the lower surface, and several legs (stand-offs) extend from peripheral edges of the lower surface. During assembly, the VCSEL device is positioned under the microlens structure such that each microlens is aligned over its corresponding VCSEL element, and then raised until the legs contact the upper surface of the VCSEL device. The legs serve to self-align the microlenses to the VCSEL device, and are sized to maintain an optimal distance between the microlenses and the VCSEL elements. The pedestal is attached to a carrier plate that is secured to an IC package housing the VCSEL device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 22, 2005
    Date of Patent: January 29, 2008
    Assignee: Palo Alto Research Center Incorporated
    Inventors: Christopher L. Chua, Michel A. Rosa, Patrick Y. Maeda, Eric Peeters