Patents by Inventor Ai Yanagihara

Ai Yanagihara has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Publication number: 20240192663
    Abstract: The present disclosure is a control device for automating tasks for control which has been conventionally performed manually for devices including a computer with key input and an user interface (UI), which is difficult to be applied with software such as an RPA that automatically performs tasks in the computer, and the present disclosure is a means for performing automation without analyzing a communication protocol or a control method of a control unit of the computer and a main body of the device, and realizes automation by applying a signal processing technology to a signal of the UI and performing control from an external computer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 21, 2021
    Publication date: June 13, 2024
    Inventors: Kenya Suzuki, Ai Yanagihara, Keita Yamaguchi, Masashi Ota, Osamu Moriwaki
  • Patent number: 12007665
    Abstract: To provide an optical signal processing device capable of reducing the crosstalk while narrowing the space between switch elements for downsizing, the optical signal processing device includes a plurality of input optical waveguides, a plurality of output optical waveguides, a plurality of optical waveguide elements arranged between the plurality of input optical waveguides and the plurality of output optical waveguides, and a connection optical waveguide. The connection optical waveguide positioned closely to the optical waveguide element is differentiated in propagation constant from the optical waveguide configuring the closely arranged optical waveguide element. The connection optical waveguide positioned closely to the optical waveguide element is a connection optical waveguide having one end or both ends connected to the optical waveguide element, or a connection optical waveguide having both ends not connected to the optical waveguide elements.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 7, 2020
    Date of Patent: June 11, 2024
    Assignee: Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corporation
    Inventors: Keita Yamaguchi, Kenya Suzuki, Takashi Go, Osamu Moriwaki, Ai Yanagihara
  • Patent number: 11977315
    Abstract: The positions at which electrode pads are arranged can be made more flexible, and electrical interconnects to be installed can be reduced. In addition, the degree of integration of a chip increases, making it possible to realize a large-scale device (optical switch etc.). In an optical module of the present invention, an interposer (an electrical connection intermediary component with electrode pins attached onto upper and lower faces in an array) is laid over a chip that includes a device configured by using a planar lightwave circuit (PLC) fixed onto a fixing metal plate, and a control substrate for driving the device is laid over the interposer. These components are mechanically fixed by a fixing screw or the like, and the electrode pads of the chip and the control substrate are connected to each other via the interposer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 11, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 7, 2024
    Assignee: NIPPON TELEGRAPH AND TELEPHONE CORPORATION
    Inventors: Ai Yanagihara, Kenya Suzuki, Takashi Go, Keita Yamaguchi, Yuko Kawajiri
  • Patent number: 11966082
    Abstract: Optical alignment between an optical waveguide device and an optical connection part is realized easily and at low cost. An optical circuit in which optical waveguides to be connected to optical fibers are formed includes: an alignment optical waveguide configured to be opposed to, on an optical waveguide edge face to which an optical connection part having guide holes for insertion of core wires of the optical fibers is to be fixed, a guide hole into which an alignment optical fiber is to be inserted; and a light path changing member configured to change a path of light to a vertical direction with respect to the optical axis direction of the core of the alignment optical waveguide.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 12, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 23, 2024
    Assignee: NIPPON TELEGRAPH AND TELEPHONE CORPORATION
    Inventors: Yusuke Muranaka, Kota Shikama, Hidetaka Nishi, Ai Yanagihara
  • Patent number: 11934010
    Abstract: There is provided an optical connection structure in which an optical fiber and an optical semiconductor waveguide are easily connected with low loss. The present invention relates to an optical connection structure configured to connect an optical waveguide device and an optical fiber including cores having different refractive indexes, wherein an optical connection component using a planar lightwave circuit is bonded and fixed on an end surface of an input/output waveguide of the optical waveguide device, a value of a refractive index of a core of the planar lightwave circuit is between a value of the refractive index of the core of the optical waveguide device and a value of the refractive index of the core of the optical fiber, and the optical waveguide device and the optical fiber are optically connected via the planar lightwave circuit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 8, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2024
    Assignee: NIPPON TELEGRAPH AND TELEPHONE CORPORATION
    Inventors: Yusuke Muranaka, Kota Shikama, Hidetaka Nishi, Ai Yanagihara
  • Publication number: 20240085627
    Abstract: An optical circuit to be manufactured on a wafer has a problem that characteristics are distributed (biased) in a wafer plane due to various causes in manufacturing. The present invention is characterized in that refractive index distribution of an upper cladding is adjusted on the basis of refractive index distribution of a lower cladding and a core film, a film thickness of the core film, and in-plane distribution such as an execution refractive index of an optical waveguide (calculated from a width of a core pattern).
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 26, 2021
    Publication date: March 14, 2024
    Inventors: Kenya Suzuki, Keita Yamaguchi, Ai Yanagihara, Masashi Ota
  • Publication number: 20240044941
    Abstract: A probe card capable of simultaneously measuring both optical and electrical characteristics of an optoelectronic device is provided. A probe pin inserted into a via hole formed in a substrate and configured to measure the electrical characteristics and an optical fiber inserted into the via hole formed in the substrate and configured to measure the optical characteristics are provided.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 18, 2021
    Publication date: February 8, 2024
    Inventors: Ai Yanagihara, Keita Yamaguchi, Masashi Ota, Kenya Suzuki
  • Patent number: 11740491
    Abstract: An optical switch is configured by providing a planar lightwave circuit layer on a top surface of a Si substrate. The circuit layer forms, on the top surface of the substrate, an optical waveguide including an underclad layer, an optical waveguide core, and an overclad layer. The optical waveguide is provided to have a structure configuring a Mach-Zehnder interferometer. A heater is provided at a position just above an arm of the core on the top surface of the clad layer, and power supply electric wires are electrically connected to both ends of the heater. In a local portion including an interface between the clad layer and the top surface of the substrate, trench structure portions as concave grooves are provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 5, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 29, 2023
    Assignee: NIPPON TELEGRAPH AND TELEPHONE CORPORATION
    Inventors: Ai Yanagihara, Kenya Suzuki, Takashi Go, Keita Yamaguchi
  • Publication number: 20230259017
    Abstract: In an optical circuit divided into a plurality of partial circuits, an optical waveguide having a low optical loss at a connection portion is provided. A photomask in which a waveguide pattern of an optical circuit is divided into a plurality of regions and drawn, the photomask including a waveguide pattern for drawing a joint region in which a waveguide width changes as a waveguide goes toward an outer peripheral portion, to connect a plurality of the waveguides divided and drawn to each other, in which the waveguides are connected to each other by overlapping the joint regions of two of the photomasks and performing exposure.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 5, 2020
    Publication date: August 17, 2023
    Inventors: Takashi Go, Ai Yanagihara, Keita Yamaguchi, Kenya Suzuki
  • Patent number: 11635641
    Abstract: A problem is to provide a planar lightwave circuit optical device capable of facilitating mounting of connection to a printed circuit board and realizing downsizing of a device chip. A planar lightwave circuit optical device of the present invention is characterized by mounting an electrical connector (FPC connector) by means of soldering on an electrode pad of an electrical wire connected to an electrical drive unit (such as a heater) in a device formed by using a planar lightwave circuit (PLC).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 30, 2018
    Date of Patent: April 25, 2023
    Assignee: NIPPON TELEGRAPH AND TELEPHONE CORPORATION
    Inventors: Ai Yanagihara, Kenya Suzuki, Ryoichi Kasahara, Kazunori Seno, Yuko Kawajiri
  • Publication number: 20230032684
    Abstract: In a waveguide having a given ?, a low-loss waveguide bend is realized while the curvature radius is kept small. In an optical waveguide in which a first waveguide and a second waveguide are connected, a clothoid tapered waveguide bend is inserted between the first waveguide and the second waveguide. In the clothoid tapered waveguide bend, the waveguide width continuously changes from a first waveguide width at a connection point of the first waveguide to a second waveguide width at a connection point of the second waveguide, the curvature radius continuously changes from a first curvature radius at the connection point of the first waveguide to a second curvature radius at the connection point of the second waveguide, the first waveguide width and the second waveguide width are different from each other, and the first curvature radius and the second curvature radius are different from each other.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 11, 2019
    Publication date: February 2, 2023
    Inventors: Takashi Go, Kenya Suzuki, Keita Yamaguchi, Ai Yanagihara
  • Publication number: 20220413218
    Abstract: A waveguide bend which has low loss while keeping the curvature radius small in a waveguide with a given A is realized. An optical waveguide has a straight waveguide and a waveguide bend connected to each other, and tapered waveguide bends inserted between the straight waveguide and the waveguide bend, a curvature radius of the tapered waveguide bend being equal to a curvature radius of the waveguide bend, a waveguide width of the tapered waveguide bend changing continuously from the waveguide width of the straight waveguide at the connection point to the waveguide width of the waveguide bend. A waveguide width of the waveguide bend is larger than a waveguide width of the straight waveguide at a connection point and the tapered waveguide bend and the straight waveguide are connected with an optical axis of the tapered waveguide bend and an optical axis of the straight waveguide being offset.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 26, 2019
    Publication date: December 29, 2022
    Inventors: Takashi Go, Kenya Suzuki, Keita Yamaguchi, Ai Yanagihara
  • Publication number: 20220357601
    Abstract: An optical switch is configured by providing a planar lightwave circuit layer on a top surface of a Si substrate. The circuit layer forms, on the top surface of the substrate, an optical waveguide including an underclad layer, an optical waveguide core, and an overclad layer. The optical waveguide is provided to have a structure configuring a Mach-Zehnder interferometer. A heater is provided at a position just above an arm of the core on the top surface of the clad layer, and power supply electric wires are electrically connected to both ends of the heater. In a local portion including an interface between the clad layer and the top surface of the substrate, trench structure portions as concave grooves are provided.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 5, 2019
    Publication date: November 10, 2022
    Inventors: Ai Yanagihara, Kenya Suzuki, Takashi Go, Keita Yamaguchi
  • Publication number: 20220272427
    Abstract: In order to reduce the number of power driving elements, an optical signal processing device includes a control unit, a current generation unit, a connection portion, and an optical signal processing unit, the current generation unit includes one or a plurality of power driving elements s, the optical signal processing unit is an optical waveguide on a substrate, and a plurality of driven elements are connected in parallel to an identical one of the plurality of power driving elements and are driven.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 1, 2019
    Publication date: August 25, 2022
    Inventors: Keita Yamaguchi, Kenya Suzuki, Takashi Go, Osamu Moriwaki, Ai Yanagihara
  • Patent number: 11422321
    Abstract: Provided is an optical fiber connection component in which an optical waveguide of a planar lightwave circuit and an optical fiber can be connected after a process using SMT and reflow mounting technology. The optical fiber connection component includes: a plurality of fiber guide holes into which optical fibers are insertable at intervals equal to intervals of a plurality of optical waveguides of the planar lightwave circuit; and grooves for demarcating an area provided with the plurality of fiber guide holes and an area coated with an adhesive in an end surface to be joined with the planar lightwave circuit. The plurality of optical waveguides and the plurality of fiber guide holes are respectively aligned and fixed to the planar lightwave circuit with the adhesive in advance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 23, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 23, 2022
    Assignee: NIPPON TELEGRAPH AND TELEPHONE CORPORATION
    Inventors: Ai Yanagihara, Shuichiro Asakawa, Kota Shikama, Yusuke Muranaka, Hidetaka Nishi
  • Patent number: 11415761
    Abstract: An optical fiber guide part fixes optical fibers optically connected to optical waveguides of an optical waveguide device and is adhesively fixed to the optical waveguide device. The optical fiber guide part includes a V-grooved substrate, in a surface of which plural V-grooves are formed in parallel to one another, a lid member fixed to a top of the V-grooved substrate such that the V-grooves are exposed in a neighborhood of at least that end face of the V-grooved substrate which is on a side of the optical waveguide device, and a lid member fixed to an exposed part of the V-grooves of the V-grooved substrate, pressing, from above, the optical fibers inserted in guide holes formed by the V-grooves and the lid member placed on the V-grooves.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 20, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 16, 2022
    Assignee: Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corporation
    Inventors: Kota Shikama, Hidetaka Nishi, Yusuke Muranaka, Ai Yanagihara
  • Patent number: 11405702
    Abstract: An optical signal processing device is described herein for reducing electric wirings in an optical switch or an optical filter realized using an optical waveguide. The optical signal processing device includes an optical waveguide formed on a substrate. In the optical signal processing device, the optical waveguide includes at least one input port and at least one output port, a plurality of driven elements are provided including a phase shifter that produces a phase shift to an optical signal from the input port, each of the driven elements includes at least two control terminals, control wirings are provided to have control signals being time-division synchronized applied between the two control terminals, and the control wiring for accessing the driven element is shared by the plurality of driven elements.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 19, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 2, 2022
    Assignee: NIPPON TELEGRAPH AND TELEPHONE CORPORATION
    Inventors: Keita Yamaguchi, Kenya Suzuki, Takashi Go, Osamu Moriwaki, Ai Yanagihara
  • Publication number: 20220091473
    Abstract: To provide an optical signal processing device capable of reducing the crosstalk while narrowing the space between switch elements for downsizing, the optical signal processing device includes a plurality of input optical waveguides, a plurality of output optical waveguides, a plurality of optical waveguide elements arranged between the plurality of input optical waveguides and the plurality of output optical waveguides, and a connection optical waveguide. The connection optical waveguide positioned closely to the optical waveguide element is differentiated in propagation constant from the optical waveguide configuring the closely arranged optical waveguide element. The connection optical waveguide positioned closely to the optical waveguide element is a connection optical waveguide having one end or both ends connected to the optical waveguide element, or a connection optical waveguide having both ends not connected to the optical waveguide elements.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 7, 2020
    Publication date: March 24, 2022
    Inventors: Keita Yamaguchi, Kenya Suzuki, Takashi Go, Osamu Moriwaki, Ai Yanagihara
  • Publication number: 20220066244
    Abstract: The present invention realizes an optical signal processing device that enables using a thermal oxidation silica film as the under clad of a silica PLC while also increasing the thickness of the under clad and reducing the time required for film growth during manufacturing. The optical signal processing device is formed as a planar optical circuit that includes an optical waveguide formed on a silicon substrate, and has a phase modulation element that employs a thermo-optical effect. A plurality of silica films are provided between a core of the optical waveguide and the silicon substrate, and at least one of the silica films was formed by thermal oxidation.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 24, 2019
    Publication date: March 3, 2022
    Inventors: Keita Yamaguchi, Ai Yanagihara, Kenya Suzuki, Takashi Go, Osamu Moriwaki
  • Publication number: 20220035099
    Abstract: There is provided an optical connection structure in which an optical fiber and an optical semiconductor waveguide are easily connected with low loss. The present invention relates to an optical connection structure configured to connect an optical waveguide device and an optical fiber including cores having different refractive indexes, wherein an optical connection component using a planar lightwave circuit is bonded and fixed on an end surface of an input/output waveguide of the optical waveguide device, a value of a refractive index of a core of the planar lightwave circuit is between a value of the refractive index of the core of the optical waveguide device and a value of the refractive index of the core of the optical fiber, and the optical waveguide device and the optical fiber are optically connected via the planar lightwave circuit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 8, 2019
    Publication date: February 3, 2022
    Inventors: Yusuke Muranaka, Kota Shikama, Hidetaka Nishi, Ai Yanagihara