Patents by Inventor Scott R. Dahl
Scott R. Dahl 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).
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Patent number: 8755651Abstract: Described are tunable multiport optical filters that filter systems with many optical channels in a convenient and cost-effective manner. The tunable multiport optical filters of the invention are simple in design and have few optical components. The basic elements are a dispersion element and a rotating reflector. With properly arranged arrays of input and output optical fibers, individual wavelength components from a selected input beam are spatially separated and steered by the rotating reflector to selected output locations. The optical properties from the selected components may be measured by one or more photodetectors. The filters are also useful for selecting and routing optical signals.Type: GrantFiled: November 5, 2010Date of Patent: June 17, 2014Assignee: Oclaro (North America Inc.)Inventors: Ming Wu, Deepak Devicharan, Scott R. Dahl, Xuefeng Yue, Michael Lee Saenz
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Patent number: 8175127Abstract: The present invention generally relates to the operation of optical network equipment such as optical amplifiers. In one aspect, a method of operating an optical amplifier is provided such that output of the optical amplifier avoids the effects of operating an optical gain medium in a non-linear (kink) region of an L-I curve. The method generally includes operating an optical gain medium in a fully off state or fully on state above the kink region with a PWM signal. In another aspect, the effects of the kink region may be compensated for by utilizing a lookup table. A sample of the optical power of an amplified optical signal may be used to select an entry in the lookup table that compensates for non-linearities in the kink region. In yet a further aspect, a lookup table may be used to control a pulse modulator to compensate for non-linearites in the kink region of the L-I curve.Type: GrantFiled: December 16, 2010Date of Patent: May 8, 2012Assignee: Oclaro (North America), Inc.Inventors: Aravanan Gurusami, Douglas Llewellyn Butler, Timothy K. Zahnley, Scott R. Dahl, Peter G. Wigley
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Publication number: 20120020620Abstract: Described are tunable multiport optical filters that filter systems with many optical channels in a convenient and cost-effective manner. The tunable multiport optical filters of the invention are simple in design and have few optical components. The basic elements are a dispersion element and a rotating reflector. With properly arranged arrays of input and output optical fibers, individual wavelength components from a selected input beam are spatially separated and steered by the rotating reflector to selected output locations. The optical properties from the selected components may be measured by one or more photodetectors. The filters are also useful for selecting and routing optical signals.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 5, 2010Publication date: January 26, 2012Inventors: Ming Wu, Deepak Devicharan, Scott R. Dahl, Xuefeng Yue, Michael Lee Saenz
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Publication number: 20110090558Abstract: The present invention generally relates to the operation of optical network equipment such as optical amplifiers. In one aspect, a method of operating an optical amplifier is provided such that output of the optical amplifier avoids the effects of operating an optical gain medium in a non-linear (kink) region of an L-I curve. The method generally includes operating an optical gain medium in a fully off state or fully on state above the kink region with a PWM signal. In another aspect, the effects of the kink region may be compensated for by utilizing a lookup table. A sample of the optical power of an amplified optical signal may be used to select an entry in the lookup table that compensates for non-linearities in the kink region. In yet a further aspect, a lookup table may be used to control a pulse modulator to compensate for non-linearites in the kink region of the L-I curve.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 16, 2010Publication date: April 21, 2011Inventors: Aravanan Gurusami, Douglas Llewellyn Butler, Timothy K. Zahnley, Scott R. Dahl, Peter G. Wigley
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Publication number: 20110001895Abstract: An optical device with liquid crystal (LC) cells for conditioning the polarization of incident light includes a drive unit for the LC cells that employs a digital technique. According to this digital technique, the drive unit generates control signals for opposing electrodes of the LC cells based on digital signals that have the same period but differ in phase by up to one-half period. By employing digital signals that differ in phase by up to one-half period with high resolution, the differential voltage across the LC cells can be controlled precisely to a desired RMS value.Type: ApplicationFiled: July 6, 2009Publication date: January 6, 2011Inventor: Scott R. Dahl
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Patent number: 7856037Abstract: The present invention generally relates to the operation of optical network equipment such as optical amplifiers. In one aspect, a method of operating an optical amplifier is provided such that output of the optical amplifier avoids the effects of operating an optical gain medium in a non-linear (kink) region of an L-I curve. The method generally includes operating an optical gain medium in a fully off state or fully on state above the kink region with a PWM signal. In another aspect, the effects of the kink region may be compensated for by utilizing a lookup table. A sample of the optical power of an amplified optical signal may be used to select an entry in the lookup table that compensates for non-linearities in the kink region. In yet a further aspect, a lookup table may be used to control a pulse modulator to compensate for non-linearites in the kink region of the L-I curve.Type: GrantFiled: March 16, 2007Date of Patent: December 21, 2010Assignee: Oclaro (North America), Inc.Inventors: Aravanan Gurusami, Douglas Llewellyn Butler, Timothy K. Zahnley, Scott R. Dahl, Peter G. Wigley
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Patent number: 7512162Abstract: The present invention generally relates to dynamic thermal management of a device. In one aspect, a method for thermally controlling a device is provided. The method includes setting a value of a set point in a thermoelectric cooler, wherein the set point corresponds to a first operating state. The method also includes monitoring a condition of the device to determine if the device is in the first operating state or a second operating state. Additionally, the method includes dynamically altering the value of the set point according to an algorithm upon determination that the device is in the second operating state. In another aspect, a method for dynamically controlling a device having a thermoelectric cooler is provided. In yet a further aspect, a system for dynamic thermal management of a device is provided.Type: GrantFiled: May 11, 2007Date of Patent: March 31, 2009Assignee: Avanex CorporationInventors: Aravanan Gurusami, Timothy K. Zahnley, Scott R. Dahl, Gregory Chilson
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Publication number: 20080279237Abstract: The present invention generally relates to dynamic thermal management of a device. In one aspect, a method for thermally controlling a device is provided. The method includes setting a value of a set point in a thermoelectric cooler, wherein the set point corresponds to a first operating state. The method also includes monitoring a condition of the device to determine if the device is in the first operating state or a second operating state. Additionally, the method includes dynamically altering the value of the set point according to an algorithm upon determination that the device is in the second operating state. In another aspect, a method for dynamically controlling a device having a thermoelectric cooler is provided. In yet a further aspect, a system for dynamic thermal management of a device is provided.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 11, 2007Publication date: November 13, 2008Inventors: Aravanan Gurusami, Timothy K. Zahnley, Scott R. Dahl, Gregory Chilson
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Publication number: 20080225914Abstract: The present invention generally relates to the operation of optical network equipment such as optical amplifiers. In one aspect, a method of operating an optical amplifier is provided such that output of the optical amplifier avoids the effects of operating an optical gain medium in a non-linear (kink) region of an L-I curve. The method generally includes operating an optical gain medium in a fully off state or fully on state above the kink region with a PWM signal. In another aspect, the effects of the kink region may be compensated for by utilizing a lookup table. A sample of the optical power of an amplified optical signal may be used to select an entry in the lookup table that compensates for non-linearities in the kink region. In yet a further aspect, a lookup table may be used to control a pulse modulator to compensate for non-linearites in the kink region of the L-I curve.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 16, 2007Publication date: September 18, 2008Inventors: Aravanan Gurusami, Douglas Llewellyn Butler, Timothy K. Zahnley, Scott R. Dahl, Peter G. Wigley
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Patent number: 7110167Abstract: An optical amplifier system comprises an optical gain medium receiving an input optical signal and outputting an amplified optical signal and a pump laser optically coupled to an input of the optical gain medium, wherein the pump laser emits a series of pulses to the optical gain medium, the pulses being emitted during coherence collapse operation of the pump laser, the time between pulses being shorter than an excited state lifetime of the optical gain medium.Type: GrantFiled: July 20, 2004Date of Patent: September 19, 2006Assignee: Avanex CorporationInventors: Aravanan Gurusami, Dragan Pikula, Daniel O. Ricketts, Scott R. Dahl, Monica K. Davis