Patents by Inventor William R. Culver

William R. Culver 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).

  • Patent number: 8351114
    Abstract: A system for combining multiple fiber amplifiers, or multiple fiber amplifiers. The system includes a fiber combiner with multiple cores for connecting with the multiple fiber amplifiers and for combining the beams of the fiber amplifiers into a single beam. The fiber amplifiers are aligned, tapered, and stretched. A method for combining fiber amplifiers includes emitting a beam from a tapered fiber combiner and transmitting and coupling a portion of the emitted beam back into the fiber combiner via a feedback fiber. The transmission and coupling of the feedback fiber includes mixing the feedback fiber with the output of an auxiliary laser and boosting the feedback fiber by a pre-amplifier. The feedback fiber is split into a plurality of beams by a fiber splitter. The beams are fed into an array of fiber amplifiers and combined with output of the individual fiber amplifiers to form the tapered fiber combiner.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 2, 2009
    Date of Patent: January 8, 2013
    Assignee: Northrop Grumman Systems Corporation
    Inventors: Burke E. Nelson, Sami A. Shakir, William R. Culver, Yuji S. Starcher, Jerry W. Hedrick, George M. Bates
  • Patent number: 7983313
    Abstract: A system and a method for coupling multiple pump light beams to an active fiber. The system including an inverted conical disk, concave lens or glass wedge, an active fiber placed in a center of the inverted conical disk (or concave lens) or at a bottom facet of the glass wedge and a plurality of pump light sources. The system further includes a plurality of lenses for focusing pump light beams from pump light sources towards a side of the inverted conical disk, concave lens or glass wedge, wherein the inverted conical disk, concave lens or glass wedge, couples the pump light beams into the active fiber. A method for coupling multiple pump light beams to an active fiber. The method includes providing an inverted conical disk, concave lens or glass wedge. The method further includes providing an active fiber in approximately the center of the inverted conical disk (or concave lens) or at a bottom facet of the glass wedge.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 30, 2009
    Date of Patent: July 19, 2011
    Assignee: Northrop Grumman Information Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Sami A. Shakir, Burke E. Nelson, William R. Culver, Michael M. Fitelson, Jerry W. Hedrick, George M. Bates
  • Publication number: 20100195676
    Abstract: A system and a method for coupling multiple pump light beams to an active fiber. The system including an inverted conical disk, concave lens or glass wedge, an active fiber placed in a center of the inverted conical disk (or concave lens) or at a bottom facet of the glass wedge and a plurality of pump light sources. The system further includes a plurality of lenses for focusing pump light beams from pump light sources towards a side of the inverted conical disk, concave lens or glass wedge, wherein the inverted conical disk, concave lens or glass wedge, couples the pump light beams into the active fiber. A method for coupling multiple pump light beams to an active fiber. The method includes providing an inverted conical disk, concave lens or glass wedge. The method further includes providing an active fiber in approximately the center of the inverted conical disk (or concave lens) or at a bottom facet of the glass wedge.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 30, 2009
    Publication date: August 5, 2010
    Inventors: Sami A. Shakir, Burke E. Nelson, William R. Culver, Michael M. Fitelson, Jerry W. Hedrick, George M. Bates
  • Publication number: 20100195195
    Abstract: A system for combining multiple fiber amplifiers, or multiple fiber amplifiers. The system includes a fiber combiner with multiple cores for connecting with the multiple fiber amplifiers and for combining the beams of the fiber amplifiers into a single beam. The fiber amplifiers are aligned, tapered, and stretched. A method for combining fiber amplifiers includes emitting a beam from a tapered fiber combiner and transmitting and coupling a portion of the emitted beam back into the fiber combiner via a feedback fiber. The transmission and coupling of the feedback fiber includes mixing the feedback fiber with the output of an auxiliary laser and boosting the feedback fiber by a pre-amplifier. The feedback fiber is split into a plurality of beams by a fiber splitter. The beams are fed into an array of fiber amplifiers and combined with output of the individual fiber amplifiers to form the tapered fiber combiner.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 2, 2009
    Publication date: August 5, 2010
    Inventors: Burke E. Nelson, Sami A. Shakir, William R. Culver, Yuji S. Starcher, Jerry W. Hedrick, George M. Bates