Abstract: A shaped clamp member having a symmetrical four section bent flat plate configured to fit the round surface of the rod and configured to fit the surface of the square spindle, a shaped abutment member having a symmetrical three section reversible bent flat plate configured to fit round surface of the rod and reversing the second clamp member is configured to fit the surface of the square spindle, and, thus, functions to enable a universal pole clamp able to fit one or more sizes and configurations of deck railing or deck spindle or utilized to support one or more sizes and configurations of poles or round rods.

Abstract: A ball hopper comprising a frame, a divider, a plurality of elastic members and a seat, wherein the frame further comprises a lower, middle and upper portion and at least one rigid connector joining the lower, middle and upper portion, and wherein the divider separates the frame into a lower compartment and an upper compartment, and wherein the plurality of elastic members are removably secured to the lower portion of the frame. The ball hopper provides a method for collecting, distributing (while a user is standing or sitting) and transporting balls by pressing the ball hopper over an object, such that at least one of the plurality of elastic members allows the object to enter the lower compartment. Further, the ball hopper may be utilized as a seat, such that the divider forces collected balls towards the top of the ball hopper for easy removal from the lower compartment.

Abstract: A bed covering apparatus that prevents bed bugs from intrusion to an enclosed sleeping area, wherein the bed covering apparatus has a net for exclusion of insects and an openable section disposed at one end of the net that is dimensioned to accommodate legs of a person sleeping within the net, and also contains at least one slippery section to which bed bugs cannot adhere, thereby causing the bed bugs to fall from the netted sleeping area before they have an opportunity to enter the sleeping enclosure. The bed covering apparatus further may comprise straps to securely attach it to a mattress.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for mixing gas and liquid comprising a submersible or a self contained, self powered floating pressurized dome aeration apparatus housing multi-shaft intermeshed plurality of mixing discs with a remote umbilical power and control unit and process for adding dissolved gas (oxygen) into fluid (water), wherein intermeshed rotating sets of discs operate on parallel shafts driven by variable speed motors or drives, and strakes are radially mounted on the discs to carry liquid up into a mixing area and to carry air and liquid down into a mixing area resulting in a shear force that drives air into the oxygen depleted liquid.

Abstract: A wavelength selective switch utilizing aperture-shared optics and functionally distinct planes of operation that enables high fiber port counts, such as 1×41, and multiplicative expansion, such as to 1×83 or 1×145, by utilizing elements optimized for performance in one of the functionally distinct planes of operation without affecting the other plane.

Abstract: An optical system comprising two or more optical switches co-packaged together comprising discrete sets of input fiber ports (N per set) and an output fiber port (1 per set), and wherein ?n from said set of multiple input fiber ports (N) is focused on ?n mirror via the use of shared free space optics, wherein at least a first array of MEMS mirrors is utilized to select and switch selected wavelengths from the first set of input fiber ports (N) to an output fiber port of the same set, and wherein at least a second array of MEMS mirrors using and sharing the same free space optics is utilized to select individual wavelengths or spectral components from its input fiber ports to send to its output fiber port for optical power or other monitoring purposes, thus, enabling an N×1, or alternatively a 1×N switch capable of internal feedback monitoring.

Abstract: An optical system comprising a combination optical switch and monitoring system based on an array of mirrors, and a moveable reflective element co-packaged together, including discrete sets of fiber ports wherein ?n from input fiber ports is focused on ?n mirror via the use of shared free space optics; such as shared beam steering elements, dispersive elements, and optical elements, and discrete arrays of MEMS mirrors utilized to select and switch selected wavelengths from the input fiber port(s) to an output fiber port(s) of the optical switch, and wherein a moveable reflective element sharing the same free space optics is utilized to sweep across and reflect selected portions of the optical spectrum back to a photodetector. By correlating reflective element position with power measured, a processor can obtain a spectral plot of the wavelength band of interest, as well as calculate parameters such as center wavelength, passband shape, and OSNR.

Abstract: A system and method of asymmetrical fiber or waveguide spacing comprising, in general, an asymmetrical fiber concentrator array (FCA), wherein an offset in the front face spacing of the output waveguides relative to the input waveguides functions to reduce or eliminate the introduction of static back reflection, and static in-to-in crosstalk into a fiber by an optical switch, but does not impose the cost, complexity, and insertion loss penalties brought about by additional components.

Abstract: A high port count instantiated wavelength selective switch comprising two or more discrete sets, or instances, of m fiber ports totaling N fiber ports co-packaged together, one or more shared optical elements and dispersive elements, and one or more steering elements in each instance. The steering elements steer ?(k) from each instance of m input fiber ports to a ?(k) mirror dedicated to that fiber port instance, and wherein ?(k) mirror of the instance of m fiber ports is utilized to select and switch one ?(k) from the instance of m fiber ports to a fixed mirror which in turn reflects ?(k) to the ?(k) output mirror. The ?(k) output mirror selects and switches one ?(k) from one of the one or more instances of m fiber ports of the N×1 optical switch to the 1 output fiber port for each wavelength, and vice-versa for the 1×N optical switch.

Abstract: A fiber optic switch utilizing a segmented prism element, comprising a fiber optic switch used in multi-channel optical communications networks and having one or more arrays of micro electromechanical system (MEMS) mirrors, wherein at least a first array of MEMS mirrors is utilized to select & switch wavelengths from a number of input fiber ports (N) to an output fiber port, wherein at least a second array of MEMS mirrors using and sharing the same free space optics as the first MEMS array is utilized to produce yet another fiber optic switch, wherein the second switch is utilized to select individual wavelengths or spectral components from its input fiber ports to send to its output fiber port for optical power or other monitoring purposes, thus, enabling a cost effective, high level of integration N×1 or alternatively a 1×N switch capable of internal feedback monitoring.

Abstract: An optical system comprising two or more optical switches co-packaged together comprising discrete sets of input fiber ports (N per set) and an output fiber port (1 per set), wherein ?n from said set of multiple input fiber ports (N) is focused on ?n mirrors via the use of shared free space optics, wherein said beam steering elements steers ?n from any point in the optical path to any other point; and discrete arrays of micro electromechanical system (MEMS) mirrors in a shared array, wherein a first array of MEMS mirrors is utilized to select and switch selected wavelengths from the first set of input fiber ports (N) to an output fiber port of the same set, and wherein a second array of MEMS mirrors using and sharing the same free space optics as the first MEMS array is utilized to produce yet another fiber optic switch.