Patents Assigned to OFS Fitel, LLC
  • Post-draw tower optical fiber coating curing
    Patent number: 10486194
    Abstract: Post-draw tower coating curing provides additional curing to an optical fiber coating after the fiber exits the bottom or output end of an optical fiber draw tower. A system may include a draw tower and a coating curing unit. The draw tower has at least one coating applicator. The coating curing unit may be located along a fiber path between the output end of the draw tower and a fiber takeup system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 11, 2017
    Date of Patent: November 26, 2019
    Assignee: OFS FITEL, LLC
    Inventors: Harry D Garner, Douglas Edward Horgen, Kariofilis Konstadinidis
  • Installation of optical fiber distribution cables in a multi-dwelling unit building
    Patent number: 10488613
    Abstract: An optical fiber distribution cable for servicing living units inside a MDU building, is formed by surrounding differently colored optical fibers with a jacket having a diameter of not more than about 3.5 mm. The jacket is opaque for hiding the colored fibers at least partially from view, thus reducing or eliminating any negative visual impact of the cable when installed. The colored cable fibers are arranged so that they are visible to an installer when only the cable jacket is cut open. Connection modules are mounted at corresponding living units, and a section of the cable is placed in each module. The jacket on a cable section in a given module is cut open, and a fiber assigned to the corresponding living unit is identified by color. The fiber is cut, and a length of the fiber is removed from the cable section and stored in the given module.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 21, 2018
    Date of Patent: November 26, 2019
    Assignee: OFS FITEL, LLC
    Inventors: Mark A Boxer, Daniel Hendrickson, Peter A Weimann
  • Self-starting, passively modelocked figure eight fiber laser
    Patent number: 10490968
    Abstract: A self-starting, passively modelocked figure-8 fiber laser is specifically configured to self-start into a low noise mode by controlling one or more operating parameters of the laser including, but not limited to, the coupling ratio between the uni-directional fiber loop and the bi-directional mirror loop, the accumulated dispersion within the figure-8 structure, and the amount of power present in the laser cavity. A self-starting passive modelocked figure-8 laser may also be made to self-start by initially increasing the pump current above its lasing threshold. Including a band-pass filter in the uni-directional loop has been found to ensure that the laser will enter a low noise lasing mode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 27, 2018
    Date of Patent: November 26, 2019
    Assignee: OFS FITEL, LLC
    Inventors: Jeffrey W Nicholson, Philip G Westergaard
  • Self-Starting, Passively Modelocked Figure Eight Fiber Laser
    Publication number: 20190356106
    Abstract: A self-starting, passively modelocked figure-8 fiber laser is specifically configured to self-start into a low noise mode by controlling one or more operating parameters of the laser including, but not limited to, the coupling ratio between the uni-directional fiber loop and the bi-directional mirror loop, the accumulated dispersion within the figure-8 structure, and the amount of power present in the laser cavity. A self-starting passive modelocked figure-8 laser may also be made to self-start by initially increasing the pump current above its lasing threshold. Including a band-pass filter in the uni-directional loop has been found to ensure that the laser will enter a low noise lasing mode.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 27, 2018
    Publication date: November 21, 2019
    Applicant: OFS Fitel, LLC
    Inventors: Jeffrey W. Nicholson, Philip G. Westergaard
  • Optical fiber for applications requiring high system optical signal-to-noise ratio performance and low degradation from nonlinear impairments
    Patent number: 10451795
    Abstract: A optical fiber having core and cladding regions, a primary coating, and a secondary coating may be defined in part by a curve relating the microbend sensitivity to a ratio of the elastic modulus of the secondary coating to the elastic modulus of the primary coating (as plotted on respective y and x axes). The curve has a substantially peaked shape defined by a positive-slope region and a negative-slope region. The ratio of the elastic modulus of the secondary coating to the elastic modulus of the primary coating is within the positive-slope region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 7, 2018
    Date of Patent: October 22, 2019
    Assignee: OFS FITEL, LLC
    Inventors: Kariofilis Konstadinidis, David W Peckham, Debra A Simoff
  • Compact horizontal backbone cables for premises optical cabling applications
    Patent number: 10444460
    Abstract: A optical fiber cable includes optical fibers, reinforcing yarns, and a jacket. Each optical fiber has a fiber strain greater than 0.6 percent under standard installation tensile load. The jacket encloses the optical fibers and reinforcing yarns at a packing density greater than about 1.25 fibers per square millimeter. The combined effect of optical fibers having a fiber strain greater than 0.6 percent under standard installation tensile load and a small amount of reinforcing yarn provides the optical fiber cable with high proof strain, compact diameter, and high packing density.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 7, 2017
    Date of Patent: October 15, 2019
    Assignee: OFS FITEL, LLC
    Inventors: Annabelle Scarpaci, Henson P Toland, Peter A Weimann
  • Ribbon transition tool
    Patent number: 10444435
    Abstract: A ribbon transition tool modifies a 200 ?m ribbon for splicing to a 250 ?m ribbon. A spreader comb is fixedly mounted at the front end of the base of the tool. A straight comb is slidably mounted to the base behind the spreader comb. The combs each have a plurality of fiber channels corresponding to the fibers in the fiber ribbon. At the front end of the spreader comb, the channels have a spacing matching the initial spacing of the fiber ribbon. At the rear end of the spreader comb and throughout the straight comb, the channels have a spacing matching the modified spacing. An anvil is mounted into the base so as to be movable between a lowered position, in which the anvil lies underneath the straight comb, and a raised position, in which the anvil fills the gap between the combs when they are separated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 19, 2017
    Date of Patent: October 15, 2019
    Assignee: OFS FITEL, LLC
    Inventors: Denis Edward Burek, Yue Liang
  • Optical probe using multimode optical waveguide and proximal processing
    Patent number: 10401883
    Abstract: An optical probe includes an optical source that generates an optical beam that propagates from a proximal end to a distal end of an optical fiber that imparts a transformation of a spatial profile of the optical beam. An optical control device imparts a compensating spatial profile on the optical beam that at least partially compensates for the transformation of the spatial profile of the optical beam imparted by the optical fiber in response to a control signal from a signal processor. A distal optical source generates a calibration light that propagates through the one or more optical waveguides from the distal end to the proximal end of the optical fiber. An optical detector detects the calibration light and generates electrical signals in response to the detected calibration light.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 11, 2018
    Date of Patent: September 3, 2019
    Assignees: OFS Fitel, LLC
    Inventors: Eric Swanson, Tristan Kremp, Paul S. Westbrook, David DiGiovanni
  • Affixing fiber optic sensing element to an apparatus
    Patent number: 10401573
    Abstract: Embodiments are directed to a method and device for coupling an optical fiber sensing element to an apparatus under test. A channel is affixed to the apparatus under test. The channel is partially filled with a coupling material. The fiber optic sensing element is placed on the coupling material. Coupling material is placed in the channel to uniformly surround the fiber optic sensing element and tightly couple the fiber optic sensing element to the apparatus under test.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 26, 2018
    Date of Patent: September 3, 2019
    Assignee: OFS FITEL, LLC
    Inventors: Kevin G Bouchard, Robert S Dyer, Michael J Hines, Andrei A Stolov
  • Optical fibers for simultaneous measurement of temperature and strain
    Patent number: 10401563
    Abstract: Disclosed herein is an optical fiber comprising a plurality of dopant concentration profiles in a core of the optical fiber; where the first dopant concentration and the second dopant concentration are each varied in a stepwise manner and wherein a ratio of the first dopant concentration to the second dopant concentration is operative to result in an interaction of a fundamental optical mode at a given wavelength with a plurality of acoustic modes thereby increasing a ratio of Brillouin Scattering intensity ratio of secondary, tertiary or quarternary peak relative to a Brillouin Scattering intensity of a primary peak to be greater than 0.4 in a Brillouin Scattering spectrum.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 12, 2018
    Date of Patent: September 3, 2019
    Assignee: OFS FITEL, LLC
    Inventors: Kyle Bedard, Robert S Dyer, Jie Li, Xiaoguang Sun
  • Extending a range of an optical fiber distributed sensing system
    Patent number: 10386247
    Abstract: Embodiments are directed to a distributed temperature sensing system. The system includes a first fiber optic cable and a second fiber optic cable. A first coupler is coupled to the first fiber optic cable. A second coupler is coupled to the second fiber optic cable. An optical isolator coupled between the first coupler and the second coupler to remove a Stokes signal in order to increase the range of the distributed temperature sensing system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 16, 2017
    Date of Patent: August 20, 2019
    Assignee: OFS FITEL, LLC
    Inventor: Xiaoguang Sun
  • Polarization-Maintaining Fiber Device Supporting Propagation in Large Mode Field Diameters
    Publication number: 20190243061
    Abstract: A higher-order mode (HOM) fiber is configured as a polarization-maintaining fiber by including a pair of stress rods at a location within the cladding layer that provides for a sufficient degree of birefringence without unduly comprising the spatial mode profile of the propagating higher-order modes. An optical imaging system utilizing polarization-maintaining HOM fiber allows for different wavelength probe signals to be directed into different modes, useful in applications such as STED microscopy, 2D sensing, and the like.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 15, 2019
    Publication date: August 8, 2019
    Applicant: OFS Fitel, LLC
    Inventors: Raja A. Ahmad, Man F. Yan, David J. DiGiovanni
  • MULTI-FIBER UNIT TUBE OPTICAL FIBER MICROCABLE INCORPORATING ROLLABLE OPTICAL FIBERS RIBBONS
    Publication number: 20190219783
    Abstract: Embodiments of the invention include an optical fiber cable. The optical fiber cable includes at least one multi-fiber unit tube. The multi-fiber unit tube is substantially circular and dimensioned to receive a plurality of optical fibers. The optical fiber cable also includes at least one rollable optical fiber ribbon comprising a plurality of optical fibers positioned within the at least one multi-fiber unit tube. The plurality of optical fibers in the at least one rollable optical fiber ribbon are rolled in such a way that the at least one rollable optical fiber ribbon is formed in a variable shape. The optical fiber cable also includes a jacket surrounding the at least one multi-fiber unit tube.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 12, 2018
    Publication date: July 18, 2019
    Applicant: OFS Fitel, LLC
    Inventors: Heng Ly, Peter A. Weimann, Henson P. Toland
  • Optical Probe Using Multimode Optical Waveguide and Proximal Processing
    Publication number: 20190212761
    Abstract: An optical probe includes an optical source that generates an optical beam that propagates from a proximal end to a distal end of an optical fiber that imparts a transformation of a spatial profile of the optical beam. An optical control device imparts a compensating spatial profile on the optical beam that at least partially compensates for the transformation of the spatial profile of the optical beam imparted by the optical fiber in response to a control signal from a signal processor. A distal optical source generates a calibration light that propagates through the one or more optical waveguides from the distal end to the proximal end of the optical fiber. An optical detector detects the calibration light and generates electrical signals in response to the detected calibration light.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 11, 2018
    Publication date: July 11, 2019
    Applicants: OFS Fitel, LLC
    Inventors: Eric Swanson, Tristan Kremp, Paul S. Westbrook, David DiGiovanni
  • Optical Fibers For Simultaneous Measurement Of Temperature And Strain
    Publication number: 20190187367
    Abstract: Disclosed herein is an optical fiber comprising a plurality of dopant concentration profiles in a core of the optical fiber; where the first dopant concentration and the second dopant concentration are each varied in a stepwise manner and wherein a ratio of the first dopant concentration to the second dopant concentration is operative to result in an interaction of a fundamental optical mode at a given wavelength with a plurality of acoustic modes thereby increasing a ratio of Brillouin Scattering intensity ratio of secondary, tertiary or quarternary peak relative to a Brillouin Scattering intensity of a primary peak to be greater than 0.4 in a Brillouin Scattering spectrum.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 12, 2018
    Publication date: June 20, 2019
    Applicant: OFS Fitel, LLC
    Inventors: Kyle Bedard, Robert S Dyer, Jie Li, Xiaoguang Sun
  • Optical Cord Retaining Device
    Publication number: 20190179095
    Abstract: A device for retaining an optical fiber or cord at a desired position while the cord is being installed along a defined route at a user premises. The device includes a bend limiter having an open channel that extends between opposite ends of the limiter, wherein the channel is sized to receive a cord and allow the cord to slide freely inside the channel. An elongated retainer is arranged to overlie the bend limiter and thus close the channel when the retainer is secured to the bend limiter, so that the cord is confined inside the channel as the cord slides between the opposite ends of the bend limiter. A latch is arranged to close the device by securing the retainer to the bend limiter, and the bend limiter is configured to conform in shape with one or more surfaces against which it will be installed at the premises.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 31, 2018
    Publication date: June 13, 2019
    Applicant: OFS Fitel, LLC
    Inventors: Kelvin B Bradley, Denis E Burek, John E George, Willard C White
  • Post-Draw Tower Optical Fiber Coating Curing
    Publication number: 20190176189
    Abstract: Post-draw tower coating curing provides additional curing to an optical fiber coating after the fiber exits the bottom or output end of an optical fiber draw tower. A system may include a draw tower and a coating curing unit. The draw tower has at least one coating applicator. The coating curing unit may be located along a fiber path between the output end of the draw tower and a fiber takeup system.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 11, 2017
    Publication date: June 13, 2019
    Applicant: OFS Fitel, LLC
    Inventors: Harry D Garner, Douglas Edward Horgen, Kariofilis Konstadinidis
  • Tight-buffered optical fiber having improved fiber access
    Patent number: 10310209
    Abstract: A tight-buffered optical fiber cable includes an improved method of accessing the coated optical fiber. The cable can include an optical fiber having a glass core and a cladding layer. One or more coating layers can be applied about the cladding layer. A buffer jacket material can be applied onto an outer surface of the outer coating layer as a buffer jacket outer layer. The buffer jacket outer layer can have distinctive features including a low tear strength, low elastic modulus, high elongation percentage, and low peeling force. This can allow a user of the optical fiber cable to separate at least a portion of the coated optical fiber from the buffer jacket outer layer by grasping a free end of the coated optical fiber and pulling it through the outer wall of the buffer jacket outer layer, thereby tearing through the outer wall of the buffer jacket outer layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 31, 2016
    Date of Patent: June 4, 2019
    Assignee: OFS FITEL, LLC
    Inventors: Heng Ly, Peter A Weimann
  • Wireless network cable assembly
    Patent number: 10305594
    Abstract: An optical fiber-based cable is formed to include pre-manufactured wireless access nodes included at spaced-apart locations along a length of the optical fiber cable. Each wireless access node is formed to include an antenna, a wireless radio transceiver, and an optical transceiver. The cable is formed to include an optical transmission fiber (or fibers) and an electrical power conductor. The optical fiber(s) couples to the optical transceiver within each wireless access node, and a power conductor from the cable terminates at the node and is used to energize both the wireless transceiver and the optical transceiver. The antenna is preferably formed as a sheathing member around at least a portion of components forming the node. Upon deployment, the wireless node portion of the cable is able to provide communication between the cable and wireless devices in its vicinity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 16, 2018
    Date of Patent: May 28, 2019
    Assignee: OFS FITEL, LLC
    Inventors: Mark A Boxer, John E George
  • Optical cord retaining device
    Patent number: 10302887
    Abstract: A device for retaining an optical fiber or cord at a desired position while the cord is being installed along a defined route at a user premises. The device includes a bend limiter having an open channel that extends between opposite ends of the limiter, wherein the channel is sized to receive a cord and allow the cord to slide freely inside the channel. An elongated retainer is arranged to overlie the bend limiter and thus close the channel when the retainer is secured to the bend limiter, so that the cord is confined inside the channel as the cord slides between the opposite ends of the bend limiter. A latch is arranged to close the device by securing the retainer to the bend limiter, and the bend limiter is configured to conform in shape with one or more surfaces against which it will be installed at the premises.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 31, 2018
    Date of Patent: May 28, 2019
    Assignee: OFS FITEL, LLC
    Inventors: Kelvin B Bradley, Denis E Burek, John E George, Willard C White