Patents Assigned to TyCom (US) Inc.
  • Patent number: 6527476
    Abstract: A manhole assembly for below ground liquid storage tanks, such as fuel storage tanks, that includes securing the upper region of the below-grade manhole to the at-grade manhole so that lowering of the below-grade manhole bottom due to tank settling or stepping on the hatch cover will not lower the below-grade rim relative to the at-grade ring. Riser pipe extenders can be added without interfering with hatch cover closure and sealing of the below-grade manhole. One embodiment includes adjustable length bolts tying the at-grade ring to the below-grade ring. The assembly can be factory assembled, delivered to the site, and installed on the riser pipe then height adjusted before pea gravel, backfill, and concrete are poured. Bellows and bucket manholes can be used.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 2, 1999
    Date of Patent: March 4, 2003
    Assignee: Tycom (US) Inc.
    Inventor: Martin C. Pettesch
  • Patent number: 6496629
    Abstract: An undersea telecommunications cable comprises a buffer tube which protects a plurality of optical fibers disposed therein from externally applied forces. To this end, the buffer tube contains a thixotropic, water blocking gel that has a viscosity and a critical yield shear stress sufficient to couple, upon application of a tensile load capable of producing up to a 0.8% strain in the cable, tensile forces from the buffer tube to the optical fibers to thereby induce strain in the fibers that is proportional to that induced in the tube, without preventing the return of the optical fibers to a substantially unstrained condition upon the removal of such tensile load. Should it become necessary to repair a section of the undersea cable as by retrieving it from the sea bed and inserting a spliced segment, existing sections of the fiber will be sufficiently protected from any damage which might otherwise have been caused during the cable retreival and recovery operation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 1, 1999
    Date of Patent: December 17, 2002
    Assignee: TyCom (US) Inc.
    Inventors: Chung Shin Ma, Qian Zhong
  • Patent number: 6452707
    Abstract: A method for designing an optical system is disclosed. The optical system launches optical signals modulated with data into a fiber link having a property of inducing nonlinear distortion of the optical signals as a function of signal power of the optical signals and distance traversed in the fiber link. A Q-factor curve for the fiber link is determined as a function of the signal power. A signal power is preselected based on the Q-factor curve. The preselected signal power is associated with a set of channels. A coding gain is preselected based on the preselected signal power and a desired channel spacing for the set of channels.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 17, 1999
    Date of Patent: September 17, 2002
    Assignee: TyCom (US) Inc.
    Inventors: Andrej B. Puc, Alexei N. Pilipetskii
  • Patent number: 6438300
    Abstract: An apparatus for retaining and protecting spliced optical fibers that are part of cables that have ultra-high strength steel wires, in which the optical fibers are free to move within a sleeve inside of the wires. The apparatus includes ajoint box having opposing longitudinal cable termination ends. The high-strength steel wires of each cable are attached to a respective cable termination end. At least one optical fiber from each cable extends through its respective cable termination end and is spliced together to form a continuous optical fiber. The fiber or fibers are splinted and potted at locations longitudinally spaced from the splice to form ferrules. A central portion or shelf of the joint box includes fiber retaining devices which take the form of ferrule retainer assemblies. The ferrule retainer assemblies have a trough that contains and restrains a respective ferrule.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 21, 1999
    Date of Patent: August 20, 2002
    Assignee: TyCom (US) Inc.
    Inventors: Steven Bernstein, Maurice E. Kordahi
  • Patent number: 6424761
    Abstract: A connector for a cable repeater includes a repeater including a joint having two mutually perpendicular and intersecting axes of rotation at one end thereof. A coupling includes a joint having two mutually perpendicular and intersecting axes of rotation. A first connecting link is pivotally connected at a first end thereof to the repeater joint and secured at a second end thereof to the coupling. A second connecting link is pivotally connected at a first end thereof to the coupling joint and secured at a second end thereof to a length of optical fiber cable. In preferred embodiments, a bend limiting device is provided at the end of the length of cable, with the second connecting link being secured at its second end to the bend limiting device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 22, 2001
    Date of Patent: July 23, 2002
    Assignee: TyCom (US) Inc.
    Inventors: Maurice Kordahi, William Girzone
  • Patent number: 6424455
    Abstract: A method of Raman amplification comprising the step of effecting a plurality of pump wavelengths on a Raman-active transmission medium transmitting counter-propagating signal wavelengths, wherein at least one of said pump wavelengths are interleaved between said signal wavelengths.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 3, 2000
    Date of Patent: July 23, 2002
    Assignee: TyCom (US) Inc.
    Inventor: Foursa Dmitri
  • Patent number: 6414786
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for providing broad band Raman amplification with reduced dependence on polarization state and wavelength. Pump beams of adjacent wavelength are perpendicularly polarized to each other. Further, the wavelength spacing between adjacent pump beams is chosen for the given fiber wavelength spectrum and distance between repeater stations such that adjacent pump beams experience the same polarization state evolution as they travel through the fiber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 27, 2000
    Date of Patent: July 2, 2002
    Assignee: TyCom (US) Inc.
    Inventor: Dmitri Foursa
  • Patent number: 6414775
    Abstract: A method and apparatus is provided for determining the gain profile of a path through an optical amplifier disposed in a first optical transmission path of an optical transmission system supporting bi-directional communication between first and second terminals along the first optical transmission path and a second optical transmission path. The method begins by generating an optical tone at a given wavelength within the bandwidth of the optical amplifier. The wavelength of the optical tone is modulated about the given wavelength. The modulated optical tone is transmitted from the first terminal along the first optical transmission path and through the optical amplifier. A portion of the modulated optical tone is received after it traverses the optical amplifier and FM to AM conversion is performed on the received portion to form an amplitude modulated optical tone. The amplitude modulated optical tone is transmitted back to the first terminal along the second transmission path via an optical loop-back path.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 28, 1998
    Date of Patent: July 2, 2002
    Assignee: TyCom (US) Inc.
    Inventor: Bo Pedersen
  • Patent number: 6411413
    Abstract: A method and apparatus is provided for transmitting an optical signal. The method includes the step of generating an optical signal that includes a plurality of optical channels, which are sequentially numbered from 1 to N from lowest to highest wavelength. Dispersion compensation is imparted to each of the plurality of optical channels without a change in polarization of the channels. A state-of-polarization of predetermined odd-numbered channels is oriented to be substantially orthogonal to a state of polarization of predetermined even-numbered channels by directing the predetermined odd-numbered channels and the predetermined even-numbered channels through orthogonally polarizing inputs of a polarization coupler. The odd-numbered channels and the even-numbered channels may be directed through first and second wavelength combiners, respectively, prior to orienting their states of polarization.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 26, 1998
    Date of Patent: June 25, 2002
    Assignee: TyCom (US) Inc.
    Inventor: Neal S. Bergano
  • Patent number: 6407842
    Abstract: A method and apparatus is provided for transmitting an optical signal through an optical fiber. The apparatus includes an optical signal source, which generates an optical signal having a plurality of optical channels onto which data is modulated. Each of the optical channels is defined by a different carrier wavelength. A phase modulator imparts phase modulation to the plurality of optical channels so that channels nearest a zero dispersion wavelength of the optical fiber are more closely spaced to one another than channels farthest in wavelength from the zero dispersion wavelength of the optical fiber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 28, 1998
    Date of Patent: June 18, 2002
    Assignee: TyCom (US) Inc.
    Inventor: Xiaobing Ma
  • Patent number: 6404527
    Abstract: A method for transmitting an optical response signal from a repeater to a terminal requesting status information pertaining to the repeater. In accordance with the method, in response to a command signal, a bias current applied to a laser pump within the repeater is modulated such that the laser pump generates modulated optical output power. The said modulation reflects the status information that is requested. An average value of the bias current applied to the laser pump is reduced while the bias current is being modulated. The modulated optical output power is applied to a doped optical fiber located within the repeater to amplitude modulate a communication signal traversing the doped optical fiber. A portion of the amplitude modulated communication signal is directed to the requesting terminal. The portion of the amplitude modulated communication signal may be received to detect a response signal embodied in the amplitude modulation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 28, 1999
    Date of Patent: June 11, 2002
    Assignee: TyCom (US) Inc.
    Inventor: Richard Andrew Jensen
  • Patent number: 6396624
    Abstract: An optical amplifier includes first, second and third amplifier stages, a first equalizer coupled between the first and second amplifier stages, a second equalizer coupled between the second and third amplifier stages, and a third equalizer coupled between an amplifier output and the third amplifier stage. The first stage includes a length of first erbium doped fiber coupled between an input and the first equalizer. The second stage includes a second erbium doped fiber coupled between the first equalizer and the second equalizer. The third stage includes a third erbium doped fiber coupled between the second equalizer and the third equalizer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 11, 2000
    Date of Patent: May 28, 2002
    Assignee: TyCom (US) Inc.
    Inventors: Morten Nissov, Bo Pedersen
  • Patent number: 6396991
    Abstract: A method for interconnecting at least one pair of optical fibers attached to an amp pair and devices used for transporting the amp pair including a splicing station and an apparatus for holding a plurality of optical fibers is diclosed. The method includes storing each of the optical fibers on a fiber transport attached to the amp pair, placing the amp pair into a splicing station, splicing at least two of the optical fibers and receiveing fiber transports on a holder attached to the amp pair. An apparatus for suppporting an amp pair having a plurality of fiber transports associated therewith includes a base defining a plurality of cavities adapted to hold the fiber transports and an aperture adapted to surround the amp pair. An apparatus for holding a plurality of optical fiber transports includes a fixture adapted to mount the optical fiber storage assembly and to separately receive each optical fiber transports from a plurality of optical fiber transports.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 7, 2000
    Date of Patent: May 28, 2002
    Assignee: TyCom (US) Inc.
    Inventors: Martin T. Wislinski, Victor J. Talamini, Sr., Stephen W. Sedgwick
  • Publication number: 20020056064
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for performing error correction. A stream of data is encoded using concatenated error correcting codes. The encoded data is communicated over a transmission system. The encoded data is decoded using the codes.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 14, 2001
    Publication date: May 9, 2002
    Applicant: TyCom (US) Inc.
    Inventors: Howard D. Kidorf, Franklin W. Kerfoot, Anderj B. Puc, Nandakumar Ramanujam
  • Patent number: 6384962
    Abstract: A method and apparatus to perform automatic gain equalization for a lightwave communications system is described. A first amplifier amplifies an optical signal to produce a first gain curve having a first gain maxima and a first gain minima of a first period. A second amplifier amplifies the optical signal to produce a second gain curve with a second gain maxima and a second gain minima of a second period, with the second gain maxima substantially coinciding with the first gain minima.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 7, 2000
    Date of Patent: May 7, 2002
    Assignee: TyCom (US) Inc.
    Inventors: Dimitri Foursa, Bo Pedersen
  • Patent number: 6381394
    Abstract: An optical repeater includes an internal structure having defined therein a longitudinal plane. The internal structure includes and a plurality of base modules. The base modules have a front and a back face and a plurality of sides with the faces positioned substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal plane of the internal structure. The optical repeater further includes a top module disposed substantially perpendicular to one of the plurality of sides the base modules.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 3, 1999
    Date of Patent: April 30, 2002
    Assignee: TyCom (US) Inc.
    Inventors: Armando Cabrera, Victor J. Talamini
  • Patent number: 6381065
    Abstract: A method and apparatus is provided for pumping an active medium in an optical amplifier. The active medium substantially maximizes amplification when pumped at a pump wavelength. If the active medium is erbium, for example, a pump wavelength of 980 nm may be employed. The apparatus includes a plurality of fiber Bragg grating lasers operating in a regime of coherence collapse. Each of the lasers generate optical energy at a different wavelength, which are distributed about the pump wavelength. The apparatus also includes optical components for combining the different wavelengths to form a pump beam and a coupler for coupling the pump beam to the active medium.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 26, 1999
    Date of Patent: April 30, 2002
    Assignee: TyCom (US) Inc.
    Inventor: Glen Mitchell Homsey
  • Patent number: 6377735
    Abstract: An apparatus for retaining and protecting spliced optical fibers that are part of cables that have ultra-high strength steel wires, in which the optical fibers are free to move within a sleeve inside of the wires. The apparatus includes a joint box having opposing longitudinal cable termination ends. The high-strength steel wires of each cable are attached to a respective cable termination end. At least one optical fiber from each cable extends through its respective cable termination end and is spliced together to form a continuous optical fiber. The fiber or fibers are restrained at locations on the continuous optical fiber spaced from the splice by winding portions of the fibers around a friction imparting element, such as a drum, that includes a curved outer surface. Tension forces applied to the fiber or fibers are transferred to the drum.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 21, 1999
    Date of Patent: April 23, 2002
    Assignee: TyCom (US) Inc.
    Inventors: Steven Bernstein, Maurice E. Kordahi
  • Patent number: 6367331
    Abstract: A method is provided for obtaining dimensional accuracy in a seal assembly. The seal assembly includes a substrate comprised of a material that reflects ultrasonic waves. The seal assembly also includes a deformable sealant material that may, for example, surround the substrate. The method can include ultrasonically measuring a thickness of the sealant between a face of the sealant and a surface of the substrate. The thickness of the sealant is reduced if it exceeds a predetermined value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 20, 1999
    Date of Patent: April 9, 2002
    Assignee: TyCom (US) Inc.
    Inventors: Holt Apgar Murray, William Ross Conover
  • Patent number: 6367730
    Abstract: A device for separating a first fiber portion from a second fiber portion of a fiber can include a separator that defines at least one inner bearing surface adapted to restrain the first fiber portion from straightening when coiled within the separator. The separator can have a plurality of separator arms that are subsequently parallel to each other. The separator can define at least one outer bearing surface adapted to limit a path defined by the second fiber portion when coiled on the separator. The path can vary with a longitudinal tension in the second fiber portion. The path can have a plurality of curves each having a radius. The radius of each curve of the path can at least meet a reliability-adjusted minimum bending radius of the second fiber portion. The separator can define at least one separator opening adapted for passing the fiber therethrough.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 8, 1999
    Date of Patent: April 9, 2002
    Assignee: TyCom (US) Inc.
    Inventor: Victor J. Talamini, Sr.