Patents Examined by Danny Leung
  • Patent number: 9479249
    Abstract: An optical transmission system includes a transmitting device and a receiving device, wherein the transmitting device includes a modulating unit that changes a frequency of an optical signal, and the receiving device includes a filtering unit that passes an optical signal in a predetermined frequency band; a measuring unit that measures an intensity of an optical signal that passes through the filtering unit; a detecting unit that detects a center wavelength of the optical signal in accordance with an intensity of the optical signal that is measured when a frequency of the optical signal is changed in a state of a passed band that corresponds to the optical signal; and an output unit that outputs information that indicates the detected center wavelength to the transmitting device, wherein the transmitting device controls a wavelength of the optical signal in accordance with the information from the receiving device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 5, 2015
    Date of Patent: October 25, 2016
    Assignee: FUJITSU LIMITED
    Inventors: Taketo Endo, Tomohiro Kaneoka, Hisayuki Ojima, Shoichi Murakami
  • Patent number: 9473263
    Abstract: The present applies to digital wavelength converters that convert, independently of the format in which optical data may be encoded, an input waveform at a first wavelength to an output waveform at a second wavelength. When operating in an environment where an input waveform has a pilot tone associated thereto, the method and system of the present disclosure allows for the removal of the pilot tone from the input waveform, and also allows for the addition of another pilot to the output waveform.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 16, 2015
    Date of Patent: October 18, 2016
    Assignee: Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Zhiping Jiang, Zhuhong Zhang, Xuefeng Tang
  • Patent number: 9465177
    Abstract: Optical bench structure provides a platform for integrating optical transmitters, particularly Vertical-Cavity Surface-Emitting Lasers (VCSELs), with monitor photodetectors. A substrate with photodetectors on the front side is aligned with flip-chip bonding bumps so the emission of the transmitters is aligned with the monitor photodetectors and passes through the monitor photodetectors with a portion of the transmitted light absorbed by the monitor photodetectors. The photodetectors have a thin absorption region so the percentage of light absorbed may be relatively small, providing sufficient photocurrent to monitor the transmitted power having a minimal effect on the transmitted power. Microlenses are integrated on the backside of the substrate focus, steer and/or collimate the emitted optical beams from the transmitters. The structure enables photodetectors to be integrated on the optical bench allowing the received optical power to be monitored.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 26, 2015
    Date of Patent: October 11, 2016
    Assignee: ZEPHYR PHOTONICS INC.
    Inventor: Duane Louderback
  • Patent number: 9467229
    Abstract: A multilevel-intensity modulation and demodulation system includes: a digital-to-analog conversion unit to convert an output level value of a digital signal into an analog signal; a multilevel-intensity-modulated light transmission unit to transmit an optical signal multilevel-intensity modulated based on the analog signal; a multilevel-intensity-modulated light reception unit to receive the optical signal multilevel-intensity modulated, and convert the received optical signal into an analog reception electrical signal; an analog-to-digital conversion unit to convert the analog reception electrical signal into a reception level value; and a controller to convert a transmission multiple gradation level being one of a plurality of multiple gradation levels of multilevel-intensity modulation to which the digital signal is mapped, into the output level value so as to cause the reception level value to be in a desired reception state, and to receive a digital signal corresponding to a reception multiple-gradation-
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 22, 2015
    Date of Patent: October 11, 2016
    Assignee: FUJITSU LIMITED
    Inventors: Yutaka Kai, Masato Nishihara, Toshiki Tanaka, Tomoo Takahara
  • Patent number: 9461813
    Abstract: Apparatuses and methods for an optical data interface with electrical forwarded clock are provided. One example optical data interface (220, 320) can include a transmitter (224, 324) having a data input (232, 332) and a clock input (242, 342), and a receiver (226, 326) having a data output (271, 339) and a forwarded clock signal path (254, 376). An optical communication path (248, 348) is coupled between the data input (232, 332) and the data output (271, 339) and configured to communicate a data signal. An electrical communication path (236, 336) is coupled between the clock input (242, 342) and the forwarded clock signal path (254, 376). The electrical communication path (236, 336) is arranged to forward a clock signal used by the receiver (226, 326) as a reference for the optical data signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 24, 2012
    Date of Patent: October 4, 2016
    Assignee: Hewlett Packard Enterprise Development LP
    Inventors: Daniel A. Berkram, Dacheng Zhou
  • Patent number: 9461768
    Abstract: One embodiment of the present invention provides a switch. The switch includes a printed circuit board (PCB), a number of multi-channel optical transceivers mounted on the PCB, and a number of switch ports accessible from a front panel of the switch. The switch ports include a number of electrical interfaces that are electrically coupled to a switch chip mounted on the PCB, and a number of optical interfaces that are coupled to the switch chip via the multi-channel optical transceivers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 21, 2013
    Date of Patent: October 4, 2016
    Assignee: BROCADE COMMUNICATIONS SYSTEMS, INC.
    Inventor: Scott G. Kipp
  • Patent number: 9461750
    Abstract: The optical transmitter includes a FP-LD, generating multiple-longitudinal mode light wave. The FP-LD is also driven by an electrical signal, modulates the electrical signal to the multiple-longitudinal mode light wave, and outputts the modulated multiple-longitudinal mode light wave. An optical coupler, coupled with the FP-LD, is used for feeding the modulated multiple-longitudinal mode light wave from the FP-LD to a fiber Bragg grating. The fiber Bragg grating is for filtering the received multiple-longitudinal mode light wave according to a parameter, and feeding back the optical signal generated after being filtered to the optical coupler. The optical coupler divides the optical signal, thus making the optical signal oscillate between the FP-LD and the fiber Bragg grating to form a oscillation cavity, and outputs a single mode optical wave with constant wavelength and power.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 3, 2013
    Date of Patent: October 4, 2016
    Assignee: Alcatel Lucent
    Inventors: Qingjiang Chang, Zhensen Gao
  • Patent number: 9455785
    Abstract: Embodiments enable a network operator to use any (and a single) network management system (NMS) that it desires to manage a network having mixed fiber to the home optical network units (ONUs) and coaxial connected cable modems. For example, embodiments enable a cable company operator to use a DOCSIS (Data Over Cable Service Interface Specification) NMS (which the cable company already uses to manage its DOCSIS network) to manage such mixed network, by a simple addition of a DOCSIS Mediation Layer (DML) module between the NMS and the optical line terminal (OLT). On the other hand, embodiments enable a telephone company operator to use a standard EPON (Ethernet Passive Optical Network) OLT NMS with minor OLT and OAM (Operations, Administration, and Maintenance) protocol modifications to manage the same mixed network.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 13, 2015
    Date of Patent: September 27, 2016
    Assignee: Broadcom Corporation
    Inventors: Edward Wayne Boyd, Ernie Bahm, Joel I. Danzig, Rennie Gardner, Lawrence Drew Davis
  • Patent number: 9453976
    Abstract: An electronic device having an optical connector that provides and/or receives optical signals through openings or perforations formed at an external surface of the electronic device. These openings can serve as the interface of the optical connector through which the electronic device can engage in one-way or two-way communication with corresponding optical connectors of other electronic devices. These openings can be sized such that they are not visible or not easily visible with the naked human eye. As such, these openings can be too small for communicating with corresponding optical connectors using any single one of these openings. But light that is collectively transmitted through or received through a group of these openings can provide optical signals that can be used to communicate with corresponding optical connectors using optical signals.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 15, 2015
    Date of Patent: September 27, 2016
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Amy Qian, Derek W. Wright, John Raff
  • Patent number: 9438344
    Abstract: Novel tools and techniques providing for the robust wireless distribution of communications signals from a provider to multiple customer premises. Certain embodiments comprise one or more modular communications apparatuses which are located near to customer premises. The modular communications apparatuses features an enclosure which is, at least in part, transparent to radio frequencies. A modular communications apparatus also typically includes one or more communications radios or transmitter/receiver devices within the enclosure. The apparatus also includes at least one and possibly more than one antenna located within the enclosure along with wire or cable-based signal output apparatus.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 4, 2015
    Date of Patent: September 6, 2016
    Assignee: CenturyLink Intellectual Property LLC
    Inventor: Charles I. Cook
  • Patent number: 9438341
    Abstract: The present disclosure describes an automated, cognitive based computing system using artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning algorithms to sense, predict, and infer network conditions, configured to dynamically manage transmission of information between communication nodes. The communication nodes comprise orbital nodes positioned in orbit above earth and terrestrial nodes coupled with earth interconnected via a hybrid mesh network topology.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 20, 2015
    Date of Patent: September 6, 2016
    Assignee: LASER LIGHT COMMUNICATIONS LLC
    Inventors: Robert H. Brumley, II, Robert H. Brumley, III, Richard Rosenthal, Steven Birrell, Michael J. Reedy, Fletcher W. Brumley
  • Patent number: 9425918
    Abstract: An apparatus comprising an arrayed waveguide grating (AWG) comprising a plurality of AWG ports, a power splitter comprising a plurality of splitter ports, and a plurality of optical interleavers, each coupled to a respective AWG port and a respective splitter port, for directing incoming optical signals to one of the AWG and the power splitter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 21, 2014
    Date of Patent: August 23, 2016
    Assignee: Futurewei Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Ning Cheng, Frank J. Effenberger
  • Patent number: 9419707
    Abstract: Devices and methods for optical measurements in point-to-point and point-to-multipoint networks, e.g. like PON networks with splitters are described in which reflected power from some known reflections at the end of the lines is used to determine the attenuation and stability of the attenuation of each line. Also a reference reflection is used at the beginning of the network so that an absolute loss measurement between the points of reflection and the reference reflection can be made. In a further aspect wavelength selective stable reflections and reflectors are used, to provide reflections in a wavelength range that does not interfere with normal operation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 10, 2009
    Date of Patent: August 16, 2016
    Assignee: CommScope Connectivity Belgium BVBA
    Inventor: Daniel Daems
  • Patent number: 9413140
    Abstract: A semiconductor arrangement and a method of forming the same are described. A semiconductor arrangement includes a first layer including a first optical transceiver and a second layer including a second optical transceiver. A first serializer/deserializer (SerDes) is connected to the first optical transceiver and a second SerDes is connected to the second optical transceiver. The SerDes converts parallel data input into serial data output including a clock signal that the first transceiver transmits to the second transceiver. The semiconductor arrangement has a lower area penalty than traditional intra-layer communication arrangements that do not use optics for alignment, and mitigates alignment issues associated with conventional techniques.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 19, 2013
    Date of Patent: August 9, 2016
    Assignee: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company Limited
    Inventors: Hung-Chang Yu, Ying-Hao Kuo, Kai-Chun Lin, Yue-Der Chih
  • Patent number: 9407373
    Abstract: Embodiments herein provide for an optical frequency synthesizer including a coarse optical frequency comb, a fine optical frequency comb, and an output laser. The coarse comb is pumped with a first pump laser, and an absolute frequency of at least one tooth of the coarse optical frequency comb is set. The fine comb is pumped with a second pump laser and has a frequency spacing between teeth that is locked to a fractional or integer multiple of a radio frequency reference. Initially, the second pump laser is locked to a first tooth of the coarse optical frequency comb. The optical frequency synthesizer can be tuned by sweeping the second pump laser and locking the second pump laser to a desired tooth. An output signal can then be generated with the output laser based on a tooth of fine comb after the second pump is locked to the desired tooth.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 20, 2014
    Date of Patent: August 2, 2016
    Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
    Inventors: Chad Fertig, Steven Tin
  • Patent number: 9401767
    Abstract: An optically powered media conversion device for performing optical to electrical conversion is disclosed. The conversion device includes at least one optical coupler for receiving at least one optical signal comprising at least one wavelength, wherein the at least one optical coupler extracts energy from the at least one optical signal, and at least one detector for extracting data from the at least one optical signal and converting the optical signal to an electrical signal using a photovoltaic process. The conversion device further includes a transmitter for converting an electrical signal to an optical signal and transmitting the optical signal to a first device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 12, 2014
    Date of Patent: July 26, 2016
    Assignee: CommScope Technology LLC
    Inventor: Joseph C. Coffey
  • Patent number: 9385814
    Abstract: Systems and apparatus for data communications comprising a plurality of wavelength tunable submodules in an array is provided. Each submodule has a wavelength tunable laser, and each submodule comprises, as an individual unit, a self-contained wavelength locker having optical and/or optoelectronic functions. The system may be a transponder array comprising a plurality of WDM or DWDM modules. In some embodiments, the individual submodules may comprise photonic integrated wavelength tunable lasers with other optical, electrical and optoelectronic components. Each wavelength tunable submodule incorporated into the module or array can have the same or different optical wavelength and other parameters including but not limited to modulation format. By utilizing the wavelength tunable laser submodules to build a module or array, the need for individual modules dedicated to wavelength sub-bands in the array is eliminated. The same tunable module can be used to fill all the wavelengths on a transmission fiber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 16, 2013
    Date of Patent: July 5, 2016
    Assignee: OE SOLUTIONS AMERICA, INC.
    Inventors: Daniel Jacob Blumenthal, Henrik N. Poulsen
  • Patent number: 9379816
    Abstract: A transceiver includes a housing, an optical interface for detachably coupling to an optical transmission device, an optical-electrical conversion unit coupled to the optical interface, the optical-electrical conversion unit located in the housing, a programmable logic device communicatively coupled to the optical-electrical conversion unit, and an electrical interface communicatively coupled to the programmable logic device, wherein the electrical interface is configured for detachably coupling to an electrical transmission device. In some embodiments, the programmable logic device may be configured to perform packet filtering, packet slicing, time stamping, packet analysis, port labeling, packet masking, packet modification, packet stripping, packet de-duplication, or a combination thereof.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 28, 2011
    Date of Patent: June 28, 2016
    Assignee: Gigamon Inc.
    Inventor: Yunfa Yang
  • Patent number: 9374167
    Abstract: An apparatus includes an optical transmitter configured to provide an optical signal amplitude-modulated among M different levels. A constellation control module is configured to provide a drive signal to control the optical signal. A feedback module is configured to receive a measure of spacing between amplitude peaks of a symbol constellation of the optical signal. The feedback module is further configured to regulate the constellation control module to adjust the optical signal in response to the measure of spacing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 20, 2013
    Date of Patent: June 21, 2016
    Assignee: Alcatel Lucent
    Inventors: Chongjin Xie, Po Dong, Peter Winzer
  • Patent number: 9363585
    Abstract: We disclose a network element having one or more OAM components that enable the network element to send and receive in-band service messages without disrupting the flow of user data on the wavelength channel(s) used for the transmission of said in-band service messages. When deployed in a transport plane of a communications network, a plurality of such network elements can advantageously be used to perform various OAM functions that support a link-fault-management mechanism in a manner that complements and strengthens the existing OAM capabilities, particularly at various intermediate points within the optical network path(s).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 17, 2014
    Date of Patent: June 7, 2016
    Assignee: Alcatel Lucent
    Inventors: Walter J. Carpini, Don R. Ellis