Patents Examined by Jerry Martin Blevins
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Patent number: 7103277Abstract: An optical architecture is provided comprising a plurality of mod/mux units, a master optical distribution hub, a plurality of additional optical distribution hubs, and a plurality of premise stations. Each of the mod/mux units is configured to (i) permit selective modulation of demultiplexed components of a target wavelength band of an optical signal, (ii) multiplex the selectively modulated optical signal, and (iii) direct the multiplexed signal to the master optical distribution hub. The master optical distribution hub is configured to distribute multiplexed signals from respective ones of the mod/mux units to corresponding ones of the plurality of additional optical distribution hubs. Each of the plurality of additional optical distribution hubs comprises an arrayed waveguide grating configured to demultiplex the multiplexed optical signal and distribute respective distinct wavelength portions of the target wavelength band to respective ones of the premise stations.Type: GrantFiled: February 22, 2005Date of Patent: September 5, 2006Assignee: Optimer Photonics, Inc.Inventor: Richard W. Ridgway
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Patent number: 7099550Abstract: Disclosed herein is an angular optical component retention and removal system that reduces the amount of space needed to accommodate fiber optic cables and enables optical components to be quickly and easily inserted, retained, and removed from an optical communications system. The optical component retention and removal system may include a single or plural angular retention sections that retain optical components in an angular orientation through a faceplate. The system may further include an insertion/retention mechanism that enables an optical component to be inserted and removed with a single hand. With the system, fiber optic cables extend at an angle from the optical components, requiring less clearance space in front of the faceplate for provision of the fiber optic cables.Type: GrantFiled: March 23, 2004Date of Patent: August 29, 2006Assignee: Ciena CorporationInventor: Thierry Sin Yan Too
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Patent number: 7099551Abstract: A cabling duct (10) comprises an elongate channel (1) having a longitudinal aperture (2) and an elongate lid (7). The opposite edges of the lid releasably engage the opposite edges of the aperture to close the aperture and the lid 7 is integrally connected to the channel by a flexible web (12).Type: GrantFiled: August 30, 2002Date of Patent: August 29, 2006Inventor: Paul Hallinan
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Patent number: 7088902Abstract: A photonic crystal and a producing method thereof are provided. The photonic crystal includes at least two media of different refractive indices formed on a semiconductor substrate. One of the media is periodically arranged in another one of the media. The photonic crystal has a cleaved surface on its side. The directions of primitive translation vectors representing the periodic arrangement directions of the one medium are at desired angles with the cleaved surface. Preferably, the direction of at least one of the primitive translation vectors is in parallel with the cleaved surface.Type: GrantFiled: May 26, 2004Date of Patent: August 8, 2006Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Yoshimichi Katoh, Toshiyuki Okumura
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Patent number: 7085452Abstract: Optical devices having at least one whispering gallery mode cavity formed on a side-polished coupling port of a fiber or waveguide based on evanescent coupling are described.Type: GrantFiled: March 18, 2004Date of Patent: August 1, 2006Assignee: I FOS, Inc.Inventors: Wei-Cheng Wilson Lin, Bo Pi
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Patent number: 7082237Abstract: A Mach-Zehnder interferometer modulator for modulating a beam of laser light includes a pair of separate waveguides through which the laser light is passed after splitting in a splitting zone and after which the light is recombined in a merge zone. The waveguides are formed in a semiconductor material with one of the electrodes of each pair being formed in a doped layer while the other electrode, the top electrode, is a surface metalisation. The doped layer is trenched so that adjacent electrodes in the doped layer are electrically isolated from one another so that one of the electrodes in the doped layer can be connected with a different electrical polarity to the other electrode in the doped layer thereby permitting the connection of the pairs of electrodes in parallel anti-phase mode.Type: GrantFiled: January 20, 2003Date of Patent: July 25, 2006Assignee: Bookham Technology, plcInventors: Robert Graham Walker, Andrew Cannon Carter
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Patent number: 7079748Abstract: An optical fiber and method of making the same, the optical fiber being characterized by an axial symmetry and comprising a core, doped with phosphorescent or fluorescent impurities, and a transparent envelope. The transparent envelope comprises a cladding layer and optionally a jacket layer surrounding the cladding layer. The optical fiber may further comprise an associated light source comprising an inner electrode, an outer electrode, and an active area, located between said inner electrode and said outer electrode. The light source and said optical fiber are integrated as a unit. The light source is characterized by an axial symmetry and is positioned coaxial with respect to the axis of the optical fiber. The inner electrode is substantially transparent, such that light generated in said active area may propagate outside said light source and into the optical fiber.Type: GrantFiled: January 7, 2004Date of Patent: July 18, 2006Assignee: Interuniveristair Microelekktronica Centrum (IMEC)Inventors: Vladimir Arkhipov, Paul Heremans
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Patent number: 7076134Abstract: Methods of attenuating, delaying the phase, and otherwise controlling an optical signal propagating along a waveguide are provided. According to one method, a variable optical attenuator structure is provided comprising a waveguide core, a cladding, an electrooptic polymer, and a set of control electrodes. The core, the cladding, and the electrooptic polymer are configured such that an increase in the index of refraction of the polymer causes a substantial portion of an optical signal propagating along the waveguide core to couple into a relatively high index region of the electrooptic polymer above the waveguide core, so as to inhibit return of the coupled signal to the waveguide core. Another embodiment of the present invention introduces a phase delay in the coupled optical signal and permits return of the coupled signal to the waveguide core. An additional embodiment contemplates the use of a ridge waveguide structure to enable control of the optical signal.Type: GrantFiled: November 7, 2005Date of Patent: July 11, 2006Assignee: Optimer Photonics, Inc.Inventors: David W. Nippa, Richard W. Ridgway, Steven M. Risser, Dirk Schoellner, Louis P. Vassy
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Ultrashort-pulse laser-working method and apparatus and structural bodies produced by using the same
Patent number: 7072566Abstract: A laser-working method is disclosed, which includes the steps of splitting a single pulse laser beam having a time width of not more than 500 picoseconds into plural pulse laser beams; subjecting said plural pulse laser beams to time delaying, and adjusting a working surface-irradiating shape, an intensity distribution and a working surface-irradiating position of each of the plural pulse laser beams; working a target object to be irradiated, while the respective working surface-irradiating shapes of said plural laser beams are partially or entirely spatially overlapped with each other or one another; and setting to a time interval of from a pulse width to 1 nanosecond a time period during which each of the pulse laser beams is irradiated.Type: GrantFiled: June 16, 2004Date of Patent: July 4, 2006Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.Inventors: Manabu Seo, Yasufumi Yamada -
Patent number: 7068864Abstract: The present invention is to provide an arrayed waveguide-embedded optical circuit with reduced loss at a groove and an optical functional element using for the arrayed waveguide-embedded optical circuit. The arrayed waveguide-embedded optical circuit according to the present invention comprises a waveguide, a groove formed across the waveguide and two or more spot-size transformer pairs whose members face each other across the groove.Type: GrantFiled: November 5, 2003Date of Patent: June 27, 2006Assignee: TDK CorporationInventors: Naoki Hanashima, Tohru Kineri, Kenjiro Hata
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Patent number: 7068909Abstract: An optical fiber includes a coating comprising a cross-linked network comprising the reaction product of monomers and oligomers and at least one polymer dispersed or interpenetrated in the cross-linked network. The oligomer and polymer components used are at least partially fluorinated. The fiber-coating composition of the invention presents a refractive index that is low while satisfying the conditions for industrial fiber-drawing.Type: GrantFiled: March 2, 2005Date of Patent: June 27, 2006Assignee: Draka Comteq B.V.Inventors: Sebastien Andre, Gilles Melin, Xavier Rejeaunier, Simon Lempereur, Samuel Merlet
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Patent number: 7068904Abstract: An optical element comprising a periodic structure in which a refractive index is distributed periodically and a deforming portion, which mechanically deforms by an external action, wherein the deforming portion is integrally arranged with the periodic structure along the periodic direction of the periodic structure, and is constructed so as to change the periodicity of the periodic structure by deforming in the periodic direction of the periodic structure. A periodicity of the periodic structure (photonic band structure) in which the refractive index changes periodically can be controlled with a simple configuration.Type: GrantFiled: September 29, 2003Date of Patent: June 27, 2006Assignee: Canon Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Takeaki Itsuji, Junichi Seki
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Patent number: 7063467Abstract: An optical module may include precise guide pins formed in a transparent substrate or an optical transmission line support member. The precise guide pins may be inserted into corresponding precise guide holes within the transparent substrate or the optical transmission line support member to precisely align optical elements. The precise guide holes may be formed within one of the transparent substrate and the optical transmission line support member by positioning protruding portions of a jig within over-sized guide holes and filling a gap between the protruding portions of the jig and the respective over-sized guide holes with a filler material. Once the filler material is cured, the jig may be withdrawn leaving precisely positioned guide holes.Type: GrantFiled: January 22, 2004Date of Patent: June 20, 2006Assignee: Seiko Epson CorporationInventors: Kimio Nagasaka, Akira Miyamae, Takeo Kaneko
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Patent number: 7065280Abstract: A dispersion compensation device for compensating chromatic dispersion of optical pulses launched from the exterior is disclosed. The device comprises a waveguide and a photonic crystal part, the waveguide comprising a core part for guiding the optical pulse from an input end to an output end and a clad part consisting of a first clad layer and a second clad layer, the photonic crystal part providing a chromatic dispersion variation of a proper dispersion characteristic to the optical pulses guided through the waveguide, the chromatic dispersion variation having an absolute value of the variation and a positive or negative sign, wherein the photonic crystal part is layered onto the first clad layer, the core part is layered onto the photonic crystal part, and the second clad part is formed so that a portion of which is layered onto the photonic crystal part and a remaining part of which covers the exposed surface of the core part.Type: GrantFiled: October 27, 2005Date of Patent: June 20, 2006Assignee: Bussan Nanotech Research, Inc.Inventors: Kensuke Ogawa, Yong-Tsong Tan
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Patent number: 7054523Abstract: The present invention has an object of enhancing the tolerance of setup positioning error of an optical multiplexer/demultiplexer which uses a multi-mode optical waveguide. For this sake, the invention is designed to couple the multi-mode optical waveguide with a single-mode optical waveguide directly. In another configuration of this invention, there is provided between both optical waveguides a single-mode optical waveguide having its length set to be approximately equal to zero, or equal or approximately equal to the period of interference between the 0th-order mode and a radiative higher-order mode of the single-mode optical waveguide.Type: GrantFiled: February 27, 2002Date of Patent: May 30, 2006Assignees: Hitachi, Ltd., Hitachi Chemical Co., Ltd.Inventors: Makoto Takahashi, Tatemi Ido, Tooru Takahashi
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Patent number: 7050658Abstract: A method and apparatus for minimizing system deterioration caused by polarization effects (e.g., a polarization-dependent gain (PDG), a polarization-dependent loss (PDL), and a polarization mode dispersion (PMD)). The apparatus performs a signal modulation process to enable one bit to simultaneously contain two orthogonal polarization components, resulting in a minimum DOP (Degree Of Polarization). If a signal undergoes the PMD, the apparatus converts an NRZ (Non Return to Zero) signal into an RZ (Return to Zero) signal, resulting in minimum inter-symbol interference caused by the PMD. The apparatus can improve a performance of an optical signal during the PMD operation, whereas a conventional PMD compensation technique has been designed to remove system deterioration caused by only the PMD.Type: GrantFiled: March 18, 2004Date of Patent: May 23, 2006Assignee: Korea Advanced Institute of Science and TechnologyInventors: Yun Chur Chung, Jun Haeng Lee, Chun Ju Youn
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Patent number: 7040818Abstract: A device for reinforcing an optical fiber fusion spliced part a heating mechanism for heating a protective member and optical fiber clamping mechanisms which are arranged at both sides of the heating mechanism. Relative height positions of the heating mechanism and the optical fiber clamping mechanisms are configured to be changeable.Type: GrantFiled: April 23, 2004Date of Patent: May 9, 2006Assignee: Sumitomo Electric Industries, Ltd.Inventor: Ryuichiro Sato
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Patent number: 7031586Abstract: An optical waveguide device includes a substrate, a metal layer arranged on the substrate, at least claddings arranged on the metal layer and in the claddings dents are formed, at least cores arranged in the claddings, whose end faces are exposed on the sides of the dents, for transmitting lights, optically non-transmissive material coating the inside faces of the dents except the sides on which the end faces of the cores are exposed, at least light receiving elements for receiving lights emitted from the end faces of the cores and inputting the lights into light receiving faces of the light receiving elements.Type: GrantFiled: May 4, 2005Date of Patent: April 18, 2006Assignee: NEC CorporationInventors: Taro Kaneko, Takuya Anzawa
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Patent number: 7027684Abstract: A wavelength selective switch is realized by combining a quantized dispersion element and an array of switching means. The quantized dispersion element enables to concentrate all the wavelengths within predetermined wavelength bands onto the same location in the switching array. With this arrangement, a low fill factor switching array can be used while maintaining good flat-top spectral performance with no spectral dips and improving alignment tolerances.Type: GrantFiled: May 20, 2003Date of Patent: April 11, 2006Assignee: Metconnex Canada Inc.Inventors: Thomas Ducellier, Alan Hnatiw
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Patent number: 7027670Abstract: Cascaded optical deflectors are formed from light deflecting elements of an electro-optical material that are individually controlled according to applied voltage differences across the elements. The shape of the elements are determined by the shape of the electrodes on either side of the electro-optical material, while the refractive index is controlled by the sign and magnitude of a voltage difference applied across the elements. In particular, the invention includes light deflection elements that are tilted with respect to one another and that are individually controlled to provide for the deflection of light in an improved manner.Type: GrantFiled: October 17, 2003Date of Patent: April 11, 2006Assignee: Fujitsu LimitedInventor: Shigenori Aoki