Patents Examined by John Ngo
  • Patent number: 5748818
    Abstract: A massive parallel (MP) connector is provided which includes a fiber optic connector having a polymer ferrule having multiple fibers mounted in V-grooves of the ferrule and beveled edges of the ferrule providing for alignment of the ferrule when the MP fiber optic connector is mated to a receptacle having an alignment assembly and an alignment member mounted within the alignment assembly to provide for precision alignment. A receptacle assembly is provided having a first receptacle half for receiving a fiber optic connector having a first form factor and a second receptacle half for receiving a fiber optic connector having a second form factor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 24, 1996
    Date of Patent: May 5, 1998
    Inventors: Roger E. Weiss, Daniel P. Vladic, Philip W. Schofield
  • Patent number: 5748811
    Abstract: An optical filter, such as a wavelength-division multiplexer, demultiplexer, or optical router, in which several single-mode waveguides are coupled to the sides of an optical interaction region containing a wavelength dispersive element that collects light from one or more input waveguides inputting light to the interaction region and disperses it according to wavelength to one or more output waveguides outputting wavelength-separated light. According to the invention, a multi-moded waveguide is interposed between one or more of the single-moded waveguides and the optical interaction region. It has a predetermined length to create at one end a multiply peaked image of a singly peaked profile presented to it at the other end, thus being a multi-mode interference (MMI) filter that presents a flatter filter profile at the interface between the MMI and the optical interaction region and affords reduced filter sensitivity to wavelength drift of an optical signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 1, 1996
    Date of Patent: May 5, 1998
    Assignee: Bell Communications Research, Inc.
    Inventors: Martin Ronald Amersfoort, Julian Bernard Donald Soole
  • Patent number: 5748822
    Abstract: An optical module includes a mounting board, an optical element, an optical fiber having an optical axis, the optical fiber inserted in the mounting board to align the optical axis with the optical element, and a positioning mark provided to position the optical element on the mounting board. The mounting board has a groove provided in the middle of the mounting board and extending in a direction of the optical axis of the optical fiber, the groove enclosing the optical fiber when inserted. The groove has a vertical wall which is perpendicular to the direction of the optical axis and confronts a leading edge of the optical fiber when inserted. The positioning mark is located adjacent to an internal edge of the groove where the vertical wall is provided on the mounting board.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 12, 1996
    Date of Patent: May 5, 1998
    Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
    Inventors: Kazunori Miura, Seimi Sasaki, Ryoichi Ochiai, Hideo Sumiyoshi, Goji Nakagawa
  • Patent number: 5748821
    Abstract: An adapter assembly is provided for holding two individual fiber optic connectors in generally parallel side-by-side alignment. The assembly includes a body having a pair of through passages adapted for holding the fiber optic connectors in an substantially side-by-side relationship when the connectors are inserted in an axial direction into the passages. The passages are transversely enlarged relative to the respective connectors to provide floating motion between the connectors and the body. A holding clip is insertable into a transverse opening in the body into engagement with each connector. The holding clip retains its respective connector in its respective passage in the body. The holding clip is configured to allow the floating motion between the connectors and the body.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 25, 1996
    Date of Patent: May 5, 1998
    Assignee: Molex Incorporated
    Inventors: Otto Schempp, Francesco Carabetta
  • Patent number: 5745626
    Abstract: A method and device is provided wherein a reinforcement is provided for one or more optical fibers. One or more fibers are inserted into a sleeve made of a material that is substantially the same as the material of the cladding of the one or more optical fibers. The bore of the sleeve is sized to accommodate the one or more optical fibers; After the one or more optical fibers is inserted into the sleeve sufficient heat is applied to the sleeve for a duration to collapse the sleeve onto the one or more optical fibers. Preferably, the sleeve is a glass pre-form consisting substantially of 90% or greater silica.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 20, 1996
    Date of Patent: April 28, 1998
    Assignee: JDS Fitel Inc.
    Inventors: Gary Stephen Duck, Neil Teitelbaum, Yihao Cheng
  • Patent number: 5745623
    Abstract: A laser system for surveying, which comprises a laser light source unit, an optical system for irradiating a laser beam from the laser light source unit toward a given direction, whereby said laser light source unit is at least thermally isolated from the optical system, and the laser beam from the laser light source unit is guided toward the optical system by an optical fiber. Because the laser light source unit, or at least a heat generating portion of the light source unit is isolated from the optical system, no influence of heat from the laser light source unit is exerted on the optical system, and it is possible to prevent decrease of accuracy due to heat and to maintain the laser system for surveying in a condition to provide measurement at high accuracy.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 2, 1996
    Date of Patent: April 28, 1998
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha TOPCON
    Inventors: Fumio Ohtomo, Hiroshi Koizumi, Masayuki Momiuchi, Masahiro Ohishi, Yoshiaki Goto
  • Patent number: 5745625
    Abstract: A semiconductor laser module comprising a lens system having first and second lenses for coupling a beam emitted from a semiconductor laser with a core expanded fiber having a single-mode fiber end whose core diameter is expanded. The core expanded fiber is set so as to have a core expansion coefficient of 1.3 or more and an absolute value of change rate of mode field diameter smaller than 6.0.times.10.sup.-4 .mu.m.sup.-1.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 10, 1996
    Date of Patent: April 28, 1998
    Assignee: The Furukawa Electric Co.,Ltd.
    Inventors: Takeshi Aikiyo, Toshio Kimura, Yusei Shirasaka
  • Patent number: 5745634
    Abstract: A voltage controlled attenuator for an optical telecommunication system comprises an optical attenuator placed between an input and an output lens for obstructing the path of an incoming light beam. The attenuator has variable attenuation (reflection, absorption, etc.) which is controlled for maintaining a preset power of the outgoing light beam. To this end, a fraction of the outgoing signal is diverted to an output detector by reflecting off an end face of a lens, and processed for obtaining a control signal representative of the output power. The control signal actuates a dc motor which displaces the attenuator to a position corresponding to a preset output power.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 24, 1996
    Date of Patent: April 28, 1998
    Assignee: JDS Fitel Inc.
    Inventors: Carey Marcel Garrett, Chenjun Fan, Darko Cugalj, David Gransden
  • Patent number: 5742720
    Abstract: Mutually parallel V grooves are formed on the upper surface of a first support member of an optical fiber array ferrule, and then an optical fiber wire is disposed in each of the V grooves. Stacked thereon is a second support member having V grooves formed on both the upper and lower surfaces thereof so as to oppose each other, the V grooves on the lower surface serving as guiding grooves. An optical fiber wire is also disposed in each of the V grooves on the upper surface of the second support member. Further stacked thereon is a third support member having V grooves formed on the lower surface thereof, so that an optical fiber array ferrule is configured. The optical fiber array ferrule as well as a surface emitting laser array are mounted on a single substrate so that an optical coupling module is configured.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 29, 1996
    Date of Patent: April 21, 1998
    Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yasuhiro Kobayashi, Kenichi Matsuda
  • Patent number: 5740297
    Abstract: This invention relates to a dispersion-compensating fiber which can be drawn at a lower temperature and can further reduce optical transmission loss. This dispersion-compensating fiber comprises a core portion containing a high concentration of GeO.sub.2 and a cladding portion formed around the outer periphery of the core portion. The cladding portion comprises a first cladding containing fluorine or the like as an index reducer, a second cladding having a higher refractive index than that of the first cladding, and a third cladding which becomes a glass region substantially noncontributory to propagation of signal light. In particular, the third cladding contains a desired impurity such that the glass viscosity thereof becomes lower than that of the second cladding or pure silica cladding at a predetermined temperature.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 30, 1996
    Date of Patent: April 14, 1998
    Assignee: Sumitomo Electric Industries, Ltd.
    Inventors: Masashi Onishi, Chie Fukuda, Hiroo Kanamori
  • Patent number: 5740287
    Abstract: An optical switch in a one-dimensional multilayer dielectric stack having a photonic band gap, composed of at least two groups of layers of dielectric material whose operating wavelength is near the edge of said photonic band gap. At least one layer of each of the groups is composed of a nonlinear c.sub.3 dielectric material, which creates an intensity-dependent shift in the location of the band gap and produces a dynamical change in the transmissive and reflective properties of the multilayer dielectric stack in response to changes in the intensity of light or the transmittance of electromagnetic radiation passing through the multilayer dielectric stack. The width of the photonic band gap is determined by the differences between the refractive indices of the nonlinear dielectric material and that of the other layers of dielectric material in the multilayer dielectric stack.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 7, 1995
    Date of Patent: April 14, 1998
    Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Army
    Inventors: Michael Scalora, Jonathan P. Dowling, Charles M. Bowden, Mark J. Bloemer, Michael D. Tocci
  • Patent number: 5737138
    Abstract: The present invention relates to an optical waveguide device, particularly a structure for positioning end faces of an optical waveguide and end faces of optical fibers with respect to each other, as well as a method of realizing such a structure. V grooves for positioning optical fibers are formed on a glass substrate by hot pressing, and the optical fibers are put in the V grooves to position end faces of the optical fibers and end faces of an optical waveguide with respect to each other, thereby forming the optical waveguide device of the invention.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 19, 1996
    Date of Patent: April 7, 1998
    Assignee: Alps Electric Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Yoshihiro Someno
  • Patent number: 5737463
    Abstract: A massive parallel (MP) connector is provided which includes a fiber optic connector having a polymer ferrule having multiple fibers mounted in V-grooves of the ferrule and beveled edges of the ferrule providing for alignment of the ferrule when the MP fiber optic connector is mated to a receptacle having an alignment assembly and an alignment member mounted within the alignment assembly to provide for precision alignment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 22, 1995
    Date of Patent: April 7, 1998
    Inventors: Roger E. Weiss, Daniel P. Vladic, Philip W. Schofield
  • Patent number: 5737470
    Abstract: At least an optical fiber of more than two pieces are arranged at least a tension member or more in a row, and the outside circumferential part of tension member and optical fiber is covered with a sheath so as to become a nearly oval shape. In addition, at least a torn slot or more is formed the outside circumferential part of a sheath. Therefore, it can be cut the end part of a sheath simply at the time of terminal management without the fact that an optical fiber makes damage and is added to power.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 19, 1996
    Date of Patent: April 7, 1998
    Assignees: Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corporation, Toyokuni Electric Cable Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Ryuichiro Nagano, Yoichi Nagase, Hajime Tamura
  • Patent number: 5737474
    Abstract: A semiconductor optical device is provided which includes a semiconductor substrate, a first core layer disposed on the substrate with a second core layer being interposed between the substrate and the first core layer. The second core layer has a lower refractive index than that of the first core layer. A ridge-shaped optical waveguide region is formed in a top surface of the first core layer. The width of the ridge-shaped optical waveguide is modulated along a direction which coincides with an optical axis of the semiconductor optical device. Further, the width of a bottom surface of the ridge-shaped optical waveguide is selected not to be greater than 4 .mu.m over a whole length thereof.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 13, 1995
    Date of Patent: April 7, 1998
    Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventors: Masahiro Aoki, Makoto Takahashi, Hiroshi Sato
  • Patent number: 5734767
    Abstract: A hermetically sealed fiber optic coupler for packaging end joined optical fibers. The device includes at least one first optical fiber having a glass-based portion having a first free end and a second optical fiber having a glass-based portion having a second free end joined to the first free end of the glass-based portion of the first optical fiber to form an end joint. The device further includes an outer chamber having at least one open end, the outer chamber surrounding the end joint, the outer chamber and the end joint being hermetically sealed with a thermosetting plastic. In the preferred embodiment, the device also includes a primary tubular sleeve, positioned between the end joint the outer chamber; epoxy for tacking the glass-based portions of the first and second optical fibers to the primary tubular sleeve; and thixotropic epoxy for hermetically sealing the ends of the primary tubular sleeve.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 11, 1996
    Date of Patent: March 31, 1998
    Inventor: Richard W. Belt
  • Patent number: 5734769
    Abstract: An optical connector ferrule includes a ferrule body which is cylindrical and has a transition portion extending from a cylindrical body to a terminal end of the ferrule body. The terminal end is provided with an inclined convex end face defining a plane of inclination inclined relative to the bore axis. The transition portion has an outer surface shaped for the transition portion to have a circular cross section taken perpendicular to a center line extending orthogonal to the plane of inclination.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 17, 1997
    Date of Patent: March 31, 1998
    Assignee: ADC Telecommunications, Inc.
    Inventor: Liang-Ju Lu
  • Patent number: 5734772
    Abstract: Ferroelectric domain regions are formed in a ferroelectric crystal cut so that the polarization direction is in the plane of the crystal and is along the z direction is disclosed. A periodic ion exchange grating on the surface of the crystal with grating is provided on the surface of the crystal with grating lines parallel to the Z-axis of the crystal by a combination of photolithography and ion-exchange techniques and then applying a uniform field across two electrode pads on the crystal surface, thus creating an electric field opposite to the polarization direction (+Z direction) of the crystal. The electric field reverses the domains in selective regions defined by the ion exchange grating formed in the earlier step. This gives rise to a periodically reversed domain grating on the crystal surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 24, 1996
    Date of Patent: March 31, 1998
    Assignee: Eastman Kodak Company
    Inventors: Venkatraman Gopalan, Mool C. Gupta
  • Patent number: 5732172
    Abstract: The Laser Pulse Sampler (LPS) measures temporal pulse shape without the problems of a streak camera. Unlike the streak camera, the laser pulse directly illuminates a camera in the LPS, i.e., no additional equipment or energy conversions are required. The LPS has several advantages over streak cameras. The dynamic range of the LPS is limited only by the range of its camera, which for a cooled camera can be as high as 16 bits, i.e., 65,536. The LPS costs less because there are fewer components, and those components can be mass produced. The LPS is easier to calibrate and maintain because there is only one energy conversion, i.e., photons to electrons, in the camera.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 29, 1996
    Date of Patent: March 24, 1998
    Assignee: The Regents of the University of California
    Inventor: Charles Vann
  • Patent number: 5732173
    Abstract: An optical module for interconnecting two or more optical fibers has a microreplicated waveguide element which is integrally formed on the same substrate with a splice element. In one embodiment, the module has three plates, a bottom plate, a cover plate, and a top plate, all contained within a common housing. The bottom plate has fiber-receiving grooves and fiber alignment grooves at its ends, the fiber alignment grooves being aligned with waveguide channels formed on the central portion of the bottom plate. The cover plate is used when forming the cores of the waveguide channels, to force residual curable, waveguide material into flow channels adjacent the waveguide channels, and this material, when cured, adheres the bottom and cover plates together. The top plate is used to clamp fibers which are held in the fiber alignment grooves, with the center of the fibers aligned with the core of the waveguide channels.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 12, 1996
    Date of Patent: March 24, 1998
    Assignee: Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing Company
    Inventors: James R. Bylander, James B. Carpenter, Donald G. Doss, Douglas P. Hills, Richard A. Patterson, Laura A. Weller-Brophy