Patents Examined by Phan Heartney
  • Patent number: 5384884
    Abstract: An optical fibre is fixed between a clamp and a piezo-electric translation stage. An argon ion laser emitting at 514.5 nm is used to write Bragg gratings in the fibre. A different longitudinal stress is applied to the fibre before optically writing each Bragg grating. The fibre when unstressed will have a Bragg grating of different peak reflectivity corresponding to the number of different applied stresses.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 4, 1993
    Date of Patent: January 24, 1995
    Assignee: British Telecommunications public limited company
    Inventors: Raman Kashyap, Robert J. Campbell
  • Patent number: 5280556
    Abstract: A closure includes an end plate assembly (20) which includes an inner and an outer endplate and between which is disposed a cable sheath gripping assembly (60). The cable sheath gripping assembly includes a housing (62) and a clamping portion (100) which cooperate to form two cable-receiving passageways. Each passageway is formed between two channels, one being formed in the base and one being formed in the clamping portion. Each channel is provided with a plurality of inwardly extending circumferential and axial ribs with the ribs cooperating to clamp a cable end portion extending therewith. The engagement of the ribs with the cable end portion under compressive engagement caused by the turning of a bolt 106 into threaded insert of the housing provides enhanced resistance to pullout and rotation of the cable end portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 25, 1992
    Date of Patent: January 18, 1994
    Assignee: AT&T Bell Laboratories
    Inventor: Wesley W. Jones
  • Patent number: 5268972
    Abstract: Fiber optic based optrodes suitable for in-situ monitoring of groundwater and earth material for the presence of aromatic hydrocarbons. The optrodes are fabricated with porous optical waveguides which are impregnated with a chemical indicator whose optical transmission properties change in the presence of aromatic species, providing a high degree of chemical specificity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 12, 1992
    Date of Patent: December 7, 1993
    Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Air Force
    Inventors: Mary E. Tabacco, Bruce J. Nielsen
  • Patent number: 5231689
    Abstract: There is disclosed a light transmitting display assembly provided with a source of electromagnetic radiation in the visible spectrum and comprised of a display board containing information and formed with channels into which ends of optical fibers of an optical fiber bundle are selectively positioned and after positioning the surface of the display board is coated with microbeads wherein the source of electromagnetic radiation is directed into the other ends of the optical fibers of the optical fiber bundle to provide a light transmitting display assembly capable of wide angle viewing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 17, 1992
    Date of Patent: July 27, 1993
    Assignee: Tru-Lyte Systems, Inc.
    Inventor: Michael J. Reidinger
  • Patent number: 4927222
    Abstract: A device for transmitting electromagnetic radiation to a radiation sensitive component and receiving output radiation from said component comprising a radiation-transmissible junction formed by contacting the tip of a first optical fiber with an intermediate portion of a second optical fiber, said junction being encased in an opaque, radiation reflective jacket. A method for determining a desired parameter using such device is also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 16, 1986
    Date of Patent: May 22, 1990
    Assignee: Shiley Incorporated
    Inventors: Tadao Kamiya, Matthew J. Leader
  • Patent number: 4852960
    Abstract: Highly frequency-selective reflectivity is realized in an optical device including a waveguide and an evanescent-field coupled grating resonator cavity. The device may include a light source and serve as a low-chirp, narrow-linewidth communications laser for use, e.g., for transmission over a fiber having non-negligible dispersion and also in wavelength-multiplexed coherent systems.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 23, 1988
    Date of Patent: August 1, 1989
    Assignee: American Telephone and Telegraph Company, AT&T Bell Laboratories
    Inventors: Rodney C. Alferness, Charles H. Henry, Rudolf F. Kazarinov, Nils A. Olsson, Kenneth J. Orlowsky
  • Patent number: 4848868
    Abstract: There is disclosed a communication cable with wave guides which are combined in ribbon lines. The optical wave guides are fixed in the ribbon lines only at fastening places which lie one behind the other in axial direction and are spaced apart from each other. The ribbon lines are marked at the fastening places, for instance by color. The marking is identical for a ribbon line over its entire length. All ribbon lines arranged in the cable are marked differently.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 29, 1987
    Date of Patent: July 18, 1989
    Assignee: Kabelmetal Electro Gesellschaft mit Beschrankter Haftung
    Inventor: Peter Rohner
  • Patent number: 4844576
    Abstract: A light diffuser is described having a body with an opening therethrough defined by an inner wall. Light conducting paths are disposed through the body and couple to the opening. The inner wall is sloped at an angle to reflect the light onto a workpiece. The size of the opening and the height of the diffuser above the workpiece determine the angle of the inner wall.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 28, 1987
    Date of Patent: July 4, 1989
    Assignee: Motorola Inc.
    Inventor: Christopher J. Lebeau
  • Patent number: 4826284
    Abstract: A resin-made heat-resistant optical fiber is formed of a core of a hardened thermosetting resin and a cladding of a polymer or copolymer having a refractive index smaller by at least 1%, preferably, at least 3% than that of the core. The thermosetting resin is selected from the group consisting of epoxy resins, phenol resins and urethane resins. The polymer or copolymer may preferably be a thermoplastic organic resin.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 6, 1987
    Date of Patent: May 2, 1989
    Assignee: Kureha Kagaku Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Teruo Sakagami, Yasufumi Fujii
  • Patent number: 4820018
    Abstract: A fiber, with enhanced stimulated Raman scattering for use in light amplification, transmits light wave energy in a single mode. The fiber includes a cylindrical core of light transmitting material doped with a substantial concentration of GeO.sub.2, an inner cladding of light transmitting material doped with a sizable concentration of GeO.sub.2 (but less than the substantial concentration) surrounding the core, and an outer cladding of GeO.sub.2 -free material surrounding the inner cladding.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 30, 1987
    Date of Patent: April 11, 1989
    Assignee: GTE Laboratories Incorporated
    Inventors: Paul Melman, Mark L. Dakss
  • Patent number: 4818056
    Abstract: An optical connector in accordance with the invention includes a body to which an optical fiber supporting ferrule is mounted. A photo diode is rigidly mounted to the connector such that the photo active portion of the photo diode is optically coupled to the optical fiber. An interface is provided between the photo diode and an electronic circuit. In one form of the invention, the electronic circuit is mounted to the optical connector to facilitate this interface. Alternately, the circuit may be remote from the connector. In this case, the connector includes at least one electrically conductive wire lead for connecting the photo diode to the electronic circuit. An apertured substrate may be used to mount the photo diode to the ferrule with the photo diode optically coupled to the optical fiber through the aperture. The structure may be capped for protection against the environment, or alternatively, the circuit board itself may provide protection to the opto-electronic interface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 2, 1987
    Date of Patent: April 4, 1989
    Assignee: Tektronix, Inc.
    Inventors: R. Scott Enochs, Scott R. Jansen, Daniel R. Murphy, Randy S. Randall, Joanne Roth
  • Patent number: 4805984
    Abstract: A hollow, tubular light conduit including a wall of a transparent polymeric material, and the wall having a structured surface and an opposite, smooth, glossy surface, and at least a portion of the cross-section of the wall lying in a smooth arcuate curve, wherein light striking the inner surface, within an acceptable angular range, is contained by total internal reflection. The structured surface includes a linear array of substantially right angled isosceles prisms arranged side-by-side to form grooves. In addition, the perpendicular sides of the prisms make an angle of approximately 45.degree. with the tangent to the smooth surface. Because of the flexibility of the light conduit and its ability to totally internally reflect light, a manipulated light conduit may be utilized in a variety of ways, for example, as a light fixture whereby some of the light directed into the light conduit is emitted from the light conduit for illumination or for use as a secondary light source.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 5, 1986
    Date of Patent: February 21, 1989
    Assignee: Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing Company
    Inventor: Sanford Cobb, Jr.
  • Patent number: 4802726
    Abstract: A biconic connector includes two plugs (44--44) each terminating a single fiber optical cable (55) and each including a conically shaped end portion (50). In order to minimize loss through a connection, the axis of an end portion of the optical fiber in the conically shaped end portion of the plug should be substantially coincident with the axis of revolution of the conically shaped end portion. This is accomplished by holding the plug in a fixture such that its conically shaped end portion is exposed and the fixture adapted to be turned about an axis of rotation (105). Scattered light from a laser (166) directed toward a gauging length (100) of optical fiber in a passageway of the plug and extending beyond an end face thereof as the plug is turned rotatably is received on a target area. The fixture is turned pivotally to cause the axis of the gauging fiber to parallel the axis of rotation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 8, 1987
    Date of Patent: February 7, 1989
    Assignee: American Telephone and Telegraph Company, AT&T Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: John M. Palmquist, Morton J. Saunders
  • Patent number: 4798436
    Abstract: A fused optical fibre coupler in which one of the fibres has a propagation constant which in the coupling region is slightly different from that of the other. The propagation constant difference can be arranged to provide selected splitting ratios over a relatively wide wavelength range.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 20, 1987
    Date of Patent: January 17, 1989
    Assignee: British Telecommunications, plc
    Inventor: David B. Mortimore
  • Patent number: 4795232
    Abstract: A fibre-optic cable responsive to microbending and forming part of a device for measuring pressure in accordance with the principle of creating a periodic mechanical disturbance in the fibre. The cable comprises a fibre (F) having a core (C) and a core-sheathing (M). An elongated element in the form of a twisted filament (T1, T2) or a twisted band (B) extends along the fibre, and a primary shield (H) encases the fibre and the twisted element such that the twisted element contacts the sheathing at periodically spaced separate regions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 5, 1986
    Date of Patent: January 3, 1989
    Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
    Inventor: Sven A. R. Persson
  • Patent number: 4793677
    Abstract: An opto-electronic device, comprising an optical waveguide and means for imposing an electrical field in a direction transverse to the waveguide, is designed such that the spatial spread of the electrical field is very small. The electrical field overlies the region of peak amplitude of the profile of optical radiation in the waveguide. Constructed principally out of semiconductor materials made from elements selected from the III and V groups of the Periodic Table, the device lends itself to monolithic integration in optical communications systems.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 14, 1986
    Date of Patent: December 27, 1988
    Assignee: British Telecommunications Public Limited Company
    Inventors: Michael J. Adams, Michael J. Robertson, Paul M. Rodgers, Simon Ritchie
  • Patent number: 4793673
    Abstract: A transmission device of injection molded plastic is provided in order to be able to connect function elements (keys, light-emitting diodes) secured on printed circuit boards to remote control panels in communications terminal equipment. It contains thrust elements composed of a one-piece plastic part which assumes both the articulation function as well as the spring effect of the restoring function. An arbitrary plurality of these thrust elements is accepted by plastic guides which can either be fashioned as a solid block or can be composed of an arbitrary number of sub-elements. Entire control panels whose electrical components lie at the central assembly can be produced at an arbitrary location in this way by combination with light conductors.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 27, 1986
    Date of Patent: December 27, 1988
    Assignee: Siemens Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventor: Erich Keck
  • Patent number: 4792200
    Abstract: An array of coupled waveguides in the form of MCRW laser diodes and/or passive waveguides are coupled to one another by optical waves of the TM-mode occurring in semiconductor regions between the waveguides that have a reduced thickness d, the neighboring waveguides being provided at a spacing a.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 1, 1987
    Date of Patent: December 20, 1988
    Assignee: Siemens Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Markus-Christian Amann, Bernhard Stegmueller, Franz Kappeler
  • Patent number: 4787708
    Abstract: A variety of techniques are used to effect continuously controlled emission of light from a light guide. For example, the light guide may contain a mechanism formed of a substantially non-light absorptive material having a density which varies as a function of the length of the light guide. The mechansim causes light to escape from the light guide at a rate which varies along the length of the light guide, such that the amount of light escaping, per unit length, along the light guide has a selected distribution of values. Alternatively, the light guide's central path may be non-linear. As a further alternative, the average cross-sectional dimension of each of the plane segments aforesaid may be non-constant. As yet another alternative, a first portion of the light guide may comprise prism light guide material and the remaining portion may be such that a substantial portion of light incident thereupon is allowed to escape therethrough.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 8, 1987
    Date of Patent: November 29, 1988
    Assignee: TIR Systems Ltd.
    Inventor: Lorne A. Whitehead
  • Patent number: 4786140
    Abstract: Fast modulation on a low-power laser beam is transferred to a high-power beam when the high-power beam pumps to depletion the amplification of the low-power beam in a fiber Raman amplifier.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 30, 1987
    Date of Patent: November 22, 1988
    Assignee: GTE Laboratories Incorporated
    Inventors: Paul Melman, Mark L. Dakss