Abstract: In an optical fiber connector, the pair of optical fibers to be connected together are placed end-to-end in a linear groove which has been formed on a lateral surface of a central cylinder. They are held fixed by a holding member which is fitted in the groove and is moved towards the optical fibers according to the rotation of a hollow cylinder which externally touches the central cylinder, whereby the optical fibers can be connected with a precise alignment and accordingly with a low optical power loss.

Abstract: This invention relates to a digital exposure meter in which brightness information is digitized and exposure factors such as film sensitivity are converted to digital values to perform digital computation. Accordingly, an exposure value, average exposure value, aperture value or shutter time is derived while a computer having various operation functions being controlled in sequence by sequence control means.

Abstract: In accordance with the disclosed invention, a first group of optical fiber waveguides is spliced to a second, similar group of optical fiber waveguides using a unique foldable holder. The holder illustratively comprises a relatively thin wafer formed of a bendable material, such as a plastic or metal, and includes first and second sections disposed about a centrally extended fold line. Each section of the holder includes a plurality of grooves laterally spaced in a parallel relation symmetrically about the fold line for receiving and aligning the individual fibers in each fiber group to be spliced. To achieve the desired splice, the fibers in a first group are placed and then fixed in the grooves of the first section of the holder, while the fibers in a second group are placed and then fixed in the grooves of the second section of the holder.

Abstract: A fiber optic cable connector is comprised of two ferrules, a collar member, and a connection sleeve. First and second ferrules each have an internal bore to receive the end of fiber optic cable bundles together with a suitable bonding material for securing the fiber optic cable bundles. The terminal ends of the fiber optic cable bundles are ground and polished substantially optically flat. A first ferrule has external threads on a portion at its terminal end. The collar member is internally threaded and dimensioned to engage over the external threads of the first ferrule, and has a cylindrical portion coaxially extending beyond the terminal end of the first ferrule effectively forming a cylindrical recess. A second ferrule has a cylindrical embossment dimensioned to be received within the coaxially extending portion of the collar member for aligning the two fiber optic cable bundles.

Abstract: Optical slip rings are disclosed which permit signals to be transferred f a rotating body to a non-rotating body without any physical contact. Fiber optic bundles are utilized to conduct light signals on one body to separate fiber optic bundles on the other body. Light is projected across a small gap from the rotating bundle to the non-rotating bundle. Other variations use multiple channels, wave guides, derotating prisms and concentric annular mirrors to achieve signal transfer. The optical slip rings can transfer any signal which may be converted to a light signal.

Abstract: An alternating light photometer, the output of which is connected over two parallel uniform current paths with both of the inputs to a differential amplifier. In each of the paths, there is included in series a resistance, a condenser, with a switch provided as well as between a switch and corresponding input of the differential amplifier, and an operational amplifier, all forming a storage circuit. The R C circuit forms a low pass with a time constant over the given engaging or disengaging time of the beam. The switches are so controlled over the switching circuit that only one of them is closed during the time of the complete release, and the other only during the time of the complete interruption of the beam to the photoelectric transducer.

Abstract: The coupler consists of an intermediate finite length waveguide located between a first and at least one second waveguide with the refractive index of the intermediate waveguide being greater than the refractive indices of the other waveguides. The intermediate waveguide further includes a structure which either in a fixed manner as by a surface relief, or in a controlled manner--as by electro-optic or acousto-optic perturbation, produces modes of propagation in the intermediate waveguide for a preselected frequency, such that energy may be coupled to or from the waveguides to the intermediate waveguide by mode matching and this energy may be converted from one mode to another in the intermediate waveguide.

Abstract: An optical coupling apparatus having first and second optical waveguides wherein optical signals are coupled therebetween in a distributive manner. The distributive coupling provides essentially equally distributed optical signals in the secondary guide while maintaining an essentially continuous flow of light in the primary guide.

Abstract: An optical coupler for a multi-mode optical fiber transmission line consisting of a first length of optical fiber and a second length of optical fiber positioned along a common axis such that one end of the second fiber is spaced a predetermined distance l from one end of the first fiber. This allows a portion of the optical energy leaving the end of first fiber to enter the second fiber. The coupler further includes a reflective surface facing the first fiber to reflect the remaining portion of the optical energy out of the coupler. The percentage of the energy reflected out of the coupler is determined by the distance l and may be varied by moving the second fiber with respect to the first. The material between the ends of the fibers has a refractive index substantially identical to the refractive index of the fiber cores to provide for greater efficiency.

Abstract: By coupling light from a coupling portion of a thin fiber core to a planar waveguide film through the thickness of the substrate supporting the film, sufficient spreading by diffraction takes place in the light traveling through the thickness of the substrate to provide an aperture at the film large enough to permit light coupled into the film from the substrate to have a substantially plane wavefront.

Abstract: This device is used to measure effective energy transfer rates for a laser during lasing. It accounts for contributions to the total energy transfer rate from all component sources since measurement occurs during lasing action. An intracavity modulator operating within the optical cavity of a laser periodically interrupts lasing. The laser output is coupled to a fast response detector. The detector output is coupled to a waveform signal averager which removes random noise from the waveform. The signal is averaged to produce a clean accurate picture of the detector output which is then coupled to an x-y plotter. The x-y plotter provides a graph of signal level versus time of the output signal and provides the exponential tail from which the total energy transfer rate is obtained. Data from the x-y plotter is then replotted as a semi-log plot and the slope of this semi-log plot gives the time constant which is the total energy transfer rate.

Abstract: A wide-angle illuminating optical system with light guide comprising a positive lens system positioned near the end face of the light guide and arranged to illuminate over a wide observing area by converging the light from the light guide and then diverging said light by means of the positive lens system.

Abstract: The invention relates to a connector for optical fibres. The connector between two fibres comprises a pressing assembly formed by three rolls inside a flexible casing and two cones partly engaged inside the pressing assembly, at its respective ends, and a means for actuating one of the cones in a linear movement to control the opening and closing of the pressing assembly on the ends of the fibres. The invention applies to the transmitting of data by a light beam.

Abstract: An isolation zone for light transmission is formed in a compound semiconductor optical integrated circuit by selective oxidation of a compound semiconductor surface by oxygen plasma.

Abstract: The invention relates to keyboard devices using optical switching and includes novel light distribution means to multiple fiber optics, switching means between fiber optics, and collection means from multiple fiber optics to a single point.

Abstract: An optical switching network employing a plurality of optical switching crosspoints is implemented by providing the first and second pluralities of strip waveguide channels passing one over the other in parallel planes separated by an intervening medium. The implementation is further characterized by including at each of the proposed switching crosspoints, that is, at the regions of closest approach of the different strip guides, beam-guide couplers such as grating-type couplers to couple the modulated optical energy from one of the first plurality of channels to one of the second plurality of channels through an intervening, supporting medium. There are provided two couplers at each optical crosspoint; and they are controllable between coupling and noncoupling conditions with respect to their respective waveguide channels.

Abstract: An optical switch of the switched directional coupler type is provided with an adjustable cross-over state as well as an adjustable straight-through state, in order to provide reduced crosstalk in the cross-over state, for example, when the switches are used in an optical switching system. The improved switch is based on asynchronous or phase-mismatched coupling between two parallel optical strip guides driven by electrodes to which the voltage is applied. In order to use phase-mismatched coupling instead of phase-matched coupling for the cross-over state, in order thereby to obtain electrical adjustability of that state, the driving electrodes are split into two or more sequential sections, thereby defining two sequential coupling sections of the parallel optical strip guides. The cross-over coupling is then achieved by switching the mismatch conditions so that at the point of partial coupling the "nonoriginating" guide appears to the coupled optical waves to be the "originating" guide.

Abstract: A coupler for coupling in the same manner any one of a plurality of optical signal transmission lines to all of the other transmission lines. The coupler comprises at least three elongated frusto-conical shaped arms of transparent material coupled together by their minor bases through a connecting medium and connected by their major bases to end faces of optical transmission lines respectively. The base diameters and the axial length of these arms are determined such that each minor base has a hemispherical radiation pattern given the numerical aperture of the associated transmission line.

Abstract: A connector for optical fibers including in each connector section a shell containing a ferrule having an opening receiving a plurality of optical fibers positioned in abutting relationship in predetermined locations, one of the connector sections including a rotatable member coupled to the other connector section for selectively rotationally adjusting the positions of the mating connector sections so as to optimize alignment of individual glass fibers in the two connector sections. The optical fibers of each connector section are assembled in the ferrule and shell before being finished to present a collective flat perpendicular end surface at a predetermined location.

Abstract: An electro-optical switch and modulator for use in a region of a waveguide system which consists of either intersecting waveguides or branching waveguides, which are arranged on a dielectric substrate and consists of electro-optical material at the region and have at least one insulating layer engaging the region of the waveguides characterized by at least one electrode structure being located at the region and comprising a plurality of electrode fingers extending at right angles to a line which either is a bi-sector of the angle between the intersecting and branching waveguides when the region is located at the point of branching and intersecting or is a longitudinal axis of the waveguide when the region is spaced from the point of branching and intersecting. Preferably, the dielectric insulating layer also consists of an electro-optical material. When more than two electrode structures are used, the fingers may either have equal spacing or possess differing and separate switchable periodicity.