Patents by Inventor Alan D. Kathman
Alan D. Kathman has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).
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Patent number: 6295156Abstract: An integrated micro-optical system includes at least two wafers with at least two optical elements provided on respective surfaces of the at least two wafers. An active element having a characteristic which changes in response to an applied field may be integrated on a bottom surface of the wafers. The resulting optical system may present a high numerical aperture. Preferably, one of the optical elements is a refractive element formed in a material having a high index of refraction.Type: GrantFiled: May 8, 2000Date of Patent: September 25, 2001Assignee: Digital Optics CorporationInventors: Michael R. Feldman, Alan D. Kathman, William Hudson Welch
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Patent number: 6278550Abstract: A beam homogenizer that minimizes undesired intensity variations at the output plane caused by sharp breaks between facets in previous embodiments. The homogenizer includes a hologram made up of irregularly patterned diffractive fringes. An input beam illuminates at least part of the hologram. The hologram transmits a portion of the input beam onto an output plane. In doing so, the energy of the input beam is spatially redistributed at the output plane into a homogenized output beam having a preselected spatial energy distribution at the output plane. Thus, the illuminated portion of the output plane has a shape predetermined by the designer of the homogenizer.Type: GrantFiled: January 18, 2000Date of Patent: August 21, 2001Assignee: Digital Optics CorporationInventors: Alan D Kathman, Michael R. Feldman
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Patent number: 6235141Abstract: Mass production of integrated optical subsystems may be realized by providing a bonding material surround each die in an array of first dies on a wafer. A plurality of second dies are then aligned with the dies on the wafer. The bonding material is then treated to bond the aligned dies. The bonded dies are then diced to form a bonded pair of dies containing at least one optical element, thus forming an integrated optical subsystem. The bonding material may be provided over at least part of the optical path of each first die, over an entire surface of the wafer or around the perimeter of each first die. The second dies may be provided on another wafer. Either die may contain active elements, e.g., a laser or a detector. The optical elements may be formed in the die or may be of a different material than that of the die.Type: GrantFiled: January 8, 1999Date of Patent: May 22, 2001Assignee: Digital Optics CorporationInventors: Michael R. Feldman, Alan D. Kathman
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Patent number: 6157502Abstract: An optical apparatus for circularizing a laser beam includes a bench having indentations thereon and optical elements provided in these indentations. A first optical element has a high numerical aperture. A second optical element collimates the beam output by the first optical element and is spaced from the first optical element. This spacing is determined in accordance with a location of the beam output by the first optical element at which the beam will be most circular. The indentation in which the second optical element is placed may be both vertically and horizontally displaced from the indentation in which the first optical element is placed.Type: GrantFiled: July 2, 1999Date of Patent: December 5, 2000Assignee: Digital Optics CorporationInventor: Alan D. Kathman
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Patent number: 6128134Abstract: A substrate having an optical element on an input surface thereof receives a light beam not having a desired beam shape and shapes the light beam into a predetermined intensity distribution. The substrate may further include a second optical element for providing a predetermined phase pattern to the light beam provided by the first optical element. The first optical element may, for example, circularize an elliptical light beam using a soft aperture for differential power attenuation or by altering the divergence of the light beam along the different axes of the light beam. When the divergence angles are altered and the collimating optical element is provided on the output surface, the thickness of the transparent substrate is determined in accordance with a resultant difference in the divergence and/or with the initial difference in beam size along each axis and with a required circularity.Type: GrantFiled: August 27, 1997Date of Patent: October 3, 2000Assignee: Digital Optics CorporationInventors: Michael R. Feldman, Alan D. Kathman, W. Hudson Welch, Robert TeKolste
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Patent number: 6118559Abstract: A broadband diffractive diffuser contains at least three levels, with approximately a phase shift of .pi. between at least two of the at least three levels. Such a diffuser provides light with more than two phasor vectors at the zero order. The presence of the more than two phasor vectors reduces the zero order diffraction efficiency at non-design wavelength, increasing the usefulness of the diffuser at wavelengths other than the design wavelength. Preferably, the diffractive diffuser includes a plurality of regions, approximately 50% of an area of the plurality of regions presenting a phase shift of .pi. at a design wavelength, approximately 25% of the area of the plurality of regions presenting a phase shift of 2.pi. at the design wavelength, and approximately 25% of the area of the plurality of regions presenting a phase shift of 0 at the design wavelength.Type: GrantFiled: May 5, 1998Date of Patent: September 12, 2000Assignee: Digital Optics CorporationInventors: Alan D. Kathman, Eric G. Johnson, Adam S. Fedor, James E. Morris, Jr.
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Patent number: 6104690Abstract: An integrated optical apparatus includes an optically transparent substrate with a light source and a detector mounted adjacent thereto. The substrate includes an optical element in a transmit path from the light source to a remote target. The optical element splits the light into more than one beam. A detector receives beams reflected by the target. All optical elements needed to create the more then one beam, direct the more than one beam onto the target and direct the more than one beam from the target to the detector are on the substrate and/or any structure bonded to the substrate. Preferably, the optical element provides sufficient separation between the more than one beam such that each beam is delivered to a unique respective light detecting element of the detector. The return path from the remote target to the detector may include an optical element for each beam or no optical elements. An additional substrate may be included and bonded to the substrate.Type: GrantFiled: March 23, 1999Date of Patent: August 15, 2000Assignee: Digital Optics CorporationInventors: Michael R. Feldman, Alan D. Kathman, W. Hudson Welch
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Patent number: 6061169Abstract: An integrated micro-optical system includes at least two wafers with at least two optical elements provided on respective surfaces of the at least two wafers. An active element having a characteristic which changes in response to an applied field may be integrated on a bottom surface of the wafers. The resulting optical system may present a high numerical aperture. Preferably, one of the optical elements is a refractive element formed in a material having a high index of refraction.Type: GrantFiled: March 26, 1999Date of Patent: May 9, 2000Assignee: Digital Optics CorporationInventors: Michael R. Feldman, Alan D. Kathman, William Hudson Welch
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Patent number: 6025938Abstract: A beam homogenizer that minimizes undesired intensity variations at the output plane caused by sharp breaks between facets in previous embodiments. The homogenizer includes a hologram made up of irregularly patterned diffractive fringes. An input beam illuminates at least part of the hologram. The hologram transmits a portion of the input beam onto an output plane. In doing so, the energy of the input beam is spatially redistributed at the output plane into a homogenized output beam having a preselected spatial energy distribution at the output plane. Thus, the illuminated portion of the output plane has a shape predetermined by the designer of the homogenizer.Type: GrantFiled: September 25, 1998Date of Patent: February 15, 2000Assignee: Digital Optics CorporationInventors: Alan D Kathman, Michael R. Feldman
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Patent number: 6008941Abstract: A soft aperture allows gradual attenuation of a light beam dependent upon its location away from the center of a diffractive optical element. Such an optical element may be provided by decreasing a number of phase levels, increasing a number of phase levels, increasing a density of metal patches or diffractive gratings, or decreasing a blaze height and/or duty cycle, all radially from the center. Alternatively, the soft aperture may be defined by a photolithographic process. Such a soft aperture is particularly useful in aiding circularizing of an elliptical light beam. The soft aperture may be used alone or integrated with other optical elements.Type: GrantFiled: April 14, 1997Date of Patent: December 28, 1999Assignee: Digital Optics CorporationInventors: Michael Feldman, Alan D. Kathman, W. Hudson Welch, Robert Te Kolste
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Patent number: 5938308Abstract: An improved optical system is disclosed for projecting light in the form of an image to a remote target. The laser light source and a holographic optical element are mounted together in optical alignment. The optical element is created using iterative discrete computer encoding for optimum efficiency. In alternate embodiments, the diffractive optical element has a collimating lens encoded into the grating levels and it also performs soft aperture circularizing using either amplitude or phase control over the coherent light. An embossed diffractive optical element laminated to an injection-molded refractive element is also disclosed.Type: GrantFiled: August 4, 1997Date of Patent: August 17, 1999Assignee: Digital Opitcs CorporationInventors: Michael R. Feldman, Alan D. Kathman
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Patent number: 5912872Abstract: An integrated optical apparatus includes an optically transparent substrate with a light source and a detector mounted adjacent thereto. The substrate includes an optical element in a transmit path from the light source to a remote target. The optical element splits the light into more than one beam. A detector receives beams reflected by the target. All optical elements needed to create the more then one beam, direct the more than one beam onto the target and direct the more than one beam from the target to the detector are on the substrate and/or any structure bonded to the substrate. Preferably, the optical element provides sufficient separation between the more than one beam such that each beam is delivered to a unique respective light detecting element of the detector. The return path from the remote target to the detector may include an optical element for each beam or no optical elements. An additional substrate may be included and bonded to the substrate.Type: GrantFiled: February 5, 1998Date of Patent: June 15, 1999Assignee: Digital Optics CorporationInventors: Michael R. Feldman, Alan D. Kathman, W. Hudson Welch
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Patent number: 5886971Abstract: An integrated optical head, such as, for a disk drive, preferably includes an optically transparent substrate. The substrate has a diffractive optical element formed on one face and a plurality of electrical contact pads exposed on the other face. A light source is positioned to emit light through the substrate, through the diffractive optical element, and toward data storage media. The light source includes a plurality of electrical contact pads corresponding to the plurality of electrical contact-pads exposed on the face of the substrate. An optical detector is positioned to detect light reflected from the data storage media, through the diffractive optical element, and through the substrate. The optical detector includes a plurality of exposed electrical contact pads corresponding to the plurality of electrical contact pads exposed on the face of the substrate. The substrate and the light source and optical detector are passively aligned using solder bumps between pairs of contact pads.Type: GrantFiled: December 19, 1997Date of Patent: March 23, 1999Assignee: Digital Optics CorporationInventors: Michael R. Feldman, Alan D. Kathman
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Patent number: 5872762Abstract: An integrated optical head, such as, for a disk drive, preferably includes an optically transparent substrate. The substrate has a diffractive optical element formed on one face and a plurality of electrical contact pads exposed on the other face. A light source is positioned to emit light through the substrate, through the diffractive optical element, and toward data storage media. The light source includes a plurality of electrical contact pads corresponding to the plurality of electrical contact pads exposed on the face of the substrate. An optical detector is positioned to detect light reflected from the data storage media, through the diffractive optical element, and through the substrate. The optical detector includes a plurality of exposed electrical contact pads corresponding to the plurality of electrical contact pads exposed on the face of the substrate. The substrate and the light source and optical detector are passively aligned using solder bumps between pairs of contact pads.Type: GrantFiled: December 29, 1997Date of Patent: February 16, 1999Assignee: Digital Optics CorporationInventors: Michael R. Feldman, Alan D. Kathman
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Patent number: 5850300Abstract: A beam homogenizer that minimizes undesired intensity variations at the output plane caused by sharp breaks between facets in previous embodiments. The homogenizer includes a hologram made up of irregularly patterned diffractive fringes. An input beam illuminates at least part of the hologram. The hologram transmits a portion of the input beam onto an output plane. In doing so, the energy of the input beam is spatially redistributed at the output plane into a homogenized output beam having a preselected spatial energy distribution at the output plane. Thus, the illuminated portion of the output plane has a shape predetermined by the designer of the homogenizer.Type: GrantFiled: December 20, 1996Date of Patent: December 15, 1998Assignee: Digital Optics CorporationInventors: Alan D. Kathman, Michael R. Feldman
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Patent number: 5771218Abstract: An integrated optical head, such as, for a disk drive, preferably includes an optically transparent substrate. The substrate has a diffractive optical element formed on one face and a plurality of electrical contact pads exposed on the other face. A light source is positioned to emit light through the substrate, through the diffractive optical element, and toward data storage media. The light source includes a plurality of electrical contact pads corresponding to the plurality of electrical contact pads exposed on the face of the substrate. An optical detector is positioned to detect light reflected from the data storage media, through the diffractive optical element, and through the substrate. The optical detector includes a plurality of exposed electrical contact pads corresponding to the plurality of electrical contact pads exposed on the face of the substrate. The substrate and the light source and optical detector are passively aligned using solder bumps between pairs of contact pads.Type: GrantFiled: September 27, 1996Date of Patent: June 23, 1998Assignee: Digital Optics CorporationInventors: Michael R. Feldman, Alan D. Kathman
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Patent number: 5718496Abstract: An improved optical system is disclosed for projecting light in the form of an image to a remote target. The laser light source and a holographic optical element are mounted together in optical alignment. The optical element is created using iterative discrete computer encoding for optimum efficiency. In alternate embodiments, the diffractive optical element has a collimating lens encoded into the grating levels and it also performs soft aperture circularizing using either amplitude or phase control over the coherent light. An embossed diffractive optical element laminated to an injection-molded refractive element is also disclosed.Type: GrantFiled: June 25, 1996Date of Patent: February 17, 1998Assignee: Digital Optics CorporationInventors: Michael R. Feldman, Alan D. Kathman
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Patent number: 5153772Abstract: In accordance with the present invention, a BOE-corrected, off-axis image forming apparatus is disclosed. The apparatus has a first stage with a primary reflective element disposed to reflect light incident from an entrance pupil of the apparatus and form a real image at an intermediate image plane, and a second stage located off-axis with respect to the first stage. The second stage is defined by a secondary reflective and/or refractive assembly which re-images light from the intermediate image plane to a final image plane. A binary optical element (BOE), which has higher-order optical characteristics for providing aspheric correction but extremely low optical power, is provided in one of the stages for correcting aberrations introduced by the other optical elements in the apparatus. The BOE contributes no more than about 3% of the optical power provided by the stage which contains the BOE.Type: GrantFiled: April 9, 1991Date of Patent: October 6, 1992Assignee: Toledyne Industries, Inc.Inventors: Alan D. Kathman, Daniel M. Brown