Patents by Inventor David R. Balsley
David R. Balsley 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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Publication number: 20230349754Abstract: Some embodiments may include a power monitor to measure power of laser light propagating in a core of an optical fiber; the power monitor to generate a sensor signal using an optical sensor having a light sensitive section with no line of sight to part of the optical fiber; wherein the sensor signal is derived from light emerging laterally from the part of the optical fiber. Other embodiments may be disclosed and/or claimed.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 24, 2023Publication date: November 2, 2023Applicant: NLIGHT, INC.Inventors: Scott R. Karlsen, David R. Balsley, Nicolas Trent Meacham, Austin Hagarty, Dahv A.V. Kliner
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Patent number: 11719948Abstract: An apparatus includes a laser system that includes a first fiber having an output end and situated to propagate a first laser beam with a first beam parameter product (bpp) and a second fiber having an input end spliced to the output end of the first fiber at a fiber splice so as to receive the first laser beam and to form a second laser beam having a second bpp that is greater than the first bpp, wherein the output end of the first fiber and the input end of the second fiber are spliced at a tilt angle so as to increase the first bpp to the second bpp.Type: GrantFiled: August 6, 2020Date of Patent: August 8, 2023Assignee: nLIGHT, Inc.Inventors: David Logan, Ryan Hawke, David R. Balsley, Ron Stevens
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Patent number: 11022760Abstract: An apparatus includes a camera, a dark field illumination source, and a fiber inspection housing including a fiber connector input situated to receive an optical fiber connector so that an optical fiber output end of the optical fiber connector is removably insertable into an interior region of the fiber inspection housing and securable at a predetermined location in the interior region, a camera input situated to receive and secure the camera so that the camera is in optical communication with the interior region and the optical fiber output end, and a dark field illumination source input situated to receive the dark field illumination source so that light emitted from the dark field illumination source is received by the optical fiber output end at a dark field illumination angle and is scattered by contamination or defects associated with the optical fiber output end so as to be detectable by the camera.Type: GrantFiled: April 29, 2016Date of Patent: June 1, 2021Assignee: nLIGHT, Inc.Inventors: Aaron Brown, Dahv A. V. Kliner, Scott R. Karlsen, Jeremy Young, Ryan Hawke, David R. Balsley, Ron Stevens
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Publication number: 20200363645Abstract: An apparatus includes a laser system that includes a first fiber having an output end and situated to propagate a first laser beam with a first beam parameter product (bpp) and a second fiber having an input end spliced to the output end of the first fiber at a fiber splice so as to receive the first laser beam and to form a second laser beam having a second bpp that is greater than the first bpp, wherein the output end of the first fiber and the input end of the second fiber are spliced at a tilt angle so as to increase the first bpp to the second bpp.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 6, 2020Publication date: November 19, 2020Applicant: nLIGHT, Inc.Inventors: David Logan, Ryan Hawke, David R. Balsley, Ron Stevens
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Patent number: 10768433Abstract: An apparatus includes a laser system that includes a first fiber having an output end and situated to propagate a first laser beam with a first beam parameter product (bpp) and a second fiber having an input end spliced to the output end of the first fiber at a fiber splice so as to receive the first laser beam and to form a second laser beam having a second bpp that is greater than the first bpp, wherein the output end of the first fiber and the input end of the second fiber are spliced at a tilt angle so as to increase the first bpp to the second bpp.Type: GrantFiled: September 26, 2016Date of Patent: September 8, 2020Assignee: nLIGHT, Inc.Inventors: David Logan, Ryan Hawke, David R. Balsley, Ron Stevens
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Publication number: 20170090119Abstract: An apparatus includes a laser system that includes a first fiber having an output end and situated to propagate a first laser beam with a first beam parameter product (bpp) and a second fiber having an input end spliced to the output end of the first fiber at a fiber splice so as to receive the first laser beam and to form a second laser beam having a second bpp that is greater than the first bpp, wherein the output end of the first fiber and the input end of the second fiber are spliced at a tilt angle so as to increase the first bpp to the second bpp.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 26, 2016Publication date: March 30, 2017Applicant: nLIGHT, Inc.Inventors: David Logan, Ryan Hawke, David R. Balsley, Ron Stevens
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Publication number: 20160320565Abstract: An apparatus includes a camera, a dark field illumination source, and a fiber inspection housing including a fiber connector input situated to receive an optical fiber connector so that an optical fiber output end of the optical fiber connector is removably insertable into an interior region of the fiber inspection housing and securable at a predetermined location in the interior region, a camera input situated to receive and secure the camera so that the camera is in optical communication with the interior region and the optical fiber output end, and a dark field illumination source input situated to receive the dark field illumination source so that light emitted from the dark field illumination source is received by the optical fiber output end at a dark field illumination angle and is scattered by contamination or defects associated with the optical fiber output end so as to be detectable by the camera.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 29, 2016Publication date: November 3, 2016Applicant: nLIGHT, Inc.Inventors: Aaron Brown, Dahv A.V. Kliner, Scott R. Karlsen, Jeremy Young, Ryan Hawke, David R. Balsley, Ron Stevens
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Patent number: 9281652Abstract: A laser system includes a laser resonator having a laser resonator volume and a gain block disposed therein, the gain block being configured to emit light at a predetermined laser wavelength, and an OPO unstable resonator having an OPO unstable resonator volume, the OPO unstable resonator optically coupled to the laser resonator and configured to receive light therefrom, wherein a portion of the OPO unstable resonator volume is situated with respect to the laser resonator volume so as to form an overlapping volume.Type: GrantFiled: June 25, 2012Date of Patent: March 8, 2016Assignee: nLIGHT Photonics CorporationInventors: C. Geoffrey Fanning, David R. Balsley
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Publication number: 20080117944Abstract: Method and apparatus are provided that limit the current ramp rate applied to a laser bar or a single emitter laser diode to a predetermined value of 150 milliamps per millisecond or less. In addition to the laser diode and its power supply, the apparatus includes a power supply control circuit that performs the function of limiting the power supply ramp rate. The power supply control circuit can be separate from, or integrated within, the power supply.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 16, 2006Publication date: May 22, 2008Applicant: nLight Photonics CorporationInventors: David Clifford Dawson, David R. Balsley
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Patent number: 7116687Abstract: A laser apparatus is disclosed. The apparatus includes a Neodymium-doped lasing material having first and second surfaces and a passive Q-switch optically coupled to the second surface. The first-surface is substantially transparent to a pump radiation and substantially reflective to laser radiation generated by an interaction between the pump radiation and the Neodymium-doped lasing material. The laser radiation is characterized by a vacuum wavelength corresponding to an atomic transition from the 4F3/2 level to the 4I9/2 level of Neodymium in the lasing material. The second surface transmits at least a portion of the laser radiation. The lasing material and Q-switch are configured to produce pulses of the laser radiation characterized by a pulse length of greater than zero and less than about 1.5 nanoseconds and a pulse repetition rate greater than about 100 kHz. A PQSL laser, an apparatus for generating blue light and a display system based on the laser apparatus are also disclosed.Type: GrantFiled: September 12, 2003Date of Patent: October 3, 2006Assignee: JDS Uniphase CorporationInventors: Thomas J. Kane, Loren A. Eyres, David R. Balsley, Gregory L. Keaton, James J. Morehead