Patents by Inventor Douglas A. Sprock
Douglas A. Sprock 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: 7468996Abstract: According to embodiments of the present invention, an external cavity laser includes one or more tuning elements. At least one modulated voltage signal or dither is used to lock the transmission peak of the two tuning elements to each other. The wavelength of the laser also may lock onto the lock transmission peaks. In embodiments in which two dither signals are used, the dither signals may be orthogonal to or independent of each other. The two dither signals may produce two control signals to align the transmission peak of one filter to the transmission peak of another filter and the lasing mode of the laser to the aligned filters.Type: GrantFiled: December 29, 2006Date of Patent: December 23, 2008Assignee: Intel CorporationInventors: Andrew Daiber, Anand S. Ramalingam, Jiann-Chang Lo, Douglas A. Sprock, William B. Chapman
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Publication number: 20080159340Abstract: According to embodiments of the present invention, an external cavity laser includes one or more tuning elements. At least one modulated voltage signal or dither is used to lock the transmission peak of the two tuning elements to each other. The wavelength of the laser also may lock onto the lock transmission peaks. In embodiments in which two dither signals are used, the dither signals may be orthogonal to or independent of each other. The two dither signals may produce two control signals to align the transmission peak of one filter to the transmission peak of another filter and the lasing mode of the laser to the aligned filters.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 29, 2006Publication date: July 3, 2008Inventors: Andrew Daiber, Anand S. Ramalingam, Jiann-Chang Lo, Douglas A. Sprock, William B. Chapman
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Patent number: 6974934Abstract: An apparatus including a reference resistor for use with ratiometric temperature sensing of a device to be sensed. The resistive element has a resistance dependant upon a temperature of the device to be sensed and is electrically coupled to a reference resistor. The reference resistor is maintained at a substantially constant temperature by a temperature controller. A sensor circuit is electrically coupled to the resistive element and the reference resistor to sense their electrical parameters when a current passes through them.Type: GrantFiled: December 30, 2002Date of Patent: December 13, 2005Assignee: Intel CorporationInventors: Douglas A. Sprock, Robert A. Carney, David K. Thiesen
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Patent number: 6940881Abstract: A laser system including a controller for monitoring and controlling various functions of a laser assembly. The laser controller may include a wavelength tuning circuit for adjusting and locking the wavelength of the external cavity. To perform various monitoring and control functions, the controller may include circuitry for monitoring various parameters associated with operation of the laser, such as temperature indicating signals and/or signals from light detectors such as photodiodes.Type: GrantFiled: January 30, 2003Date of Patent: September 6, 2005Assignee: Intel CorporationInventors: George D. Pontis, Douglas A. Sprock, Robert Carney
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Patent number: 6917632Abstract: In one embodiment of the present invention, an apparatus operates a control loop for a tunable optical device. A digital reference signal is converted to an analog reference signal and then introduced into the optical path of the tunable optical device. An analog feedback signal, corresponding to the digital reference signal, is recovered from the tunable optical device. The analog feedback signal is converted to a digital feedback signal. The apparatus sends tuning information to the tunable optical device based on analysis of the digital reference signal and the digital feedback signal. In one embodiment, the tuning information is used for wavelength locking of the tunable optical device. In another embodiment, the operation of the control loop is synchronized with another function of the tunable optical device.Type: GrantFiled: December 31, 2002Date of Patent: July 12, 2005Assignee: Intel CorporationInventors: Kenneth P. Koller, Rajesh K. Batra, Robert A. Carney, Douglas A. Sprock
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Patent number: 6904070Abstract: A laser system including a controller for monitoring and controlling various functions of a laser assembly. The laser controller may include a wavelength tuning circuit for adjusting and locking the wavelength of the external cavity. To perform various monitoring and control functions, the controller may include circuitry for monitoring various parameters associated with operation of the laser, such as temperature indicating signals and/or signals from light detectors such as photodiodes.Type: GrantFiled: January 30, 2003Date of Patent: June 7, 2005Assignee: Intel CorporationInventors: George D. Pontis, Douglas A. Sprock, Robert Carney
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Patent number: 6870867Abstract: A laser system including a controller for monitoring and controlling various functions of a laser assembly. The laser controller may include a wavelength tuning circuit for adjusting and locking the wavelength of the external cavity. To perform various monitoring and control functions, the controller may include circuitry for monitoring various parameters associated with operation of the laser, such as temperature indicating signals and/or signals from light detectors such as photodiodes.Type: GrantFiled: January 30, 2003Date of Patent: March 22, 2005Assignee: Intel CorporationInventors: George D. Pontis, Douglas A. Sprock, Robert Carney
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Patent number: 6829268Abstract: Tunable laser systems use servo control loops to control and monitor laser parameters such as channel, temperature, and power. The many control loops operate asynchronously, which means that noise generated by input sampling and/or output updating from one or more loops could interfere with the sampled inputs of one or more of the other loops. Embodiments of the present invention synchronize setting and sampling of tunable laser parameters to reduce noise. Noise that is related to synchronized setting and sampling of tunable laser parameters allows the noise to be reduced to constant offsets to be compensated for in the laser parameters of interest.Type: GrantFiled: December 23, 2002Date of Patent: December 7, 2004Assignee: Intel CorporationInventors: George D. Pontis, Douglas A. Sprock, Robert A. Carney, Ken P. Koller, Rajesh K. Batra
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Patent number: 6829259Abstract: A laser system including a controller for monitoring and controlling various functions of a laser assembly. The laser controller may include a wavelength tuning circuit for adjusting and locking the wavelength of the external cavity. To perform various monitoring and control functions, the controller may include circuitry for monitoring various parameters associated with operation of the laser, such as temperature indicating signals and/or signals from light detectors such as photodiodes.Type: GrantFiled: January 30, 2003Date of Patent: December 7, 2004Assignee: Intel CorporationInventors: George D. Pontis, Douglas A. Sprock, Robert Carney
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Patent number: 6798800Abstract: A tunable optical unit includes a resistive temperature device (RTD), a thermal tuning device and a measurement circuit. The RTD has a resistance dependent on a temperature of the thermal tuning device. The measurement circuit outputs a signal that is dependent on the resistance of the RTD. The signal is used to control the temperature of the thermal tuning device in tuning the tunable optical unit. A reference resistance can be connected in series with the RTD to make ratio-metric measurements to determine the RTD's resistance (and hence the temperature of the tuning elements) without having to know the value of the current conducted through the RTD and to reduce sensitivity to fluctuations in the excitation signal.Type: GrantFiled: December 30, 2002Date of Patent: September 28, 2004Assignee: Intel CorporationInventors: Douglas A. Sprock, Robert A. Carney, Timothy L. Robertson
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Publication number: 20040125856Abstract: An apparatus including a reference resistor for use with ratiometric temperature sensing of a device to be sensed. The resistive element has a resistance dependant upon a temperature of the device to be sensed and is electrically coupled to a reference resistor. The reference resistor is maintained at a substantially constant temperature by a temperature controller. A sensor circuit is electrically coupled to the resistive element and the reference resistor to sense their electrical parameters when a current passes through them.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 30, 2002Publication date: July 1, 2004Inventors: Douglas A. Sprock, Robert A. Carney, David K. Thiesen
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Publication number: 20040125857Abstract: A tunable optical unit includes a resistive temperature device (RTD), a thermal tuning device and a measurement circuit. The RTD has a resistance dependent on a temperature of the thermal tuning device. The measurement circuit outputs a signal that is dependent on the resistance of the RTD. The signal is used to control the temperature of the thermal tuning device in tuning the tunable optical unit. A reference resistance can be connected in series with the RTD to make ratio-metric measurements to determine the RTD's resistance (and hence the temperature of the tuning elements) without having to know the value of the current conducted through the RTD and to reduce sensitivity to fluctuations in the excitation signal.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 30, 2002Publication date: July 1, 2004Inventors: Douglas A. Sprock, Robert A. Carney, Timothy L. Robertson
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Publication number: 20040125830Abstract: In one embodiment of the present invention, an apparatus operates a control loop for a tunable optical device. A digital reference signal is converted to an analog reference signal and then introduced into the optical path of the tunable optical device. An analog feedback signal, corresponding to the digital reference signal, is recovered from the tunable optical device. The analog feedback signal is converted to a digital feedback signal. The apparatus sends tuning information to the tunable optical device based on analysis of the digital reference signal and the digital feedback signal. In one embodiment, the tuning information is used for wavelength locking of the tunable optical device. In another embodiment, the operation of the control loop is synchronized with another function of the tunable optical device.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 31, 2002Publication date: July 1, 2004Inventors: Kenneth P. Koller, Rajesh K. Batra, Robert A. Carney, Douglas A. Sprock
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Publication number: 20040120365Abstract: Tunable laser systems use servo control loops to control and monitor laser parameters such as channel, temperature, and power. The many control loops operate asynchronously, which means that noise generated by input sampling and/or output updating from one or more loops could interfere with the sampled inputs of one or more of the other loops. Embodiments of the present invention synchronize setting and sampling of tunable laser parameters to reduce noise. Noise that is related to synchronized setting and sampling of tunable laser parameters allows the noise to be reduced to constant offsets to be compensated for in the laser parameters of interest.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 23, 2002Publication date: June 24, 2004Inventors: George D. Pontis, Douglas A. Sprock, Robert A. Carney, Ken P. Koller, Rajesh K. Batra
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Patent number: 6631146Abstract: A laser system including a controller for monitoring and controlling various functions of a laser assembly. The laser controller may include a wavelength tuning circuit for adjusting and locking the wavelength of the external cavity. To perform various monitoring and control functions, the controller may include circuitry for monitoring various parameters associated with operation of the laser, such as temperature indicating signals and/or signals from light detectors such as photodiodes.Type: GrantFiled: July 6, 2001Date of Patent: October 7, 2003Assignee: Intel CorporationInventors: George D. Pontis, Douglas A. Sprock, Robert Carney
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Publication number: 20030142702Abstract: A laser system including a controller for monitoring and controlling various functions of a laser assembly. The laser controller may include a wavelength tuning circuit for adjusting and locking the wavelength of the external cavity. To perform various monitoring and control functions, the controller may include circuitry for monitoring various parameters associated with operation of the laser, such as temperature indicating signals and/or signals from light detectors such as photodiodes.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 30, 2003Publication date: July 31, 2003Inventors: George D. Pontis, Douglas A. Sprock, Robert Carney
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Publication number: 20030142700Abstract: A laser system including a controller for monitoring and controlling various functions of a laser assembly. The laser controller may include a wavelength tuning circuit for adjusting and locking the wavelength of the external cavity. To perform various monitoring and control functions, the controller may include circuitry for monitoring various parameters associated with operation of the laser, such as temperature indicating signals and/or signals from light detectors such as photodiodes.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 30, 2003Publication date: July 31, 2003Applicant: Intel CorporationInventors: George D. Pontis, Douglas A. Sprock, Robert Carney
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Publication number: 20030142701Abstract: A laser system including a controller for monitoring and controlling various functions of a laser assembly. The laser controller may include a wavelength tuning circuit for adjusting and locking the wavelength of the external cavity. To perform various monitoring and control functions, the controller may include circuitry for monitoring various parameters associated with operation of the laser, such as temperature indicating signals and/or signals from light detectors such as photodiodes.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 30, 2003Publication date: July 31, 2003Inventors: George D. Pontis, Douglas A. Sprock, Robert Carney
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Publication number: 20030138003Abstract: A laser system including a controller for monitoring and controlling various functions of a laser assembly. The laser controller may include a wavelength tuning circuit for adjusting and locking the wavelength of the external cavity. To perform various monitoring and control functions, the controller may include circuitry for monitoring various parameters associated with operation of the laser, such as temperature indicating signals and/or signals from light detectors such as photodiodes.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 30, 2003Publication date: July 24, 2003Applicant: Intel CorporationInventors: George D. Pontis, Douglas A. Sprock, Robert Carney
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Publication number: 20030007526Abstract: A laser system including a controller for monitoring and controlling various functions of a laser assembly. The laser controller may include a wavelength tuning circuit for adjusting and locking the wavelength of the external cavity. To perform various monitoring and control functions, the controller may include circuitry for monitoring various parameters associated with operation of the laser, such as temperature indicating signals and/or signals from light detectors such as photodiodes.Type: ApplicationFiled: July 6, 2001Publication date: January 9, 2003Inventors: George D. Pontis, Douglas A. Sprock, Robert Carney