Abstract: Improved laser sensors (10) employing doped laser crystals (24) for transducing output proportional to forces impinging upon the sensors. The disclosed sensors are compact, low powered and may be constructed relatively inexpensively from readily available materials. The disclosed sensors eliminate the need for costly, optical power-sapping fiber connections at the laser crystals. According to certain embodiments, the disclosed sensors are configured for local recovery of output signals using conventional digital telemetry. According to other embodiments, the sensors generate output through a dense wavelength division multiplexing (DWDM) laser (28), thereby allowing remote recovery without the need for frequency division multiplexing and issues involved with preloading the sensors to produce beat frequencies in unique bands.

Abstract: A multi-panel device with a configurable interface is disclosed. In a particular embodiment, the device includes a hinge rotatably coupled to a first panel of the device via a first pin and rotatably coupled to a second panel of the device via a second pin. The first pin is engaged within a slot of the first panel to enable a lateral movement of the first panel relative to the second panel such that the first panel has a first range of motion relative to the second panel when the hinge is in an extended configuration and a second range of motion when the hinge is in a retracted configuration. The first range of motion is larger than the second range of motion.

Abstract: A multi-panel device is disclosed. In a particular embodiment, the device includes a first hinge coupled to a first panel and coupled to a second panel. The first panel includes a first display surface and the second panel includes a second display surface. The second hinge is coupled to the second panel and coupled to a third panel that includes a third display surface. The device also includes a sensor coupled to the first hinge to detect a relative orientation of the first panel to the second panel. The device includes a processor responsive to the sensor to detect a device configuration. The processor is configured to adjust a user interface displayed at the first display surface, the second display surface, and the third display surface based on the detected device configuration.

Abstract: The present invention is an apparatus, method and system for time synchronizing data from various sensor types that enables data fusion and transport. To provide this capability, the present invention utilizes an inverted Passive Optical Network (PON) approach for synchronous communication. Further, the present invention introduces an inverted Passive Electrical Network (iPEN) that extends the iPON approach. Data that are in a common format with embedded time synchronization information can easily be integrated or fused and transported over such communication links. The present invention provides the ability to merge and aggregate data from a wide range of disparate sensors and systems while maintaining close synchronization. The present invention is appropriate for synchronization of data, voice, and video onto a single network and/or multi-tiered networks and can also handle signal processing and control technologies at line rates well into the Gigabits per second (Gbps) range.

Abstract: A mobile telephone handset includes an elongated housing having a carabiner latch pivotally attached at a battery door on the rear side of the housing. The carabiner latch includes a hook portion having a spring-biased latch pivotally attached thereto for attaching the latch to a support element, such as a strap, loop or ring attached to a back-pack or other article of wearing apparel. The latch is stored within a door recess that receives the latch for storage purposes. The latch can be swung outwardly away from the housing to a variety of positions. A cylindrical projection is disposed within the door recess for frictionally receiving a central opening of the latch. A finger grip recess disposed within the door facilitates the grasping of the latch when it is disposed within the recess to facilitate swinging it away from the housing and out of the recess.

Abstract: A tankless water heater module is disclosed and includes a casing having a first end, a second end and a plurality of conduits formed therein. A top head manifold is coupled to the first end of the casing and includes a port aligned with each of the plurality of conduits. A bottom head manifold is coupled to the second end of the casing and includes a port aligned with each of the plurality of conduits. An immersion heating element extends through each port of the top head manifold and into the conduit aligned therewith. A flow path extends through the plurality of conduits, the plurality of conduits coupled in fluid communication by channels between ports of the top head manifold and a channel between ports of the bottom head manifold.

Abstract: Control circuitry is disclosed for use with a tankless water heater system including a plurality of water conduits connected in series. The control circuitry includes a plurality of water heater elements, one each associated with each of the plurality of water conduits. A controller includes a central processing unit (CPU) with an operating program and each of the plurality of water heater elements are coupled to the CPU. The CPU is programmed to individually activate one of the water heater elements to a predetermined power level in response to a demand for heated water. The number of water heater elements activated and the power level of the activation is determined by the demand for heated water.

Abstract: A mobile telephone handset includes an elongated housing having a carabiner latch pivotally attached at a battery door on the rear side of the housing. The carabiner latch includes a hook portion having a spring-biased latch pivotally attached thereto for attaching the latch to a support element, such as a strap, loop or ring attached to a back-pack or other article of wearing apparel. The latch is stored within a door recess that receives the latch for storage purposes. The latch can be swung outwardly away from the housing to a variety of positions. A cylindrical projection is disposed within the door recess for frictionally receiving a central opening of the latch. A finger grip recess disposed within the door facilitates the grasping of the latch when it is disposed within the recess to facilitate swinging it away from the housing and out of the recess.

Abstract: According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, there is provided a mobile telephone handset construction, which is adapted to be attached removably in an inverted manner to a support element, such as a strap, loop or ring attached to a back-pack or other article of wearing apparel, or any other suitable support element used for supporting the handset construction. The construction of an embodiment of the invention can be quickly retrieved and responded to in a convenient manner when a call is being received. The construction includes a display mounted at a top front face portion of a housing to present information to the user when the display is viewed in a position adapted to be read by the user. A carabiner latch is connected to the housing for attaching to the support element to suspend the construction therefrom in an inverted manner for storage purposes.

Abstract: An optical channel monitor is described, the optical channel monitor includes an optical input port, a photodetector disposed in an optical path communicating at least intermittently with the optical input port, an optical filter disposed in the optical path between the optical input port and the photodetector, and an optical band splitter disposed in the optical path between the optical filter and the photodetector. The optical filter is a multibandpass filter, such as a scanning Fabry-Perot filter. The optical channel monitor also comprises a reference light system for providing a calibration standard against which an optical signal input through the input port may be compared. The channel monitor finds application in optical transmission systems including wavelength division multiplexed (WDM) optical communication systems.

Abstract: A well pressure and temperature measurement system and method are provided. In a described embodiment, a sensor system includes multiple strain sensors attached to a structure which changes dimensionally in response to well pressure and temperature changes. The strain sensors may be fiber optic sensors. The structure may be tubular and the strain sensors may detect axial and hoop strains in the structure.

Abstract: A tunable dispersion compensating device for optical communications systems has a compliant support block having a longitudinal axis and a load-receiving surface oriented substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis. The load receiving surface is suitable to receive an applied load in a direction substantially orthogonal to the longitudinal axis. A Bragg-grating fiber is disposed in the compliant support block and extends substantially along, and at an angle to, the longitudinal axis of the compliant support block.

Abstract: According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, there is provided a mobile telephone handset construction, which is adapted to be attached removably in an inverted manner to a support element, such as a strap, loop or ring attached to a back-pack or other article of wearing apparel, or any other suitable support element used for supporting the handset construction. The construction of an embodiment of the invention can be quickly retrieved and responded to in a convenient manner when a call is being received. The construction includes a display mounted at a top front face portion of a housing to present information to the user when the display is viewed in a position adapted to be read by the user. A carabiner latch is connected to the housing for attaching to the support element to suspend the construction therefrom in an inverted manner for storage purposes.

Abstract: A passive, temperature compensated tunable filter calibration device in a Bragg-grating interrogation system. The invention comprises two systems: 1) a dual substrate Bragg grating calibration system, the temperature of an array of gratings is estimated using an array of gratings bonded to a common host substrate and a single grating bonded to a material with a different coefficient of thermal expansion; 2) a hydrogen cyanide wavelength reference absorption cell that absorbs light at discrete wavelengths corresponding to the molecular vibration mode frequencies of the gas. A first photodetector sees the transmission spectrum and a second sees the reflections from Bragg gratings in a sensing array. In this system there is no temperature compensation step as the absorption lines are not sensitive to temperature.

Abstract: A well pressure and temperature measurement system and method are provided. In a described embodiment, a sensor system includes multiple strain sensors attached to a structure which changes dimensionally in response to well pressure and temperature changes. The strain sensors may be fiber optic sensors. The structure may be tubular and the strain sensors may detect axial and hoop strains in the structure.

Abstract: A new optical sensing device containing fiber Bragg gratings, a scanning bandpass filter, an interferometer and multiple photodetectors is disclosed. The present invention also describes a new system and method for fibre Bragg grating (FBG) sensor interrogation and multiplexing. The new system combines a scanning Fabry-Perot (SFP) bandpass filter used to wavelength-multiplex multiple gratings in a single fiber, and an unbalanced Mach-Zehnder fibre interferometer made with a 3×3 coupler to detect strain-induced wavelength shifts. A passive technique for interferometer drift compensation using non-sensing FBGs is included in the system. A complete prototype system interrogates four gratings in a single fiber at a Nyquist sampling rate up to 10 kHz, with a noise floor measured near 4 n&egr; Hz−1/2 above 0.1 Hz. The inclusion of the interferometer drift compensation technique is shown to make quasi-static measurements feasible.

Abstract: A passive, temperature compensated tunable filter calibration device for a Bragg grating interrogation system. In a first system, a dual-substrate Bragg grating calibration system, the temperature of an array of gratings is estimated using an array of gratings bonded to a common host substrate and a single grating bonded to a material with a different coefficient of thermal expansion. Changes in a common temperature of the substrates is measured by monitoring the difference between shifts of grating wavelength. As a filter voltage is scanned from its lowest to its highest voltage, the voltages are recorded. The second lowest wavelength corresponds to the grating attached to the differing substrate. The voltages are used to calculate a voltage-to-wavelength function for the scanning range of the filter. To compensate for variations in a calibration curve and temperature variations of the calibration array, the temperature is estimated and function re-calculated at every pass of the scanning filter.

Abstract: The invention includes a method and apparatus for monitoring wavelength of an optical channel. A tunable optical bandpass filter is used to correlate a signal from an optical transmission line with a signal from a reference light source. The signal from the reference light source passes through a reference gas cell. The absorption lines of the reference gas provide a known calibration standard against which measured values may be compared. The invention finds applications in optical transmission systems, including wavelength division multiplexed and dense wavelength division multiplexed (WDM and DWDM) optical communication systems.

Abstract: A passive, temperature compensated tunable filter calibration device for a Bragg grating interrogation system. In a first system, a dual-substrate Bragg grating calibration system, the temperature of an array of gratings is estimated using an array of gratings bonded to a common host substrate and a single grating bonded to a material with a different coefficient of thermal expansion. Changes in a common temperature of the substrates is measured by monitoring the difference between shifts of grating wavelength. As a filter voltage is scanned from its lowest to its highest voltage, the voltages are recorded. The second lowest wavelength corresponds to the grating attached to the differing substrate. The voltages are used to calculate a voltage-to-wavelength function for the scanning range of the filter. To compensate for variations in a calibration curve and temperature variations of the calibration array, the temperature is estimated and function re-calculated at every pass of the scanning filter.

Abstract: A tunable dispersion compensating device for optical communications systems has a compliant support block having a longitudinal axis and a load-receiving surface oriented substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis. The load receiving surface is suitable to receive an applied load in a direction substantially orthogonal to the longitudinal axis. A Bragg-grating fiber is disposed in the compliant support block and extends substantially along, and at an angle to, the longitudinal axis of the compliant support block.