Patents by Inventor Harvard S. Hinton

Harvard S. Hinton 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).

  • Patent number: 5195103
    Abstract: An arrangement for generating an array (one- or two-dimensional) of optical beams, or spots, is disclosed. The array is particularly useful in conjunction with an array of optically sensitive devices utilized in applications such as optical computing or photonic switching. The array generator includes an optical gain medium and a partially reflecting mirror disposed to form an externally modulated laser arrangement. A diffraction grating, such as a Dammann grating, is disposed in the signal path to form the required array of optical beams. A wavelength control element, including transparent and non-reflecting regions, may be disposed beyond the output of the diffraction grating to provide optical feedback for wavelength stabilization of the gain medium.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 21, 1991
    Date of Patent: March 16, 1993
    Assignee: AT&T Bell Laboratories
    Inventors: Harvard S. Hinton, Rick L. Morrison
  • Patent number: 5077483
    Abstract: A reduced-blocking system where a perfect shuffle equivalent network having a plurality of node stages successively interconnected by link stages, is advantageously combined with expansion before the node stages and/or concentration after the node stages in a manner allowing the design of a system with arbitrarily low or zero blocking probability. An illustrative photonic system implementation uses free-space optical apparatus to effect a low loss, crossover interconnection of two-dimensional arrays of switching nodes comprising, for example, symmetric self electro-optic effect devices (S-SEEDs). Several low loss beam conbination techniques are used to direct multiple arrays of beams to an S-SEED array, and to redirect a reflected output beam array to a subsequent node stage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 8, 1989
    Date of Patent: December 31, 1991
    Assignee: AT&T Bell Laboratories
    Inventors: Thomas J. Cloonan, Stephen J. Hinterlong, Harvard S. Hinton, Frank K. Hwang, Jurgen Jahns, Jack L. Jewell, Anthony L. Lentine, Frederick B. McCormick, Jr., David A. B. Miller, Miles J. Murdocca, Michael E. Prise, Gaylord W. Richards
  • Patent number: 4978842
    Abstract: Boolean logic functions are provided in a programmable optical logic device by combining a symmetric self-electrooptic effect device (S-SEED) with a logic control element for optically programming the S-SEED to initiate logic operations from a predetermined state. The predetermined preset state together with subsequent application of optical data signals to the S-SEED permit the desired logic operation to be performed on the optical data signal by the optical logic device. Logic operations which may be programmed into the optical logic device include AND, NAND, OR and NOR functions. A complementary pair (Q and Q) of optical signals is provided as output from each optical logic device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 21, 1989
    Date of Patent: December 18, 1990
    Assignee: AT&T Bell Laboratories
    Inventors: Harvard S. Hinton, Anthony L. Lentine, David A. B. Miller
  • Patent number: 4952791
    Abstract: Apparatus comprising a monolithic structure having an array of substructures, e.g., mesas, each including first and second photodetectors electrically connected as components of different self electro-optic effect devices. The devices are optically interconnected due to the positioning of the component photodetectors within a single mesa.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 12, 1988
    Date of Patent: August 28, 1990
    Assignee: AT&T Bell Laboratories
    Inventors: Harvard S. Hinton, Anthony L. Lentine, David A. B. Miller
  • Patent number: 4830444
    Abstract: An optical switch (100) is disclosed for switching spatially-separated complementary optical signals from a row of a two-dimensional input storage array (132) to a selected row of a two-dimensional ouptut storage array (133). The switch includes an input system (101) for converting temporally-separated information represented by a serial bit stream of complementary optical signals into a spatially-separated format for storage in the input array. An output system 105 is also included for converting the switched, spatially-separated information in the output array into a temporally-separated format for serial transmission on plurality of optical output fiber pairs 160(1)-160(N). The input and output systems enable the switch to perform both time- and space-division switching with only a single stage of switching.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 31, 1987
    Date of Patent: May 16, 1989
    Assignee: American Telephone and Telegraph Company, AT&T Bell Laboratories
    Inventors: Thomas J. Cloonan, Harvard S. Hinton, Frederick B. McCormick, Jr.
  • Patent number: 4790017
    Abstract: In a speech signal recognition system, signals are data-reduced by eliminating highly-transient intervals: each successive time frame is temporarily identified as an anchor frame and compared to m preceding and m succeeding frames, whereby defined uniform time intervals of 2m+1 frames having a prescribed similarity are retained, and highly-transient 2m+1 intervals are discarded.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 22, 1986
    Date of Patent: December 6, 1988
    Assignee: American Telephone and Telegraph Company, AT&T Bell Laboratories
    Inventor: Harvard S. Hinton
  • Patent number: 4764890
    Abstract: An arrangement for performing an optical logic operation. The optical logic arrangement comprises a plurality (100) of reflection holograms (101-109) positioned in a two-dimensional array for optically interconnecting a similar plurality (120) of optically nonlinear optical devices (121-129) also positioned in a two-dimensional array. Each device is responsive to control light beams received on either side of the device array for emitting an output light beam that is a nonlinear gain function of at least one control light beam applied to the device. Accordingly, each device can regenerate light beams and perform an optical logic function. In response to an output light beam from a specified optical logic element, the associated reflection hologram originates an individual control light beam to one or more designated optical logic elements in the logic array.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 19, 1984
    Date of Patent: August 16, 1988
    Assignee: American Telephone and Telegraph Company, AT&T Bell Laboratories
    Inventor: Harvard S. Hinton
  • Patent number: 4764889
    Abstract: An arrangement for performing an optical logic operation. The optical logic arrangement comprises a plurality (100) of reflection holograms (101-109) positioned in a two-dimensional array for optically interconnecting a similar plurality (120) of optically nonlinear self electro-optic effect devices (121-129) also positioned in a two-dimensional array. Each self electro-optic effect device is responsive to control light beams received on either side of the device array for emitting an output light beam that is a nonlinear function of the control light beams. Accordingly, each self electro-optic effect device can regenerate light beams and perform an optical logic function. In response to an output light beam from a specified self electro-optic effect logic element, the associated reflection hologram originates an individual control light beam to one or more designated self electro-optic effect logic elements in the logic array.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 19, 1984
    Date of Patent: August 16, 1988
    Assignee: American Telephone and Telegraph Company, AT&T Bell Laboratories
    Inventors: Harvard S. Hinton, David A. B. Miller
  • Patent number: 4754132
    Abstract: An optically bistable device 100 is disclosed having first and second semiconductor multiple quantum well regions 101 and 102 with complementary high and low absorption levels for emitting first and second output light beams 162 and 163 having complementary low and high power levels. The optical device comprises first and second photodetectors 103 and 104 having respective quantum well regions 101 and 102. The photodetectors are responsive to first and second light beams 160 and 161 for electrically controlling the optical absorption of each of the two quantum well regions. The state of the device is determined by the transmission level of light beam 161 passing through multiple quantum well region 102 and being emitted as output light beam 162, whereas the complementary state of the device is determined by the transmission level of complementary output light beam 162.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 24, 1987
    Date of Patent: June 28, 1988
    Assignee: American Telephone and Telegraph Company, AT&T Bell Laboratories
    Inventors: Harvard S. Hinton, Anthony L. Lentine, David A. B. Miller
  • Patent number: 4751378
    Abstract: An optically bistable device 100 is disclosed having a self electro-optic effect device (SEED) 104 and a variable optical attenuator 103 for maintaining the state of the SEED over a wide power range of two input light beams. The SEED is responsive to the relative power levels of the two input light beams for assuming one of two states. The state of the SEED is determined by the transmission level of one of the beams passing through quantum well region 102 of the device. The variable optical attenuator concomitantly varies the power level of the two input beams to maintain the present state of the SEED over a wide range of input light beam powers. When operated in a bistable operating region of the device, a control light beam with a low power level changes the device from one state to another. Two threshold values of a ratio of power between the two input beams establish where the device switches from one state to the other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 24, 1987
    Date of Patent: June 14, 1988
    Assignee: American Telephone and Telegraph Company, AT&T Bell Laboratories
    Inventors: Harvard S. Hinton, Anthony L. Lentine, David A. B. Miller
  • Patent number: 4705344
    Abstract: An interconnection device is disclosed for optically interconnecting a plurality of optical devices. The interconnection device comprises an optically transparent spacer material having opposite surfaces with a photosensitive material, having fringes therein formed in a specified manner, fixedly positioned on one of said surfaces. The other surface of the spacer material has a plurality of positions for fixedly positioning the optical devices thereon. The fringe pattern within the photosensitive material is formed by directing a first coherent light beam through the photosensitive material and the spacer material to a first one of said plurality of positions and by directing a second coherent light beam from a second one of said plurality of positions through the transparent spacer material to interfere with the first coherent light beam in the photosensitive material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 19, 1984
    Date of Patent: November 10, 1987
    Assignee: American Telephone and Telegraph Company, AT&T Bell Laboratories
    Inventors: Harvard S. Hinton, John L. Ostrander
  • Patent number: 4703993
    Abstract: Method and apparatus for making a plurality (100) of reflection holograms (101-109) positioned in a two-dimensional array to interconnect optically a plurality (120) of optically nonlinear optical devices (121-129) also positioned in a two-dimensional array. The devices are operated to function as optical logic NOR gates, and the reflection holograms optically interconnect the devices to form any desired optical logic circuit such as a clocked JK sequential logic flip-flop circuit. The reflection holograms are made by affixing the devices and a photosensitive material (500) to the opposite surfaces of a layer of transparent material (505). The transparent material maintains the positions of the devices relative to the photosensitive material both before and after the holograms is made.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 19, 1984
    Date of Patent: November 3, 1987
    Assignee: American Telephone and Telegraph Company, AT&T Bell Laboratories
    Inventors: Harvard S. Hinton, John L. Ostrander