Patents by Inventor Kazuo Hotate

Kazuo Hotate 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: 9784643
    Abstract: There are proposed an optical fiber property measuring device and an optical fiber property measuring method which can enhance spatial resolution more than before. In the present invention, in synchronization with frequency modulation applied to x-polarized light, intensity modulation is also applied to the x-polarized light by an intensity modulation means. This makes it possible to increase or decrease the intensity of the x-polarized light at a specific frequency, thereby allowing the effective length of a Brillouin dynamic grating formed by the x-polarized light to be adjusted. As a result, the shape of the reflection spectrum obtained when y-polarized light is reflecting by the Brillouin dynamic grating can also be adjusted optimally, which leads to enhancement of spatial resolution with the y-polarized light.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 27, 2013
    Date of Patent: October 10, 2017
    Assignee: The University of Tokyo
    Inventors: Kazuo Hotate, Rodrigo K. Yamashita, Zuyuan He
  • Publication number: 20160273999
    Abstract: There are proposed an optical fiber property measuring device and an optical fiber property measuring method which can enhance spatial resolution more than before. In the present invention, in synchronization with frequency modulation applied to x-polarized light, intensity modulation is also applied to the x-polarized light by an intensity modulation means. This makes it possible to increase or decrease the intensity of the x-polarized light at a specific frequency, thereby allowing the effective length of a Brillouin dynamic grating formed by the x-polarized light to be adjusted. As a result, the shape of the reflection spectrum obtained when y-polarized light is reflecting by the Brillouin dynamic grating can also be adjusted optimally, which leads to enhancement of spatial resolution with the y-polarized light.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 27, 2013
    Publication date: September 22, 2016
    Applicant: The University of Tokyo
    Inventors: Kazuo Hotate, Rodrigo K. Yamashita, Zuyuan He
  • Patent number: 9109977
    Abstract: Provided is an optical fiber characteristics measurement device that is provided with: a light source for emitting laser light modulated by a specified modulation frequency; an incident means for receiving the laser light from the light source as continuous light and pulse light from one end and the other end of an optical fiber, respectively; and a light detector for detecting light emitted from the optical fiber, the optical fiber characteristics measurement device measuring the characteristics of the optical fiber using the detection results of the light detector, wherein the optical fiber characteristics measurement device is characterized in being provided with a synchronous detector that extracts, from among the detection signals output from the light detector, detection signals obtained by detecting the light in the vicinity of a measurement point set in the optical fiber, and synchronously detects the extracted detection signals using a synchronization signal having a specified period.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 27, 2012
    Date of Patent: August 18, 2015
    Assignees: THE UNIVERSITY OF TOKYO, MITSUBISHI HEAVY INDUSTRIES, LTD, YOKOGAWA ELECTRIC CORPORATION
    Inventors: Masato Kishi, Kazuo Hotate, Takashi Yari, Yoshihiro Kumagai
  • Patent number: 8724101
    Abstract: An optical fiber characteristic measuring device of the present invention includes: a light source which emits laser light modulated at a predetermined modulation frequency; an incident section which causes the laser light from the light source as continuous light and pulsed light to be incident from one end and other end of an optical fiber respectively; a timing adjuster which causes light emitted from the optical fiber to pass therethrough at a predetermined timing; and a light detector which detects the light which passes through the timing adjuster, and measures a characteristic of the optical fiber by using a detection result of the light detector, and the device includes: a synchronous detector which synchronously detects the detection result of the light detector by using a synchronization signal having a predetermined frequency; and a frequency setter which changes the frequency of the synchronization signal in a case where the modulation frequency at the light source is an integer multiple of the fr
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 20, 2009
    Date of Patent: May 13, 2014
    Assignees: Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd., Yokogawa Electric Corporation
    Inventors: Kazuo Hotate, Takashi Yari, Masahito Ishioka, Yoshihiro Kumagai, Kazushi Oishi
  • Publication number: 20130308123
    Abstract: Provided is an optical fiber characteristics measurement device that is provided with: a light source for emitting laser light modulated by a specified modulation frequency; an incident means for receiving the laser light from the light source as continuous light and pulse light from one end and the other end of an optical fiber, respectively; and a light detector for detecting light emitted from the optical fiber, the optical fiber characteristics measurement device measuring the characteristics of the optical fiber using the detection results of the light detector, wherein the optical fiber characteristics measurement device is characterized in being provided with a synchronous detector that extracts, from among the detection signals output from the light detector, detection signals obtained by detecting the light in the vicinity of a measurement point set in the optical fiber, and synchronously detects the extracted detection signals using a synchronization signal having a specified period.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 27, 2012
    Publication date: November 21, 2013
    Applicants: THE UNIVERSITY OF TOKYO, YOKOGAWA ELECTRIC CORPORATION, MITSUBISHI HEAVY INDUSTRIES, LTD.
    Inventors: Masato Kishi, Kazuo Hotate, Takashi Yari, Yoshihiro Kumagai
  • Patent number: 7948614
    Abstract: A measurement precision is improved and a measurement range is extended by efficiently suppressing a noise level of integrated unnecessary components from non-correlation positions. Measuring means 33 detects the Brillouin gain of a probe light output from a measurement-target optical fiber FUT while sweeping a frequency difference between the pump light and the probe light, and measures the distribution of strains of the measurement-target optical fiber FUT. An optical intensity modulator 4 performs intensity modulation on output light in synchronization with frequency modulation performed on a light source 1. Accordingly, the spectrum distribution with respect to the frequency of light from the light source 1 can be adjusted arbitrarily, and a noise spectrum shape generated at a position other than a correlation peak position and spreading over a frequency axis can be adjusted, and the peak frequency of a Lorentz spectrum generated at the correlation peak position can be measured precisely.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 23, 2007
    Date of Patent: May 24, 2011
    Assignees: The University of Tokyo, Yokogawa Electric Corporation
    Inventors: Kazuo Hotate, Kwang Yong Song, Zuyuan He
  • Publication number: 20110032517
    Abstract: An optical fiber characteristic measuring device of the present invention includes: a light source which emits laser light modulated at a predetermined modulation frequency; an incident section which causes the laser light from the light source as continuous light and pulsed light to be incident from one end and other end of an optical fiber respectively; a timing adjuster which causes light emitted from the optical fiber to pass therethrough at a predetermined timing; and a light detector which detects the light which passes through the timing adjuster, and measures a characteristic of the optical fiber by using a detection result of the light detector, and the device includes: a synchronous detector which synchronously detects the detection result of the light detector by using a synchronization signal having a predetermined frequency; and a frequency setter which changes the frequency of the synchronization signal in a case where the modulation frequency at the light source is an integer multiple of the fr
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 20, 2009
    Publication date: February 10, 2011
    Applicants: MITSUBISHI HEAVY INDUSTRIES, LTD.
    Inventors: Kazuo Hotate, Takashi Yari, Masahito Ishioka, Yoshihiro Kumagai, Kazushi Oishi
  • Publication number: 20100225900
    Abstract: A measurement precision is improved and a measurement range is extended by efficiently suppressing a noise level of integrated unnecessary components from non-correlation positions. Measuring means 33 detects the Brillouin gain of a probe light output from a measurement-target optical fiber FUT while sweeping a frequency difference between the pump light and the probe light, and measures the distribution of strains of the measurement-target optical fiber FUT. An optical intensity modulator 4 performs intensity modulation on output light in synchronization with frequency modulation performed on a light source 1. Accordingly, the spectrum distribution with respect to the frequency of light from the light source 1 can be adjusted arbitrarily, and a noise spectrum shape generated at a position other than a correlation peak position and spreading over a frequency axis can be adjusted, and the peak frequency of a Lorentz spectrum generated at the correlation peak position can be measured precisely.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 23, 2007
    Publication date: September 9, 2010
    Applicants: THE UNIVERSITY OF TOKYO, YOKOGAWA ELECTRIC CORPORATION
    Inventors: Kazuo Hotate, Kwang Yong Song, Zuyuan He
  • Patent number: 7679732
    Abstract: A measurement range is extended while maintaining the spatial resolution high by completely separating the increment of a probe light from noises. Modulations are performed on both probe light and pump light to differentiate both lights. Using the modulations, only the change in the probe light necessary for measuring the characteristic of a measurement-target optical fiber FUT can be separated. Accordingly, unlike the conventional technology, an optical wavelength filter becomes unnecessary. Further, in a case where an amplitude ?f of the frequency modulation of a light source 1 is made wide to some extent to make the measurement range wide while maintaining a spatial resolution ?z high, the amplitude ?f does not affect to detection of the change in the probe light. Therefore, the increment of the probe light can be completely separated from noises, thereby extending the measurement range while maintaining the spatial resolution ?z high.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 24, 2006
    Date of Patent: March 16, 2010
    Assignees: The University of Tokyo, Yokogawa Electric Corporation
    Inventors: Kazuo Hotate, Kwang Yong Song
  • Publication number: 20090141267
    Abstract: A measurement range is extended while maintaining the spatial resolution high by completely separating the increment of a probe light from noises. Modulations are performed on both probe light and pump light to differentiate both lights. Using the modulations, only the change in the probe light necessary for measuring the characteristic of a measurement-target optical fiber FUT can be separated. Accordingly, unlike the conventional technology, an optical wavelength filter becomes unnecessary. Further, in a case where an amplitude ?f of the frequency modulation of a light source 1 is made wide to some extent to make the measurement range wide while maintaining a spatial resolution ?z high, the amplitude ?f does not affect to detection of the change in the probe light. Therefore, the increment of the probe light can be completely separated from noises, thereby extending the measurement range while maintaining the spatial resolution ?z high.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 24, 2006
    Publication date: June 4, 2009
    Applicants: THE UNIVERSITY OF TOKYO, YOKOGAWA ELECTRIC CORPORATION
    Inventors: Kazuo Hotate, Kwang Yong Song
  • Patent number: 6710863
    Abstract: A light source produces laser beams that are subjected to frequency modulation whose frequency can be adequately set or varied. A light modulator modulates laser beams with respect to the center wavelength, so that the lower sideband is used as probe light input into one end of the measured optical fiber. A pulse modulator produces laser pulses based on laser beams as pump light, which is input into the other end of the measured optical fiber, along which correlation peaks emerge at different positions. The output light is extracted from the other end of the measured optical fiber and is supplied to a timing adjuster, which adjusts a transmission timing to allow transmission of light proximate to a measuring point in the measured optical fiber therethrough. Thus, it is possible to reliably measure characteristics of the measured optical fiber entirely over the relatively long distance with high spatial resolutions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 1, 2002
    Date of Patent: March 23, 2004
    Assignees: Ando Electric Co., Ltd., Kyusyu Ando Electric Company Limited
    Inventors: Kazuo Hotate, Motokatsu Kannou
  • Patent number: 6643023
    Abstract: There is provided a method of generating no error in the output of a resonator fiber optic gyro even when the polarization dependency loss is present in a ring resonator of the resonator fiber optic gyro. The relationship between &Dgr;L and &Dgr;&bgr; is set to satisfy the formula &Dgr;&bgr;&Dgr;L=&pgr;+2n&pgr; [radian] (n: integer), or &Dgr;&bgr;&Dgr;L is close to the value obtained from the formula, where &Dgr;L is defined as the difference between the lengths L1 and L2 of two portions of a waveguide divided by a coupler and a polarization-rotating point in the ring resonator, and &Dgr;&bgr; is defined as the difference in propagation constant of two axes of polarization having the waveguide. &Dgr;L is set so that the error induced by the polarization fluctuation is minimized.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 7, 2001
    Date of Patent: November 4, 2003
    Assignee: Tokyo Aircraft Instrument Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Suminori Honda, Kazuo Hotate
  • Publication number: 20030007142
    Abstract: A light source produces laser beams that are subjected to frequency modulation whose frequency can be adequately set or varied. A light modulator modulates laser beams with respect to the center wavelength, so that the lower sideband is used as probe light input into one end of the measured optical fiber. A pulse modulator produces laser pulses based on laser beams as pump light, which is input into the other end of the measured optical fiber, along which correlation peaks emerge at different positions. The output light is extracted from the other end of the measured optical fiber and is supplied to a timing adjuster, which adjusts a transmission timing to allow transmission of light proximate to a measuring point in the measured optical fiber therethrough. Thus, it is possible to reliably measure characteristics of the measured optical fiber entirely over the relatively long distance with high spatial resolutions.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 1, 2002
    Publication date: January 9, 2003
    Applicant: 1) Kazuo Hotate
    Inventors: Kazuo Hotate, Motokatsu Kannou
  • Publication number: 20020051133
    Abstract: There is provided a method of generating no error in the output of a resonator fiber optic gyro even when the polarization dependency loss is present in a ring resonator of the resonator fiber optic gyro. The relationship between &Dgr;L and &Dgr;&bgr; is set to satisfy the formula &Dgr;&bgr;&Dgr;L=&pgr;+2n&pgr; [radian] (n: integer), or &Dgr;&bgr;&Dgr;L is close to the value obtained from the formula, where &Dgr;L is defined as the difference between the lengths L1 and L2 of two portions of a waveguide divided by a coupler and a polarization-rotating point in the ring resonator, and &Dgr;&bgr; is defined as the difference in propagation constant of two axes of polarization having the waveguide. &Dgr;L is set so that the error induced by the polarization fluctuation is minimized.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 7, 2001
    Publication date: May 2, 2002
    Inventors: Suminori Honda, Kazuo Hotate
  • Patent number: 5187757
    Abstract: An optical fiber coil in a fiber optic gyro is formed by a single mode optical fiber and two polarization retaining optical fibers of the same length connected respectively to both ends of the single mode optical fiber. The polarization retaining optical fibers and an optical fiber coupler are connected, and clockwise and counterclockwise light beams are distributed and supplied by the optical fiber coupler to the optical fiber coil, and the two light beams having returned to the optical fiber coupler are thereby caused to interfere with each other. The lengths of the X-axis and Y-axis components of light are displaced apart in phase to such an extent as not to interfere with each other, by the birefringent property induced in the coil of the single optical fiber and the birefringent property of the polarization retaining optical fibers themselves.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 12, 1992
    Date of Patent: February 16, 1993
    Assignee: Japan Aviation Electronics Industry Limited
    Inventors: Aritaka Ohno, Shinji Motohara, Kazuo Hotate