Patents by Inventor Masahiro Ao

Masahiro Ao 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: 7412137
    Abstract: An optical power monitor capable of being reduced in size even when designed as a multi-channel monitor, and having a reduced light transmission loss is disclosed. The optical power monitor has two optical fibers provided on the light transmission upstream and downstream sides and having cores, the end surfaces which are opposed to each other with the core optical axes offset from each other, and which are fusion-spliced to each other in a fusion splicing portion, a light reflection surface which faces a portion of the upstream-side optical fiber core end surface offset to protrude from the downstream-side optical fiber core end surface in the fusion splicing portion, and which is provided in the downstream-side optical fiber cladding layer, and a photo-diode positioned opposite from the light reflection surface with respect to the downstream-side optical fiber core.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 6, 2007
    Date of Patent: August 12, 2008
    Assignee: Hitachi Metals, Ltd.
    Inventors: Masaru Suzuki, Masahiro Ao, Takeshi Fukuyama
  • Publication number: 20070230872
    Abstract: An optical power monitor capable of being reduced in size even when designed as a multi-channel monitor, and having a reduced light transmission loss is disclosed. The optical power monitor has two optical fibers provided on the light transmission upstream and downstream sides and having cores, the end surfaces which are opposed to each other with the core optical axes offset from each other, and which are fusion-spliced to each other in a fusion splicing portion, a light reflection surface which faces a portion of the upstream-side optical fiber core end surface offset to protrude from the downstream-side optical fiber core end surface in the fusion splicing portion, and which is provided in the downstream-side optical fiber cladding layer, and a photo-diode positioned opposite from the light reflection surface with respect to the downstream-side optical fiber core.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 6, 2007
    Publication date: October 4, 2007
    Applicant: HITACHI METALS, LTD
    Inventors: Masaru Suzuki, Masahiro Ao, Takeshi Fukuyama
  • Publication number: 20070183716
    Abstract: A small high-performance unidirectional optical power monitor having a directional characteristic of 30 dB or higher is provided. A sleeve in which the center axes of round holes in which a GRIN lens and a photo-diode are inserted and fitted are eccentric from each other is used. The entire sleeve or the inner surfaces are formed by a black non-light-transmissive material. The position of the intermediate wall in the sleeve is at a distance of 0.55 L to 0.8 L from a tap film of the GRIN lens. L is the distance between the tap film and the lens extreme end of the photo-diode. Preferably, the angle of the intermediate wall is in the range from 45 to 135 degrees, the light reflectivity of the wall surfaces of the intermediate wall and the inner wails is 10% or less, the surface roughness is 2 nm or higher, and the undulation is ½ or less of the wavelength of light used.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 17, 2007
    Publication date: August 9, 2007
    Applicant: HITACHI METALS, LTD.
    Inventors: Masaru Suzuki, Masahiro Ao
  • Patent number: 7065284
    Abstract: The invention provides a variable optical attenuator capable of adjusting the attenuation of an optical signal to obtain the optical signal having a controlled intensity. The variable optical attenuator includes a circular loop formed by winding an optical fiber by at least one turn. The circular loop of the optical fiber is mechanically transformed into an oval loop to change the curvature radius at the deflected part of the optical fiber so that the attenuation of the output light is adjusted.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 31, 2004
    Date of Patent: June 20, 2006
    Assignee: Hitachi Metals, LTD
    Inventors: Masahiro Ao, Shinji Furuichi
  • Patent number: 6931177
    Abstract: An optical fiber array with lenses connected with a plurality of optical fibers is disclosed, enabling to be manufactured to meet the optical fiber end intervals to the terminal intervals of an optical device to be connected and having an improved efficiency in connection operation. The optical fiber array comprises a base plate having a first end surface and a second end surface opposite to the first end surface, a plurality of optical fibers having a tip surface inserted and secured in each of the holes opened on the base plate, and a plurality of collimator lenses installed on the second end surface facing the tip surfaces of the optical fiber. Each hole has a tapered inside wall having a diameter gradually decreasing from an opening on the first end surface of the base plate toward the second end surface and a parallel inside wall continuing from the tapered inside wall end.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 14, 2003
    Date of Patent: August 16, 2005
    Assignee: Hitachi Metals, Ltd.
    Inventors: Masaru Suzuki, Masahiro Ao
  • Publication number: 20050047745
    Abstract: The invention provides a variable optical attenuator capable of adjusting the attenuation of an optical signal to obtain the optical signal having a controlled intensity. The variable optical attenuator includes a circular loop formed by winding an optical fiber by at least one turn. The circular loop of the optical fiber is mechanically transformed into an oval loop to change the curvature radius at the deflected part of the optical fiber so that the attenuation of the output light is adjusted.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 31, 2004
    Publication date: March 3, 2005
    Inventors: Masahiro Ao, Shinji Furuichi
  • Publication number: 20030142909
    Abstract: An optical fiber array with lenses connected with a plurality of optical fibers is disclosed, enabling to be manufactured to meet the optical fiber end intervals to the terminal intervals of an optical device to be connected and having an improved efficiency in connection operation. The optical fiber array comprises a base plate having a first end surface and a second end surface opposite to the first end surface, a plurality of optical fibers having a tip surface inserted and secured in each of the holes opened on the base plate, and a plurality of collimator lenses installed on the second end surface facing the tip surfaces of the optical fiber. Each hole has a tapered inside wall having a diameter gradually decreasing from an opening on the first end surface of the base plate toward the second end surface and a parallel inside wall continuing from the tapered inside wall end.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 14, 2003
    Publication date: July 31, 2003
    Applicant: HITACHI METALS, LTD.
    Inventors: Masaru Suzuki, Masahiro Ao
  • Patent number: 5771133
    Abstract: Two floating rails are provided on a slider of a floating magnetic head. Rear portions, in the advancing direction of a floating magnetic head with respect to a magnetic recording medium, of the respective floating rails are cut out. That is, the floating rails exist only in front of the cut-out portions. An auxiliary rail is formed in the rear of one of the floating rails. The auxiliary rail is narrower than the floating rail, wider than the track width of an electromagnetic conversion element, and approximately as high as the floating rail. The electromagnetic conversion element is provided at a rear portion of the auxiliary rail.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 21, 1996
    Date of Patent: June 23, 1998
    Assignee: Hitachi Metals, Ltd.
    Inventors: Ryo Goto, Masahiro Ao, Fumio Nitanda
  • Patent number: 5052099
    Abstract: A floating type magnetic head is made of a polycrystalline material. A surface to be opposed to a magnetic recording medium is undulated with lands and grooves having a height difference of 50 to 200 .ANG. on an average and a repetition pitch of 5 to 20 microns on an average. The portions, in which the heights of the lands and the grooves abruptly change, extend along the boundaries of the polycrystals. The head surface opposed to the magnetic recording medium is sputter-etched to have the predetermined surface roughness.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 31, 1990
    Date of Patent: October 1, 1991
    Assignee: Hitachi Metals, Ltd.
    Inventors: Akira Taguchi, Shigetoshi Morita, Shunichi Taka, Hirohide Yamada, Yoshiaki Takada, Shinji Furuichi, Masahiro Ao
  • Patent number: 5010429
    Abstract: A floating type magnetic head is made of a polycrystalline material. A surface to be opposed to a magnetic recording medium is undulated with lands and grooves having a height different of 50 to 200 .ANG. on an average and a repetition pitch of 5 to 20 microns on an average. The portions, in which the heights of the lands and the grooves abruptly change, extend along the boundaries of the polycrystals. The head surface opposed to the magnetic recording medium is sputter-etched to have the predetermined surface roughness.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 1, 1989
    Date of Patent: April 23, 1991
    Assignee: Hitachi Metals, Ltd.
    Inventors: Akira Taguchi, Shigetoshi Morita, Shunichi Taka, Hirohide Yamada, Yoshiaki Takada, Shinji Furuichi, Masahiro Ao