Patents by Inventor Michael Failes

Michael Failes 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: 7136167
    Abstract: A fiber optic scanning interferometer in a Michelson arrangement using a polarization splitting coupler is disclosed. The splitting of s and p polarization modes into the fast and slow axes of a birefringent fiber allows the temporal separation of interference phenomena from multiple reflections such that signal recovery is simplified.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 10, 2004
    Date of Patent: November 14, 2006
    Inventor: Michael Failes
  • Publication number: 20050099633
    Abstract: A fiber optic scanning interferometer in a Michelson arrangement using a polarization splitting coupler is disclosed. The splitting of s and p polarization modes into the fast and slow axes of a birefringent fiber allows the temporal separation of interference phenomena from multiple reflections such that signal recovery is simplified.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 10, 2004
    Publication date: May 12, 2005
    Inventor: Michael Failes
  • Patent number: 5598264
    Abstract: A sensor and a method for using the sensor for precise measurement of displacement is disclosed. The sensor comprises a fringe tracking signal processing system which can be used with any type of interferometer to provide high resolution over a large dynamic range of motion. The signal processing is based on phase information from the interferometric signal and the sensor is not sensitive to amplitude changes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 18, 1995
    Date of Patent: January 28, 1997
    Inventor: Michael Failes
  • Patent number: 4861127
    Abstract: An improved optical coupler having improved performance at room temperature and a greater thermal operating range. The coupler comprises two optically contacted optical fibers in a substrate wherein the externally induced stress on the fibers in the region of optical contact, is reduced. The reduction occurs as a result of shape and material selection of the substrate. A process for making the coupler is also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 9, 1988
    Date of Patent: August 29, 1989
    Assignee: Canadian Instrumentation & Research Ltd.
    Inventor: Michael Failes
  • Patent number: 4707201
    Abstract: A process for the production of polished block single mode, evanescent wave directional optical couplers. The process comprises producing a plurality of discrete coupler halves, each coupler half having an optical fiber imbedded in a substrate. The coupler halves are then ground to remove a small portion of the cladding of the optical fiber to produce an oval shaped area of defined dimensions of the exposed fiber. The ground coupler halves are mounted in a first holder in a coplaner manner and further worked to a end point determined by an evanescent coupling measurement. A pair of coupler halves are secured together such that the optical fibers are in optical contact and in effective fusion with each other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 20, 1986
    Date of Patent: November 17, 1987
    Assignee: Canadian Instrumentation and Research Limited
    Inventor: Michael Failes
  • Patent number: 4688882
    Abstract: A single mode, evanescent wave, fiber optic coupler. The coupler comprises a pair of substrates, each substrate having an optically worked fiber embedded therein and wherein the substrates are secured together such that the optical fibers are in optical contact and are in effective fusion with each other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 11, 1985
    Date of Patent: August 25, 1987
    Assignee: Canadian Instrumentation and Research Limited
    Inventor: Michael Failes
  • Patent number: 4622460
    Abstract: A fibre optic magnetic sensor is disclosed. The sensor has a thin-walled cylindrical barrel with a mid-section which is elastically radially deformable. A single mode optical fibre is wound about the mid section of the barrel. A magnetostrictive element is located within the center of the barrel and secured to both ends of the barrel. Changes in the external magnetic field in the vicinity of the sensor cause changes in the length of the magnetostrictive element and consequently cause axial forces to be applied to the end of the barrel. The mid-portion of the barrel deforms radially, thus inducing a strain in the optical fibre from which the external magnetic field strength may be deduced.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 16, 1985
    Date of Patent: November 11, 1986
    Assignee: Her Majesty the Queen in right of Canada, as represented by the Minister of National Defence of Her Majesty's Canadian Government
    Inventors: Michael Failes, Pantazis Mouroulis
  • Patent number: 4247202
    Abstract: A novel apparatus for the measurement of color of a sample which comprises an illumination means to illuminate the sample, an electro-optical sensing head to receive the light from the illuminated sample and to output electronic signals and an electronic processing unit to process the signals. The light source may in the preferred embodiment be the sun or the sample itself and a reference optical path is used for reference which is the same optical path as the optical path from the light from the sample. The tristimulus values X, Y, Z and the chromaticity coordinates x, y of the sample with respect to the CIE standards for luminance and chromaticity values are produced for accurate color measurement.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 25, 1979
    Date of Patent: January 27, 1981
    Assignee: Canadian Instrumentation and Research
    Inventor: Michael Failes
  • Patent number: 4165180
    Abstract: A novel apparatus for the measurement of color of a sample which comprises an illumination means to illuminate the sample, an electro-optical sensing head to receive the light from the illuminated sample and to output electronic signals and an electronic processing unit adapted to process the signals. The system uses, in the preferred embodiment, a moving spatial filter to modulate a spectrum and a masking means to selectively mask the light from the modulated spectrum. A reference optical path and reference light signals are produced for subsequent processing with the light from the sample, corrected for any errors produced and processed in an analogue electronic unit to produce the tristimulus values X, Y, Z and the chromaticity coordinates x, y of the sample with respect to CIE standards for luminance and chromaticity values.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 17, 1977
    Date of Patent: August 21, 1979
    Assignee: Canadian Instrumentation and Research Limited
    Inventor: Michael Failes
  • Patent number: 4080072
    Abstract: A novel device for use as an additive lamphouse in contact printing. White light is emitted by a source, collimated and then passed through a dispersion element to form a spectrum. The light is then selectively attenuated by wavelength to allow exact control of the color mixture of the light which falls on the negative and the positive contact. The use of a dispersion element rather than the dichroic principle of the prior art allows selective control of the color mixture of the light incident to the negative and thus to the contact by providing an improved control of the homogenuity of the color across the illuminated field. Also the problem of "color wedging" has been markedly reduced. The contact printer according to the present invention is more compact than those of the prior art and may be produced at a reduced cost.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 12, 1976
    Date of Patent: March 21, 1978
    Assignees: Canadian Instrumentation and Research Limited, Film Opticals of Canada Limited
    Inventor: Michael Failes
  • Patent number: 4033052
    Abstract: A teaching aid for demonstrating the component pure spectral colors of white light and the effect of selective recombination thereof. It utilizes the diffraction principle to produce a spectrum from white light and selectively filters the spectrum. By splitting the filtered light prior to recombination, it is possible to project an image of the selective filter and the recombined selectively filtered light adjacent to each other on a projection screen. Thus, the effects of the variation of the filter is shown directly by a variation in the color and intensity of the recombined light.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 6, 1976
    Date of Patent: July 5, 1977
    Assignees: Canadian Instrumentation and Research Limited, Film Opticals of Canada Limited
    Inventor: Michael Failes