Patents by Inventor Nicol A. Heron

Nicol A. Heron 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).

  • Method of imparting twist to optical fiber
    Patent number: 7317855
    Abstract: A method for producing low-PMD fiber, in which a glass fiber is drawn from an optical fiber perform by a tractor which pulls such optical fiber from said perform; subsequent to said tractor pulling the fiber is twisted about its axis to increase the magnitude of twist which is imparted to said fiber. The fiber is then wound onto a fiber storage spool such that at least a portion of the twist imparted to said optical fiber is retained while said fiber is wound on said spool.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 16, 2004
    Date of Patent: January 8, 2008
    Assignee: Corning Incorporated
    Inventors: Xin Chen, Ming-Jun Li, Nicol A. Heron, Jeanne L. Swecker, Naiyue Zhou
  • METHOD OF EVALUATING FIBER PMD USING POTDR TRACE
    Publication number: 20070046928
    Abstract: A method for screening fiber polarization mode dispersion using a polarization optical time domain reflectometer is disclosed. A pulse radiation is emitted into an end of the fiber under test, and the backscattered radiation is measured by the POTDR and used to obtain an OTDR trace. A pulse radiation is emitted into an opposite end of the fiber under test, and the backscattered radiation is measured by the POTDR and used to obtain another OTDR trace. Either one or both traces are analyzed to compare the variation of intensity of signals along the length of the fiber, the variation in signals relating to the PMD along the length of the fiber.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 31, 2005
    Publication date: March 1, 2007
    Inventors: Xin Chen, Nicol Heron
  • Method of imparting twist to optical fiber
    Publication number: 20060133751
    Abstract: A method for producing low-PMD fiber, in which a glass fiber is drawn from an optical fiber perform by a tractor which pulls such optical fiber from said perform; subsequent to said tractor pulling the fiber is twisted about its axis to increase the magnitude of twist which is imparted to said fiber. The fiber is then wound onto a fiber storage spool such that at least a portion of the twist imparted to said optical fiber is retained while said fiber is wound on said spool.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 16, 2004
    Publication date: June 22, 2006
    Inventors: Xin Chen, Ming-Jun Li, Nicol Heron, Jeanne Swecker, Naiyue Zhou
  • Method of evaluating fiber PMD using polarization optical time domain reflectometry
    Patent number: 6946646
    Abstract: A method for screening fiber polarization mode dispersion using a polarization optical time domain reflectometer. A pulse radiation is emitted into the fiber under test, and the backscattered radiation is measured by the POTDR and used to obtain a POTDR trace. The POTDR trace is then analyzed to compare the variation of signals along the length of the fiber, the variation in signals relating to the level of PMD along the length of the fiber. Because high levels of PMD correspond to localized levels of low variability, by setting the variability of signal threshold sufficiently low, fibers having unacceptably high localized PMD can be identified and removed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 5, 2002
    Date of Patent: September 20, 2005
    Assignee: Corning Incorporated
    Inventors: Xin Chen, Nicol A. Heron, Timothy L. Hunt, Eric J. Mozdy, Darren A. Stainer
  • Method of evaluating fiber PMD using polarization optical time domain reflectometry
    Publication number: 20040084611
    Abstract: A method for screening fiber polarization mode dispersion using a polarization optical time domain reflectometer. A pulse radiation is emitted into the fiber under test, and the backscattered radiation is measured by the POTDR and used to obtain a POTDR trace. The POTDR trace is then analyzed to compare the variation of signals along the length of the fiber, the variation in signals relating to the level of PMD along the length of the fiber. Because high levels of PMD correspond to localized levels of low variability, by setting the variability of signal threshold sufficiently low, fibers having unacceptably high localized PMD can be identified and removed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 5, 2002
    Publication date: May 6, 2004
    Inventors: Xin Chen, Nicol A. Heron, Timothy L. Hunt, Eric J. Mozdy, Darren A. Stainer