Abstract: During operation, an electronic device receives, from a second electronic device in a network, a request for testing. In response, the electronic device set ups a video call with a video-call service. Then, the electronic device provides, to the second electronic device, an invitation for the video call. When the electronic device receives a notification (e.g., from the video-call service) that the video call has started, the electronic device provides content via the video-call service for the second electronic device. Next, the electronic device obtains communication-performance metrics associated with communication via the network during the video call and video-service performance metrics associated with the video call. Furthermore, the electronic device diagnoses a type of problem experienced at the second electronic device during the video call based at least in part on the communication-performance metrics, the video-service performance metrics and a pretrained machine-learning model.

Abstract: During operation, an electronic device receives, from a second electronic device in a network, a request for testing. In response, the electronic device set ups a video call with a video-call service. Then, the electronic device provides, to the second electronic device, an invitation for the video call. When the electronic device receives a notification (e.g., from the video-call service) that the video call has started, the electronic device provides content via the video-call service for the second electronic device. Next, the electronic device obtains communication-performance metrics associated with communication via the network during the video call and video-service performance metrics associated with the video call. Furthermore, the electronic device diagnoses a type of problem experienced at the second electronic device during the video call based at least in part, on the communication-performance metrics, the video-service performance metrics and a pretrained machine-learning model.

Abstract: A surgical instrument may include a multi-lumen catheter configured to be inserted within the tissue. The multi-lumen catheter may include a first lumen that may enable a flow of a fluid, a second lumen that may receive a navigation probe that may facilitate an ability to locate the region of interest within the tissue, and an expandable membrane that may be situated toward a distal end of the first lumen to form an expandable cavity. The expandable cavity may be configured to expand or contract based on the flow of the fluid through the first lumen. The surgical instrument may include a fluid line, coupled to the first lumen, that may supply the fluid to the first lumen to enable the expandable cavity to expand or withdraw the fluid from the first lumen to enable the expandable cavity to contract.

Abstract: A system and techniques for managing power utilization in a wireless local area network are disclosed. The system can utilize an infrastructure power management module that is configured to identify and power down one or more unused wireless devices and/or dynamically reconfigure the wireless operation of one or more wireless devices to consume lower power while still operating according to network requirements.

Abstract: There is described a method for fabricating an optical connector comprising: embedding each one of a plurality of first optical waveguides in a corresponding one of a plurality of first grooves of a first substrate; embedding each one of a plurality of second optical waveguides in a corresponding one of a plurality of second grooves of a second substrate; abutting the plurality of first optical waveguides and the plurality of second optical waveguides against walls of the plurality of first grooves and the plurality of second grooves, respectively, by securing a spacer plate between the first substrate and the second substrate so that the first optical waveguides and the second optical waveguides extend along a same axis, thereby obtaining an optical assembly having a front end substantially perpendicular to the axis; and beveling the front end of the optical assembly, thereby obtaining a beveled end for the first optical waveguides and a beveled end for the second optical waveguides offset along the axis for

Abstract: A system and techniques for managing power utilization in a wireless local area network are disclosed. The system can utilize an infrastructure power management module that is configured to identify and power down one or more unused wireless devices and/or dynamically reconfigure the wireless operation of one or more wireless devices to consume lower power while still operating according to network requirements.

Abstract: There is described an opto-electronic Integrated Circuit Board (ICB) comprising an ICB substrate; a linear array of cells positioned on the ICB substrate, for optical connection to an array of optical fibers, each one of the cells comprising: a die bond pad and one of a Vertical Cavity Surface Emitting Laser (VCSEL) and a Photodetector; a number of ICB bond pads on the ICB substrate, the number of ICB bond pads corresponding at least to a number of cells in the linear array, wherein each successive ICB bond pad along the linear array is located on alternate sides of the linear array; and wirebonds each connecting, in a one-to-one relationship, each one of the ICB bond pads to a corresponding die bond pad of one of the cells of the linear array.

Abstract: An optical beam path directing system has a field-flattening optically transmissive wedge installed in spatially dispersed beam paths upstream of the planar surface of a micro electro-mechanical switch (MEMS) or liquid crystal array. The parameters of the field-flattening wedge and its location in the diffracted beam paths are defined such that the wedge effectively rotates a ‘best fit’ planar surface approximation of the curvilinear focal plane of a concave reflector into coplanar coincidence with the optical signal-receiving surface of the MEMS. As a result, loss variation is essentially flat and minimized across the optical signal transmission band.

Abstract: A control system is designed to control an optical cross-connect having a switch core defined by first and second independently movable beam deflectors capable of selectively defining an optical path between a pair of ports of the optical cross-connect. An optical element having optical power is arranged in a propagation path of light beams between the first and second beam deflectors. The control system includes a pilot light source, an optical sensor associated with each beam deflector, and a feedback path. The a pilot light source inserts a pilot light into the switch core colinearly with live traffic. The optical sensor detects a predetermined geometric property of the pilot light emerging from the switch core. This predetermined geometric property is unambiguously associated with an angular position of the associated beam deflector. The feedback path actively controls a position of the associated beam deflector based on the detected geometric property.

Abstract: An optical device comprises a dispersion element, a reflector, and an angle-to-offset (ATO) element. The angle-to-offset (ATO) element has optical power. The dispersion element is positioned in or near a focal plane of the ATO element and adapted to separate an input wavelength division multiplexed (WDM) light beam received from an input port of the optical device into two or more channel light beams. The reflector is positioned in or near a focal plane of the ATO element and arranged to receive the channel light beams from the dispersion element via the ATO element. The reflector is designed to reflect at least one of the channel light beams toward a respective output port of the optical device. With this arrangement, the dispersion element, reflector and ATO element cooperate to optically demultiplex the input WDM light beam.

Abstract: A 1½×2 optical switch has two GRIN lenses, each lens having two ports on its respective outward end face. The switch has a transmissive wedge-shaped switching element disposed between the GRIN lenses. When the switching element is disposed in the path between the GRIN lenses, a single connection is established between a port of the first GRIN lens and a port of the second GRIN lens, while light is prevented from coupling between the remaining ports.

Abstract: The invention provides an optical switch having an input port for launching a beam of light into the optical switch, at least two output ports, each output port for selectively receiving a beam of light, an ATO element having optical power for providing an angle to offset transformation, and beam directing means for selectively directing a beam of light from the input port to a selected one of the at least two output ports along an optical path via the ATO element. The ATO element is a lens or a mirror.

Abstract: An optical beam path directing system has a field-flattening optically transmissive wedge installed in spatially dispersed beam paths upstream of the planar surface of a micro electro-mechanical switch (MEMS) or liquid crystal array. The parameters of the field-flattening wedge and its location in the diffracted beam paths are defined such that the wedge effectively rotates a ‘best fit’ planar surface approximation of the curvilinear focal plane of a concave reflector into coplanar coincidence with the optical signal-receiving surface of the MEMS. As a result, loss variation is essentially flat and minimized across the optical signal transmission band.

Abstract: A clutch hydraulic actuator system having a vibration damper provided in the system between a master cylinder and a slave cylinder of the system. The damper includes an elastomeric diaphragm and a spring steel diaphragm. One face of the elastomeric diaphragm is in fluid communication with hydraulic fluid in the system so that the elastomeric diaphragm may deflect in response to low frequency vibrations transmitted through hydraulic fluid in the system to effect damping of the low frequency vibrations. The spring steel diaphragm is positioned in the system generally parallel to and proximate the other face of the elastomeric diaphragm so as to form a backup for the elastomeric diaphragm so that the elastomeric diaphragm may deform against the spring steel diaphragm in response to high frequency vibrations transmitted through the hydraulic fluid to cause deflection of the spring steel diaphragm to effect damping of the high frequency vibrations.

Abstract: An optical switch is disclosed having 4-ports. The switch consists of a first GRIN lens having 2 ports adjacent its outwardly facing end face. A second GRIN lens is disposed to receive light from the first GRIN lens and has two ports adjacent its outer end face. In a first state, a first port from the first GRIN lens couples light with a first output port of the second GRIN lens. In a second state, a movable optical element in the form of a light transmissive wedge having a reflective surface, is disposed in the path between first and second GRIN lens, providing a connection between a port of the first GRIN lens and a second port of the second GRIN lens. In a third connect state, the reflective surface of the wedge connects a port of the first GRIN lens and an output port in the same first GRIN lens. Hence an N×M optical switch is disclosed.

Abstract: An optical device comprises a dispersion element, a reflector, and an angle-to-offset (ATO) element. The angle-to-offset (ATO) element has optical power. The dispersion element is positioned in or near a focal plane of the ATO element and adapted to separate an input wavelength division multiplexed (WDM) light beam received from an input port of the optical device into two or more channel light beams. The reflector is positioned in or near a focal plane of the ATO element and arranged to receive the channel light beams from the dispersion element via the ATO element. The reflector is designed to reflect at least one of the channel light beams toward a respective output port of the optical device. With this arrangement, the dispersion element, reflector and ATO element cooperate to optically demultiplex the input WDM light beam.

Abstract: A control system is designed to control an optical cross-connect having a switch core defined by first and second independently movable beam deflectors capable of selectively defining an optical path between a pair of ports of the optical cross-connect. An optical element having optical power is arranged in a propagation path of light beams between the first and second beam deflectors. The control system includes a pilot light source, an optical sensor associated with each beam deflector, and a feedback path. The a pilot light source inserts a pilot light into the switch core colinearly with live traffic. The optical sensor detects a predetermined geometric property of the pilot light emerging from the switch core. This predetermined geometric property is unambiguously associated with an angular position of the associated beam deflector. The feedback path actively controls a position of the associated beam deflector based on the detected geometric property.

Abstract: The present invention provides an optical switch or a large scale fiber-optical cross-connect switch wherein the light from the grouped input fibers is collected by a lens, a lens system, or mirror system, and imaged with a certain magnification to a plane. The plane is either a mirror when the system is operated in reflection, or a plane of symmetry when the system is operated in transmission. Before reaching that plane, the spatially separated beams are intercepted by a (1 or) 2-D micro-mirror input MEMS array, where each mirror can deviate its dedicated input beam to any mirror on the output MEMS array. Each mirror on the output MEMS array compensates for angular tilt and deviates the beam to its dedicated output fiber.

Abstract: A seal assembly especially suitable for use as the sealing element in the annular cylindrical bore of a concentric cylinder assembly. The seal assembly includes an annular insert structure of rigid material and an annular seal member of elastomeric material bonded to the insert structure. The annular insert structure has an I-beam cross-sectional configuration including an outer annular flange structure centered on an axis, an inner annular flange structure centered on the axis concentrically within the outer annular flange structure, and annular web structure extending radially between the inner and outer annular flange structures. The web structure coacts with the flange structures to define left and right continuous annular grooves in the left and right faces of the insert structure and defines a plurality of circumferentially spaced holes extending axially through the web structure between the left and right grooves.

Abstract: Broad wavelength tuning range are achieved in an effectively reset-free, optical, automatic polarization controller by providing a device and method for varying the polarization of an input beam of light. A block of electro-optic material has two pairs of electrodes for applying a voltage across the block. Light is launched into an input end of the block for receiving the input beam of light. A controller controls a quadrature voltage applied to the first and a second pair of electrodes; the quadrature voltage has the form of a magnitude and an angle. The quadrature voltage can be varied in such a manner as to orient a given electric field within the electro-optic material through a plurality of angles, for example between 0 and 2&pgr; radians; the magnitude of the quadrature voltage can be set to create an arbitrary retardance from 0 to 2&pgr;. Any output polarization state can be realized by appropriately varying the magnitude and angle of the voltage applied to the Vx and Vy electrodes.