Patents by Inventor Richard A. Habel

Richard A. Habel 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: 6064501
    Abstract: The invention is directed to a failure detection system and method for detecting malfunction of an optical amplifier module with one or multiple transmission channels. The failure detection system comprises a unit for measuring a performance parameter of the module; a unit for providing an expected performance parameter; and a comparator unit for receiving the performance parameter and the expected performance parameter and producing an error signal when the performance parameter substantially departs from the expected performance parameter. The system also includes a display/alarm unit for receiving the error signal and accordingly signaling failure of the module. The performance parameter is an output value of the module; a correspondence between an output value and an input value for a transmission channel; a figure of merit (FOM.sup.t=t); a set of gains (g) for all transmission channels; and the dynamic range of the amplifier module.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 24, 1997
    Date of Patent: May 16, 2000
    Assignee: Nortel Networks Corporation
    Inventors: Kim Byron Roberts, Maurice Stephen O'Sullivan, Richard A. Habel, Christopher Brendan Kennedy
  • Patent number: 5959749
    Abstract: An add/drop multiplexer/demultiplexer (ADM) for switching, modulating and attenuating optical signals in a fiber optic network employing wavelength division multiplexing (WDM) is disclosed. The ADM is equipped an optical multiplexer for splitting an input WDM signal into individual optical signals, leading to respective 2.times.2 switches. Each switch has another input originating from a plurality of "add lines", and selects one of its inputs to be dropped and the other to continue along a main signal path. The retained signals may be modulated and attenuated prior to being tapped and finally multiplexed together by a WDM multiplexer. The tapped signals are optoelectronically converted and fed back to a controller, preferably a digital signal processor running a software algorithm, which controls the switching, modulation and attenuation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 20, 1997
    Date of Patent: September 28, 1999
    Assignee: Nortel Networks Corporation
    Inventors: David John Danagher, Alan G. Solheim, Maurice S. O'Sullivan, Richard A. Habel, Kim Byron Roberts, Duncan John Forbes, Nigel Baker, Ian Hardcastle, Takis Hadjifotiou, Bipin Patel, Giuseppe Bordogna, James St. Leger Harley
  • Patent number: 5579328
    Abstract: A digital controller for an injection laser diode. The controller maintains the laser diode average and peak power levels constant in spite of temperature and/or aging effects. A pseudo-random sequence is superimposed on the `0` and/or `1` current levels to the laser diode and the optical output is detected by a back facet monitor. The detected signal is compared with preset references and a feedback signal is used to control both the bias current and the modulation current.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 10, 1995
    Date of Patent: November 26, 1996
    Assignee: Northern Telecom Limited
    Inventors: Richard A. Habel, Kim B. Roberts