Patents by Inventor Richard B. Dyott
Richard B. Dyott 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).
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Patent number: 6891622Abstract: A method and device for measuring the current in a conductor are presented. They utilize the Faraday effect on counter-propagating circularly polarized beams of light in a fiber optic coil. The light beams are transformed to and from circular polarization by a polarization transformer comprised of a birefringent fiber with a twist through an appropriate angle at an appropriate distance from one end.Type: GrantFiled: August 15, 2001Date of Patent: May 10, 2005Assignee: KVH Industries, Inc.Inventor: Richard B. Dyott
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Patent number: 6718097Abstract: A method for incorporating an optical material into an optical fiber and optical devices utilizing the method are disclosed. Fiber material may be removed from the optical fiber to expose the fiber core and the core may then be at least partially removed. The optical material may then be incorporated into the core area to replace the removed core. Cladding material may then be deposited over the optical material and an electrode may be fixed to the cladding over the optical material to form an optical device.Type: GrantFiled: July 11, 2001Date of Patent: April 6, 2004Assignee: KVH Industries, Inc.Inventor: Richard B. Dyott
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Patent number: 6703821Abstract: The invention is directed to a Faraday-type current sensor which is less susceptive to effects caused by rotation, acceleration and vibration of the sensor coil. The sensor coil of the invention includes a first coil section which forms the current sensing coil and a second coil section which is optically connected to the first coil section and forms a compensation or “bucking” coil. The optical fiber of the first coil section preferably has an almost zero birefringence and is connected in series with the optical fiber of the second coil section which preferably has a large birefringence. The illuminating radiation propagates through the sensor coil in such a way, as viewed along the coil axis, that the propagation direction of the radiation in the first coil section with respect to the coil axis is opposite from the propagation direction in the second coil section.Type: GrantFiled: February 28, 2001Date of Patent: March 9, 2004Assignee: KVH Industries, Inc.Inventor: Richard B. Dyott
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Patent number: 6594020Abstract: A system and a method for controlling the scale factor of a fiber optic sensor are disclosed. The scale factor may be maintained at a constant level by controlling the power level of the light source based on the amplitude of a modulation superimposed on the modulator drive signal. Alternatively, scale factor may be maintained at a constant level by setting the detected signal at twice the modulator drive frequency to zero.Type: GrantFiled: July 13, 2001Date of Patent: July 15, 2003Assignee: KVH Industries, IncInventor: Richard B. Dyott
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Patent number: 6563589Abstract: A reduced minimum configuration (RMC) fiber optic current sensor (FOCS) is proposed which includes a sensing coil or sensing region, a light source and an optical path arranged between the front output of the light source and the fiber optic sensing coil/region. At least one quarter wave plate is disposed between the optical path and the sensing coil/region for converting linearly polarized light beams into circularly polarized light beams propagating through the sensing coil/region. The circularly polarized light beams propagating though the sensing region experience a differential phase shift caused by a magnetic field or current flowing in a conductor proximate to the sensing coil. A light detector is located at the back output of the light source and produces an output signal in response to return light intensity transmitted through the light source. The return light intensity is a measure of the magnetic field in the sensor coil/region.Type: GrantFiled: July 13, 2000Date of Patent: May 13, 2003Assignee: KVH Industries, Inc.Inventors: Sidney M. Bennett, Richard B. Dyott
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Patent number: 6539134Abstract: A method for fabricating a transformer of linearly polarized light to elliptically polarized light is presented. The method involves twisting a birefringent fiber through angles that depend on the polarization desired. This technique obviates the need to splice fibers, as in common approaches. In the final step of the method, the polarization can be fine tuned by heating the fiber to cause the core of the fiber to diffuse into the cladding. Also, methods and systems are presented to transform substantially polarized light to substantially randomly polarized light.Type: GrantFiled: June 22, 1999Date of Patent: March 25, 2003Assignee: KVH Industries, Inc.Inventor: Richard B. Dyott
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Patent number: 6535657Abstract: A method for fabricating a transformer of linearly polarized light to elliptically polarized light is presented. The method involves twisting a birefringent fiber through angles that depend on the polarization desired. This technique obviates the need to splice fibers, as in common approaches. In the final step of the method, the polarization can be fine tuned by heating the fiber to cause the core of the fiber to diffuse into the cladding. Also, methods and systems are presented to transform substantially polarized light to substantially randomly polarized light.Type: GrantFiled: May 16, 2002Date of Patent: March 18, 2003Assignee: KVH Industries, Inc.Inventor: Richard B. Dyott
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Publication number: 20020180416Abstract: The invention is directed to a Faraday-type current sensor which is less susceptive to effects caused by rotation, acceleration and vibration of the sensor coil. The sensor coil of the invention includes a first coil section which forms the current sensing coil and a second coil section which is optically connected to the first coil section and forms a compensation or “bucking” coil. The optical fiber of the first coil section preferably has an almost zero birefringence and is connected in series with the optical fiber of the second coil section which preferably has a large birefringence. The illuminating radiation propagates through the sensor coil in such a way, as viewed along the coil axis, that the propagation direction of the radiation in the first coil section with respect to the coil axis is opposite from the propagation direction in the second coil section.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 28, 2001Publication date: December 5, 2002Inventor: Richard B. Dyott
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Patent number: 6466596Abstract: The invention is directed to a system and a method for controllably broadening the spectral characteristics, such as the emission linewidth, of a semiconductor laser by discharging an electric pulse, for example, a charged transmission line, across the laser terminals. The linewidth-broadened lasers find application in fiber optic sensors, such as fiber optic gyroscopes and current sensors, which have a relatively short de-coherence length.Type: GrantFiled: May 10, 2000Date of Patent: October 15, 2002Assignee: KVH Industries, Inc.Inventor: Richard B. Dyott
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Publication number: 20020136480Abstract: A method for fabricating a transformer of linearly polarized light to elliptically polarized light is presented. The method involves twisting a birefringent fiber through angles that depend on the polarization desired. This technique obviates the need to splice fibers, as in common approaches. In the final step of the method, the polarization can be fine tuned by heating the fiber to cause the core of the fiber to diffuse into the cladding. Also, methods and systems are presented to transform substantially polarized light to substantially randomly polarized light.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 16, 2002Publication date: September 26, 2002Inventor: Richard B. Dyott
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Patent number: 6429939Abstract: A fiber optic sensor with a digital signal processing system and a method of using a digital signal processing system with a fiber optic sensor is disclosed. The system digitally samples the output signal of the fiber optic sensor at a frequency which is an integer multiple of the modulator drive frequency and multiplies the sampled output signal with predetermined sine and cosine coefficients corresponding to the (fundamental) modulator drive frequency and at most the second, third and fourth harmonic thereof. This simple system can maintain a constant modulation depth and modulator phase shift and provide sensor output data over a wide operating range of the fiber optic sensor. The fiber optic sensor can be employed, for example, for rotation rate and magnetic field measurements.Type: GrantFiled: July 13, 2000Date of Patent: August 6, 2002Assignee: KVH Industries, Inc.Inventors: Sidney M. Bennett, Richard B. Dyott
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Publication number: 20020048432Abstract: A method for incorporating an optical material into an optical fiber and optical devices utilizing the method are disclosed. Fiber material may be removed from the optical fiber to expose the fiber core and the core may then be at least partially removed. The optical material may then be incorporated into the core area to replace the removed core. Cladding material may then be deposited over the optical material and an electrode may be fixed to the cladding over the optical material to form an optical device.Type: ApplicationFiled: July 11, 2001Publication date: April 25, 2002Inventor: Richard B. Dyott
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Publication number: 20020027659Abstract: A method and device for measuring the current in a conductor are presented. They utilize the Faraday effect on counter-propagating circularly polarized beams of light in a fiber optic coil. The light beams are transformed to and from circular polarization by a polarization transformer comprised of a birefringent fiber with a twist through an appropriate angle at an appropriate distance from one end.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 15, 2001Publication date: March 7, 2002Inventor: Richard B. Dyott
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Publication number: 20020025098Abstract: A system and a method for controlling the scale factor of a fiber optic sensor are disclosed. The scale factor may be maintained at a constant level by controlling the power level of the light source based on the amplitude of a modulation superimposed on the modulator drive signal. Alternatively, scale factor may be maintained at a constant level by setting the detected signal at twice the modulator drive frequency to zero.Type: ApplicationFiled: July 13, 2001Publication date: February 28, 2002Inventor: Richard B. Dyott
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Patent number: 6208775Abstract: A method for fabricating a transformer of linearly polarized light to elliptically polarized light is presented. The method involves twisting a birefringent fiber through angles that depend on the polarization desired. This technique obviates the need to splice fibers, as in common approaches. In the final step of the method, the polarization can be fine tuned by heating the fiber to cause the core of the fiber to diffuse into the cladding. Using this transformer of polarized light, a current sensor is presented that exploits the Faraday Effect in a Sagnac interferometer.Type: GrantFiled: June 22, 1999Date of Patent: March 27, 2001Assignee: KVH Industries, Inc.Inventor: Richard B. Dyott
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Patent number: 5739944Abstract: A phase modulator is provided with supports attached to the resonating element. The supports have a length which is an odd number of quarter wavelengths of a longitudinal acoustic wave excited in the supports by the resonating element. As such, a longitudinal acoustic wave excited at the resonating element end of the support travels along the support, is reflected at the other end of the support, and returns in opposite phase to that of the excited wave, thereby causing a null in longitudinal amplitude of the wave and reducing the damping of the resonating element.Type: GrantFiled: October 28, 1996Date of Patent: April 14, 1998Assignee: KVH Industries, Inc.Inventors: Richard B. Dyott, Steven R. Emge
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Patent number: 5684495Abstract: A microwave antenna comprises a single moded metal waveguide tapering inwardly to a cutoff dimension near the distal end thereof. The antenna also comprises a first solid dielectric waveguide mounted coaxially within the distal end portion of the metal waveguide and tapering outwardly toward the inwardly tapering portion of the metal waveguide. The first dielectric waveguide extends beyond the distal end of the metal waveguide in the axial direction. The antenna also comprises a second dielectric waveguide surrounding the first dielectric waveguide beyond the distal end of the metal waveguide and having a dielectric constant lower than the dielectric constant of the first dielectric waveguide. A distal end portion of the first dielectric waveguide tapers inwardly toward the axis thereof, to launch signals propagating toward the distal end of the first dielectric waveguide into the second dielectric waveguide.Type: GrantFiled: August 30, 1995Date of Patent: November 4, 1997Assignee: Andrew CorporationInventors: Richard B. Dyott, Thomas D. Monte
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Patent number: 5552887Abstract: A fiber-optic gyro includes a source of light and a coil of optical fiber with multiple turns. The coil is rotatable about an axis of sensitivity and optically couples light from the source to the coil to create counter-propagating light beams within the coil. The counter-propagated light beams produce an output signal indicative of the coil rotation rate, which is fed to a photodetector. The multiple turns of the coil vary in size on both sides of the mid-point of the fiber that forms the coil, and these multiple turns are collapsed in the direction of the axis of the coil.Type: GrantFiled: April 7, 1995Date of Patent: September 3, 1996Assignee: Andrew CorporationInventor: Richard B. Dyott
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Patent number: 5481358Abstract: The sensing coil of a fiber optic gyroscope is wholly or partially surrounded by a gel. The components attached to the coil, such as the directional coupler(s) and polarizer, may also be wholly or partially submerged in the gel. The gel is contained by a rigid housing, in which the inner walls of the housing form a cavity for the coil and the gel. The cavity is filled with the gel, and the gel may be bonded to the inner walls of the housing. The gel remains stiff enough to maintain the coil in a fixed position relative to the housing, and soft enough to avoid any significant effect on the h of the coil over the operating temperature range. Furthermore, the gel can be loaded with particles to adjust the specific gravity of the gel, to modify the thermal properties of the gel and to increase the viscosity of the gel for improved vibration damping. In a modified form, the optical-fiber sensing coil is positioned on a mounting surface and otherwise surrounded by the gel.Type: GrantFiled: April 21, 1994Date of Patent: January 2, 1996Assignee: Andrew CorporationInventors: Richard B. Dyott, Eric L. Brooker, Sidney M. Bennett, John D. Myhre
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Patent number: 5444534Abstract: The sensing coil of a fiber optic gyroscope is mounted by submerging the coil in a gel which surrounds and supports the coil. The components attached to the coil, such as the directional coupler(s) and polarizer, may also be submerged in the gel. The gel is contained by a rigid housing, in which the walls of the housing are spaced away from the coil. The intervening space between the coil and the innermost walls of the housing are filled with the gel, and the gel may be bonded to those innermost walls. The gel remains stiff enough to maintain the coil in a fixed position relative to the housing, and soft enough to avoid any significant effect on the h of the coil over the operating temperature range. In a modified form, the optical-fiber sensing coil is wound around a bobbin that has a layer of gel on the coil-supporting surface. A coating of adhesive is applied to the outside surfaces of the coil to hold the coil windings together in a stable configuration around the layer of gel.Type: GrantFiled: December 27, 1993Date of Patent: August 22, 1995Assignee: Andrew CorporationInventors: Richard B. Dyott, Eric L. Brooker, Sidney M. Bennett, John D. Myhre