Patents by Inventor Sheryl Woodward

Sheryl Woodward 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).

  • Publication number: 20110149271
    Abstract: Described herein are systems and methods for enhancing the resolution of an optical time-domain reflectometer (“OTDR”). One embodiment of the disclosure of this application is related to a device, comprising an optical measuring component collecting a first set of measurement data from a forward trace along an optical fiber with the optical measuring device using depolarized light, and a processing component calculating loss along the length of fiber. The optical measuring device further collects a second set of measurement data from a backward trace along the optical fiber with the optical measuring device using depolarized light.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 17, 2009
    Publication date: June 23, 2011
    Inventors: Sheryl Woodward, Jonathan Nagel, Lynn Nelson
  • Publication number: 20080019695
    Abstract: This invention provides a new architecture for a communication system between head-ends and end-users which expands bandwidth and reliability of the communication system. A mux-node receives communication signals from a head-end and forwards the received communication signals to one or more mini-fiber nodes. The connection to the head-end is via a small number of optical fibers and the connections to each of the mini-fiber nodes may be via one or more optical fibers that may provide full duplex communication. The head-end may communicate with the mux-node using digital or digital and analog signals. The mini-fiber nodes may combine the signals received from the head-end with loop-back signals used for local media access control prior to forwarding the signals to the end-users. Upstream data are received by the mini-fiber nodes and transmitted to the mux-node.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 2, 2007
    Publication date: January 24, 2008
    Inventors: Charles Combs, Thomas Darcie, Bhavesh Desai, Alan Gnauck, Xiaolin Lu, Esteban Sandino, Oleh Sniezko, Anthony Werner, Sheryl Woodward
  • Publication number: 20070166036
    Abstract: This invention provides a new architecture for a communication system between head-ends and end-users which expands bandwidth and reliability of the communication system. A mux-node receives communication signals from a head-end and forwards the received communication signals to one or more mini-fiber nodes. The connection to the head-end is via a small number of optical fibers and the connections to each of the mini-fiber nodes may be via one or more optical fibers that may provide full duplex communication. The head-end may communicate with the mux-node using digital or digital and analog signals. The mini-fiber nodes may combine the signals received from the head-end with loop-back signals used for local media access control prior to forwarding the signals to the end-users. Upstream data are received by the mini-fiber nodes and transmitted to the mux-node.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 12, 2007
    Publication date: July 19, 2007
    Inventors: CHARLES COMBS, Thomas Darcie, Bhavesh Desai, Alan Gnauck, Xiaolin Lu, Esteban Sandino, Oleh Sniezko, Anthony Werner, Sheryl Woodward
  • Publication number: 20070003283
    Abstract: A bidirectional optical communications system that is operable to dynamically allocate wavelengths for transmission in either direction in an optical fiber. The dynamic allocation is controlled by programmable optical devices. The programmable optical devices may be well known programmable devices such as wavelength selective switches and wavelength blockers or any other programmable optical device capable of dynamically allocating wavelengths between the two directions in the optical fiber. In addition, the programmable optical devices may be any combination of such wavelength selective switches, wavelength blockers or other programmable optical devices with other optical devices such as optical circulators, gain blocks, add/drop multiplexers, or fixed optical filters.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 29, 2005
    Publication date: January 4, 2007
    Inventors: Mark Feuer, Sheryl Woodward
  • Publication number: 20060007929
    Abstract: A transmit and receive system for transmitting data between a transmit site and a receive site. The system includes a tunnel source, router and modulator for dividing a transmit data stream having a first bit rate into multiple data streams with each of the multiple data streams having a bit rate which is lower than the first bit rate, transmitting each of the multiple data streams over a plurality of RF channels. The system further includes a demodulator and destination source for recombining the multiple data streams at the receive site to provide a receive data stream having a bit rate equal to the first bit rate.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 31, 2005
    Publication date: January 12, 2006
    Inventors: Bhavesh Desai, Nemmara Shankaranarayanan, David Shur, Aleksandra Smiljanic, Todd Totland, Jacobus van der Merwe, Sheryl Woodward
  • Publication number: 20050271393
    Abstract: Link robustness, chromatic dispersion and polarization mode dispersion (PMD) immunity can be improved in fiber optical system by using a method for receiving an optical double sideband signal over an optical fiber system, comprising the steps of splitting the received optical double sideband signal into an upper sideband signal and a lower sideband signal, photodetecting the upper sideband and the lower sideband, equalizing the photodetected upper sideband signal and the lower sideband signal, and combining the equalized upper sideband signal with the equalized lower sideband signal. While PMD compensation is envisioned as a major application, one may also use the method and system for chromatic dispersion compensation or dispersion slope compensation in high bit rate systems, i.e. using dispersion compensation fiber (DCF) for coarse compensation and diversity receiver with electrical equalizer for fine tuning.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 4, 2005
    Publication date: December 8, 2005
    Inventors: Alan Gnauck, Cedric Lam, Sheryl Woodward