Patents by Inventor Shunichi Soma

Shunichi Soma 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: 11979694
    Abstract: An optical and electronic integrated switch includes a network processor that controls the functions of the packet switch, a plurality of optical transceivers having photoelectric conversion functions, and a plurality of optical switches. The optical switches include different types of optical core switch and a plurality of optical-path selection switches. The optical transceivers provided near the processor have a regenerative relay function that regenerates optical signals and turns back the optical signals, and perform optical communication with a communication counterpart via the optical switches. In the optical communication, optical switches of the different types can cooperate to set paths for optical cut-through in which path selection is performed such that inputted optical signals are outputted without the intervention of the processor. This optical cut-through can be effectively performed without imposing a signal processing burden that consumes electric power on the processor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 30, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 7, 2024
    Assignee: NIPPON TELEGRAPH AND TELEPHONE CORPORATION
    Inventors: Osamu Moriwaki, Shunichi Soma, Keita Yamaguchi, Kenya Suzuki, Seiki Kuwabara, Tetsuro Inui, Shuto Yamamoto, Seiji Okamoto, Hideki Nishizawa
  • Patent number: 11930309
    Abstract: A photonics-electronics convergence switch with which, even if an optical network system is built by combining a plurality of packet switches, the amount of processing in the packet switches does not increase, the optical network system operates with low electric power consumption, and this enables wide-range optical communication between the nodes of a communication origin and of a communication partner, includes a network processor that is an electronic circuit configured to control the functions of the packet switch, a plurality of optical transmitter-receivers having photoelectric conversion functions, and a plurality of optical switches.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 26, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 12, 2024
    Assignee: NIPPON TELEGRAPH AND TELEPHONE CORPORATION
    Inventors: Keita Yamaguchi, Osamu Moriwaki, Shunichi Soma, Kenya Suzuki, Seiki Kuwabara, Tetsuro Inui, Shuto Yamamoto, Seiji Okamoto, Hideki Nishizawa
  • Patent number: 11881897
    Abstract: A photo-electron fusion switch that can perform optical communications without any trouble, even when nodes of a communication source and a communication partner that are large in transmission capacity are connected, and makes it possible to realize a concentrated arrangement of devices having similar functions and reduce the communication processing time is connected to communication source's information processing devices and communication partner's information processing devices and information processing devices that are each different in transmission speed so as to configure an optical network system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 26, 2020
    Date of Patent: January 23, 2024
    Assignee: NIPPON TELEGRAPH AND TELEPHONE CORPORATION
    Inventors: Hideki Nishizawa, Seiki Kuwabara, Seiji Okamoto, Shuto Yamamoto, Tetsuro Inui, Shunichi Soma, Kenya Suzuki, Osamu Moriwaki, Keita Yamaguchi
  • Publication number: 20230136142
    Abstract: A high-performance optical and electronic integrated switch capable of effectively extending the transmission distance includes a network processor that controls the functions of the packet switch, a plurality of optical transceivers provided near the processor and having a photoelectric conversion function, and an optical relay switch. A plurality of optical waveguides are connected to the input and output sides of the optical relay switch. Each optical transceiver has a regeneration function that performs optical-electrical conversion on inputted optical signals, then turns back the converted signals, and performs signal conversion on them, and its input side is connected with a routing optical waveguide included in the optical waveguides on the output side of the switch and its output side is connected with a routing optical waveguide included in the optical waveguides on the input side of the switch. The optical waveguides include ones for connecting to an external communication counterpart.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 30, 2020
    Publication date: May 4, 2023
    Inventors: Osamu Moriwaki, Shunichi Soma, Keita Yamaguchi, Kenya Suzuki, Seiki Kuwabara, Tetsuro Inui, Shuto Yamamoto, Seiji Okamoto, Hideki Nishizawa
  • Publication number: 20230082854
    Abstract: A photo-electron fusion switch that can perform optical communications without any trouble, even when nodes of a communication source and a communication partner that are large in transmission capacity are connected, and makes it possible to realize a concentrated arrangement of devices having similar functions and reduce the communication processing time is connected to communication source's information processing devices and communication partner's information processing devices and information processing devices that are each different in transmission speed so as to configure an optical network system.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 26, 2020
    Publication date: March 16, 2023
    Inventors: Hideki Nishizawa, Seiki Kuwabara, Seiji Okamoto, Shuto Yamamoto, Tetsuro Inui, Shunichi Soma, Kenya Suzuki, Osamu Moriwaki, Keita Yamaguchi
  • Publication number: 20230073384
    Abstract: An optical and electronic integrated switch includes a network processor that controls the functions of the packet switch, a plurality of optical transceivers having photoelectric conversion functions, and a plurality of optical switches. The optical switches include different types of optical core switch and a plurality of optical-path selection switches. The optical transceivers provided near the processor have a regenerative relay function that regenerates optical signals and turns back the optical signals, and perform optical communication with a communication counterpart via the optical switches. In the optical communication, optical switches of the different types can cooperate to set paths for optical cut-through in which path selection is performed such that inputted optical signals are outputted without the intervention of the processor. This optical cut-through can be effectively performed without imposing a signal processing burden that consumes electric power on the processor.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 30, 2020
    Publication date: March 9, 2023
    Inventors: Osamu Moriwaki, Shunichi Soma, Keita Yamaguchi, Kenya Suzuki, Seiki Kuwabara, Tetsuro Inui, Shuto Yamamoto, Seiji Okamoto, Hideki Nishizawa
  • Publication number: 20230060777
    Abstract: A photonics-electronics convergence switch with which, even if an optical network system is built by combining a plurality of packet switches, the amount of processing in the packet switches does not increase, the optical network system operates with low electric power consumption, and this enables wide-range optical communication between the nodes of a communication origin and of a communication partner, includes a network processor that is an electronic circuit configured to control the functions of the packet switch, a plurality of optical transmitter-receivers having photoelectric conversion functions, and a plurality of optical switches.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 26, 2020
    Publication date: March 2, 2023
    Inventors: Keita Yamaguchi, Osamu Moriwaki, Shunichi Soma, Kenya Suzuki, Seiki Kuwabara, Tetsuro Inui, Shuto Yamamoto, Seiji Okamoto, Hideki Nishizawa
  • Patent number: 11592629
    Abstract: An object is to easily convey by suction an optical module equipped with optical fibers having ends coupled to optical receptacles and mount the optical module on a substrate. An optical module according to the present invention includes an optical device to which optical fibers having ends coupled to optical receptacles are optically coupled and also includes a carrier composed of a substrate and adhesive layers formed on the upper and lower surfaces of the substrate. The optical device is bonded on the adhesive layer formed on the lower surface of the substrate. Part of the optical fibers and the optical receptacles are bonded on the adhesive layer formed on the surface of the substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 7, 2020
    Date of Patent: February 28, 2023
    Assignee: NIPPON TELEGRAPH AND TELEPHONE CORPORATION
    Inventors: Yuriko Kawamura, Yusuke Nasu, Kiyofumi Kikuchi, Shunichi Soma
  • Patent number: 11567275
    Abstract: An optical module with optical fibers is intended to be able to be easily sucked and conveyed, and mounted on another substrate. An optical module of the present disclosure includes an optical device to which optical fibers are optically connected; and a carrier including a substrate and an adhesive layer formed at a surface of the substrate, and a part of the optical device and a part of the optical fibers are adhesively fixed on a surface of the adhesive layer. The optical device may include ball grid array shaped electrodes. The carrier may be provided with a plurality of holes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 14, 2019
    Date of Patent: January 31, 2023
    Assignee: NIPPON TELEGRAPH AND TELEPHONE CORPORATION
    Inventors: Yuriko Kawamura, Yusuke Nasu, Kiyofumi Kikuchi, Shunichi Soma
  • Patent number: 11561350
    Abstract: To reduce bad connections of a BGA optical module as an optical fiber interface during mounting by reflowing. An optical module includes: a substrate to which an optical fiber is connected and fixed and on which an electronic circuit, an optical circuit or the like is formed; a ball grid array provided on one face of the substrate as an electrical interface used when the optical module is mounted on a mounting substrate; a lid having a thermal conductivity provided on another face of the substrate; and a fiber routing mechanism provided in contact with the lid, the fiber routing mechanism having a thermal conductivity and shaped to enable the optical fiber to be wound around the fiber routing mechanism.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 25, 2019
    Date of Patent: January 24, 2023
    Assignee: NIPPON TELEGRAPH AND TELEPHONE CORPORATION
    Inventors: Kiyofumi Kikuchi, Shunichi Soma, Ken Tsuzuki, Shuichiro Asakawa
  • Publication number: 20220214508
    Abstract: In a pipe structure in which an optical fiber passes, miniaturization of the optical module in the longitudinal direction of the optical fiber is prevented. In the optical module according to the present invention, a holding structure of the optical fiber necessary to adopt the pipe structure is moved to a cover extension unit of the package. The optical fiber is adhered and fixed to the cover extension unit protruding from the cover body unit of the package to ensure protection of the optical fiber, and the optical waveguide chip is disposed to be closer to an inner wall of a side surface of the package. By disposing the optical waveguide chip to be close to the inner wall of the package as much as possible and reducing the mounting area in the package to the utmost, it is possible to realize miniaturization of the entire optical module.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 16, 2020
    Publication date: July 7, 2022
    Inventors: Shunichi Soma, Yusuke Nasu, Ken Tsuzuki, Takashi Yamada, Kiyofumi Kikuchi
  • Patent number: 11307356
    Abstract: An optical module that has a structure ensuring reduction in size. The optical module has a structure where a part of a fiber block is protruded from a housing. By including a thin plate, this optical module can avoid entering of dust in the housing, allows a position shift of the fiber block due to a mounting position error of an optical component in the housing, a position shift of an opening portion due to a dimensional error of the housing, or a displacement due to a temperature change, and can reduce the coupling loss due to the optical axis misalignment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 19, 2018
    Date of Patent: April 19, 2022
    Assignees: NTT ELECTRONICS CORPORATION, NIPPON TELEGRAPH AND TELEPHONE CORPORATION
    Inventors: Yuichi Suzuki, Tomohiro Nakanishi, Motoki Minami, Hiroshi Tomita, Motohaya Ishii, Shuichiro Asakawa, Shunichi Soma
  • Publication number: 20220066110
    Abstract: An object is to easily convey by suction an optical module equipped with optical fibers having ends coupled to optical receptacles and mount the optical module on a substrate. An optical module according to the present invention includes an optical device to which optical fibers having ends coupled to optical receptacles are optically coupled and also includes a carrier composed of a substrate and adhesive layers formed on the upper and lower surfaces of the substrate. The optical device is bonded on the adhesive layer formed on the lower surface of the substrate. Part of the optical fibers and the optical receptacles are bonded on the adhesive layer formed on the surface of the substrate.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 7, 2020
    Publication date: March 3, 2022
    Inventors: Yuriko Kawamura, Yusuke Nasu, Kiyofumi Kikuchi, Shunichi Soma
  • Publication number: 20210382249
    Abstract: An optical module with optical fibers is intended to be able to be easily sucked and conveyed, and mounted on another substrate. An optical module of the present disclosure includes an optical device to which optical fibers are optically connected; and a carrier including a substrate and an adhesive layer formed at a surface of the substrate, and a part of the optical device and a part of the optical fibers are adhesively fixed on a surface of the adhesive layer. The optical device may include ball grid array shaped electrodes. The carrier may be provided with a plurality of holes.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 14, 2019
    Publication date: December 9, 2021
    Inventors: Yuriko Kawamura, Yusuke Nasu, Kiyofumi Kikuchi, Shunichi Soma
  • Publication number: 20210364711
    Abstract: To reduce bad connections of a BGA optical module as an optical fiber interface during mounting by reflowing. An optical module includes: a substrate to which an optical fiber is connected and fixed and on which an electronic circuit, an optical circuit or the like is formed; a ball grid array provided on one face of the substrate as an electrical interface used when the optical module is mounted on a mounting substrate; a lid having a thermal conductivity provided on another face of the substrate; and a fiber routing mechanism provided in contact with the lid, the fiber routing mechanism having a thermal conductivity and shaped to enable the optical fiber to be wound around the fiber routing mechanism.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 25, 2019
    Publication date: November 25, 2021
    Inventors: Kiyofumi Kikuchi, Shunichi Soma, Ken Tsuzuki, Shuichiro Asakawa
  • Patent number: 10908356
    Abstract: An optical circuit board which is mounted with a loop-back circuit for returning aligning light to the fiber array in the vicinity of the fiber array connection end. Since an aligning loop-back circuit can be formed in an optical waveguide pattern, a production cost does not increase in comparison to an optical circuit board of the related art. The aligning light combined from the optical fiber to the aligning port of the optical circuit board is returned to the optical fiber around the loop-back circuit. Therefore, it is possible to perform alignment using the returned light. That is, alignment can be performed while being mounted on a package without installing a light-reflecting film or mirror.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 2, 2017
    Date of Patent: February 2, 2021
    Assignees: NTT ELECTRONICS CORPORATION, NIPPON TELEGRAPH AND TELEPHONE CORPORATION
    Inventors: Tomohiro Nakanishi, Motoki Minami, Satoru Konno, Yuichi Suzuki, Teruaki Sato, Shigeo Nagashima, Shinji Mino, Motohaya Ishii, Shunichi Soma, Shin Kamei, Shuichiro Asakawa
  • Publication number: 20210003781
    Abstract: An optical module that has a structure ensuring reduction in size. The optical module has a structure where a part of a fiber block is protruded from a housing. By including a thin plate, this optical module can avoid entering of dust in the housing, allows a position shift of the fiber block due to a mounting position error of an optical component in the housing, a position shift of an opening portion due to a dimensional error of the housing, or a displacement due to a temperature change, and can reduce the coupling loss due to the optical axis misalignment.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 19, 2018
    Publication date: January 7, 2021
    Inventors: Yuichi SUZUKI, Tomohiro NAKANISHI, Motoki MINAMI, Hiroshi TOMITA, Motohaya ISHII, Shuichiro ASAKAWA, Shunichi SOMA
  • Patent number: 10649147
    Abstract: An optical module that is connectable to an optical fiber array and that can be packaged in a high density. Two package modules are mounted on a board, and optical waveguides in a Si photonic lightwave circuit mounted on the package module are connected to an optical fiber array fixed to an optical fiber block. Moreover, output end surfaces of the optical waveguides in the Si photonic lightwave circuit are perpendicular to a mount surface of the package module. The optical waveguides in the Si photonic lightwave circuit may be tilted at an appropriate angle with respect to a direction perpendicular to a right end surface. Moreover, the optical fiber block fixes optical fibers with the optical fibers tilted with respect to a direction perpendicular to an end surface connected to the Si photonic lightwave circuit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 12, 2017
    Date of Patent: May 12, 2020
    Assignees: NTT ELECTRONICS CORPORATION, NIPPON TELEGRAPH AND TELEPHONE CORPORATION
    Inventors: Tomohiro Nakanishi, Teruaki Sato, Motohaya Ishii, Satoru Konno, Yuichi Suzuki, Shigeo Nagashima, Shinji Mino, Shuichiro Asakawa, Hiroshi Fukuda, Shin Kamei, Shunichi Soma, Ken Tsuzuki, Mitsuo Usui, Takashi Saida
  • Publication number: 20200057192
    Abstract: An optical circuit board which is mounted with a loop-back circuit for returning aligning light to the fiber array in the vicinity of the fiber array connection end. Since an aligning loop-back circuit can be formed in an optical waveguide pattern, a production cost does not increase in comparison to an optical circuit board of the related art. The aligning light combined from the optical fiber to the aligning port of the optical circuit board is returned to the optical fiber around the loop-back circuit. Therefore, it is possible to perform alignment using the returned light. That is, alignment can be performed while being mounted on a package without installing a light-reflecting film or mirror.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 2, 2017
    Publication date: February 20, 2020
    Inventors: Tomohiro NAKANISHI, Motoki MINAMI, Satoru KONNO, Yuichi SUZUKI, Teruaki SATO, Shigeo NAGASHIMA, Shinji MINO, Motohaya ISHII, Shunichi SOMA, Shin KAMEl, Shuichiro ASAKAWA
  • Publication number: 20190353844
    Abstract: An optical module which is connectable to an optical fiber array and which can be packaged in a high density. Two 30 mm square package modules are mounted on a board, and optical waveguides in a 20 mm square Si photonic lightwave circuit mounted on the package module are connected to an optical fiber array fixed to an optical fiber block (15×10 mm). Moreover, output end surfaces of the optical waveguides in the Si photonic lightwave circuit are perpendicular to a mount surface of the package module. In the embodiment, the optical waveguides in the Si photonic lightwave circuit are tilted at an appropriate angle, for example, 20 degrees with respect to a direction perpendicular to a right end surface. Moreover, the optical fiber block fixes optical fibers with the optical fibers tilted at 20 degrees with respect to a direction perpendicular to an end surface connected to the Si photonic lightwave circuit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 12, 2017
    Publication date: November 21, 2019
    Inventors: Tomohiro Nakanishi, Teruaki Sato, Motohaya Ishii, Satoru Konno, Yuichi Suzuki, Shigeo Nagashima, Shinji Mino, Shuichiro Asakawa, Hiroshi Fukuda, Shin Kamei, Shunichi Soma, Ken Tsuzuki, Mitsuo Usui, Takashi Saida