Patents by Inventor Steven Spector

Steven Spector 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: 11641531
    Abstract: A compressive/transform imager comprising a lens array positioned above input ports for collecting light into the input ports, waveguides routing the light from the input port to waveguide mixing regions (e.g. multi-mode interference couplers), and detectors for receiving outputs of the waveguide mixing regions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 7, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 2, 2023
    Assignee: The Charles Stark Draper Laboratory, Inc.
    Inventors: Michael Moebius, Julian Brown, Steven Spector, Benjamin Lane, Alan Zhou, Hannah Anne Clevenson, Lucas David Benney
  • Patent number: 11218655
    Abstract: A compressive/transform imager comprising a lens array positioned above input ports for collecting light into the input ports, waveguides routing the light from the input port to waveguide mixing regions (e.g. multi-mode interference couplers), and detectors for receiving outputs of the waveguide mixing regions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 29, 2018
    Date of Patent: January 4, 2022
    Assignee: The Charles Stark Draper Laboratory Inc.
    Inventors: Michael Moebius, Julian Brown, Steven Spector, Benjamin Lane, Alan Zhou, Hannah Anne Clevenson, Lucas David Benney
  • Publication number: 20210120197
    Abstract: A compressive/transform imager comprising a lens array positioned above input ports for collecting light into the input ports, waveguides routing the light from the input port to waveguide mixing regions (e.g. multi-mode interference couplers), and detectors for receiving outputs of the waveguide mixing regions.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 7, 2020
    Publication date: April 22, 2021
    Applicant: The Charles Stark Draper Laboratory Inc.
    Inventors: Michael Moebius, Julian Brown, Steven Spector, Benjamin Lane, Alan Zhou, Hannah Anne Clevenson, Lucas David Benney
  • Patent number: 10419113
    Abstract: An optical communications system comprises a first node comprising a phased array transmitter for generating an optical beam and a receiver, and a second node comprising a phase conjugate mirror for returning the optical beam to be detected by the receiver of the first node. The phased array transmitters allow for electronic steering of the beams in a way that is much faster and with a potentially smaller physical footprint than the mechanical systems. The phase conjugate mirrors return the received beams of photons back over the exact path they were sent from the phased array transmitters, ensuring continuity of communication even in the presence of atmospheric turbulence.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 24, 2017
    Date of Patent: September 17, 2019
    Assignee: The Charles Stark Draper Laboratory, Inc.
    Inventors: Robin Mark Adrian Dawson, Juha Pekka Laine, Steven Spector, Murali Chaparala
  • Patent number: 10303037
    Abstract: An optical beam steering system comprises an array of optical elements for generating or detecting optical signals, a coarse beam steering system for steering a beam between grating lobes, and a fine beam steering system for steering the beam within a grating lobe imposed by the coarse beam steering system. It can be applied the problem of providing an optical phased array system that has both a wide range of steering angles and good angular resolution with a reasonable number of array elements. By moving the lens array or controlling a liquid crystal cell, power is steered into different grating lobes. Adding a phase shifter for controlling the relative phase of the optical signals corresponding to the optical elements enables steering within the selected lobe.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 8, 2017
    Date of Patent: May 28, 2019
    Assignee: The Charles Stark Draper Laboratory, Inc.
    Inventors: Steven Spector, Benjamin Lane
  • Publication number: 20190132534
    Abstract: A compressive/transform imager comprising a lens array positioned above input ports for collecting light into the input ports, waveguides routing the light from the input port to waveguide mixing regions (e.g. multi-mode interference couplers), and detectors for receiving outputs of the waveguide mixing regions.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 29, 2018
    Publication date: May 2, 2019
    Applicant: The Charles Stark Draper Laboratory Inc.
    Inventors: Michael Moebius, Julian Brown, Steven Spector, Benjamin Lane, Alan Zhou, Hannah Anne Clevenson, Lucas David Benney
  • Publication number: 20180321569
    Abstract: An optical phased array including a wafer, optical waveguides, a root optical waveguide, the root optical waveguide being optically connected at one end to one optical waveguide, another end of the root optical waveguide constituting an optical port, optical couplers disposed in an array and located on the wafer, the optical waveguides optically connecting the optical couplers to the optical port via respective optical paths, one optical path per optical coupler, configurable optical delay lines; each configurable optical delay line being disposed in one respective optical path from the respective optical paths; the configurable optical delay lines being configured such that the optical couplers emit a non-planar phase front near field radiation pattern from light received from a light source coupled to the optical port.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 3, 2018
    Publication date: November 8, 2018
    Applicant: The Charles Stark Draper Laboratory, Inc.
    Inventors: Steven Spector, Robin Dawson, Benjamin Lane, Michael G. Moebius
  • Patent number: 9946026
    Abstract: An imaging system comprises a matched pathlength combining waveguide array including input optical couplers for receiving light, combining waveguides for combining the light received from different input optical couplers and relaying the light to output optical couplers. A lens system is also provided for imaging the light from the output optical couplers. Compared to imaging systems, this imaging system can be much more compact. A standard imaging system requires a focal length at least equal to the aperture (width) of the lens. Because the aperture size of a lens determines the performance of a system (resolution and collected light) there is a limit to how compact a traditional high performance imaging system can be. In contrast, the present system removes that limitation because the minimum practical focal length is now determined by the size of the aperture of the outputs, which can be significantly smaller (by factors of more than 10×, typically).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 13, 2017
    Date of Patent: April 17, 2018
    Assignee: The Charles Stark Draper Laboratory, Inc.
    Inventors: Steven Spector, Benjamin Lane
  • Publication number: 20170357142
    Abstract: An optical beam steering system comprises an array of optical elements for generating or detecting optical signals, a coarse beam steering system for steering a beam between grating lobes, and a fine beam steering system for steering the beam within a grating lobe imposed by the coarse beam steering system. It can be applied the problem of providing an optical phased array system that has both a wide range of steering angles and good angular resolution with a reasonable number of array elements. By moving the lens array or controlling a liquid crystal cell, power is steered into different grating lobes. Adding a phase shifter for controlling the relative phase of the optical signals corresponding to the optical elements enables steering within the selected lobe.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 8, 2017
    Publication date: December 14, 2017
    Inventors: Steven Spector, Benjamin Lane
  • Publication number: 20170357055
    Abstract: An imaging system comprises a matched pathlength combining waveguide array including input optical couplers for receiving light, combining waveguides for combining the light received from different input optical couplers and relaying the light to output optical couplers. A lens system is also provided for imaging the light from the output optical couplers. Compared to imaging systems, this imaging system can be much more compact. A standard imaging system requires a focal length at least equal to the aperture (width) of the lens. Because the aperture size of a lens determines the performance of a system (resolution and collected light) there is a limit to how compact a traditional high performance imaging system can be. In contrast, the present system removes that limitation because the minimum practical focal length is now determined by the size of the aperture of the outputs, which can be significantly smaller (by factors of more than 10×, typically).
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 13, 2017
    Publication date: December 14, 2017
    Inventors: Steven Spector, Benjamin Lane
  • Publication number: 20170346565
    Abstract: An optical communications system comprises a first node comprising a phased array transmitter for generating an optical beam and a receiver, and a second node comprising a phase conjugate mirror for returning the optical beam to be detected by the receiver of the first node. The phased array transmitters allow for electronic steering of the beams in a way that is much faster and with a potentially smaller physical footprint than the mechanical systems. The phase conjugate mirrors return the received beams of photons back over the exact path they were sent from the phased array transmitters, ensuring continuity of communication even in the presence of atmospheric turbulence.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 24, 2017
    Publication date: November 30, 2017
    Inventors: Robin Mark Adrian Dawson, Juha Pekka Laine, Steven Spector, Murali Chaparala
  • Publication number: 20070237443
    Abstract: Method and apparatus for modulation of both the intensity and the polarization of radiation in silicon waveguides by applying a biasing voltage to the waveguide.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 30, 2007
    Publication date: October 11, 2007
    Applicant: Massachusetts Institute of Technology
    Inventors: Michael Geis, Steven Spector, Donna Lennon, Yoon Jung, Matthew Grein, Theodore Lyszczarz