Patents by Inventor Walter Joseph Fant

Walter Joseph Fant 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).

  • Optical switch with internal monitoring
    Patent number: 6792177
    Abstract: The invention provides an optical switch comprising a housing, an input optical fiber, a mirror substrate, an input pivoting mirror, an output optical fiber, a first optical splitter, and a first optical detector. The input optical fiber propagates a light beam and is secured to the housing. The mirror substrate is secured to the housing. The input pivoting mirror is located in a path of the light beam after leaving the input optical fiber. The input pivoting mirror is pivotally secured to the mirror substrate. Pivoting of the mirror relative to the mirror substrate alters an angle with which the light beam is reflected therefrom. The output optical fiber is secured to the housing and has an end through which the light beam enters after being reflected by the input pivoting mirror. The first optical splitter is located in a path of the light beam after leaving the input optical fiber. The first optical splitter splits the light beam into a first propagated portion and a first monitoring portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 12, 2001
    Date of Patent: September 14, 2004
    Assignee: Calient Networks, Inc.
    Inventors: David Edward Welsh, Roger Jonathan Helkey, Adrian Keating, Daniel Jacob Blumenthal, Walter Joseph Fant
  • Optical switch with internal monitoring
    Publication number: 20020126949
    Abstract: The invention provides an optical switch comprising a housing, an input optical fiber, a mirror substrate, an input pivoting mirror, an output optical fiber, a first optical splitter, and a first optical detector. The input optical fiber propagates a light beam and is secured to the housing. The mirror substrate is secured to the housing. The input pivoting mirror is located in a path of the light beam after leaving the input optical fiber. The input pivoting mirror is pivotally secured to the mirror substrate. Pivoting of the mirror relative to the mirror substrate alters an angle with which the light beam is reflected therefrom. The output optical fiber is secured to the housing and has an end through which the light beam enters after being reflected by the input pivoting mirror. The first optical splitter is located in a path of the light beam after leaving the input optical fiber. The first optical splitter splits the light beam into a first propagated portion and a first monitoring portion.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 12, 2001
    Publication date: September 12, 2002
    Inventors: David Edward Welsh, Roger Jonathan Helkey, Adrian Keating, Daniel Jacob Blumenthal, Walter Joseph Fant