Multi-axis (x-y-z) Having Multiplexing Patents (Class 356/462)
  • Patent number: 11506496
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to system-level integration of lasers, electronics, integrated photonics-based optical components and a rotation sensing element, which can be a fiber coil or a sensing coil/micro-resonator ring on a sensing chip. Novel waveguide design on the integrated photonics chip, acting as a front-end chip, ensures precise detection of phase change in the fiber coil or the sensing chip, where the sending chip is coupled to the front end chip. Electrical and/or thermal phase modulators are integrated with the integrated photonics chip. Additionally, implant regions are introduced around the waveguides and other optical components to block unwanted/stray light into the waveguides and optical signal leaking out of the waveguide.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 13, 2021
    Date of Patent: November 22, 2022
    Assignee: Anello Photonics, Inc.
    Inventors: Mario Paniccia, Qing Tan
  • Patent number: 11238428
    Abstract: The present invention is directed to an optical module based on silicon photonics. The optical module provides a cyptocurrency wallet stored in a memory resource and includes an optical communication block with a direct-to-cloud interface for connecting to entities in a cloud infrastructure. The optical module further includes an application block to enable a cryptocurrency transaction via the direct-to-cloud interface. The optical module is configured to be an optical Quantum Key Generation Distribution device using a quantum key generation encryption protocol to encrypt a private key protected transaction in an encrypted transaction envelope. Furthermore, the optical module includes an external interface connecting the application block to a user/host via a physical layer to establish a secure link before executing a peer-to-peer transaction between entities in the cloud infrastructure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 25, 2018
    Date of Patent: February 1, 2022
    Assignee: Marvell Asia Pte, Ltd.
    Inventor: Radhakrishnan L. Nagarajan
  • Patent number: 11187925
    Abstract: An apparatus includes an electronic circuit, an electro-acoustic transducer and a coupler. The electronic circuit is configured to receive data to be transmitted over an optical cable, and to convert the data into a modulating signal. The electro-acoustic transducer is configured to convert the modulating signal into an acoustic wave. The coupler is configured to be mechanically coupled to a section of the optical cable, and to apply to the section a longitudinal stretching force that varies responsively to the acoustic wave, so as to modulate the data onto an optical carrier traversing the optical cable.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 12, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 30, 2021
    Assignee: TECHNOLOGY INNOVATION MOMENTUM FUND (ISRAEL) LIMITED PARTNERSHIP
    Inventors: Avishay Eyal, Shaul Ozeri
  • Patent number: 11131546
    Abstract: An optical gyroscope includes, in part, an optical switch, a pair of optical rings and a pair of photodetectors. The optical switch supplies a laser beam. The first optical ring delivers a first portion of the beam in a clockwise direction during the first half of a period, and a first portion of the beam in a counter clockwise direction during the second half of the period. The second optical ring delivers a second portion of the beam in a counter clockwise direction during the first half of the period, and a second portion of the beam in a clockwise direction during the second half of the period. The first photodetector receives the beams delivered by the first and second optical rings during the first half of the period. The second photodetector receives the beams delivered by the first and second optical rings during the second half of the period.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 3, 2019
    Date of Patent: September 28, 2021
    Assignee: CALIFORNIA INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY
    Inventors: Parham Porsandeh Khial, Seyed Ali Hajimiri
  • Patent number: 10989535
    Abstract: One example includes a fiber-optic gyroscope (FOG) system that includes a fiber coil. The coil includes an optical fiber wound around a spool of a FOG. The optical fiber includes a first input and a second input. The system also includes an optical beam controller comprising an optical switch that provides a first optical beam to the first input and a second optical beam to the second input during a first switching state, and provides the first optical beam to the second input and the second optical beam to the first input during a second switching state. The system further includes a controller that mitigates bias error in determining rotation of the FOG based on comparing the first and second optical beams output from the FOG during the first and second switching states.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 31, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 27, 2021
    Assignee: NORTHROP GRUMMAN SYSTEMS CORPORATION
    Inventors: Steven M. Kim, Gregory A. Zimmerman, Daniel A. Tazartes
  • Patent number: 9857176
    Abstract: The drift (°/h) for an interferometric fiber optic gyroscope (IFOG) means the variations on the voltage generated versus the zero angular (rotation) rate, while IFOG is not under influence of any angular rate effect. If the drift of an IFOG is predefined, the compensation of the drift can trivially be carried out by a subtraction process. However, with this invention, the necessity of the predefinition of the zero rotation rate voltage of the IFOG which belongs to the primary coil called “Gyro Coil” herein, is removed because the instantaneous variations on the zero rotation rate voltage of the IFOG can be monitored either periodically or whenever required with help of a secondary coil, called as “Monitor Coil”, which is able to be switched by a microcontroller controlled-MEMS fiber optic ON/OFF switches.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 20, 2013
    Date of Patent: January 2, 2018
    Assignee: TUBITAK (TURKIYE BILIMSEL VE TEKNOLOJIK ARASTIRMA KURUMU)
    Inventor: Oguz Celikel
  • Patent number: 9823076
    Abstract: An interferometric system with multi-axis optical fiber and a method for processing an interferometric signal in such a system, the multi-axis interferometric system includes a light source (1); a plurality of N optical-fiber coils (11, 12), a first optical separation element (3) capable of splitting the source beam (100) into a first split beam (140) and a second split beam (240); shared phase-modulation element (4); a photodetector (2) and a signal-processing system (800). The N optical-fiber coils (11, 12) are connected in parallel, the coils having respective transit times T1, T2, . . . TN that all differ from one another, and the signal-processing system (800) is capable of processing the interferometric signal (720) detected by the shared photodetector (2) as a function of the respective transit times in the various coils.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 23, 2014
    Date of Patent: November 21, 2017
    Assignee: IXBLUE
    Inventors: Frederic Guattari, Cedric Molucon, Sebastien Ferrand, Eric Ducloux
  • Patent number: 9606214
    Abstract: The aircraft includes a fuselage and at least one aerodynamic interface surface. It further includes a gimbaled mirror system which includes a mirror supported by a gimbal to receive a light beam from a light emitting source and reflect the light beam to a first periscope fold mirror. A wave front measuring system includes at least five reflective which reflects the light beam to a fast steering mirror. The fast steering mirror reflects the light beam directly to a beam splitter wherein the light beam is split into a transmitted portion and a reflected portion of the light beam.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 28, 2017
    Assignee: THE BOEING COMPANY
    Inventors: Bryan Lee Kelchner, Kenneth Jerkatis, Richard Brooks Holmes, Nikolaus Mcnerney, Jed Donaldson
  • Patent number: 9568317
    Abstract: A system comprising a fiber optic gyroscope and a mixed signal application specific integrated circuit (ASIC) connected to the gyroscope is provided. The mixed signal ASIC comprises a digital logic unit, a relative intensity noise (RIN) analog-to-digital converter (ADC) coupled to the digital logic unit and configurable to receive a signal from a RIN detector, and a rate ADC coupled to the digital logic unit and configurable to receive a signal from a rate detector. The mixed signal ASIC also includes a light source digital-to-analog converter (DAC) coupled to the digital logic unit, and a thermo-electric cooler DAC coupled to the digital logic unit, both of which are configurable to send control signals to a light source of the gyroscope. The mixed signal ASIC further includes an integrated optical chip DAC, an eigen-frequency servo DAC, and a heater servo DAC, all of which are coupled to the digital logic unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 31, 2013
    Date of Patent: February 14, 2017
    Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
    Inventors: Chuck Croker, Gregory W Keith, Norman Gerard Tarleton
  • Patent number: 9518827
    Abstract: A method and system for transmitting source light to a plurality of Sagnac interferometers includes a first directional coupler that splits the source light into a second light beam and a third light beam. The second light beam supplies light to a first Sagnac interferometer and the second light beam supplies light to a second directional coupler, and the first directional coupler also delivers light returning from the first Sagnac interferometer to a first detector that is used to indicate rotation of the first Sagnac interferometer. The second directional coupler splits the third light beam into a fourth light beam and a fifth light beam, and the fourth light beam supplies light to a second Sagnac interferometer. The second directional coupler delivers light returning from the second Sagnac interferometer to a second detector, and the second detector provides a signal indicative of rotation of the second Sagnac interferometer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 7, 2011
    Date of Patent: December 13, 2016
    Inventor: Ralph A. Bergh
  • Patent number: 9335259
    Abstract: Microelectronic photoacoustic detection device comprising: a substrate comprising cavities forming a Helmholtz differential acoustic resonator; acoustic detectors coupled to the chambers of the resonator; a light source; a waveguide comprising a first end coupled to the light source and a second end coupled to a first chamber; in which the second end comprises, at the interface with the first chamber, a width greater than that of the first end and that of the given wavelength, and/or in which the device comprises a diffraction grating arranged in the second end and capable of diffracting a first part of the beam towards a lower reflective layer arranged under the second end and a second part of the beam towards an upper reflective layer arranged at an upper wall of the first chamber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 2, 2015
    Date of Patent: May 10, 2016
    Assignee: Commissariat a l'energie atomique et aux energies alternatives
    Inventors: Alain Gliere, Salim Boutami, Mickael Brun, Pierre Labeye, Sergio Nicoletti, Justin Rouxel
  • Patent number: 9098143
    Abstract: Methods and devices for detecting touch, e.g. by a finger touching a touch-sensitive surface of the device, are disclosed. In particular, detection of touch can be by influencing, by touch, propagation of light within the touch-sensitive device and detecting a resulting change of light arriving to at least one detector device of the touch-sensitive device. Three paths for light can intersect (or at least substantially intersect) at a primary zone of intersection. Thus, three coordinates for a touch at the touch-surface may be provided, and a redundancy of coordinates may be provided for a touch.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 8, 2011
    Date of Patent: August 4, 2015
    Assignee: O-Net Wavetouch Limited
    Inventor: Jørgen Korsgaard Jensen
  • Patent number: 9019508
    Abstract: This disclosure provides methods, systems and devices that may be used to measure, calculate, and orient a device such as a drill bit in a downhole environment. To that end, disclosed are fiber optic gyroscopes, wherein the fiber optic gyroscopes comprise elliptical fiber optic cable coils in a mutually orthogonal arrangement that is tilted relative to a longitudinal axis of a supporting shaft, e.g., tube. Light travels in opposite directions within each of the elliptical fiber optic cable coils, and, subsequently, sensors detect differences in time for each light path of the light that traveled in opposite directions within each one of the elliptical fiber optic cable coils. The elliptical nature of the fiber optic cable coils minimizes the cross-sectional area of the mutually orthogonal arrangement, and thereby makes it well-suited for use in downhole environments where space is at a premium. This disclosure also may provide an inertial measurement unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 21, 2009
    Date of Patent: April 28, 2015
    Inventor: David Blacklaw
  • Patent number: 8823946
    Abstract: A fiber optic gyroscope including a non-coherent light source for producing a first beam of light, an optical circulator in the path of said first beam for providing polarized second and third beams, respectively, with polarization orthogonal to each other, and a time division multiplexer in the path of the second and third beams. A first planar optical fiber loop is coupled to the time division multiplexer and has a first end and a second end coupled to the second and third beams respectively during a first time period. A second planar optical fiber loop is coupled to the time division multiplexer and has a first end and a second end coupled to the second and third beams respectively during a second time period subsequent to the first time period.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 13, 2011
    Date of Patent: September 2, 2014
    Assignee: Emcore Corporation
    Inventors: Ronald T. Logan, Jr., Ka Kha Wong
  • Patent number: 8783874
    Abstract: Methods and systems for a compressive optical display and imager using optical scanning and selection and three-dimensional beamforming optics. Standard pixel data can generate a compressed image data set having custom pixel sizes, locations, and intensities. A 3-D beamformer optic adjusts its focus to produce the largest focused beam spot on the display screen corresponding to an image zone compressed pixel. Using scan mirror angular controls, display image space is painted using minimal numbers of laser beam spots whose sizes depend on the compressed sensed image. The imager includes movable reflecting optics to reflect an optical image and controllable imaging optics to pass the reflected optical image toward a digital micromirror that reflects +/?? optical beams into +/? ? optical beam paths. A controller controls reflecting optics and agile front end imaging optics to receive an electronic image signal corresponding to detected +/?? optical beams.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 18, 2012
    Date of Patent: July 22, 2014
    Assignee: Nusensors, Inc.
    Inventor: Nabeel A. Riza
  • Patent number: 8076909
    Abstract: A method and system for monitoring the operating conditions of an electric generator. The system includes a triad sensor array formed within a predetermined section of a fiber optic conductor. The triad sensor array is formed of a group of sensors including a first sensor including a Bragg grating for producing a first signal representative of strain in a stator bar of the generator, a second sensor including a Bragg grating for producing a second signal representative of temperature in the stator bar, and a third sensor including a Bragg grating for producing a third signal representative of vibration amplitude in the stator bar.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 12, 2008
    Date of Patent: December 13, 2011
    Assignee: Siemens Energy, Inc.
    Inventors: Evangelos Diatzikis, Hans-Gerd Brummel, Michael Twerdochlib, Lutz Intichar, Matthias Humer, Detlef Frerichs
  • Patent number: 7781736
    Abstract: An apparatus for analyzing, identifying or imaging an target including an integrated dual laser module coupled to a pair of photoconductive switches to produce cw signals in the range of frequencies from 100 GHz to over 2 THz focused on and transmitted through or reflected from the target; and a detector for acquiring spectral information from signals received from the target and using a multi-spectral homodyne process to generate an electrical signal representative of some characteristics of the target with resolution less than 250 MHz. The photoconductive switches are activated by laser beams from the dual laser module. The lasers in the module are tuned to different frequencies and a phase shifter in the path of one beam allows the beams to have an adjustable phase difference.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 13, 2009
    Date of Patent: August 24, 2010
    Assignee: Emcore Corporation
    Inventors: Ronald T. Logan, Jr., Joseph R. Demers
  • Patent number: 7746476
    Abstract: A fiber optic gyroscope including an optical circulator in the path of said first and second beams for providing polarized first and second beams of identical polarization. A phase modulator couples the first and second beams to the first and second end respectively of the fiber loop, and couples for receiving the return first and second beams from the second and first ends respectively of the fiber loop. First and second photodiodes are coupled to the optical circulator for receiving the optical signal from the first and second return beams.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 11, 2007
    Date of Patent: June 29, 2010
    Assignee: Emcore Corporation
    Inventors: Joseph R. Demers, Ka Kha Wong, Ronald T. Logan, Jr.
  • Patent number: 7701584
    Abstract: A light path circuit apparatus suited for a small sized ring laser gyro, includes a base having a standard plane, one or more substrates laminated parallel against the standard plane in a direction orthogonal to the standard plane, a light source, wherein on the base and/or the one or more substrates, 3 or more reflective surfaces, having normal lines within a prescribed one plane orthogonal to the standard plane, are constituted parallel or with tilt by a prescribed angle to the standard plane, the light source is disposed to emit light within the prescribed one plane, and the light emitted from the light source circulates within the one plane in a forward and backward direction by three or more reflective surfaces and constitutes a light path circuit that laser oscillates.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 10, 2008
    Date of Patent: April 20, 2010
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Goichi Akanuma, Kazusuke Maenaka, Takayuki Fujita
  • Publication number: 20090027684
    Abstract: A semiconductor ring laser gyro includes: a semiconductor laser for emitting light from each end of the gyro; at least one reflection prism comprising a plurality of reflection surfaces for forming an optical circuit, the at least one reflection prism adapted to receive and internally reflect the light emitted from the semiconductor laser; a transmissive mirror disposed at one of the plurality of reflection surfaces of the at least one reflection prism and adapted to transmit part of the light traveling clockwise and part of the light traveling counterclockwise through the optical circuit; and a beam multiplexing prism for multiplexing the light transmitted through the transmissive mirror.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 27, 2008
    Publication date: January 29, 2009
    Inventor: Atsushi Kitamura
  • Publication number: 20090015843
    Abstract: A fiber optic gyroscope including an optical circulator in the path of said first and second beams for providing polarized first and second beams of identical polarization. A phase modulator couples the first and second beams to the first and second end respectively of the fiber loop, and couples for receiving the return first and second beams from the second and first ends respectively of the fiber loop. First and second photodiodes are coupled to the optical circulator for receiving the optical signal from the first and second return beams.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 11, 2007
    Publication date: January 15, 2009
    Inventors: Joseph R. Demers, K. K. Wong, Ronald T. Logan, JR.
  • Publication number: 20080291459
    Abstract: An integrated module for a fiber optic gyroscope system includes a fiber optic sensing coil arranged to sense rotations about a sensing axis via the Sagnac effect comprises a substrate, an optical waveguide formed on the substrate, a light source comprising a doped waveguide formed on the substrate. The light source and the optical waveguide are arranged to produce counterpropagating light waves in the fiber optic sensing coil. The light source may be formed as a rare earth doped polymer waveguide or as a rare earth doped glass waveguide.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 22, 2007
    Publication date: November 27, 2008
    Inventors: A. Douglas Meyer, Ram Yahalom
  • Patent number: 7283246
    Abstract: A method for regulating the operating frequency of a closed loop fiber optic gyroscope. The demodulated output signal of a detector, as actual signal, is applied to the input of a main controller and, via a gating filter, to a VCO that determines the system clock of the FOG. An additional modulation signal, as analog signal is fed to separate phase correction electrodes that are formed together with the electrodes of a digital phase modulator in an integrated optical chip.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 17, 2003
    Date of Patent: October 16, 2007
    Assignee: Litef GmbH
    Inventors: Sven Voigt, Guenter Spahlinger
  • Patent number: 7228024
    Abstract: An optical return loss detecting device is provided for measuring the optical return loss (ORL) of a device under test (DUT). The detecting device comprises a light source, an optical isolator connected to the light source for preventing reflected light by the DUT entering the light source, a first optical coupler connected to the isolator, a second optical coupler connected to the first coupler and the DUT respectively, and a module communicating with the second coupler for performing test and calculation functions thereof.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 16, 2004
    Date of Patent: June 5, 2007
    Assignee: Asia Optical Co., Inc.
    Inventor: Xiao-Yong Wang
  • Patent number: 7130744
    Abstract: In a GPS-supported inertial attitude and heading reference system equipped with a Kalman correction filter and a multiple axis fiber optic gyroscope, the invention provides for only that scale factor error which is determined for the measurement axis (e.g. the vertical axis) with relatively fast motion dynamics to be used as the Kalman filter correction value for the scale factor error correction for all the measurement axes of the FOG to determine and compensate for the scale factor error caused by changes in the wavelength of a common light source. The scale factor error correction is used only with a long time constant.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 18, 2003
    Date of Patent: October 31, 2006
    Assignee: LITEF GmbH
    Inventor: Manfred Krings
  • Patent number: 6836335
    Abstract: A multi-axis interferometer includes a mounting block with first and second polarizing beam-splitter cubes contacting first and second faces of the mounting block. A beam-distribution system contacts a third face of the mounting block. The beam-distribution system is thus placed in optical communication with the first polarizing beam-splitter cube and the second polarizing beam-splitter cube.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 8, 2002
    Date of Patent: December 28, 2004
    Assignee: Zygo Corporation
    Inventors: Henry A. Hill, Andrew Eric Carlson, Peter J. De Groot
  • Patent number: 6456939
    Abstract: A micro inertial measurement unit, which is adapted to apply to output signals proportional to rotation and translational motion of a carrier, respectively from angular rate sensors and acceleration sensors, is employed with MEMS rate and acceleration sensors. Compared with a conventional IMU, the processing method utilizes a feedforward open-loop signal processing scheme to obtain highly accurate motion measurements by means of signal digitizing, temperature control and compensation, sensor error and misalignment calibrations, attitude updating, and damping control loops, and dramatically shrinks the size of mechanical and electronic hardware and power consumption, meanwhile, obtains highly accurate motion measurements.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 4, 2000
    Date of Patent: September 24, 2002
    Inventors: Hiram McCall, Ching-Fang Lin
  • Patent number: 6243167
    Abstract: The invention concerns an optical fiber gyrometer with high stability of scaling factor comprising a light source (2) supplying the two ends of a ring-shaped guide (1) and a sensor (6) receiving the two modal distributions which have traveled along the guide (1) in mutually inverse directions, the values Vdc, V1, and V2 representing the continuous components respectively incoherent, of the fundamental and of the order 1 harmonic, of the optical signal are used for establishing a quotient independent of the fluctuations of the components of the gyrometer and representing the scaling factor. These values are derived for the first detection and for the two others from the synchronous demodulation of the optical signal. The invention is useful for users and manufacturers of gyrometers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 10, 1999
    Date of Patent: June 5, 2001
    Assignee: Talltec Technologies Holdings S.A.
    Inventor: Mohamed Bouamra