Patent application number | Description | Published |
20110228259 | OPTICAL FIBER ALIGNMENT MEASUREMENT METHOD AND APPARATUS - A measurement system comprising an analog position sensitive device is provided that can measure the XY position of a plurality of light beams at very high resolution. In accordance with one exemplary associated method, a connector bearing one or more optical fibers is fixedly positioned before a position sensing detector so that light emanating from the ends of the optical fibers will strike the position sensing detector. A light beam is passed through at least one opening in the connector, such as a guide pin hole onto the detecting surface of the PSD to establish the position of the connector. Next, each optical fiber in the connector is individually illuminated sequentially so that the light emanating from the fiber falls on the position sensing detector. The locations of all of these light beams striking the PSD are compared to position of the light beam passed through the guide pins and/or to each other to determine if all the fibers are in the correct positions relative to the connector. In addition, it is possible to simultaneously measure the magnitude of the light emanating from each fiber in order to measure the quality of the light transmission through the connector/cable assembly. | 09-22-2011 |
20120014648 | FERRULE FOR OPTICAL TRANSPORTS - The invention pertains to a ferrule for aligning optical transports within an optical connector for coupling to a mating optical connector for purposes of aligning the optical transports in the first connector with optical transports in the mating connector. The ferrule comprises a main body portion defining a longitudinal cavity running between a front face and the rear face of the main ferrule body. The cavity has an opening to a lateral side of the ferrule main body that permits the installation of optical transports into the cavity from a lateral direction (as well as still permitting longitudinal installation, if desired). A cover may be provided for closing off the lateral opening after the optical transports are installed in the cavity. | 01-19-2012 |
20120014649 | METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR ALIGNING OPTICAL TRANSPORTS IN A FERRULE - Methods and apparatus for aligning optical transports, such as waveguides and optical fibers, in a ferrule of an optical connector. The ferrule has an open side through which optical transports may be inserted into a transport cavity in the ferrule from a direction transverse the longitudinal direction of the optical transports and ferrule. To assemble the optical transports in the ferrule, the ferrule is positioned with its front face abutting and aligned with a jig that has an opening substantially identical to the ferrule cavity. The jig has grooves in a bottom surface of the cavity into which the optical transports will be inserted for transversely aligning the optical transports. The optical transports are then dropped into the aligned cavities of the ferrule and jig through the open sides of the ferrule and jig so that the front ends of the optical transports sit at least partially in the V-shaped grooves of the jig, thereby aligning the transports in the transverse dimension. A press cures adhesive in the cavity to cure the adhesive and fix the transports in the ferrule. The optical transports are then cleaved or otherwise cut flush with the front face of the ferrule. The process is repeated for each row of optical transports with the height of the bottom of the cavity in the jig adjusted for each subsequent row by an amount equal to the thickness of a row of the optical transports. | 01-19-2012 |
20120014650 | Apparatus and Method for Aligning Optical Transports in a Ferrule - Method and apparatus for aligning optical transports in a ferrule. The ferrule has an open side through which optical transports may be laterally placed in a transport cavity. The transports are aligned in the ferrule by mounting the ferrule on a jig having grooves into which the ends of the optical transports are inserted for transversely aligning the fibers in the ferrule. A row of transports is placed in the ferrule cavity with the front ends of the transports extending past the ferrule and into the grooves of the jig, thereby laterally aligning the transports with the grooves. The fibers are affixed to the ferrule. The ferrule can then be removed from the jig and the front ends of the transports that extended into the grooves of the jig cleaved flush with the front face of the ferrule. Additional rows of transports may be aligned in the ferrule in the same manner using different jigs. C-shaped grooves can be employed to separate the horizontal alignment from the vertical alignment. Specifically, horizontal alignment is effectuated by the opposing edges of the groove at the mouth of the C shape engaging the transports and vertical alignment is effectuated by the cladding layer of the row of transports resting on the tops of the grooves. It also is possible to create effective grooves of a smaller size than might otherwise be manufacturable in a single jig piece by, instead, fabricating two jig pieces, each with larger grooves and longitudinally aligning the two jig pieces with their respective grooves laterally offset from each other so that each jig piece effectively provides half of the groove. | 01-19-2012 |
20120141071 | OPTICAL CONNECTOR - In accordance with the invention, the end faces of polymer optical waveguides are coated with a film that is harder than the waveguides themselves, but still sufficiently compliant to fill in scratches, gouges and other non-planarities in the end faces of the waveguides. Even further, using a single continuous sheet of the film to protect the end faces of a plurality of polymer waveguides in a connector also helps make the effective mating surfaces of all of the waveguides coplanar (i.e., longitudinally coextensive). Furthermore, if the film becomes scratched, it can be stripped off and replaced without the need to replace the waveguides or the entire connector. | 06-07-2012 |
20120189245 | OPTICAL INTERPOSER FOR WAVEGUIDES - An optical interposer comprising: (a) a substrate having a planar surface: (b) at least one groove defined in the planar surface and extending from an edge of the substrate to a terminal end, the groove having side walls and a first facet at the terminal end perpendicular to side walls, the facet having a first angle relative to the planar surface, the first angle being about 45 degrees; (c) a reflective coating on the first facet, and (d) a optical conduit disposed in the groove for optically coupling the first facet with a waveguide. | 07-26-2012 |
20120201499 | FERRULE WITH ALIGNMENT PIN CHANNELS - An optical ferrule comprising: (a) a body defining an end face; (b) one or more channels extending from said end face through said body, each channel adapted to receive an optical fiber; and (c) first and second alignment pin channels defined in said end face, each alignment pin channel having a center point, said center points being disposed along a first axis, said first alignment pin channel having a first cross section essentially the same as that of an alignment pin and being adapted to receive said alignment pin, said second alignment pin channel having a second cross section elongated along said first axis. | 08-09-2012 |
20130077978 | MULTI-CHANNEL TRANSCEIVER - A transceiver comprising at least one chip comprising at least a first array of long-wavelength VCSELs and at least a second array of receiving optical devices, an optical interface optically coupled to the VCSELs and the receiving optical devices and configured to optically couple with an optical connector, transmitting and receiving circuitry electrically connected the VCSELs and the receiving optical devices, and adapted for connecting to an electrical connector, and a frame for holding the chip, the optical interface, and the transmitting and receiving circuitry. | 03-28-2013 |
20130094864 | OPTICAL INTERFACE FOR BIDIRECTIONAL COMMUNICATIONS - An optical interface comprising a first portion having at least one optical conduit interface with a first axis for optically coupling with at least one optical conduit, a second portion having at least one transmitter interface with a second axis for optically coupling with a transmitting optical device, and at least one receiver interface with a third axis for optical coupling with a receiving optical device, the first, second and third axes being essentially parallel; and a wavelength filter element (WFE) disposed between the first and second portions, the WFE defining a first optical path between the transmitter interface and the optical conduit interface, and a second optical path between the optical conduit interface and the receiver interface. | 04-18-2013 |
20130183030 | SYSTEM FOR TESTING OF OPTICAL NETWORK - A network comprising: (a) a fiber having first and second ends; (b) a transmitter connected to the first end of the fiber and configured to launch a test signal having a first wavelength down the fiber; and (c) a thin-film selective reflector configured to reflect the first wavelength, the thin-film selective reflector optically connected to the second end of the first fiber. | 07-18-2013 |
20130272655 | WAVELENGTH INSENSITIVE EXPANDED BEAM WITH GRIN FIBER - A GRIN fiber lens connection system particularly suited for high-power laser applications is disclosed. In one aspect, a GRIN fiber lens expanded beam system that is efficient over a wide spectral region, e.g., a range of about 200 nm, 300 nm or 400 nm, is disclosed for coupling one optical fiber (such as a single-mode fiber) to another. For example, a GRIN fiber lens expanded beam system is efficient over a range of wavelengths from about 400 nm to about 800 nm, from about 190 nm to about 390 nm, or from about 1270 nm to about 1650 nm. A method for designing such a coupling system is also disclosed. In another example, the cores of the GRIN fiber lenses are substantially devoid of germanium, and the cladding is doped with an element, such as fluorine, that lowers the refractive index of the cladding. | 10-17-2013 |
20140363122 | OPTICAL INTERPOSER FOR WAVEGUIDES - A process for preparing a subassembly, the process comprising (a) defining the location of one or more grooves for receiving at least one polymer waveguide in a wafer, (b) etching the grooves into the wafer, each groove having sidewalls and a first facet at the terminal end perpendicular to the side walls, the first facet having a first angle relative to the top planar surface, (c) coating the first facet with a reflective material, and (d) disposing a fluid polymer waveguide precursor into each groove, and writing a core into the polymer material by directing at least one laser beam on the first facet by directing the laser beam into the top of the polymer material such that the beam reflects off of the first facet and down the interior of the polymer material to form the core in the polymer waveguide. | 12-11-2014 |