Patent application number | Description | Published |
20080218680 | HIGH EXTINCTION RATIO LIQUID CRYSTAL OPTICAL SWITCH - An optical switch for performing high extinction ratio switching of an optical signal includes a beam polarizing element and one or more optical elements. The optical elements are configured to direct an optical signal along a first or second optical path based on the polarization state of the optical signal as it passes through the optical elements. The optical switch performs high extinction ratio switching of the optical signal by preventing unwanted optical energy from entering an output port by using an absorptive or reflective optical element or by directing the unwanted optical energy along a different optical path. | 09-11-2008 |
20080218872 | OPTICAL DEVICE WITH STABLE OPTICAL CONFIGURATION - An optical device for a wavelength division multiplexing system has a telecentric lens system and a signal-processing optical element, where the signal-processing optical element performs switching, attenuation, or other optical signal processing for the optical device. The telecentric lens system acts as a self-compensating optical system to minimize sensitivity of the optical device to unwanted displacement of an input image from the optical axis of the optical device. The optical device may include multiple telecentric lens systems, in which case the optical device is also less sensitive to precise alignment between the telecentric lens systems. | 09-11-2008 |
20080219619 | FIBER LENS ASSEMBLY FOR OPTICAL DEVICE - A fiber lens assembly is configured to optically couple an optical fiber to a signal processing device having free-space optical elements. The fiber lens assembly includes a diverging lens having a focal length that may be around 2 to 6 times the diameter of the optical fiber core. Sensitivity of the fiber lens assembly to angular misalignment and positional displacement is reduced by coupling the optical fiber to the signal processing device using a diverging lens rather than a collimating lens, and by configuring the diverging lens with a suitable focal length. | 09-11-2008 |
20080219663 | OPTICAL DEVICE WITH CASCADED STEERING DEVICES - An optical switching device for wavelength divisional multiplexed signals uses cascaded arrays of optical steering devices for 1×N routing of WDM optical signals, where N=4, 8, 16, etc. Two cascaded arrays provide 1×4 switching; three cascaded arrays provide 1×8 switching; and so on. Each array is configured with independently controlled optical steering devices so that each wavelength channel of the WDM signal may be routed to any of N output ports. The optical steering devices may be micro-mirrors, liquid crystal-based polarization modulators, or a combination of both. By incorporating cascaded optical steering devices into a single WDM switching device, cost effective 1×N switching of WDM optical signals may be realized. | 09-11-2008 |
20090147212 | SINGLE CONTROL LIQUID CRYSTAL OPTICAL SWITCH AND ATTENUATOR - An optical device is configured to perform both switching and attenuation of an optical beam in response to a single control signal. The optical device includes a liquid-crystal-based beam-polarizing element having polarization-conditioning regions that are controlled using a common electrode. The first polarization-conditioning region conditions the polarization of the input beam in order to separate the input beam into a primary component and a residual component. The second and third polarization-conditioning regions change the polarization of the primary component and the residual component, respectively. The primary component is directed to an output port after it has been attenuated based on its polarization state. The residual component, after passing through the third polarization-conditioning region, has its intensity further reduced based on its polarization state. | 06-11-2009 |
20120236247 | High Extinction Ratio Liquid Crystal Optical Switch - An optical switch for performing high extinction ratio switching of an optical signal includes a beam polarizing element and one or more optical elements. The optical elements are configured to direct an optical signal along a first or second optical path based on the polarization state of the optical signal as it passes through the optical elements. The optical switch performs high extinction ratio switching of the optical signal by preventing unwanted optical energy from entering an output port by using an absorptive or reflective optical element or by directing the unwanted optical energy along a different optical path. | 09-20-2012 |
20140085598 | High Extinction Ratio Liquid Crystal Optical Switch - An optical switch for performing high extinction ratio switching of an optical signal includes a beam polarizing element and one or more optical elements. The optical elements are configured to direct an optical signal along a first or second optical path based on the polarization state of the optical signal as it passes through the optical elements. The optical switch performs high extinction ratio switching of the optical signal by preventing unwanted optical energy from entering an output port by using an absorptive or reflective optical element or by directing the unwanted optical energy along a different optical path. | 03-27-2014 |
Patent application number | Description | Published |
20090156939 | Composite Passive Materials For Ultrasound Transducers - Provided herein are composite passive layers for ultrasound transducers having acoustic properties that can be easily tailored to the needs of the transducer application using current microfabrication techniques. In an embodiment, a passive layer comprises metal posts embedded in a polymer matrix or other material. The acoustic properties of the passive layer depend on the metal/polymer volume fraction of the passive layer, which can be easily controlled using current microfabrication techniques, e.g., integrated circuit (IC) fabrication techniques. Further, the embedded metal posts provide electrical conduction through the passive layer allowing electrical connections to be made to an active element, e.g., piezoelectric element, of the transducer through the passive layer. Because the embedded metal posts conduct along one line of direction, they can be used to provide separate electrical connections to different active elements in a transducer array through the passive layer. | 06-18-2009 |
20100076318 | MICROMACHINED IMAGING TRANSDUCER - The present invention generally relates to medical devices, and more particularly to an improved medical imaging device. In one embodiment, an imaging device includes a drive shaft having proximal and distal ends received within the lumen; and an imaging transducer assembly. coupled to the distal end of the drive shaft and positioned at the distal portion of the elongate member. The imaging transducer assembly includes one or more imaging transducers formed with a piezoelectric composite plate using photolithography based micromachining. | 03-25-2010 |
20100168582 | HIGH FREQUENCY TRANSDUCERS AND METHODS OF MAKING THE TRANSDUCERS - A method of making an ultrasound transducer includes providing a piezoelectric crystal of PIN-PMN-PT (lead indium niobate-lead magnesium niobate-lead titanate) and etching kerfs into the piezoelectric crystal using a laser. In at least some embodiments, each kerf has a width of no more than 4 μm. The kerfs are filled with a non-piezoelectric material to form an array of piezoelectric elements. | 07-01-2010 |
20100325855 | COMPOSITE PASSIVE MATERIALS FOR ULTRASOUND TRANSDUCERS - Provided herein are composite passive layers for ultrasound transducers having acoustic properties that can be easily tailored to the needs of the transducer application using current microfabrication techniques. In an embodiment, a passive layer comprises metal posts embedded in a polymer matrix or other material. The acoustic properties of the passive layer depend on the metal/polymer volume fraction of the passive layer, which can be easily controlled using current microfabrication techniques, e.g., integrated circuit (IC) fabrication techniques. Further, the embedded metal posts provide electrical conduction through the passive layer allowing electrical connections to be made to an active element, e.g., piezoelectric element, of the transducer through the passive layer. Because the embedded metal posts conduct along one line of direction, they can be used to provide separate electrical connections to different active elements in a transducer array through the passive layer. | 12-30-2010 |
Patent application number | Description | Published |
20110066467 | SCHEDULING MULTIPLE PROJECTS USING PHASE WORK-IN-PROCESS AND RESOURCE CONSTRAINTS - Some embodiments provide a system for scheduling multiple projects. During operation, the system can receive a set of projects. Each project can be associated with a due date, and can include a group of tasks whose interdependencies are representable using a task dependency network. Next, the system can associate at least some tasks in some of the projects with a phase. The system can then determine project start times and project end times for at least some projects in the set of projects so that the aggregate weight of the projects that are in the phase at any given time is less than or equal to a work-in-process (WIP) limit associated with the phase. The system can also impose resource usage constraints. Further, the system can enable the user to evaluate the impact on the project schedules if the duration of one or more phases is changed. | 03-17-2011 |
20110106713 | POST FACTO IDENTIFICATION AND PRIORITIZATION OF CAUSES OF BUFFER CONSUMPTION - Some embodiments provide a system for determining an aggregate delay associated with a task attribute value. During operation, the system can receive a set of projects, which include completed projects and currently executing projects. Next, the system can determine buffer consumption amounts associated with task chains in each project. A task chain can be a sequence of tasks in the project's task dependency network which ends in the project buffer. The buffer consumption amount associated with a task chain can be the amount of the project buffer that would have been consumed if the tasks in the task chain were the only tasks in the project. Next, the system can select a set of task chains based at least on the buffer consumption amounts. The system can then aggregate task delays for tasks in the set of task chains that are associated with the task attribute value. | 05-05-2011 |
20110107333 | POST FACTO IDENTIFICATION AND PRIORITIZATION OF CAUSES OF BUFFER CONSUMPTION - Some embodiments of the present invention provide systems and techniques for collecting task status information. During operation, the system can receive a status update for a task from a task manager through a GUI. Next, the system can determine whether the first status update for the task indicates that the task is delayed. If the status update indicates that the task is delayed, the system can request the task manager to indicate the help needed to resolve the task delay. Next, the system can receive a help needed descriptor from the task manager. Subsequently, the system can receive another status update for the task from the task manager, wherein the status update indicates that the help specified in the help needed descriptor is no longer required. Next, the system can determine an amount of delay associated with the help needed descriptor. | 05-05-2011 |
20110107334 | POST FACTO IDENTIFICATION AND PRIORITIZATION OF CAUSES OF BUFFER CONSUMPTION - Some embodiments of the present invention provide systems and techniques for determining a start delay and an execution delay for a task. During operation, the system can receive a status update for the task which indicates that the task has started execution. Next, the system can receive a second status update for the task which indicates that the task has completed execution. The system can then determine the start delay for the task by: determining an actual start time using the first status update; and determining a difference between the actual start time and the task's suggested start time. Next, the system can determine the execution delay for the task by: determining an actual execution duration using the first status update and the second status update; and determining a difference between the actual execution duration and the task's planned execution duration. | 05-05-2011 |