Beam combining light source
Granted: April 23, 2013
Patent Number:
8427749
The invention relates to sources of optical radiation wherein polarized radiation from first and second rows of light emitters is first collimated and combined into two combined beam using first and second rows of collimating and beam re-directing elements, respectively, and then polarization multiplexed to form a polarization-multiplexed output beam. In order to reduce the footprint, emitters of the first and second emitter rows are disposed in an interleaved, staggered arrangement, and…
Electrical termination circuit for a traveling-wave optoelectronic device
Granted: April 23, 2013
Patent Number:
8426798
An electrical termination circuit for a traveling wave optoelectronic device is disclosed. The electrical termination circuit is constructed to reflect a portion of a radio-frequency signal back into the optoelectronic device. The reflected signal is out of phase with the applied radio-frequency signal at a frequency of a detrimental spectral feature or a bump in an electro-optical transfer characteristic of the optoelectronic device. The amplitude and the phase of the reflected signal…
Multi-segment optical retarder for creating 3D images
Granted: April 23, 2013
Patent Number:
8425042
A multi-segment optical retarder that can be used with or within a single projector for creating 3D images. The multi-segment optical retarder is coupled to an actuator used to effect some predetermined linear, rotary, or oscillating movement of the multi-segment optical retarder such that a fast axis orientation of each segment is substantially constant relative to itself over time and for a given area of incidence.
Method and apparatus for graphically indicating the progress of multiple parts of a task
Granted: April 2, 2013
Patent Number:
8413064
In one embodiment, a computer-implemented method for graphically indicating a progress of multiple parts of a task involves 1) dividing the task, as a whole, into a plurality of work units, and 2) as the task is executed, and for each of the work units, separately indicating, via a graphical user interface, whether work was performed for each task part during each work unit. Other embodiments are also disclosed.
MxN wavelength selective switch
Granted: March 5, 2013
Patent Number:
8391709
A wavelength selective switch (WSS) based on an array of MEMS mirrors tiltable in 1-dimension about only one axis exhibits “hitting” or unwanted port connections during switching. Two WSS's can be cascaded to create M×N switching functionality in a hitless manner by the inclusion of block ports at specified positions in one or both of the WSS's. Greater use efficiency of ports can be achieved if quasi-hitless performance is acceptable.
Optical vortex retarder micro-array
Granted: February 12, 2013
Patent Number:
8373810
A micro-array of optical vortex retarders is provided by forming an alignment layer having a plurality of discrete alignment patches with different orientations. A layer of birefringent material, including one of a liquid crystal and a liquid crystal polymer precursor material, is provided adjacent to the alignment layer. The aligning orientation and position of each discrete alignment patch in the plurality of discrete alignment patches is selected to induce the layer of birefringent…
Method of categorising speed of a terminal system and apparatus therefor
Granted: January 8, 2013
Patent Number:
8351373
A method of categorising speed of a terminal (202) in a wireless communications network (116) comprises monitoring a first factor associated with allocation of a radio-frequency (RF) resource that is not related to mobility of the terminal (202). The first factor is then offset against a second factor, the second factor being potentially indicative of mobility of the terminal (202). The speed of the terminal (202) is then approximated using the result of offsetting the first factor…
Sharing single tester among plurality of active communication links
Granted: January 8, 2013
Patent Number:
8351338
A test system for testing a communication system having a plurality of communication links is disclosed. The test system has a single tester for performing various measurement and diagnostic tasks on a single link. The test system also has a switching system for independently testing any link by coupling the tester into any one link. The tester is coupled into the link by coupling the tester input to the link's transmitter and the tester output to the link's receiver. The switching…
Fiber tray
Granted: January 1, 2013
Patent Number:
8346043
A fiber tray for routing and packaging an optical fiber is disclosed. The fiber tray includes a generally round central section, a lead-in section, and a lead-out section. All three sections are integrally formed out of a thin sheet of a material and coated with a tacky adhesive material for fiber retention. The adhesive allows for fiber removal and rerouting if required. The tray includes guiding walls, which establish the path of the optical fiber on the tray. The optical fiber is…
Dynamic appearance-changing optical devices (DACOD) printed in a shaped magnetic field including printable fresnel structures
Granted: January 1, 2013
Patent Number:
8343615
A printed image is disclosed wherein the image may be in the form of an array of magnetically aligned platelets or flakes that may by uniform in shape and size and wherein the flakes are arranged in a particularly manner to form optically illusive images useful as security devices, or useful in beam steering applications. In one embodiment of this invention printed array is disclosed a plurality of concentric rings of magnetically aligned platelets disposed upon a substrate in the form…
Hermetic seal between a package and an optical fiber
Granted: January 1, 2013
Patent Number:
8342756
The invention relates to a hermetic feedthrough of an optical fiber into a package for an optical module, that includes a package ferrule hermetically attached to the package or integral therewith, a fiber ferrule hermetically sealed around the optical fiber, and a compression sleeve hermetically sealed around the package ferrule. The compression sleeve is hermetically sealed to the fiber ferrule or integral therewith, and wherein a coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) of the…
Out-of-band control of communication protocol in an in-line device
Granted: December 25, 2012
Patent Number:
8339955
Systems and methods for a network diagnostic component that is placed in-line between two nodes in a network to control the protocol with which two nodes communicate. The network diagnostic component receives a network data stream from a first node for communication with a second node. The network data stream is received by a receive component or module. The network data stream includes a portion that conforms with at least a first network protocol. The diagnostic component then…
Tunable optical filter
Granted: December 25, 2012
Patent Number:
8340523
A tunable PLC optical filter having sequentially connected thermally tunable Mach-Zehnder (MZ) interferometers is described. The MZ interferometers, having free spectral ranges matching ITU frequency grid spacing, are tuned so as to have a common passband centered on the frequency of the signal being selected, while having at least one of the stopbands centered on any other ITU frequency. Any other optical channel that may be present at any other ITU frequency is suppressed as a result.…
Measurement system and method of measuring a transit metric
Granted: December 11, 2012
Patent Number:
8331246
A measurement system comprises a pair of probes located at different points in a communications network. The probes generate transaction records related to messages observed, an exchange of the messages constituting a transaction. The transaction records are passed to a data store, the data store being mined by a correlator engine to match transaction records. The timestamps contained in the matching transaction records obtained are used to calculate a transit metric by a measurement…
Substrate and method of manufacturing polygon flakes
Granted: December 4, 2012
Patent Number:
8323542
A method of forming pigment flakes includes using a deposition substrate having a plurality of regions; some of the regions are raised or lowered so that there is a level difference between each two adjacent regions. A coating deposited onto this substrate breaks along region borders when it is separated from the substrate. In one embodiment, the substrate includes first and second regions, wherein each of the first regions is in an abutting relationship with at least one of the second…
Modulation system and method for generating a return-to-zero (RZ) optical data signal
Granted: December 4, 2012
Patent Number:
8325410
A modulation system and a method for generating a return-to-zero (RZ) optical data signal are provided. The modulation system comprises a Mach-Zehnder (MZ) modulator and a drive circuit, which includes a logic XOR gate and a differential amplifier. The logic XOR gate applies a logic XOR operation to a non-return-to-zero (NRZ) electrical data signal and an inverse of an electrical clock signal to generate an electrical intermediate signal. The differential amplifier differentially…
Systems and methods for data alignment
Granted: December 4, 2012
Patent Number:
8326988
A data alignment system suitable for use in manipulating the positioning of a designated portion of a data stream transmitted by a high speed communications system, so as to facilitate further processing of the data carried by the data stream. The data alignment system includes a detector and an alignment component in communication with each other. In operation, the detector locates and identifies, in accordance with suitable instructions, the designated portion of the data stream. The…
Generating a jittered digital signal using a serializer device
Granted: November 13, 2012
Patent Number:
8310383
A serializer device is used for generation, from a parallel digital signal, of a clock signal or a serial binary data signal having a pre-determined amount of jitter. A binary number having consecutive groups of ones and zeroes, when serialized by the serializer device, produces a clock signal. By varying the number of ones and zeroes on the binary number, a pre-determined amount of jitter can be generated. Use of sigma-delta modulation in combination with a phase-locked loop circuitry…
Testing upstream cable channels
Granted: November 13, 2012
Patent Number:
8310940
In order to measure the performance of a DOCSIS upstream channel as well as to locate impairments, a special test signal is transmitted in a time slot of the upstream channel by a test instrument positioned anywhere within the CATV plant. A second test instrument, located at the termination point of the upstream plant, then detects, recovers, and processes the test signal in order to complete the measurement. The typical methods used to detect and recover bursted signals within a DOCSIS…
M X N WSS with reduced optics size
Granted: October 30, 2012
Patent Number:
8300995
A M×N wavelength selective switch (WSS) module capable of independently routing any wavelength channel from any input port to any output port is provided. The M×N WSS includes a first beam relayer including first and second elements having optical power, each of which is disposed such that light transmitted to or from a first plurality of ports passes through a common point. The M×N WSS also includes a wavelength dispersive element, a first switching array having M rows including K…