98 results about "Star coupler" patented technology

Optical burst switch network system and method with Just-in-Time (JIT) signaling and advanced data transmission and memory access and management. The system and method allow concurrent data transmission having arbitrary signal types, such as analog and digital signal types, in which the JIT signaling allows for subsequent simultaneous transmission of optical signals that do not require electro-optical conversion. The system includes an optical signal bus having a passive star coupler. A plurality of network adapters that are in optical communication with the optical signal bus and in network communication with network terminal devices are provided. The network adapters include receivers, transmitters and control logic that allows for bi-directional movement of data signals as bursts between the terminal equipment and the network system. The transmitter and receiver may be fixed or tunable. The system further includes an optical bus controller in optical communication with the optical signal bus that processes signals from the optical signal bus to connect a requested network adapter to a requesting network adapter in accordance with the user-to-network protocol. The network system implements a just-in-time signaling protocol to signal nodes in the network that burst communications are forthcoming. Optionally, the system allows comprehensive memory access in a Local Area Network (LAN). The nodes in the network are capable of seamlessly addressing memories of all other nodes that comprise the network.

A communication method for transmitting Ethernet messages in a distributed real-time system in which a plurality of network node computers, e.g. four network node computers (111, 112, 113, 114), each comprising at least one communication controller (121, 122, 123, 124), are linked via a communication system comprising one or more communication channels (109), one or more intelligent star couplers (101, 102) being disposed in each communication channel. According to the invention, a distinction is made between conventional Ethernet messages (ET messages) and time-triggered Ethernet messages (TT messages), the TT messages being transported with an a priori known constant delay time (Δ) between transmitter and receiver, and, when there is a time conflict between ET and TT messages, the transport of the ET message that is in conflict being delayed or aborted in order to be able to transport the TT message with the constant delay time (Δ). Furthermore, the invention relates to a corresponding communication system and a star coupler for such a communication system.

An efficient tapered optical fiber bundle along with the method of manufacturing is presented. The tapered fiber bundle is fully fused to an induced shape with no interstitial space between fibers. To minimize fiber deformation and hence the tapered bundle's loss, the individual fibers are minimally deformed by positioning them in a fixture with predetermined geometry prior to fusion. The bundle could be optionally reshaped after fusion. The tapered bundle could then be used in its original form as a star coupler, or it could be cleaved and coupled to a multimode fiber, a multi-clad fiber, a cladding-pumped fiber, or an optical system to form an optical device. The resulting optical device has improved efficiency and lower loss compared with prior art devices.

The invention relates to a system and a method for leading a wavelength division multiplexing passive optical network to realize the broadcast function with the self-healing function. The system adopts 1 optical line terminal OLT which is connected with a remote node RN through two single-mode optical fibers, and the remote node RN is connected with N-1 optical network units ONU, wherein the remote node RN mainly consists of 2 optical fiber Bragg gratings FBG, two 1 multiplied by (N-1) star couplers and 1 N multiplied by N AWG; broadcast signals sharing wavelength are reflected back by the optical fiber Bragg gratings FBG, divided by the 1 multiplied by (N-1) star couplers and then sent to N-1 input ports of an arrayed waveguide grating AWG; the transmission of the broadcast signals and point-to-point signals can be realized through the properties of the arrayed waveguide grating AWG; symmetric structures are adopted at two ends of the N multiplied N AWG for realizing the self-healing function of the system; and the transmission of the point-to-point uplink signals in the system is realized by utilizing the remodulation technology of a reflective semiconductor optical amplifier RSOA. The scheme can realize the transmission of the broadcast signals by only changing the structure of the system, and further balance the cost and the performances of the system.

A thermo-optic lens of the present invention includes a plurality of parallel heating elements having substantially constant center-to-center spacing and respective dimensions varying from the outermost heating elements to the innermost heating elements, and at least two conductive elements for providing a potential across the heating elements. The dimensions of the heating elements are varied such that a parabolic temperature distribution is generated within the thermo-optic lens.A dispersion compensator of the present invention includes a first and a second waveguide grating, each of the waveguide gratings having a first star coupler, an array of waveguides of increasing path lengths, a first end of each of the waveguides of the array of waveguides optically coupled to the first star coupler, and a second star coupler, a second end of each of the waveguides of the array of waveguides optically coupled to the second star coupler. The dispersion compensator further includes a lens having a parabolic refractive index distribution, the lens optically coupling the second star coupler of the first waveguide grating and the second star coupler of the second waveguide grating.

An optical interconnection apparatus including waveguide arrays such as waveguide lenses, waveguide gratings and star couplers, has improved efficiency realized by using a periodic array including in each period a combination of two radial waveguides. The array is formed with angular period α between an input circle and an output circle and it includes an input section, connected to the input circle, and an output section connected to the output circle. The input section includes a single waveguide in each period and it is efficiently coupled with minimal loss to the output section, whose waveguides are approximately arranged with period α / 2 in the final region close to the output circle.

A method and apparatus for assembling an optical coupler system. A first plurality of optical fibers is connected to a first receptacle using an alignment system to align the first plurality of optical fibers in the first receptacle. A second plurality of optical fibers is connected to a second receptacle using the alignment system to align the second plurality of optical fibers in the second receptacle. The first receptacle is connected to a star coupler. The first plurality of optical fibers is optically connected to a mixing channel in the star coupler. The second receptacle is connected to the star coupler. The second plurality of optical fibers is optically connected to the mixing channel in the star coupler.

A star coupler includes a core embedded in a clad on a major surface of a substrate. The refractive index of the core differs by at least 40% from the refractive index of the clad. The core includes a slab optical waveguide, at least one input-output optical waveguide connected to the slab optical waveguide, and an array of channel optical waveguides connected to the slab optical waveguide. The star coupler also includes a high-index layer having a refractive index intermediate between the refractive indexes of the clad and core, covering the sides of the core orthogonal to the major surface of the substrate. The high-index layer reduces light loss.

A star network (1) having a star coupler (14) and at least a first and second network branch (112, 122), wherein each network branch (112, 122) comprises at least one network node (110, 120) and a bus driver (11, 12) connected between the star coupler (14) and the at least one network node (110, 120). A first bus driver (11) of the first network branch (112) is adapted to detect a symbol pattern comprising at least two predetermined equal control symbols, which are transmitted from the first network node (110) to the second network node (120), wherein a control symbol is part of a control pattern. The control pattern is used to force at least the second network node (120) to switch into a predetermined state. The first bus driver (11) is disabling the first network branch (112) from the star network (1) based on whether the transmitted symbol pattern is detected. By using the protection mechanism a reliable detection of babbling idiots is provided. Moreover, in case of detecting such babbling idiots the remaining network nodes are separated and the network can operate without being influenced by the faulty network node.

The invention relates to waveguiding structures in planar lightwave circuit devices that include a transition region between a slab waveguide and channel waveguides to reduce optical coupling loss. In particular star couplers and arrayed waveguide gratings incorporating the transition region of the present invention demonstrate reduced insertion loss. By creating a transition region composed of transverse rows intersecting the output waveguide array, where the rows have equal dimensions and the effective refractive index is controlled by increasing the spacing width gradually from row to row, an adiabatic transition is created from slab waveguide to channel waveguide array. This structure provides low insertion loss within practical manufacturing tolerances. In addition, the present invention has found that by incorporating the transition region of the present invention into an AWG, the reduced insertion loss can be controlled as uniform insertion loss across the channels.

The invention discloses a structure with intelligent wavelength routing optical network nodes which supports the link management protocol, the transmit-couple- exchange structures are added to the present simple optical exchanger, the input part of the transmit-couple- exchange structure is made up of several 1x2 branching unit, the optical door switches with the same quantity, one star-coupler and receiver; the output part is made up of one transmitter, several 1x2 optical switches, one optical door switch and several 2x1 coupler. The message format controlled and transmitted by control plane software modules with universal multi-mark exchange is in line with the data package format and processing mechanism defined by the link management protocol (LMP), the transmit-couple-exchange structure ensures that the data from control plane software modules can select any output optical fiber through the node and be transmitted to the others nodes. The invention can support adjacent nodes automatically verify and detect the relation of optical fiber connection between two adjacent nodes, the corresponding relation of all ports on one node can be automatically detected by the follow-up route signal command and transmitting and coupling structure.

An optical interconnection apparatus including waveguide arrays such as waveguide lenses, waveguide gratings and star couplers, has improved efficiency realized using a periodic array combined with an arrangement of matching sections. The array is connected to a slab region containing the array focal point and the purpose of the matching sections is to minimize unwanted radiation by the array outside the central zone of the array. This unwanted radiation is primarily caused by two particular unwanted modes excited at the array junction with the slab, and the resulting loss is minimized by properly choosing the average phase shift applied by each section to said unwanted modes.

A passive optical star coupler, and associated method of operation arranged to transmit signals received at any input port to all output ports other than an output port associated with the input port. In this way all received signals are broadcast to all connected network equipment with the exception of the transmitting equipment.

The goal of the present invention is to improve the useful data efficiency and reliability in the use of commercially available ETHERNET controllers, in a distributed real time computer system, by a number of node computers communicating via one or more communication channels by means of TT ETHERNET messages. To achieve this goal, a distinction is made between the node computer send time (KNSZPKT) and the network send time (NWSZPKT) of a message. The KNSZPKT must wait for the NWSZPKT, so that under all circumstances, the start of the message has arrived in the TT star coupler at the NWSZPKT, interpreted by the clock in the TT star coupler. The TT star coupler is modified, so that a message arriving from a node computer is delayed in an intelligent port of the TT star coupler until the NWSZPKT can send it precisely at the NWSZPKT into the TT network.

A method and apparatus for assembling an optical coupler system. A first plurality of optical fibers is connected to a first receptacle using an alignment system to align the first plurality of optical fibers in the first receptacle. A second plurality of optical fibers is connected to a second receptacle using the alignment system to align the second plurality of optical fibers in the second receptacle. The first receptacle is connected to a star coupler. The first plurality of optical fibers is optically connected to a mixing channel in the star coupler. The second receptacle is connected to the star coupler. The second plurality of optical fibers is optically connected to the mixing channel in the star coupler.

A signal coupler (20) for a passive optical network (PON) system is disclosed. The coupler (20) includes a first port for two-way feeder side communication with a PON terminal (12), a star coupler (29), other ports (23) for two-way distribution side communication with each of plural remote optical network units (ONUs) (30), and a repeater (28) installed on the upstream signal path from the ONUs (30) to the PON terminal (12). Upstream signals from ONUs (30) are received by the repeater (28) without passing through the star coupler (29) by using a coarse wavelength division multiplexer (50) on each distribution fibre and taking out the upstream light before arrival at the star coupler (29) and redirecting it to a receiver array and multiplexer (52). The repeater (28) regenerates each upstream signal and changes its wavelength.

The invention discloses a wavelength divider and a power divider on the basis of stereoscopic straight arrayed waveguide grating. AWG (arrayed waveguide grating) chips which are arranged on bottom plates are different from the traditional crank arm type arrayed waveguide structures and are of sinusoidal crank arm arrayed waveguide structures, and the purpose of acquiring optical path difference can be achieved by means of changing cycle numbers of sinusoidal waves; waveguide coupling structures are further arranged above output FPR (floating point routine) (star couplers), so that purposes of the power divider can be achieved. Integrated devices are different from the traditional AWG structures, can be of straight AWG structures and can have waveguide coupling and power dividing functions, AWG elements can be greatly diminished, processes are easy to implement, and the wavelength divider and the power divider have the advantages of small size, light weight, easiness in integration and the like and are applicable to mass production.

Spot-size conversion for interfacing a first optical element having a higher refractive index to a second optical element having a lower refractive index is achieved through the use of two optical star couplers coupled to each other through a plurality of optical paths embedded in a planar waveguide. The beam from the high refractive index element is introduced into a high numerical aperture (NA) star coupler, which directs the beam through a plurality of optical paths to a second star coupler with a lower numerical aperture than the first star coupler so that its output spot-size is larger. The output port of the second star coupler is interfaced to the lower refractive index element. Wavelength tunability can be provided by including phase shifters in the paths between the two star couplers to alter the effective optical lengths of the paths to selectively produce the desired phase interference pattern.

An optical access network system capable of transmitting and receiving high-speed signals and which allows the number of subscribers to be increased without increasing the number of wavelengths used is provided. An optical line terminal and an optical network unit are joined via an optical fiber transmitting line, a star coupler, and a plurality of branching optical fiber transmitting lines. The optical line terminal and optical network unit are constituted comprising an optical processing section and an electrical processing section. The optical processing section comprises a light-emitting element and a light-receiving element. The electrical processing section comprises a transmitting signal processing section that generates an encoded transmitting signal in the form of an electrical signal by encoding a transmitting signal and a receiving signal processing section that obtains a receiving signal by decoding a code-division-multiplexed signal that has been converted from optical-signal form to electrical-signal form by the light-receiving element. The optical access network system is characterized in that the decoding processing circuit that the receiving signal processing section comprises is constituted comprising an analog matched filter and a decision circuit.

This invention relates to a star coupler connected to a plurality of nodes within a network using a time triggered protocol on a time slot basis. The invention further relates to a network including a cluster having at least one node. Further, the invention relates to a method for communication between nodes within a network using a time trigger protocol. To provide a star coupler, which is able to increase the bandwidth and to communicate with low propagation delay for communicating the relevant data it is proposed to provide a star coupler (11) comprising a switch (12) having a plurality of input branches and output branches, wherein a switch controller (13) is provided for controlling the switch (12), further comprising means (14, 15) for deriving knowledge about the protocol timing, which knowledge is used for selectively forward data in a certain time slot to at least one predetermined output.

The invention discloses a clutch driven plate torque detection device, which comprises an output shaft (1), a supporting sleeve (2), a working table (9), a spline shaft (11), a lower tooling plate (12) and an upper tooling plate (14) and also comprises a wide-range static torque sensor (3), a connecting plate (4), a star coupler (5), a small-range static torque sensor (6), a connecting flange (7), an adjusting screw (8), a bearing cover (10), a bearing (15), a spring return seat (16) and an oscillating rod (17), wherein the wide-range static torque sensor (3) is connected with the output shaft (1) and the connecting plate (4) through flanges on two ends by screws; the star coupler (5) comprises a lower connector (51) and an upper connector (52). The clutch driven plate torque detection device is stable and reliable, has high accuracy, free combined range ratio, low cost and long service life.

Diffractive optical elements are used in methods and devices for coupling or distributing electromagnetic radiation. The diffractive optical. elements may be adapted to split one or more streams of radiation into multiple streams of radiation or to combine multiple streams of radiation to produce single streams. A plurality of diffractive optical elements may be fabricated on substrates by lithographic or molding methods. Diffractive optical elements that split one or more streams of radiation can be combined with diffractive optical elements that combine multiple streams of radiation to provide a coupling device, for example, a star coupler. The star coupler may be used in networked optical communication systems to provide multiple coupling between a plurality of optical drivers and a plurality of optical receivers. Aspects can be applied to any type of electromagnetic radiation having a wavelength that can be used as a medium for transferring information.

An improved waveguide structure employing blocks of waveguide core material positioned sufficiently close to a waveguide core thereby eliminating strain effects and its resulting undesirable polarization crosstalk. The improved structures are applicable to a variety of optical components including bent waveguides, directional and star couplers.

The invention relates to an insulation state on-line integrated monitoring system for a switchgear. The insulation state on-line integrated monitoring system comprises a plurality of monitoring units which are connected with an operation management server through the Ethernet, wherein each monitoring unit includes a monitor, a star coupler, a light wave multiplexer and a plurality of optical temperature magnetic field composite sensors; an input optical port of the star coupler is connected with a broadband light source through fiber; each output optical port of the star coupler is connected with one input optical port of the light wave multiplexer through one optical temperature magnetic field composite sensor; and an output optical port of the light wave multiplexer is connected with an input optical port of the monitor through the fiber. By means of combination of the optical magnetic field sensing technology with the distributed fiber grating temperature sensing technology, the insulation state on-line integrated monitoring system for a switchgear realizes measurement of the temperature and the local signal at the same time. The insulation state on-line integrated monitoring system for a switchgear can timely discover the fault of the switchgear, can realize early warning and positioning of the fault, and is conductive to making a repair schedule reasonably and improving the operation reliability of an electric power system.

A wavelength division multiplex optical star coupler comprises an input port which inputs a first optical signal, a first optical coupler which divides the first optical signal input from the input port into a plurality of first optical signals, a plurality of input / output ports, each of which outputs one of the plurality of first optical signals divided by the first optical coupler and inputs a second optical signal, an output port which outputs the second optical signal, and a second optical coupler, provided between the input port and the first optical coupler or between the first optical coupler and the input / output ports, which provides the first optical signal to the input / output ports and the second optical signal to the output port.

Spot-size conversion for interfacing a first optical element having a higher refractive index to a second optical element having a lower refractive index is achieved through the use of two optical star couplers coupled to each other through a plurality of optical paths embedded in a planar waveguide. The beam from the high refractive index element is introduced into a high numerical aperture (NA) star coupler, which directs the beam through a plurality of optical paths to a second star coupler with a lower numerical aperture than the first star coupler so that its output spot-size is larger. The output port of the second star coupler is interfaced to the lower refractive index element. Wavelength selection can be provided by making non-zero path-length differences between adjacent optical paths between the two star couplers. Wavelength tunability can be provided by including phase shifters in the paths between the two star couplers to alter the effective optical lengths of the paths to selectively produce the desired phase interference pattern at the desired wavelength.

An arrayed waveguide grating (AWG) with improved transmission efficiency includes an input P×M star coupler, an output M×Q star coupler, and M waveguides of unequal length connecting the input and output star couplers. A novel method used to determine the optimum position of the ports ensures that the maximum frequency deviation between the signal frequency and the center of the corresponding transmission passband is minimal for all possible connections among input and output ports.

The invention discloses an arrayed waveguide grating router with uniform loss. Light is input from input waveguide to an input star coupler. Due to the Kirchhoff diffraction phenomenon, the optical field is expanded in the input star coupler and is received by the array waveguide. Then the received light of the array waveguide passes through the Sinc function coupling zone and forms focused imaging in an output star coupler. The Sinc function coupling region transforms the Gaussian optical field transmitted by the array waveguide into the Sinc function type optical field, so that the rectangular optical field is output from the output star coupler to achieve the function of uniform loss of the arrayed waveguide grating router. The arrayed waveguide grating router solves the problem of non-uniformity of loss inherent in the arrayed waveguide grating router. It has the advantages of large volume difference, low cost, small serial interference and the like.