Corning Incorporated

Jds Uniphase Corporation

Ziva Corporation

Printrak International Inc.

Zygo Corporation

Other

Eliseo R Ranalli

Barthelemy Fondeur

Douglas E Crafts

Anis Husain

Aaron Birkbeck

Jinxi Shen

James F Farrell

Philip Patrick Duggan

Bradley A Scott

John Kondis

Daniel J Driscoll

Jaymin Amin

Thomas Ducellier

Peter Gerard Wigley

Barry G Broome

Scott M Hellman

Philip J D'Almada Remedios

Paul A Townley-Smith

Alan Hnatiw

Dale A Buralli

William L DeBoynton

Douglas F Walker

Steve Chakmakjian

Christopher Brophy

Puja Sehgal

Robert Saperstein

Bradley Scott

John M Tamkin

Richard M Giles

Raymond C Godard

Gilbert Cardwell

Selected embodiments include an imager providing wide field (WFOV) and foveated images. The imager includes a frontend optic receiving light. Corrective optics reduces distortions, and transmits the light to a splitter. One portion of the light exiting the splitter is focused on a WFOV image detector. A second portion falls on a scanning mirror targeting a selected field position. The light is corrected by an adaptive corrector, which may be configured for field position-dependent correction. The light from the corrector is focused on a foveated image detector. An eye tracker may be employed to select the foveated position corresponding to user gaze direction. Another imager includes a configurable corrector in the imager's optical stop. Free space optical (FSO) communication laser may be combined with a foveated/WFOV imager, with a corrector of the imager correcting the FSO light and a scanning component selecting transmission direction for the FSO light.

Optical imaging and communications

Selected embodiments use a relatively small image detector and a scanning mirror to obtain effective performance of a larger image detector. An imager with folded optics captures images of different field positions of a field of view (FOV), and stitches the images together for a larger image of the FOV. The stitched image is processed to identify portions of interest within the larger image, for example, using a cuing algorithm. The portions of interest are scanned again to capture enhanced quality images using, for example, longer dwell time for enhanced contrast. Another image of the FOV or a part of the FOV is stitched together using the enhanced quality images.

Imager

Selected described embodiments include an imager providing concurrent wide field of view (WFOV) and foveated images. The imager includes a frontend optic configured to receive light from a scene. Corrective optics reduces distortions, and transmits the light to a beam splitter. One portion of the light exiting the beam splitter is focused on a WFOV image detector. A second portion of the light falls on a scanning mirror that can be configured to target a selected field position in the field of view. From the scanning mirror, the light passes through a magnifier and is corrected by an adaptive wavefront corrector. The corrector may be configured to correct aberrations corresponding to the particular field of view selected by the scanning mirror. The light from the wavefront corrector is focused on a foveated image detector. The images captured by the image detectors may be stored, processed, and transmitted to other systems.

Optical imaging with foveation

In selected embodiments, improved image restoration is realized using extensions of Wiener filtering combined with multiple image captures acquired after simple, fast reconfigurations of an optical imaging system. These reconfigurations may yield distinct OTF responses for each capture. The optical imaging system may reduce fabrication cost, power consumption, and/or system weight/volume by correcting significant optical aberrations. The system may be configured to perform independent correction of fields within the total field-of-regard. The system may also be configured to perform independent correction of different spectral bands.

Computational imaging using variable optical transfer function

A scanning optical spectrometer with a detector array is disclosed, in which position of focused spot of light at the input of a dispersive element such as arrayed waveguide grating (AWG) with a slab input, is scanned using a micro-electro-mechanical (MEMS) tiltable micromirror so as to make the dispersed spectrum of light scan over the detector array coupled to the AWG. Sub-spectra recorded using individual detectors are concatenated by a processor unit to obtain the spectrum of input light.

Scanning spectrometer with multiple photodetectors

The invention relates to a tunable optical add/drop module (TOADM) monolithically integrated on a single planar lightwave circuit (PLC). The present invention overcomes the shortcomings of the prior art by providing virtual pupils at the interface between the channel waveguides and the slab waveguide on the PLC for focusing each wavelength channel, and additional on-chip lenses on the PLC for transforming the focal plane of the spatially dispersive demultiplexer into a substantially flat plane at the edge of the PLC. On-chip lenses are realized as reflective surfaces within slab waveguiding regions having a surface curvature to provide optical power.

Planar lightwave circuit based tunable 3 port filter

A fiber optic perimeter detection system includes a receiver to receive output light signals from sensors positioned at different regions, each sensor including a sensing fiber. Each sensor generates an output light signal having a specified wavelength, the output light signal having a property that varies when stress is induced in the sensing fiber. The perimeter detection system includes a memory to store information related to a mapping between the wavelengths of the output light signals and the regions where the sensors are positioned.

Perimeter detection using fiber optic sensors

The present invention extends the concept of a standard array waveguide grating (AWG), which focuses each wavelength component launched via an input AWG to a Rowland circle inside a planar lightwave chip (PLC) where discrete waveguides are located, to one which focuses each wavelength component outside of the PLC chip along a straight line. An array of MEMS mirrors or other redirecting elements is positioned at the focus location for independently redirecting each of the wavelength channels back to any number of selected output AWGs formed on the same PLC chip as the input AWG.

Planar lightwave circuit based wavelength selective switch

A wavelength cross connect is provided in which there is a dispersive arrangement per port for each input port and each output port. Some of the dispersive arrangements have differing characteristics so as to result in different performances at the ports. The dispersive arrangements can differ in the selection of different dispersive elements or differing coupling optics. A particular implementation features a first set of waveguide dispersive elements having first performance characteristics, and a second set of waveguide dispersive elements having second performance characteristics.

Wavelength cross connect with per port performance characteristics

In general, in one aspect, the invention features assemblies that include a first polarizing beam splitter positioned in the paths of a pair of initial beams, the polarizing beam splitter being configured to combine the pair of initial beams to form an input beam. The assemblies further include an interferometer positioned to receive the input beam and configured to produce an output beam that includes information about an optical path difference between the paths of two component beams derived from the input beam. A second polarizing beam splitter is positioned in the path of the output beam and configured to split the output beam into a pair of secondary output beams that each include information about the optical path difference between the component beam paths.

Interferometric optical assemblies and systems including interferometric optical assemblies

An multiport, multi-wavelength optical switch having and array of angular beam-directing devices employs an anamorphic optical system that transforms a beam corresponding to a given wavelength of a given multi-wavelength input channel into a beam, at a plane of the angular beam-directing device array, having an elliptical Gaussian-beam waist in the angular-directing direction of the beam-directing device and in the orthogonal direction, with the waist in the angular-direction being larger than the waist in the orthogonal direction. Planar and non-planar emitter/receivers for use with the switch are disclosed.

Multiport wavelength-selective optical switch

A light filtering assembly for filtering an input beam of light having a plurality of desired wavelength components and a plurality of unwanted wavelength components so as to provide an output beam having only the desired wavelength components. The filtering assembly comprises an input section, a filtering section, and an output section. The input section divides the input beam into a plurality of polarized beamlets that travel along a corresponding plurality of spatially separated beam paths. The polarized beamlets comprise a plurality of desired beamlets corresponding to the desired wavelength components of the input beam and a plurality of unwanted beamlets corresponding to the unwanted wavelength components of the input beam. The filtering section is disposed in the paths of the beamlets so that the desired beamlets are passed and the unwanted beamlets are blocked. The output section is disposed in the paths of the desired beamlets exiting the filtering section and combines the desired beamlets so as to form the output beam. The output section is substantially identical to the input section to provide bi-directional capabilities. Because the beamlets are linearly polarized, the input and output sections are able to realize a high throughput efficiency.

Dual grating filtering system

A method of modifying the spectral distribution of an optical signal includes the steps of splitting the signal among a plurality of optical paths, delaying the propagation of the signal through one or more of the optical paths by a time duration which results in the desired spectral distribution when the signals at the output ends of each optical path are recombined, and then recombining those outputs. An apparatus for changing the spectral profile of an optical signal includes an input waveguide and a plurality of tapped delay lines. Each of the tapped delay lines has a delay element configurable to impart a predetermined delay to the signal propagating down the delay line. Couplers split an optical signal, propagating on the input waveguide, among the tapped delay lines. The delays imparted to the signals on each line are chosen so as to effect the desired change to the spectral profile. The device also provides for a monitoring mechanism by allowing partial transmission of the signal energy from the delay taps to a monitor to reveal information which can be used to enhance the filter instantaneous state.

Tapped delay line-based configurable spectral filter with in-situ monitoring

A method of modifying the spectral distribution of an optical signal includes the steps of splitting the signal among a plurality of optical paths, delaying the propagation of the signal through one or more of the optical paths by a time duration which results in the desired spectral distribution when the signals at the output ends of each optical path are recombined, and then recombining those outputs. An apparatus for changing the spectral profile of an optical signal includes an input waveguide and a plurality of tapped delay lines. Each of the tapped delay lines has a delay element configurable to impart a predetermined delay to the signal propagating down the delay line. Couplers split an optical signal, propagating on the input waveguide, among the tapped delay lines. The delays imparted to the signals on each line are chosen so as to effect the desired change to the spectral profile.

Growing community of inventors

Irvin, CA, United States of America

Eliseo R Ranalli