Rockwell International Corporation

Boeing North American, Inc.

Jeffrey S Schoenwald

James L Peck, Jr

Stephen W Clausi

Mohsen Khoshnevisan

Bruce G Kolloff

Steve Beccue

Jonathan P Rode

Alfred W Thiele

Raymond J Smith

David E Gjellum

Ross H Messinger

A fiber optic coupler having a first lens element for inputting a point source of light from an optical cable and outputting a collimated light, optically coupled to one or more lens elements for receiving an input of collimated light from the first lens element and outputting a focused point of light into a fiber optic cable. The lens elements can be gradient index lens. The lens elements can be of varying sizes such that the first lens element can optically connect to one or more smaller lens elements to couple or split optical signals for two way communication on the optical cables.

Fiber optic coupler combiner and process using same

The optical coupler includes first, second and third port assemblies and a deflecting element. The first port assembly receives a first optical signal, the first port assembly including a first lensing element. The second port assembly emits a predetermined, transmitted portion of the first optical signal. The second port assembly includes a second lensing element. The deflecting element is positioned between the first and second port assemblies. The third port assembly includes a third lensing element. The deflecting element and the third port assembly are so positioned and arranged such that a deflected portion of the first optical signal is deflected from the deflecting element and directed through the third port assembly. The predetermined, transmitted portion of the first optical signal is directed through the second port assembly without being deflected by the deflecting element. The transmitted and deflected portions of the first optical signal are expanded and collimated while passing through the optical coupler by appropriate positioning of the lensing elements to provide efficient and accurate control of the first optical signal.

Three-part optical coupler

A variable splitting optical coupler includes a first port assembly, a second port assembly, a movable deflecting element assembly and a third port assembly. The first port assembly includes a first lensing element and receives a first optical signal. The second port assembly includes a second lensing element and emits a variable transmitted portion of the first optical signal. The movable deflecting element assembly includes a movable deflecting element positioned between the first and second port assemblies. The third port assembly includes a third leasing element. The movable deflecting element is so positionable and the third port assembly is so positioned and arranged so that a deflected portion of the first optical signal is deflected from the deflecting element and directed through the third port assembly. The variable transmitted portion of the first optical signal is directed through the second port assembly without being deflected by the deflecting element. The transmitted and deflected portions of the first optical signal are expanded and collimated, while passing through the optical coupler by appropriate positioning of the lensing elements to provide efficient and accurate control of the first optical signal. The movable deflecting element varies the relative splitting of the deflective and transmitted portions of the first optical signal.

Variable splitting optical coupler

An interferometrically readable optical encoder for sensing linear position includes an optical medium movable in a linear direction and having a data storage layer, a plurality of uniformly sized sectors being defined in the layer. A linear absolute track is defined in the layer parallel to the linear direction and a plurality of absolute marks is formed in the layer in sequence along the absolute track within each sector, each such absolute mark being detectable by interferometric reflection of coherent light as representative of a binary 1 or a binary 0 and each such plurality of absolute marks defining a binary word. A linear incremental track is defined in the layer parallel to the linear direction with a series of incremental marks formed in the layer and evenly spaced along the first incremental track, each such incremental mark being detectable by interferometric reflection of coherent light. The binary word in a sector is read to identify the position of that sector in the linear direction and indicate the approximate position of the medium. The incremental marks refine the approximate position indication to provide a more precise position of the medium.

High resolution optical hybrid digital-analog linear position encoder

An optical encoder for sensing angular position includes a rotatable optical medium having a major surface and an axis of rotation perpendicular to the surface, with a plurality of uniformly sized angular sectors defined on the surface. An annular absolute track is defined on the surface concentric with the axis, a plurality of digital bits being formed on the surface in sequence along the absolute track within each sector. Each such bit is optically readable as a binary 1 or a binary 0, with each plurality of bits defining a binary word. A first series of optically detectable incremental marks are evenly spaced around a first incremental track on the surface. The binary word in a sector is optically read to identify the angular position of that sector and indicate the approximate angular position of the medium, while the first series of incremental marks can be optically detected to refine the approximate angular position indication. A source of light illuminates the surface along a fixed radius from the axis, while a digital track detector senses the illumination reflected from the absolute bits and a first incremental track detector senses the illumination reflected from the incremental marks. Signal processing and decoding means convert the output of the absolute track detector into a binary word and interpolate the precise angular position of the medium from the output of the first incremental track detector. An input absolute track optical fiber is connected between a absolute track optical coupler and proximate the surface of the medium, while a first input incremental track optical fiber is connected between a first incremental track optical coupler and proximate the surface. Output absolute track and first incremental track optical fibers are connected between the couplers and the track detectors for conveying reflected light from the tracks to the detectors.

High resolution optical hybrid absolute incremental position encoder

The invention is a failure detecting system including fiber optic cables of different lengths disposed in the vicinity of a secured region between two or more adherends, and an electro-optical analysis circuit for analyzing signals detected by the fiber optic cables. The fiber optic cables extend transversely across the connected adherends, with each cable extending a different length so that the width of the structure is divided into discrete regions. In this way, the measurable strain can be integrated over the entire length of the fiber where the fiber remains bonded to the material. The cables are coupled to laser circuitry, detector circuitry and network analyzer circuitry, and signals from the cables are processed in the network analyzer circuitry using a Fast Fourier Transform to reduce complex frequency information to time domain representation of reflection pulses. Thereafter, they are compared with reference signals to indicate the presence and degree of disbond. Upon determination that a predetermined threshold parameter has been attained or exceeded, the system can be designed to activate an alarm as well as any corrective equipment or process. The system can be embodied as a static failure detecting system, or as a real-time system capable of generating and maintaining an updatable library of reference signals.

Fiber optic joint sensor

A fiber optic sensor array includes a row of transmitting optical fibers, with a column of detecting optical fibers overlapping the transmitting fibers. A planar compliant spacer separates the transmitting fibers from the detecting fibers, so that a sensor element is defined at each location where a detecting fiber overlaps a transmitting fiber. The surfaces of each transmitting fiber and each receiving fiber are modified at the location of each sensor element to increase the optical coupling between the transmitting fiber and the receiving fiber at that element. The spacer in the array includes an opening between the transmitting fiber and the detecting fiber at the location of each sensor element. A support surface is affixed to the detecting fibers opposite the compliant spacer and a protective cover layer is affixed to the transmitting fibers opposite the compliant spacer. An array of light emitting elements, with each element in the emitting array being adapted to transmit light into one of the transmitting fibers, and an array of light detecting elements, each element in the detecting array being adapted to detect light emanating from one of the detecting fibers are provided. A clock times the emission of light from each emitting element and times the detection of light at each detecting element. The clock is connected to cause each detecting element to detect light in sequence after each emitting element has emitted light.

Growing community of inventors

Thousand Oaks, CA, United States of America

Jeffrey S Schoenwald