Celerity Technologies Inc.

Arroyo Optics, Inc.

Owlink Technology, Inc.

Lastar, Inc.

Ortronics, Inc.

Xiaolin Tong

Anthony Stephen Kewitsch

George A Rakuljic

Junxing Cao

Phil A Willems

Xin Yang

Shing-Wu P Tzeng

Randall J Blair

Doruk Engin

Seth J Greenberg

Hua Zhang

Everett Poffenberger

Todd Hu

Yumei Zhan

Tony Cheng

In an HDMI (High Definition Multimedia Interface) video signal transmission system in which a fiber optic cable connects the HDMI transmitter and receiver, the HDMI receiver supplies a DC power to the receiver-side connector of the fiber optic cable on a designated pin of the HDMI interface, such as pin 14 of the Type A interface. The DC power does not affect the AC signal (e.g. ARC) transmitted on this pin under the HDMI specification. The receiver-side connector uses this power to power its internal components such as optical transceiver and signal processing chips. This eliminates the need to supply power to the receiver-side connector via a separate USB cable. One example of the HDMI receiver is a video matrix switch, which acts as a receiver for devices plugged into its input HDMI ports. A fiber optic cable incorporating Bluetooth wireless chips in its two connectors is also disclosed.

HDMI matrix switcher receiving side and receiver-side fiber connector power management

In a video signal transmission system using fiber optic cable, an improved optical transceiver module (fiber module) having integrated video signal processing capabilities can be used in video signal transmitters for video sources, video signal receivers for display devices, or video switching devices. The improved fiber module has a form factor complying with the Small Form-factor Pluggable standard, and a standard optical fiber connector. In addition to an optical transceiver, the improved fiber modules includes a &#xbc; inch signal processing chip programmed to perform video signal processing. The mainboard of the video signal transmitter or receiver or the video switching device has additional signal processing chips for processing non-video signals such as audio, data, network, RS-232, and IR remote control signals, but they do not perform video signal processing. Another embodiment is a fiber optic cable with an electrical signal connector module that integrates a video signal processing chip.

Transmitters and receivers for transmission of video and other signals by fiber optic cable

A video signal transmitter or receiver for handling multiple video signals, including mainboard signal processing circuitry, one master fiber module, and one or more add-on fiber modules. Video data signal for the multiple videos are transmitted over the master and add-on fiber modules, but no video control signal is transmitted over any add-on fiber module. Video control signal for all of the multiple videos are transmitted on a first subset of channels of the master fiber module in a multiplexed manner. The mainboard signal processing circuitry cooperates with the signal processing chip of the master fiber module to process all video control signals, with the master fiber module processing video control signals for at least two videos. Non-video signals are processed by the mainboard circuitry and transmitted on a second subset of channels of the master fiber module (same as or different from the first subset of channels).

A modular optical cabling system converts and transmits digital electronic signals from a source such as a computer to any suitable target device such as a display or a projector through an optical backbone. A modular transmitting unit connects the source to a modular optical cable and converts the digital electrical signals to optical signals. A modular receiving unit receiver connects the modular optical cable to the target device and converts the optical signals to digital electrical signals. A directional modular optical cable connects between the transmitter unit and the receiver unit.

Devices and methods for modular optical cabling systems

A connecting device for a fiber optic cable includes a first part having first and second electrical connectors located on its housing, and a second part having a third electrical connector located on its housing. The second and third electrical connectors are adapted to be mechanically and electrically connect with each other or disconnected from each other. The first part has electrical components disposed within its housing and electrically connected to the first and second electrical connectors. The second part receives end portions of optical fibers of the fiber optic cable; it has optical transceivers within its housing but no other electrical circuitry. Also disclosed is a cable device employing an optical fiber cable and two connecting devices at its two ends, at least one of which having a structure described above. Various form factors can be adopted for the first part, including a plug, wall plate, standalone box, etc.

Fiber optic cable with electrical connectors at both ends, wall plates and control boxes

A connecting device for a fiber optic cable includes a first part having a first housing and first and second electrical connectors located on the first housing, and a second part having a second housing and a third electrical connector located on the second housing. The second and third electrical connectors are adapted to be mechanically and electrically connect with each other or disconnected from each other. The first part further includes electrical components disposed within the first housing and electrically connected to the first and second electrical connectors. The second part receives end portions of optical fibers of the fiber optic cable, and further includes optical transceivers disposed within the second housing which are electrically connected to the third electrical connector and optically coupled to the optical fibers. Also disclosed is a cable device employing an optical fiber cable and two connecting devices at its two ends, where at least one of the connecting devices has a structure described above.

Fiber optic cable with electrical connectors at both ends

A grating assisted optical waveguide for use in free space optical detection is disclosed. High speed, high sensitivity, large field of view, and relaxed tolerance on alignment are enabled. The grating converts a free space incoming optical beam into guided mode. Converted optical signals propagate along the waveguide, and can be directed to an optical detector. As such, the optical intensity at the active area of the detector is increased significantly. A number of optical beam converter gratings for free space light collection can be used, including linear and ring structure gratings, chirped gratings, and multilayer gratings. Such a grating assisted optical waveguide can be used, for example, in a digital wireless multimedia system, where digital content is wirelessly transmitted from a source to a target destination, such as home-based video and audio entertainment systems.

High speed free space optical detection with grating assisted waveguide

Embodiments provide single fiber bidirectional HDCP modules. A signal fiber module includes at least one laser and at least one detector and a waveguide combiner/splitter. An optical fiber is used as a cylindrical lens in order to partially collimate in the vertical axis the optical signals entering and leaving branches of a waveguide. The branches of the waveguide have lens-shape interfaces in order to at least partially collimate in the horizontal axis the beams entering and leaving the waveguide. Each branch of the waveguide tapers toward a join-section of the waveguide. At the join section, the cross-section of a laser branch is smaller than the cross-section of a detector branch. If more than one detector is present in a module, the cross-sections of the detector branches differ from each other. If more than one laser is present in a module, the cross-sections of the laser branches differ from each other.

Bidirectional HDCP module using single optical fiber and waveguide combiner/splitter

Systems devices and methods in accordance with the invention impart high strength index of refraction patterns to photosensitive optical devices, such as Bragg gratings written in optical fibers. A length of small diameter fiber retaining photosensitivity is fabricated by flame elongation of an optical fiber precursor having dopant containing cladding, using a diffuse, low velocity inverted flame that does not introduce water, OH or H into the fiber. By varying the flame velocity during each scan the fiber is diminished to a small, uniform diameter, waist region. Photosensitivity is preserved and enhanced by exposure of the prepared waist region to scanning actinic illumination within an in-diffusing environment of pressurizing hydrogen or deuterium, and controlling the exposure to optimize the photo-induced index change. The photochemistry is balanced to provide a strong index of refraction grating by adjusting illumination instensity and scanning velocity to arrive at a low fraction of a selected photoabsorbing component of the dopant.

Fabrication of photosensitive strong grating couplers

An add/drop filter for optical wave energy incorporates a Bragg grating in a very narrow waist region defined by merged lengths of elongated optical fibers. Light is propagated into the waist region via adiabatically tapered fibers and is transformed from two longitudinally adjacent fibers into two orthogonal modes within the air-glass waveguide of the waist and reflected off the grating from one fiber into the other. The geometry of the waist region is such that the reflected drop wavelength is polarization independent, without lossy peaks in the wavelength band of interest. Additionally, back reflection are shifted out of the wavelength band of interest. High strength gratings are written by photosensitizing the waist region fibers by constantly in-diffusing pressurized hydrogen or deuterium. For narrow spectral bandwidth gratings, dimensional variations must be minimized or compensated, and the grating is apodized by both a.c. and d.c. variations in writing beams at a net constant power. A coupler device employing these precisely is arranged in a support structure which facilitates writing, testing and adjustment of gratings, and also provides temperature compensation and wavelength adjustment.

Grating assisted coupler devices

Advantageous methodologies are disclosed for embedding periodic patterns in optical waveguide elements such as optical fibers. Polarization independence in an elongated waist region of a coupler can be established by measuring polarization characteristics during fusion and elongation, and controlling the heating and stretching to impart a cross-sectional shape, such as a hybrid dumbbell-ellipsoid produces a polarization insensitive drop wavelength. Alternatively, or additionally, polarization dependence can be minimized by angular deformation of the elements along its light transmissive axis. In addition, an element of relatively low photosensitivity is held in an hydrogen or deuterium environment pressurized to about 1000 to 5000 psi. While the environment is pressurized, a scanning UV beam is transmitted through a photomask and impinges on the coupler waist. In writing the grating, the in-diffused gas is constantly replenished, enabling the grating to grow. Prior to writing the periodic pattern dimensional variations in the element which can affect spectral bandwidth are sensed by writing a test pattern in the element and then locally measuring the spectral properties of the test pattern progressively along the element and adjusting the local level of background index of refraction so that the modal index of refraction is substantially constant, minimizing imperfections in the precision of the wavelength pattern. The scanning writing beam, which can be of substantially larger cross-sectional dimensions than the waveguide element (which may be in the 4-10 micron range) is caused to track on the element despite positional imprecision and temporal shifting by using fluorescence induced in the elements to provide an error signal for positive correction. To apodize the grating in accordance with a selected function, a constant power beam is directed through a rotating half-wave plate and into a polarizing beam splitter, where it is divided into two beams having oppositely varying d.c. amplitude characteristics. One beam is varied by a periodic pattern, and the other beam is free of a periodic pattern. Alternately, a scanner toggles the constant intensity beam between the two beam paths in rapid succession, varying the duty cycle of toggling as the beams scan along the coupler waist to produce the desired apodization profile of the grating.

Methods of fabricating grating assisted coupler devices

Advantageous methodologies are disclosed for embedding periodic patterns in optical waveguide elements such as optical fibers. Polarization independence in an elongated waist region of an add/drop coupler can be established by measuring polarization characteristics during fusion and elongation, and controlling the elongation to impart a cross-sectional shape, such as a hybrid dumbbell-ellipsoid. Polarization dependence can also be minimized by angular deformation of the elements along the light transmissive axis. To write a pattern, an element having potential photosensitivity is markedly photosensitized in a hydrogen or deuterium environment pressurized to about 1000 to 5000 psi and a scanning UV beam that is transmitted through a photo mask and impinges on the coupler waist as the in-diffused gas is constantly replenished. Dimensional variations in the element which can affect spectral bandwidth are sensed by writing a preliminary test pattern in the element and then locally measuring the spectral properties of the test pattern and adjusting the local levels of background index of refractions so that the modal index of refraction is substantially constant along the length of the pattern. A relatively wide scanning writing beam tracks on a narrower waveguide element despite positional imprecision and temporal shifting by using a feedback signal derived from fluorescence induced in the element. To apodize the grating in accordance with a selected function, a constant power beam is directed through a rotating half-wave plate and divided by a polarizing beam splitter into two beams having oppositely varying DC amplitude characteristics. The two beams are separately varied to produce the desired apodization profile of the grating.

Growing community of inventors

Irvine, CA, United States of America

Xiaolin Tong