The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Nov. 19, 2019
Filed:
Jan. 23, 2017
Ii-vi Incorporated, Saxonburg, PA (US);
Mark H. Garrett, Morgan Hill, CA (US);
Mark Filipowicz, Scotts Valley, CA (US);
Siegfried Fleischer, Los Gatos, CA (US);
II-VI Delaware, Inc., Wilmington, DE (US);
Abstract
A free space variable optical attenuator (VOA) utilizes a beamsplitter to create tap beams (of both the input signal and the beam-steered output signal) that are directed into monitoring photodiodes. The beamsplitter is configured to exhibit a non-equal splitting ratio such that the tap beams are only a relatively small portion of the input/output beams. The free space configuration eliminates the need for fiber-based couplers, splices and connections to external monitors, as required in prior art VOA monitoring systems. The VOA utilizes a voltage-controlled, MEMS-based tilt mirror to provide beam steering of the propagating, free space beam in a known manner to introduce attenuation (power reduction) in the output signal.