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:
Oct. 04, 1988
Filed:
Feb. 02, 1987
Michael R Layton, Newbury Park, CA (US);
Litton Systems, Inc., Beverly Hills, CA (US);
Abstract
A fiber optic sensor array comprises a single transmit optical fiber for guiding an incident optical signal through a plurality of sensing segments in the transmit optical fiber arranged in a series array. The sensor array may includes a single return optical fiber, or the sensors may be arranged in groups with all the member of one group being connected to a corresponding return fiber. Optical couplers formed between the transmit and return optical fibers couple a portion of the incident signal into the return fiber after the signal propagates through each sensing segment. A loop is formed in the transmit fiber at each optical coupler so that the incident signal travels through the sensing segments in one direction and through the return fiber in the opposite direction. The couplers may be identical and may be have either symmertical or asymmetrical coupling coefficients. Asymmetrical couplers may be used to attenuate the intensities of undesired signals that recirculate in the loops of the array.