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:
Jul. 11, 2000
Filed:
Oct. 24, 1997
Andre John Van Schyndel, Kanata, CA;
Jon David Scott, Vancouver, CA;
Lorne A Whitehead, Vancouver, CA;
Ulrich Buschmann, Elchingen, DE;
Paul John Koens, Ashton, CA;
Bell-Northern Research Ltd., Ontario, CA;
Abstract
A proximity detector structure comprising a pair of light guides which are optically isolated from each other, each of the light guides having an end surface at one end thereof, a light source for transmitting light along one of the light guides to its end surface, a light receiver for receiving light carried by another of the light guides, a light emitter at the end surface of the one of the light guides for emitting light carried by the one of the light guides, and a light gathering structure at the end surface of the other of the light guides for receiving light emitted from the light emitter and reflected from an external surface and for passing the received light into the other of the light guides, the light emitter and light gathering structure being shaped so as to couple unreflected light directly from the light emitter to the light gathering structure.