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:
Dec. 04, 2001
Filed:
Feb. 04, 2000
David A. G. Deacon, Los Altos, CA (US);
Richard B. Tompane, Los Altos, CA (US);
William K. Bischel, Menlo Park, CA (US);
Tony C. Kowalczyk, Palo Alto, CA (US);
Gemfire Corporation, Palo Alto, CA (US);
Abstract
A redundant optical connection system is manufactured in specially prepared form to allow optical connections to be made at a later step. In response to information specifying which of the optical sources are functional, further structure may be activated or introduced into the connection system which guides optical energy to optical outputs from only those of the sources that are functional. In one aspect of the invention, the preliminary form includes primary guiding structures coupling each of a plurality of primary optical sources to a respective application structure, and a secondary guiding structure coupled to a secondary optical source and terminating without yet coupling to any application structure. If the information indicates that one of the primary optical sources is non-functional, then structure can be added or activated which transfers optical energy from the secondary guiding structure into the primary guiding structure corresponding to the non-functional source.