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. 06, 2004
Filed:
Oct. 19, 2001
Yoshiro Sato, Osaka, JP;
Manabu Takami, Fukushima, JP;
Other;
Abstract
A wavelength selecting module includes a first collimator for collimating diverging light to generate a collimated light beam and a liquid crystal cell having a predetermined helical direction. The liquid crystal cell separates a light signal having a specific wavelength among a plurality of light signals of the collimated light beam into a left circularly polarized light and a right circularly polarized light, reflects one of the left and right circularly polarized light signals that has a same optical rotatory direction as the predetermined helical direction toward the first collimator in a first state. The liquid crystal cell passes the plurality of light signals of the collimated light beam in a second state. The liquid crystal cell changes between the first state and the second state in accordance with a change in a voltage applied thereto, thereby switching between selection and non-selection of light having the specific wavelength.