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. 01, 2005
Filed:
Mar. 16, 2001
Armand P. Neukermans, Portola Valley, CA (US);
Rajiv Ramaswami, Sunnyvale, CA (US);
John F. Heanue, San Jose, CA (US);
Brian P. Tremaine, San Jose, CA (US);
Marc Schuman, San Francisco, CA (US);
Armand P. Neukermans, Portola Valley, CA (US);
Rajiv Ramaswami, Sunnyvale, CA (US);
John F. Heanue, San Jose, CA (US);
Brian P. Tremaine, San Jose, CA (US);
Marc Schuman, San Francisco, CA (US);
Other;
Abstract
One aspect is a method for controllably attenuating the beam of light () coupled between incoming and outgoing optical fibers () by misaligning minor surfaces () included of an optical switching module (). Misalignment of the mirror surfaces (and) causes only a portion of the beam of light () propagating along the incoming optical fiber (), which is less than when the light beam deflectors' mirror surfaces () are precisely aligned, to propagate along the outgoing optical fiber (). Thus, the optical switching module () controllably attenuates the beam of light () coupled between the incoming and the outgoing optical fibers (). Another aspect is a variable-optical-attenuator ('VOA') () that includes an optically reflective membrane () upon which the beam of light () impinges. Application of an electrostatic field between an adjacent electrode () and the membrane () deforms the membrane () thereby attenuating an impinging beam of light ().