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. 27, 2007
Filed:
Feb. 17, 2005
Norio Tanaka, Tokyo, JP;
Ichiro Ueno, Isehara, JP;
Takashi Hiraga, Ikeda, JP;
Nobutaka Tanigaki, Ikeda, JP;
Toshiko Mizokuro, Ikeda, JP;
Noritaka Yamamoto, Ikeda, JP;
Hiroyuki Mochizuki, Ikeda, JP;
Norio Tanaka, Tokyo, JP;
Ichiro Ueno, Isehara, JP;
Takashi Hiraga, Ikeda, JP;
Nobutaka Tanigaki, Ikeda, JP;
Toshiko Mizokuro, Ikeda, JP;
Noritaka Yamamoto, Ikeda, JP;
Hiroyuki Mochizuki, Ikeda, JP;
Abstract
An optical signal optical path switching method comprising steps of using a thermal lens based on a distribution of refractive index produced reversibly caused by temperature increase generated in an area of the light-absorbing layer film of thermal lens forming devicesand, that has absorbed control light beamsand, and in the periphery thereof, causing the converged signal light beam to exit from the thermal lens forming device with an ordinary divergence angle when the control light beamsandhave not been irradiated and no thermal lens has been formed, and causing the converged signal light beam to exit from the thermal lens forming device with a divergence angle larger than the ordinary divergence angle when the control light beams have been irradiated and a thermal lens has been formed, and causing the signal light beam to travel straight through holesandof mirrors provided with the holes for the signal light beam to pass through when the control light beams have not been irradiated and no thermal lens has been formed, and changing the optical path by reflecting the signal light beam using the hole-provided mirror when the control light beams have been irradiated and a thermal lens has been formed.