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:
Mar. 24, 2009
Filed:
Jul. 22, 2002
Terry M. Turpin, Columbia, MD (US);
Craig H. Price, Ellicott City, MD (US);
Fred F. Froelich, Baltimore, MD (US);
Bruce D. Nichols, Columbia, MD (US);
James L. Lafuse, Columbia, MD (US);
Keith R. Frampton, Sykesville, MD (US);
Terry M. Turpin, Columbia, MD (US);
Craig H. Price, Ellicott City, MD (US);
Fred F. Froelich, Baltimore, MD (US);
Bruce D. Nichols, Columbia, MD (US);
James L. Lafuse, Columbia, MD (US);
Keith R. Frampton, Sykesville, MD (US);
Essex Corporation, Columbia, MD (US);
Abstract
An Optical Tapped Delay Line (OTDL), which resolves multiple wavelength signals having extremely narrow wavelength spacing, is combined with other known optical devices to provide a wide variety of optical signal processing applications, including: multiplexing and de-multiplexing a multi-channel signal; adding a signal to, or dropping a signal from, a multi-channel optical signal; specialized coding processing such as generating code division multiple access signals; wavelength locking (stabilizing) a signal; filtering a signal; and analyzing and monitoring a signal spectrum. The OTDL spatially separates individual channels to allow separate processing on each channel. Fixed and tunable embodiments are identified in appropriate cases. Bulk, hybrid, and integrated optical embodiment and methods of fabrication are described, as are curved self-focusing and evanescent embodiments of OTDL devices. The devices and processes disclosed have particular application to dense wavelength division multiplexing (DWDM) and permit a significant improvement in the quantity of information that can be carried on DWDM signals while enhancing signal quality.