Patent application number | Description | Published |
20110305417 | CONNECTOR SYSTEM HAVING ELECTRICAL AND OPTICAL LINKS WITH OPTICAL LINK CLEANER - In a connector system, a first connector is mechanically and optically mateable with a second connector to form one or more optical signal communication links A wiping cleaner is included on at least one of the first and second connectors for cleaning an optical port of the other of the first and second connectors when the connectors are plugged together. The first and second connectors can further be electrically mateable to provide both optical and electrical signal communication links | 12-15-2011 |
20110311188 | MODULAR CONNECTOR SYSTEM HAVING ELECTRICAL AND OPTICAL LINKS - An opto-electronic module connector system is mountable on a system substrate, such as a printed circuit board, in a variety of configurations or orientations and includes an electromagnetic interference (EMI)-shielding enclosure, a connector assembly, and a socket. The connector assembly includes a connector body, a connector printed circuit board, a substantially planar contact holder, electrical contact fingers mounted on the contact holder, and an opto-electronic module. When the EMI-shielding enclosure and socket are mounted on the system substrate, a user can readily insert the connector assembly into the EMI-shielding enclosure and plug it into the socket. A user can likewise readily remove the connector assembly from the EMI-shielding enclosure and socket for maintenance, cleaning, repair or other purposes. | 12-22-2011 |
20120183256 | OPTICAL CONNECTION SYSTEM WITH PLUG HAVING OPTICAL TURN - A connection system and method in which, when a plug portion is mated with a receptacle portion, a reflector in the plug portion can redirect optical signals between an end of an optical fiber in the plug portion and an opto-electronic device, such as a light source or light receiver, in the receptacle portion | 07-19-2012 |
20120195556 | THIN CONNECTOR ASSEMBLY THAT HAS OPTICAL AND ELECTRICAL CAPABILITIES AND THAT INCLUDES A PLUG HAVING AN OPTICAL SURFACE THAT CAN BE EASILY WIPED CLEAN - A thin hybrid plug, a thin hybrid receptacle that mates with the thin hybrid plug, and a thin hybrid connector assembly comprising the thin hybrid receptacle mated with the thin hybrid plug are provided. A method for configuring a thin hybrid plug so that an optical surface of the plug is disposed for easy cleaning is also provided. An optics system of the hybrid plug has an optical surface that is substantially flush with an end face of a molded plug body of the hybrid plug to allow the optical surface to be easily wiped clean. In addition, the electrical contacts system and the optics system of the hybrid plug are arranged to enable the optical surface of the optics system to be easily wiped with a cleaning device, such as a cotton-tipped swab, for example. An optics system of the hybrid receptacle has an optical surface that is also disposed to be easily wiped with a cleaning device, such as a cotton-tipped swab, for example. | 08-02-2012 |
20120219300 | SINGLE-WAVELENGTH BIDIRECTIONAL FIBER OPTICAL LINK WITH BEAM-SPLITTING ELEMENT - An optical transceiver and method for bidirectionally communicating optical signals in an optical transceiver involve an optical element that bidirectionally separates incoming and outgoing optical signals of the same wavelength. The optical element can be a diffractive element such as a grating or, alternatively, a partially reflective element such as a transparent block having a thin-film coating. | 08-30-2012 |
20130094807 | OPTICAL COUPLING SYSTEM FOR USE IN AN OPTICAL COMMUNICATIONS MODULE, AN OPTICAL COMMUNICATIONS MODULE THAT INCORPORATES THE OPTICAL COUPLING SYSTEM, AND A METHOD - An optical communications module is provided with an optical coupling system that includes a reflective and focusing (RAF) lens and an index-matching material that together allow air gaps along the optical pathway, which are typically associated with the use of refractive optical elements used in known optical communications modules, to be eliminated. Eliminating these air gaps allows Fresnel reflection along the optical pathway to be eliminated, or at least greatly reduced. Eliminating or reducing Fresnel reflection reduces insertion loss and optical crosstalk in the optical communications module. | 04-18-2013 |
20130163938 | CONNECTOR SYSTEM HAVING ELECTRICAL AND OPTICAL LINKS WITH OPTICAL LINK CLEANER - In a connector system, a first connector is mechanically and optically mateable with a second connector to form one or more optical signal communication links. A wiping cleaner is included on at least one of the first and second connectors for cleaning an optical port of the other of the first and second connectors when the connectors are plugged together. The first and second connectors can further be electrically mateable to provide both optical and electrical signal communication links. | 06-27-2013 |
20140084148 | OPTICAL-QUALITY COVER FOR USE WITH AN OPTICAL COUPLING SYSTEM, AND AN OPTICAL COMMUNICATIONS MODULE THAT INCORPORATES THE OPTICAL-QUALITY COVER - In an optical communications module, an optical-quality (O-Q) cover is provided for use with an optical coupling system for protecting a diffractive grating of the optical coupling system from environmental contamination. In accordance with illustrative embodiments, the O-Q cover is used with an optical coupling system that includes a unitary, or integrally-formed, optical body having lenses formed on its lower end and a diffractive grating formed on its upper end. The O-Q cover is disposed in proximity to the diffractive grating and is mechanically coupled to the optical coupling system in a way that seals the portion of the optical coupling system comprising the diffractive grating in order to protect the diffractive grating from environmental contamination. | 03-27-2014 |
20140086579 | OPTICAL COUPLING SYSTEM, AN OPTICAL COMMUNICATIONS MODULE THAT INCORPORATES THE OPTICAL COUPLING SYSTEM, AND A METHOD OF USING THE OPTICAL COUPLING SYSTEM - An optical coupling system is provided that includes a unitary, or integrally-formed, optical body having lenses formed on its lower end and a diffractive grating formed on its upper end. The unitary optical body is made of a material that is transparent to an operating wavelength of light. Some of the lenses are collimating lenses and some of the lenses are focusing lenses. Diverging light beams emitted by respective laser diodes of a parallel optical transmitter module are incident on the respective collimating lenses, which collimate the respective diverging light beams to produce respective collimated light beams. The respective collimated light beams are then incident on the diffractive grating. The diffractive grating divides each collimated beam into at least a first beam that is transmitted through the grating and a second beam that is reflected by the grating onto the monitor photodiode. | 03-27-2014 |
20140314422 | BIDIRECTIONAL PARALLEL OPTICAL TRANSCEIVER MODULE AND A METHOD FOR BIDIRECTIONALLY COMMUNICATING OPTICAL SIGNALS OVER AN OPTICAL LINK - Bidirectional parallel optical transceiver modules for use in optical links and methods for communicating bidirectionally over the links are provided. The bidirectional parallel optical transceiver modules have features that ensure relatively low optical crosstalk, relatively low return loss and relatively high SNR. In addition, the modules have an in-line, zig-zag configuration that allows the modules to be compact and to have high bidirectional channel density for achieving high bandwidth. | 10-23-2014 |
20140355934 | OPTICS SYSTEM FOR USE IN A PARALLEL OPTICAL COMMUNICATIONS MODULE - An optics system for use with a parallel optical communications module is provided that includes a support structure for supporting the ends of the optical fibers in a way that ensures that the ends of the optical fibers are maintained in precise optical alignment with respective optical coupling elements of the optics system. The support structure makes it virtually impossible for there to be any misalignment between the ends of the optical fibers and the respective optical coupling elements of the optics system to prevent misalignment problems from occurring. In addition, the optics system is configured in such a way that the likelihood that the ends of the optical fibers will be damaged as they are inserted into the optics system is very small. | 12-04-2014 |
20150030281 | METHODS AND APPARATUSES FOR PREVENTING AN OPTICS SYSTEM OF AN OPTICAL COMMUNICATIONS MODULE FROM BEING DAMAGED OR MOVED OUT OF ALIGNMENT BY EXTERNAL FORCES - Protection features are incorporated into an optical communications module to ensure that the optics system of the module will not be damaged or moved out of alignment by external forces exerted on a mating surface of the module when a connector module is mated with the optical communications module. One protection feature is a strike plate that is disposed on the mating surface of the module that redistributes forces exerted on the mating surface. Another protection feature is an optically-transmissive window formed in the mating surface and comprising an optically-transmissive element having anti-reflection (AR) coatings disposed on its upper and lower surfaces. The optics system is positioned beneath the mating surface so that forces that are exerted on the mating surface are not transferred to the optics system. Another protection feature is a design of the module that mechanically decouples the optics system from the mating surface. | 01-29-2015 |