Patent ID: 7715670
Filing Date: 2010-05-11
Classification: G02B

Abstract:
1. An optical coupler comprising: an optical port; an objective lens with a principal axis, the objective lens having a first portion and a second portion about a periphery of the first portion and laterally offset from the first portion, the objective lens being spaced apart from the optical port along the principal axis, the first portion of the objective lens being disposed coaxially with the objective lens and optically coupled with the optical port to receive only a first optical signal; an optical source optically coupled with the second portion of the objective lens, the optical source arranged along an axis parallel to the principal axis of the objective lens, and having a collimating lens disposed generally parallel to the principal axis but laterally offset from the principal axis and aligned with said second portion of the objective lens, the collimating lens being adapted to transmit a second optical signal to the objective lens along a path generally parallel to the principal axis but laterally offset from the principal axis, the objective lens being adapted to optically couple only the second optical signal to the optical port by refracting the second optical signal using only the second portion of the objective lens; an optical detector optically coupled with the second portion of the objective lens, and arranged along an axis that is coincident with and parallel to the principal axis of the objective lens, to receive the first optical signal; and wherein the first portion and the second portion of the objective lens overlap.