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Patent US5915054 - Star coupler for an optical communication network - Google PatentsSearch Images Maps Play YouTube News Gmail Drive More »Sign inPatentsAn interconnectable star coupler for an optical communication network is formed using 1�2 branching circuits, 2�2 branching circuits, and optical waveguides. Branching circuits may be connected by intersecting optical waveguides. The interconnectable star coupler is built in such a manner that the...http://www.google.com/patents/US5915054?utm_source=gb-gplus-sharePatent US5915054 - Star coupler for an optical communication networkAdvanced Patent SearchPublication numberUS5915054 APublication typeGrantApplication numberUS 08/460,709Publication dateJun 22, 1999Filing dateJun 2, 1995Priority dateMar 5, 1992Fee statusLapsedAlso published asUS5684899, US5854700Publication number08460709, 460709, US 5915054 A, US 5915054A, US-A-5915054, US5915054 A, US5915054AInventorsTakeshi OtaOriginal AssigneeFuji Xerox Co., Ltd.Export CitationBiBTeX, EndNote, RefManPatent Citations (25), Non-Patent Citations (38), Referenced by (26), Classifications (17), Legal Events (5) External Links: USPTO, USPTO Assignment, EspacenetStar coupler for an optical communication network
US 5915054 AAbstract
An interconnectable star coupler for an optical communication network is formed using 1�2 branching circuits, 2�2 branching circuits, and optical waveguides. Branching circuits may be connected by intersecting optical waveguides. The interconnectable star coupler is built in such a manner that the angle between waveguides meets particular criteria based on the critical angle of the waveguide.
1. An interconnectable star coupler in an optical communication network having N (N=2i +1, i is an integer ≧2) terminals, comprising:a substrate: an equal branching circuit unit including a plurality of 1�2 equal branching circuits corresponding to said terminals, which are arranged on the substrate; said equal branching circuit unit being connected through optical waveguides to the corresponding terminals in such a manner that there are intersecting portions of said optical waveguides in said star coupler. 2. The interconnectable star coupler according to claim 1 wherein an angle between said waveguides exceeds an angle twice as much as a critical angle of said waveguides.
3. An interconnectable star coupler in an optical communication network having N (N=2i +1, i is an integer ≧2) pairs of terminals, comprising:N pairs of 1�2 equal branching circuits corresponding to N pairs of terminals; and at least one 2�2 branching circuit coupled between said terminals and said 1�2 equal branching circuits, branch terminals of at least one of said 1�2 equal branching circuits being connected through optical wave guides to corresponding terminals of said at least one 2�2 equal branching circuit in such a manner that said optical waveguides in said star coupler intersect. 4. The interconnectable star coupler according to claim 3 wherein an angle between said waveguides exceeds an angle twice as much as a critical angle of said waveguides.
9. An interconnectable star coupler comprising:an optical coupler including:a Y branching circuit; two optical waveguides having a first refractive index and of approximately equal cross-sectional shapes, each optical waveguide coupled to a different branch of the Y branching circuit; and a medium, with a second refractive index, lower than the first refractive index, between the optical waveguides, whereby energy is transferred from one waveguide to the other waveguide. 10. The interconnectable star coupler according to claim 9 wherein said Y branching circuit includes branches of different cross-sectional shapes.
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FIG. 25 shows a first embodiment of an interconnectable 5-port star coupler according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention. Three 1�2 equal branching circuits 205 are combined in a tree fashion, thereby forming an equal branching circuit unit 203 with four ports. As shown, five light-equal branching circuit units 203 are arrayed on a substrate 201 in a star fashion, thereby forming the star coupler. A light signal emanating from an optical fiber 202 is equally divided into four light signals, by the branching circuit unit 203. Those divided light signals are distributed to the remaining optical fibers 204, through optical waveguides 201a formed on the same plane of the substrate 201. The integrated optical circuit contains five intersecting portions 204 where the optical waveguides 201a intersect.
Where the intersection angle δ is large, the light which does not couple the waveguides at the intersecting portion 204 increases relative to the other light. This results in increase of loss (transmission loss). The fact that the transmission loss abruptly increases when the intersection angle δ decreases below 20�, has been numerically calculated (see Takahashi and Inagaki "Analysis of the transmission loss in matrix optical waveguide", The 1992 IEICE (institute of electronics/information/communication Engineers) spring conference record, C-192 (1992)). For this reason, δ is preferably lager than 20�.
According to the invention, the single mode, interconnectable multi-port start coupler can be constructed not using the 1�2 Evanescent optical coupler. Therefore, the star coupler is free from the junction loss caused by the 1�2 Evanescent optical coupler. The circuit can be constructed by using merely the combination of the 1�2 equal branching circuit and the 2�2 equal branching circuit. Therefore, also in the multi-mode, interconnectable star coupler,. its manufacturing is easy.
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Ltd.Thin semiconductor device and operation method of thin semiconductor deviceUS20030123785 *Apr 23, 2002Jul 3, 2003Fujitsu LimitedOptical path cross connect apparatus and switching method thereofUS20050147365 *Jan 7, 2004Jul 7, 2005International Business Machines CorporationMethods and devices for coupling electromagnetic radiation using diffractive optical elementsUS20050226618 *Jun 9, 2005Oct 13, 2005Harris CorporationNetwork transceiver for extending the bandwidth of optical fiber-based network infrastructureUS20070036546 *Sep 13, 2006Feb 15, 2007Cheetah Omni, LlcMethod and Apparatus for Scheduling Communication using a Star Switching FabricUS20070273476 *Mar 24, 2005Nov 29, 2007Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.Thin Semiconductor Device And Operation Method Of Thin Semiconductor DeviceUS20080071499 *Nov 29, 2007Mar 20, 2008International Business Machines CorporationRun-time performance verification systemUS20090232503 *May 22, 2009Sep 17, 2009Joseph ScheibenreifOptical transceiver with optical multiplexer on a flexible substrateUS20120189302 *Sep 24, 2010Jul 26, 2012Autonetworks Technologies, Ltd.On-vehicle communication system, optical communication harness and optical distribution apparatusUS20150036974 *Jul 30, 2013Feb 5, 2015The Boeing CompanyPlastic and glass optical fiber bus network* Cited by examinerClassifications U.S. Classification385/46International ClassificationG02B6/42, G02B6/12, H04L12/413, H04L12/44, G02B6/125Cooperative ClassificationG02B6/4246, G02B2006/12104, H04L12/413, G02B6/12007, G02B2006/12164, G02B6/125, H04L12/44European ClassificationG02B6/12M, H04L12/44, G02B6/42C6, G02B6/125Legal EventsDateCodeEventDescriptionSep 5, 2000CCCertificate of correctionNov 29, 2002FPAYFee paymentYear of fee payment: 4Jan 10, 2007REMIMaintenance fee reminder mailedJun 22, 2007LAPSLapse for failure to pay maintenance feesAug 14, 2007FPExpired due to failure to pay maintenance feeEffective date: 20070622RotateOriginal ImageGoogle Home - Sitemap - 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