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US 2003/0156816 A1Published application
Variable optical attenuation collimator with controllable light blocking mechanisms
AssigneeGlobal Opticom, Inc.
InventorYi He
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AssigneeGlobal Opticom, Inc.
InventorYi He
Estimating the term…
A concept of designing a Variable Optical Attenuation Collimator (VOAC) is disclosed to achieve a variable degree of optical power attenuation through the collimator by adding an Attenuation Control Element (ACE) between a lens element and fiber pigtails of a traditional fiber optical collimator. The body of the ACE can be implemented in many different forms of a light blocker element capable of being controllably moved into a main light path of the VOAC to obstruct a controlled portion of light power. The light blocker can be a Micro Electro Mechanical Structure (MEMS) operating with a controlled electrostatic force, a bimetal wire driven by a controlled heating current, an electrical current-carrying wire within a surrounding permanent magnetic field or a deflectable permanent magnetic wire within a controlled surrounding magnetic field.
A multi-fiber, Variable Optical Attenuation Collimator (VOAC) for providing a variable degree of optical power attenuation to a light beam propagating therethrough, comprising:
An Attenuation Control Element (ACE) for providing a variable degree of optical power attenuation to a light beam propagating through a multi-fiber, Variable Optical Attenuation Collimator (VOAC) that comprises a lens, a pigtail and a fiber assembly containing one or more optical fibers wherein the lens and the pigtail is affixed to a common housing tube and is separated by an air gap in such a manner that the light beam entering at a left end of the lens is automatically focused onto a proper entry point of the pigtail for further propagation along the pigtail to the fiber assembly to define a main light path, the ACE comprising:
A method of making a multi-fiber, Variable Optical Attenuation Collimator (VOAC) for providing a variable degree of optical power attenuation to a light beam propagating therethrough, comprising the steps of:
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.