Electro-optical converter including ridgid support for optical fiber coupler, telephone set using the coupler and method of making same

A method of making an electro-optical converter comprising

• providing at least two optical fibers suitable to be joined into a coupler,
• connecting one of said fibers to a detector and the other to a laser diode,
• uniting said fibers into a coupler while energizing said laser, detecting coupled energy therefrom by said detector, and controlling the uniting process on the basis of detected coupled energy,
• and after said coupler is formed, while maintaining the connections of said fibers to said laser and detector, mounting them in a rigid support to form a unitary electro-optical converter.

A telephone set comprising a speaker, a microphone and an electro-optical converter, said converter having at least three ports, at least two of which are electrical and one of which is optical, said converter further comprising:

• an essentially rigid support means;
• a fiber-optic lateral coupler secured to said support means and comprising at least two optical fibers juxtaposed along a lengthwise continuous portion of their length in a manner to provide lateral transfer of optical energy therebetween;
• at least two electro-optical devices also secured to said support means in close relationship to said fiber-optic coupler, each of said electro-optical devices having at least one optical port and at least one electrical port;
• one of said electro-optical devices being an optical emitter, and the other being an optical detector;
• a different fiber end portion of said coupler communicating, within the converter, respectively with the optical port of each of said electro-optical devices whereby said fiber portions of said coupler serve as internal signal links therebetween, the length of each of said links between said coupler and the respective electro-optical device being of the order of 10 centimeters or less,
• protective means, associated with said optical fibers, said electro-optical devices and the internal links, serving to protect said components from outside physical disturbance;
• the electrical ports of said converter associated with said optical emitter and detector being connected respectively to be controlled by said microphone and to drive said speaker;
• and
• said optical port of said converter connected to enable optical signals to pass back and forth between an external fiber and said coupler.

A method of manufacturing an electro-optical converter having at least three ports at least one of which is an optical port and two of which are electrical ports, comprising the steps of:

• providing an optical fiber, an essentially rigid support means, and at least two electro-optical devices one of which is an optical emitter, the other of which is an optical detector, each of said electro-optical devices having at least one optical port and at least one electrical port;
• prepigtailing both of said electro-optical devices to said optical fiber;
• looping said fiber;
• forming a fiber-optic lateral coupler in said looped fiber such that portions of the optical fiber are juxtaposed along a lengthwise continuous portion of their length in a manner to provide lateral transfer of optical energy therebetween and such that respective portions of said fiber communicate with the optical ports of respective electro-optical devices to serve as internal signal links therebetween within the converter, the length of each of said links between said coupler and its respective electro-optical device being of the order of 10 centimeters or less;
• cutting said looped fiber;
• and
• securing said coupler along with said electro-optical devices to said support means, terminating the cut fiber ends in the manner that at least one of the ends is associated with an optical port of the converter and packaging said converter, including providing protective means associated with said optical fiber, said electro-optical devices and the internal links, serving to protect said components from outside physical disturbance.

A method of manufacturing an electro-optical converter having at least three ports at least one of which is an optical port and two of which are electrical ports, comprising the steps of:

• providing at least two optical fibers, an essentially rigid support means, and at least two electro-optical devices one of which is an optical emitter, the other of which is an optical detector, each of said electro-optical devices having at least one optical port and at least one electrical port;
• prepigtailing both of said electro-optical devices to separate fibers;
• forming a fiber-optic lateral coupler with said fibers such that portions of said optical fibers are juxtaposed along a lengthwise continuous portion of their length in a manner to provide lateral transfer of optical energy therebetween, and such that respective portions of said fibers communicate with the optical ports of respective electro-optical devices to serve as internal signal links therebetween within said converter, the length of each of said links between said coupler and its respective electro-optical device being of the order of 10 centimeters or less;
• and
• securing said coupler along with said electro-optical devices to said support means, terminating the ends of the fibers not connected to said electro-optical devices in the manner that at least one of the ends is associated with an optical port of the converter, and packaging said converter, including providing protective means associated with said optical fibers, said electro-optical devices and the links, serving to protect said components from outside physical disturbance.

A method of manufacturing an electro-optical converter having at least three ports at least one of which is an optical port and two of which are electrical ports, comprising the steps of:

• providing optical fiber means, an essentially rigid support means, and at least two electro-optical devices one of which is an optical emitter, the other of which is an optical detector, each of said electro-optical devices having at least one optical port and at least one electrical port;
• forming a fiber-optic lateral coupler from said optical fiber means, such that portions of the optical fiber means are juxtaposed along a lengthwise continuous portion of their length in a manner to provide lateral transfer of optical energy therebetween, the coupler having at least four fiber ends;
• pigtailing at least two of said fiber ends respectively to said electro-optical devices such that respective portions of said fiber means communicate with the optical ports of respective electro-optical devices to serve as internal signal links between said ports and said coupler within said converter, the length of each of said links between said coupler and its respective electro-optical device being of the order of 10 centimeters or less;
• and
• securing said coupler along with said electro-optical devices to said support means, terminating the fiber ends not connected to said electro-optical devices in the manner that at least one of the ends is associated with an optical port of the converter, and packaging said converter, including providing protective means associated with said optical fiber means, said electro-optical devices and the internal links, serving to protect said components from outside physical disturbance.

A method of manufacturing an electro-optical converter having at least three ports at least one of which is an optical port and two of which are electrical ports, comprising the steps of:

• providing optical fiber means, an essentially rigid support means, and at least two electro-optical devices, one of which is an optical emitter, the other of which is an optical detector, each of said electro-optical devices having at least one optical port and at least one electrical port;
• forming a fiber-optic lateral coupler from said optical fiber means such that portions of the optical fiber means are juxtaposed along a lengthwise continuous portion of their length in a manner to provide lateral transfer of optical energy therebetween, the coupler having at least four fiber ends;
• connecting at least two of said coupler fiber ends respectively to prepigtailed electro-optic devices such that respective portions of said fibers communicate with the optical ports of respective electro-optical devices to serve as internal signal links therebetween within said converter, the length of each of said links between said coupler and its respective electro-optical device being of the order of 10 centimeters or less;
• and
• securing said coupler and said electro-optical devices to said support means, terminating the fiber ends not connected to said electro-optical devices in the manner that at least one of the ends is associated with an optical port of the converter, and packaging said converter including providing protective means associated with said optical fiber means, said electro-optical devices and the internal links, serving to protect said components from outside disturbances.