Optical fiber encoded with data signal
AssigneeCorning Incorporated
InventorsDaniel W. Hawtof, David M. Hopstock, Gregory F. Jacobs
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Abstract
The present invention relates to an optical fiber including a fiber core and at least one coating substantially encapsulating the fiber core, wherein the at least one coating includes a material forming a data storage medium which is capable of digitally encoding information at a data density of at least about 4 bits per centimeter. Both magnetically and optically encoded fibers are disclosed. Also disclosed are a method of making an optical fiber of the present invention, methods of digitally encoding information onto an optical fiber, and a method of retrieving information digitally encoded onto an optical fiber.
Claims23
An optical fiber comprising:
- a fiber core and
- at least one coating substantially encapsulating the fiber core, wherein the at least one coating comprises a material forming a magnetic data storage medium which is capable of digitally encoding information at a data density of at least about 4 bits per centimeter.
A method of making an optical fiber comprising:
- providing a fiber core and
- encapsulating the fiber core with a coating comprising a material forming a magnetic data storage medium which is capable of digitally encoding information.
A method of digitally encoding information onto an optical fiber comprising:
- preparing an optical fiber comprising a fiber core and at least one coating comprising a material forming a magnetic data storage medium;
- and
- exposing the optical fiber to a variable magnetic field under conditions effective to encode information into the magnetic data storage medium.
A method of reading information digitally encoded onto an optical fiber comprising:
- providing an optical fiber comprising at least one coating which comprises a material forming a digital magnetic data storage medium, the digit magnetic data storage medium being magnetically encoded with a data signal which carries information;
- and
- reading the optical fiber with a device which detects and processes the data signal, thereby retrieving the information.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.