Patent · US Expired

Fiber alignment process using cornercube offset tool

US6997368B2 · kind B2 · utility

1Cited by
23References
15Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateJun 10, 2003
Grant dateFeb 14, 2006
Priority date
Expiry dateJul 20, 2024

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
  • CPC primaryH01L2224/78301
  • WIPO fieldMachine tools
  • WIPO sectorMechanical engineering

Abstract

A system and method for aligning optical fibers that takes into account variations due to temperature changes and other nonrandom systemic effects. The system includes an alignment tool having a plurality of internal reflection surfaces and located below a vision plane of the first one of the pair of optical fibers, and an optical detector to receive an indirect image of a bottom surface of the first optical fiber through the alignment tool, such an offset between the first optical fiber and the optical detector is determined based on the indirect image received by the optical detector. The method comprises the steps of providing a cornercube offset tool having a plurality of total internal reflection surfaces below a vision plane of the first optical fiber, and receiving an indirect image of the first optical fiber through the cornercube offset tool.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.