Huber+Suhner has filed a patent for an optical multi-coupler that aims to improve the precision of mapping optical signals. The invention involves the use of a correcting element positioned between the optical sending and receiving elements to reduce the distance between the focal point and the receiving element. This design allows for greater flexibility in positioning and orientation of the elements while maintaining precise signal transmission. GlobalData’s report on Huber+Suhner gives a 360-degree view of the company including its patenting strategy. Buy the report here.
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According to GlobalData’s company profile on Huber+Suhner, V2V communication antennas was a key innovation area identified from patents. Huber+Suhner's grant share as of September 2023 was 51%. Grant share is based on the ratio of number of grants to total number of patents.
Optical multi-coupler with improved precision and flexibility
A recently filed patent (Publication Number: US20230305235A1) describes an optical multi-coupler that allows for efficient transmission of optical signals. The multi-coupler consists of a first group of optical sending elements and a second group of optical receiving elements. Each sending element is associated with a transmitting element that converts a divergent beam into a convergent beam and directs it towards a receiving element. The convergent beam converges at a focal point. A correcting element is positioned between the sending and receiving elements to reduce the distance between the focal point and the receiving element, change the angle at which the beam impinges on the receiving element, change the polarization state of the beam, or change the field shape of the beam.
In one embodiment, the transmitting element comprises a first collimator that converts the divergent beam into a parallel beam, and the receiving element is associated with a second collimator that converts the beam into a convergent beam and directs it to the respective receiving element. The multi-coupler can be configured as a multiplexer/demultiplexer or an optical rotary transmitter.
Multiple collimators can be joined together in a material-locking manner or formed from a single material piece. The collimators can also be configured as curved reflective surfaces. The correcting element can be a prism or a lens, and its entry and exit surfaces can be curved. In some cases, a correcting component with multiple correcting elements can be used.
The patent also describes a method for producing the optical multi-coupler. The method involves arranging the sending and receiving elements, emitting beam bundles, sensing the position or direction of the beams, determining and producing correcting elements, and positioning them between the sending and receiving elements. The method can also involve using collimators as transmitting elements and sensing the position of the focal points or the direction of the converging beams.
The correcting elements can be produced by heating a base body made of transparent material, pressing a punch with a desired surface configuration into the heated surface, and cooling the surface until it is dimensionally stable.
Overall, this patent presents an optical multi-coupler design and a method for producing it, which can improve the efficiency and performance of optical signal transmission.
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GlobalData Patent Analytics tracks bibliographic data, legal events data, point in time patent ownerships, and backward and forward citations from global patenting offices. Textual analysis and official patent classifications are used to group patents into key thematic areas and link them to specific companies across the world’s largest industries.
