John A Healey

US Patent:

59265949, Jul 20, 1999

Filed:

Jun 7, 1995

Appl. No.:

8/473127

Inventors:

Ike J. Song - Montebello CA
Richard D. Hatch - Sandy UT
Youngmin A. Choi - Agoura Hills CA
Clifton T. Council - Woodland Hills CA
Thomas G. Council - Camarillo CA
Daryl K. Sakaida - Northridge CA
Henry C. Abbink - Westlake Village CA
John A. Healey - Van Nuys CA
Ricardo J. Rosete - Oxnard CA

Assignee:

Litton Systems, Inc. - Woodland Hills CA

International Classification:

G02B 630

US Classification:

385 49

Abstract:

An input optical fiber (22), an output optical fiber (24, 26) and a waveguide (14) in an integrated optic chip (IOC) (12) intermediate the fibers are coupled together using service and alignment robots (42; 48, 50, 52). The service robot (42) establishes the three dimensional position of the waveguide. The alignment robots (48, 50, 52) three dimensionally and angularly align the input and output fibers respectively to the input and output legs (16; 18, 20) of the waveguide. An adhesive applying tool (46) coupled with the service robot adheres the input and output fibers respectively to their waveguide input and output legs. Included are specifics for an optical fiber clamp (110) capable of maintaining the orientation of a fiber while it is moved to another location, a vacuum holder (210) for holding and rotating an optical fiber for polarization purposes, goniometer mapping and positioning of an optical fiber with respect to the pivotal axis of the goniometer (324), initial light launching of an optical fiber to a waveguide using the fiber (422) in its cladding mode, planar and angular position alignment of optical fibers to optical waveguides, an alignment procedure for establishing a gap between waveguides, and attaching optical waveguides together.