US 11,926,553 B2
Self-learning fiber processing system and method
Robert G. Wiley, Franklin, TN (US); John Lower, Franklin, TN (US); and Brett Clark, Whites Creek, TN (US)
Assigned to 3SAE TECHNOLOGIES, INC., Franklin, TN (US)
Filed by 3SAE Technologies, Inc., Franklin, TN (US)
Filed on Mar. 27, 2023, as Appl. No. 18/126,515.
Application 18/126,515 is a continuation of application No. 16/585,208, filed on Sep. 27, 2019, granted, now 11,613,494.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/737,233, filed on Sep. 27, 2018.
Prior Publication US 2023/0339798 A1, Oct. 26, 2023
Int. Cl. C03B 37/025 (2006.01); C03B 37/028 (2006.01); C03B 37/15 (2006.01)
CPC C03B 37/0253 (2013.01) [C03B 37/028 (2013.01); C03B 37/15 (2013.01); C03B 2203/40 (2013.01); C03B 2205/40 (2013.01)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A self-learning fiber tapering system, comprising:
at least one processor, a computer memory, at least one heat source, at least one fiber holder, and one or more sensors; and
fiber tapering program code executable by the at least one processor to:
process received fiber parameters to define taper characteristics in the form of physical dimensions of a desired resultant fiber taper of an optical fiber;
model and store a shape of the desired resultant fiber taper based on the received fiber parameters to establish modeled data;
establish processing parameters from the received fiber parameters useful to control the at least one fiber holder and/or the at least one heat source in a tapering operation of the optical fiber to produce a resultant fiber taper;
use the one or more sensors to measure physical dimensions of the resultant fiber taper to establish measured data, the measured data including fiber diameter over a tapered length of the optical fiber;
determine differences in physical dimensions between the measured data and the modeled data; and
adjust one or more of the processing parameters to form adjusted processing parameters useful by the processor to reduce the differences in physical dimension between the modeled data and measured data of a subsequent resultant fiber taper.