Granted Patent B2

US 12,001,073 · App. 17/345,897 · Granted Jun 4, 2024

Inventors: Walter Mark Hendrix (Richardson, TX); Morgan Dunn (Dallas, TX)

Assignee: viaPhoton, Inc.

G02B6/4479G02B6/46G05B13/048G06N3/02

Abstract

Claims (68)

1. A method comprising:

receiving a plurality of fibers in juxtaposition into a first assembly;

obtaining an initial sequence of the plurality of fibers in the first assembly;

identifying a set of key combinations from the initial sequence and a predetermined sequence;

sliding a second assembly across the first assembly; and

actuating the set of key combinations to move the plurality of fibers from the first assembly to the second assembly and order the plurality of fibers in the second assembly in the predetermined sequence in juxtaposition.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

identifying a key combination from the set of key combinations comprising a first key from the first assembly and a second key from the second assembly.

3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

actuating a key combination to move a fiber of the plurality of fibers from the first assembly to the second assembly and place the fiber into the second assembly in accordance with the predetermined sequence.

4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

actuating, based on a position of the first assembly with respect to the second assembly, a first key from the first assembly and a second key from the second assembly to move a fiber of the plurality of fibers from the first assembly to the second assembly.

5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

imaging the plurality of fibers extending from the first assembly, before sliding the second assembly, to generate an initial image; and

identifying the set of key combinations using the initial image.

6. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

imaging the plurality of fibers extending from the second assembly, after sliding the second assembly, to generate a subsequent image;

determining a subsequent sequence of the plurality of fibers from the subsequent image; and

verifying the subsequent sequence with the predetermined sequence using the subsequent image.

7. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

training a machine learning model to generate a prediction of a training order of training fibers in response to a training carriage speed, a training key speed, a training fiber order, and a training cycle time.

8. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

selecting a carriage speed for the sliding and a key speed for the actuating using a machine learning model, the initial sequence, and a number of machine cycles.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein a key width of a first key of the first set of keys and of a second key of the second set of keys is about equal to a fiber diameter of a fiber of the plurality of fibers.

10. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

limiting movement of a key of the first assembly with an insert to a plate of the first assembly.

11. A fiber sorting system comprising:

a first assembly;

a second assembly;

a computing system; and

a control application;

the control application executing on the computing system and configuring the fiber sorting system for:

obtaining an initial sequence of a plurality of fibers in juxtaposition in the first assembly;

identifying a set of key combinations from the initial sequence and a predetermined sequence;

sliding the second assembly across the first assembly; and

actuating the set of key combinations to move the plurality of fibers from the first assembly to the second assembly and order the plurality of fibers in the second assembly in the predetermined sequence in juxtaposition.

12. The system of claim 11 , wherein the control application is further configured for:

identifying a key combination from the set of key combinations comprising a first key from the first assembly and a second key from the second assembly.

13. The system of claim 11 , wherein the control application is further configured for:

actuating a key combination to move a fiber of the plurality of fibers from the first assembly to the second assembly and place the fiber into the second assembly in accordance with the predetermined sequence.

14. The system of claim 11 , wherein the control application is further configured for:

actuating, based on a position of the first assembly with respect to the second assembly, a first key from the first assembly and a second key from the second assembly to move a fiber of the plurality of fibers from the first assembly to the second assembly.

15. The system of claim 11 , wherein the control application is further configured for:

imaging the plurality of fibers extending from the first assembly, before sliding the second assembly, to generate an initial image; and

identifying the set of key combinations using the initial image.

16. The system of claim 11 , wherein the control application is further configured for:

imaging the plurality of fibers extending from the second assembly, after sliding the second assembly, to generate a subsequent image;

determining a subsequent sequence of the plurality of fibers from the subsequent image; and

verifying the subsequent sequence with the predetermined sequence using the subsequent image.

17. The system of claim 11 , further comprising:

a training application executing on the computing system and configured for:

training a machine learning model to generate a prediction of a training order of training fibers in response to a training carriage speed, a training key speed, a training fiber order, and a training cycle time.

18. The system of claim 11 , wherein the control application is further configured for:

selecting a carriage speed for the sliding and a key speed for the actuating using a machine learning model, the initial sequence, and a number of machine cycles.

19. The system of claim 11 , wherein a key width of a first key of the first set of keys and of a second key of the second set of keys is about equal to a fiber diameter of a fiber of the plurality of fibers.

20. A fiber sorting system comprising:

a first assembly;

an insert;

a plate of the first assembly comprising the insert;

a second assembly;

a computing system; and

a control application;

the control application executing on the computing system and configuring the fiber sorting system for:

obtaining an initial sequence of a plurality of fibers in juxtaposition in the first assembly;

identifying a set of key combinations from the initial sequence and a predetermined sequence;

sliding the second assembly across the first assembly;

actuating the set of key combinations to move the plurality of fibers from the first assembly to the second assembly and order the plurality of fibers in the second assembly in the predetermined sequence in juxtaposition; and

limiting movement of a key of the first assembly with an insert to the plate of a first assembly.

Assignments (8)

Continuity (3)