Granted Patent B2

US 11,971,600 · App. 17/502,883 · Granted Apr 30, 2024

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

Assignee: viaPhoton, Inc.

G02B6/4479

Abstract

Claims (74)

1. A method comprising:

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

imaging the plurality of fibers in front of a split background comprising at least two backgrounds and at least two colors;

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 of a plurality of second keys in juxtaposition 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.

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. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

imaging the plurality of fibers in front of a split background.

12. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

imaging the plurality of fibers using a mirror module comprising:

a first opening;

a second opening surrounded with a plurality of light sources; and

a mirror disposed between the first opening and the second opening.

13. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

adjusting a pulse width modulation value of a plurality of light sources using one or more of an ambient lighting value and a movement speed; and

imaging the plurality of fibers using the pulse width modulation value.

14. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

imaging the plurality of fibers using a diffusion filter along a path between a camera and the plurality of fibers.

15. A fiber sorting system comprising:

a first assembly comprising a plurality of first keys in juxtaposition;

a second assembly comprising a plurality of second keys in juxtaposition;

a split background comprising at least two backgrounds and at least two colors;

a computing system; and

a control application;

the control application when executed on the computing system to perform:

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

imaging the plurality of fibers in front of the split background;

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.

16. The system of claim 15 , 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.

17. The system of claim 15 , 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.

18. The system of claim 15 , 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.

19. The system of claim 15 , 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.

20. A fiber sorting system comprising:

a first assembly comprising a plurality of first keys in juxtaposition;

an insert;

a plate of the first assembly comprising the insert;

a second assembly comprising a plurality of second keys in juxtaposition;

a computing system; and

a control application;

the control application when executed on the computing system to perform:

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

imaging the plurality of fibers in front of a split background comprising at least two backgrounds and at least two colors;

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; and

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

Assignments (9)

Continuity (4)