Methods and systems for writing an optical code within or on a fiber substrate

1. A system for writing an optical code within or on a fiber substrate, the system comprising:

a holding device having a plurality of supports spaced apart from each other, the fiber substrate being wound about the supports such that the fiber substrate forms at least one flat section extending between adjacent supports, wherein the fiber substrate is configured to be wound about the supports a plurality of times to form a fiber ribbon; and

at least one light source configured to write an optical code within or on the flat section of the fiber substrate.

2. A system in accordance with claim 1 wherein the holding device includes a plurality of openings, each opening formed between adjacent supports.

3. A system in accordance with claim 1 wherein the holding device includes a plate, the supports extending from the plate and parallel with respect to each other.

4. A system in accordance with claim 1 wherein the holding device has a generally polygonal shape.

5. A system in accordance with claim 1 wherein the holding device includes a disk, the fiber substrate being wound about an outer circumference of the disk.

6. A system in accordance with claim 5 wherein the disk includes a plurality of circumferentially spaced slots, the fiber substrate extending across each slot.

7. A system in accordance with claim 1 wherein the holding device is configured to rotate about an axis, the supports extending parallel to the axis and rotating about the axis.

8. A system in accordance with claim 1 wherein the fiber substrate forms a generally polygonal shape when the fiber substrate is wound about the holding device.

9. A system in accordance with claim 1 wherein the plurality of supports include a plurality of rods.

10. A system in accordance with claim 1 further comprising a phase mask configured such that light from the light source passes through the phase mask to write the optical code.

11. A system in accordance with claim 1 wherein the light source is configured to write a diffraction grating within the fiber substrate.

12. A system in accordance with claim 1 wherein the light source comprises only a single laser or a pair of lasers.

13. A system in accordance with claim 1 further comprising the fiber substrate.

14. A system in accordance with claim 1 wherein the holding device is moveable relative to the light source, the supports and the fiber substrate being configured to have a fixed position with respect to each other when the holding device is moved.

15. A method for writing an optical code within or on a fiber substrate, the method comprising:

providing a holding device, the holding device having a plurality of supports spaced apart from each other;

winding the fiber substrate about the holding device, the fiber substrate being wound about the supports such that the fiber substrate forms at least one flat section extending between adjacent supports, wherein the fiber substrate forms a generally polygonal shape having a plurality of flat sections when the fiber substrate is wound about the holding device; and

providing a light beam to the flat sections of the fiber substrate to write optical codes within or on the fiber substrate.

16. A method in accordance with claim 15 wherein the holding device is configured to be rotated about an axis to position the flat sections for writing.

17. A method in accordance with claim 15 wherein each of the flat sections is written with a different code.

18. A method in accordance with claim 15 wherein the adjacent supports includes pairs of adjacent supports, the fiber substrate being wound a plurality of times about the holding device such that each pair of adjacent supports has a plurality of flat sections extending therebetween.

19. A method in accordance with claim 15 wherein said winding the fiber substrate includes winding the fiber substrate a plurality of times about the holding device to form a plurality of wraps, each wrap of the fiber substrate being adjacent to other wraps of the fiber substrate.

20. A method in accordance with claim 15 wherein the light beam is split to provide interfering beams or the light beam is passed through a phase mask.

21. A method in accordance with claim 15 further comprising:

moving the holding device relative to a light source that provides the light beam, wherein the supports and the fiber substrate have a fixed position with respect to each other when the holding device is moved.

22. A method for writing an optical code within or on a fiber substrate, the method comprising:

providing a holding device, the holding device having a plurality of supports spaced apart from each other;

winding the fiber substrate about the holding device, the fiber substrate being wound about the supports such that the fiber substrate forms at least one flat section extending between adjacent supports, the fiber substrate being wound a plurality of times about the supports; and

providing a light beam to the flat section of the fiber substrate to write an optical code within or on the fiber substrate.

23. A method in accordance with claim 22 wherein the holding device is configured to be rotated about an axis.

24. A method in accordance with claim 22 wherein the fiber substrate forms a generally polygonal shape having a plurality of flat sections when the fiber substrate is wound about the holding device.

25. A method in accordance with claim 24 wherein the light beam is provided to the flat sections to write optical codes within or on the fiber substrate.

26. A method in accordance with claim 24 wherein each of the flat sections is written with a different code.

27. A method in accordance with claim 22 further comprising providing a phase mask, the light beam passing through the phase mask to form the optical code.

28. A method in accordance with claim 22 wherein the fiber substrate has a plurality of wraps about the supports, each wrap of the fiber substrate being adjacent to other wraps of the fiber substrate.

29. A method in accordance with claim 22 further comprising:

moving the holding device relative to a light source that provides the light beam, wherein the supports and the fiber substrate have a fixed position with respect to each other when the holding device is moved.

30. A method in accordance with claim 22 wherein the light beam is split to provide interfering beams or the light beam is passed through a phase mask.

31. A system for writing an optical code within or on a fiber substrate, the system comprising:

a holding device having a plurality of supports spaced apart from each other, the supports being arranged so that the fiber substrate forms a generally polygonal shape when wound about the supports and has a plurality of flat sections that extend between adjacent supports; and

at least one light source configured to write optical codes within or on the flat sections of the fiber substrate.

32. A system in accordance with claim 31 wherein the holding device is moveable relative to the light source, the supports and the fiber substrate being configured to have a fixed position with respect to each other when the holding device is moved.

33. A system in accordance with claim 31 wherein the holding device includes a plate, the supports extending from the plate and parallel with respect to each other.

34. A system in accordance with claim 31 wherein the holding device includes a disk, the fiber substrate being wound about an outer circumference of the disk.

35. A system in accordance with claim 31 wherein the holding device is configured to rotate about an axis, the supports extending parallel to the axis and rotating about the axis.

36. A system in accordance with claim 31 wherein the plurality of supports include a plurality of rods.

37. A system in accordance with claim 31 further comprising a phase mask positioned so that light from the light source passes through the phase mask to write the optical code.

38. A system in accordance with claim 31 further comprising the fiber substrate.