1. An acoustic volume indicator comprising:
a resonating means positioned adjacent a wall of a container comprising a volume of liquid or gas therein for impacting and vibrating the container wall;
a resonating detecting means positioned adjacent the container wall for receiving vibration data provided by the container after the resonating means is actuated, and for providing a data signal;
a processing means for receiving the data signal, converting the data signal to frequency information, comparing the frequency information to stored frequency and volume information, and producing an output indicative of a measured volume within the container; and
an indicator for displaying the output in a visual or audible form.
2. The acoustic volume indicator as recited in claim 1 wherein the processing means comprises a electrical microprocessor device.
3. The acoustic volume indicator as recited in claim 2 wherein the electrical microprocessor device includes a housing having a visual display comprising a number of light sources that are configured to represent a different volume in the container, wherein the electrical microprocessor device output operates one or more of the light sources to provide a visual indication of the measured volume.
4. The acoustic volume indicator as recited in claim 1 wherein the processing means comprises a computer and a computer program that is configured to analyze the frequency information to determine a peak frequency, compare the peak frequency to the frequency and volume information, and provide the output indicative of the measured volume within the container.
5. The acoustic volume indicator as recited in claim 4 wherein the indicator is a video display device.
6. The acoustic volume indicator as recited in claim 4 wherein the computer is provided in the form of a portable or handheld device.
7. The acoustic volume indicator as recited in claim 1 wherein the container comprises a volume of liquid therein.
8. The acoustic volume indicator as recited in claim 7 wherein the container includes a pressurized gas-filled bladder disposed therein.
9. The acoustic volume indicator as recited in claim 1 wherein the container comprises a volume of gas therein.
10. An acoustic volume indicator comprising:
a contactor positioned adjacent a wall of a liquid or gas container to momentarily contact the wall to make the wall vibrate;
a detector in contact with the wall for receiving vibration information from the wall;
a processor for receiving a data signal from the detector, converting the data signal to frequency information, comparing the frequency information to characteristic frequency and volume information for the container to determine a volume in the container, and providing an output signal indicating the determined volume; and
an indicator for providing a visual or audio indication of the determined volume.
11. The acoustic volume indicator as recited in claim 10 wherein the processor comprises a housing including a plurality of indicators, and an input for receiving the data signal, wherein the processor is configured so that each indicator represents a volume level in the container, and wherein the processor provides its output signal to one or more of the indicators to indicate the determined volume.
12. The acoustic volume indicator as recited in claim 10 wherein the processor comprises a computer and a computer program configured to analyze the frequency information, compare the frequency information with the characteristic frequency and volume information, wherein the indicator in the form of a display device that visually displays the determined volume.
13. The acoustic volume indicator as recited in claim 12 wherein the computer program comprises a spectrum analyzer that analyzes the frequency information to determine a frequency peak, wherein the frequency peak is compared with the characteristic frequency and volume information to determine the volume in the container.
14. The acoustic volume indicator as recited in claim 12 wherein the computer is a portable or handheld device.
15. A noninvasive method for measuring a volume of liquid or gas within a container comprising the steps of:
vibrating a wall of the container by striking an outside wall surface of the container with a contactor;
receiving vibration data from the liquid container by using a detector placed adjacent the container outside wall surface;
converting the vibration data into frequency information;
comparing the frequency information to characteristic frequency and volume data for the container to determine a liquid or gas volume within the container; and
providing an output indicative of the determined liquid or gas volume.
16. The method as recited in claim 15 wherein the steps of comparing and providing are performed by a electrical microprocessor device comprising a housing and a number of indicators that are configured to represent a different container volume, wherein the microprocessor device is configured to provide an output that causes activation of one of the indicators.
17. The method as recited in claim 15 further comprising, after the step of converting, analyzing the frequency information to determine a frequency peak.
18. The method as recited in claim 15 wherein the steps of converting, converting, and providing are performed by a computer and a computer program that is configured to analyze the frequency information and compare the frequency information with the characteristic frequency and volume information, wherein the computer provides an output to a display device for visually displaying the determined volume.
19. The method as recited in claim 18 wherein the computer program performs a spectrum analysis of the frequency information to determine a frequency peak, and wherein the frequency peak is compared with the characteristic frequency and volume information to determine the volume in the container.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
1. An apparatus, comprising:
a polarization splitter configured to receive input and pump light, to direct a first polarization component of the received input and pump light to a first optical path, and to direct a second polarization component of the received input and pump light to a separate second optical path;
an optical wavelength-converter having first and second optical ports, the first port being at an end of the first optical path, the second port being at an end of the second optical path, the wavelength-converter being configured to output wavelength-converted light from one of the ports in response to receiving the input and pump light at the other of the ports;
wherein the first optical path comprises a polarization-maintaining optical waveguide; and
wherein the second optical path comprises a polarization-maintaining optical waveguide.
2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the polarization splitter and first optical path are configured to transmit one intensity of the pump light to the first optical port; and
wherein the polarization splitter and second optical path are configured to transmit substantially the same intensity of the pump light to the second optical port.
3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein a ratio of the intensity of the pump light transmitted to the first optical port to the intensity of the pump light transmitted to the second optical port is in a range of (\xbe) to 1.0.
4. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising an optical element that is configured to transmit a single, selected, plane-polarization state of the pump light to an input port of the polarization splitter.
5. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the optical element comprises a polarization-maintaining optical waveguide.
6. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the state has a polarization oriented at an angle of 45\xb0\xb15\xb0 to an optical axis of the polarization splitter.
7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein at least one of the optical paths comprises a Faraday rotator.
8. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the optical paths are configured to deliver polarized light to the splitter such that the delivered polarized light exits the splitter from a different optical port than an optical port of the polarization splitter that received the input light.
9. An apparatus, comprising:
a polarization splitter configured to receive input and pump light, to direct a first polarization component of the received input and pump light to a first optical path, and to direct a second polarization component of the received input and pump light to a separate second optical path;
an optical wavelength-converter having first and second optical ports, the first port being at an end of the first optical path, the second port being at an end of the second optical path, the wavelength-converter being configured to output wavelength-converted light from one of the ports in response to receiving the input light and pump light at the other of the ports;
wherein the polarization splitter and first optical path are configured to transmit an intensity of the received pump light to the first optical port; and
wherein the polarization splitter and second optical path are configured to transmit substantially the same intensity of the received pump light to the second optical port.
10. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein a ratio of the intensity of the pump light transmitted to the first optical port to the intensity of the pump light transmitted to the second optical port is in a range of (\xbe) to 1.0.
11. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein a ratio of the intensity of the pump light transmitted to the first optical port to the intensity of the pump light transmitted to the second optical port is in a range of 0.9 to 1.0.
12. The apparatus of claim 9, further comprising an optical element that is configured to transmit a single, selected, plane-polarization state of the pump light to an input port of the polarization splitter.
13. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the selected, plane-polarization state has a polarization oriented at an angle of 45\xb0\xb15\xb0 to an optical splitting axis of the polarization splitter.
14. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the first and second optical paths comprise polarization-maintaining optical waveguides.
15. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the optical wavelength-converter comprises periodically-poled lithium niobate, polarization-striped group III-nitride, or striped group III-V semiconductor.
16. A method for wavelength-conversion, comprising:
splitting received input and pump light into a first polarization component and a second polarization component;
transmitting the first polarization component to a first end of an optical path having a path segment, the path segment being a nonlinear optical medium configured for wavelength-conversion;
transmitting the second polarization component to the second end of the optical path; and
recombining light output at the two ends of the optical path in response to the acts of transmitting; and
wherein the splitting and transmitting steps cause the path segment to be optically pumped from each end thereof with substantially the same pump light intensity.
17. The method of claim 16, wherein the splitting and transmitting steps cause the path segment to be optically pumped from both ends with substantially the same pump light polarization.
18. The method of claim 16, wherein a ratio the intensity of the pump light pumping from one end of the path segment to the intensity of the pump light pumping from the other end of the path segment is in a range of (\xbe) to 1.0.
19. The method of claim 16, wherein the splitting further comprises sending the pump light through an optical element that selectively passes a single plane-polarization, the optical element coupling to an input of a polarization splitter that performs the splitting.
20. The method of claim 16, wherein the optical path includes a polarization-maintaining optical waveguide between the first end and the path segment and the optical path includes a polarization-maintaining optical waveguide between the second end and the path segment.