US 12240054

Here's a concise summary of US patent 12240054:

US Patent Number: 12240054B2

Title: Method and arrangement for generating a laser beam having a differing beam profile characteristic by a multi-clad fiber

Assignee: Trumpf Laser und Systemtechnik GmbH

Inventors: Rudolph Huber, Wolfgang Andreasch, Martin Huonker

Filing Date: 2023-11-06 (This is the filing date for the specific US18/387,089 application that led to US12240054B2. The earliest priority date is 2010-04-08, based on German Application No. DE 10 2010 003750.8)

Issue Date: 2025-03-04

Abstract:
Methods and systems are provided for generating a laser beam with different beam profile characteristics. In one aspect, a method includes coupling an input laser beam into one fiber end of a multi-clad fiber (specifically, a double-clad fiber) and emitting an output laser beam from the other fiber end. To achieve different output beam profile characteristics, the input laser beam is selectively coupled either into at least the inner fiber core, or at least into at least one outer ring core, or a first sub-beam of the input laser beam is coupled into at least the inner fiber core and a second, different sub-beam is coupled into at least the at least one outer ring core of the multi-clad fiber.

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Plain-Language Overview of Independent Claims:

Claim 1 (System for generating a laser beam):
This claim describes a system comprising a multi-clad fiber (with an inner fiber core and at least one outer ring core), a first optical fiber for guiding a first input laser beam, and a second optical fiber for guiding a second input laser beam to the multi-clad fiber. The system is set up so that it can couple either the first input laser beam into at least the inner fiber core, or the second input laser beam into at least the outer ring core of the multi-clad fiber.

Claim 11 (Method of generating a laser beam):
This claim outlines a method involving guiding a first input laser beam by a first optical fiber and a second input laser beam by a second optical fiber to one end of a multi-clad fiber (which has an inner fiber core and at least one outer ring core). The method includes coupling these laser beams into the fiber end, where at least one of the following occurs: the first input laser beam is coupled into at least the inner fiber core, or the second input laser beam is coupled into at least the outer ring core. The result is an output laser beam whose profile characteristic changes depending on how the input beams are coupled into the multi-clad fiber.

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CAFC and PTAB Docket Information:
As of April 26, 2026, the general CAFC dockets for 2026 do not specifically mention patent number 12240054. However, the Google Patents information for US12240054B2 explicitly notes a PTAB case IPR2026-00251 has been filed and is currently pending. This indicates ongoing litigation concerning the patent at the Patent Trial and Appeal Board (PTAB). Specific details about the petitioner or the claims being challenged would require direct access to the PTAB case file, which is beyond the scope of this search.