Electronic fiber optic switch with optical interconnect

Details Electronic fiber optic switch with optical interconnect Electronic fiber optic switch with optical interconnect

2006-04-04

2006-04-04

Healy, Brian (Department: 2874)

Optical waveguides

With optical coupler

Switch

C385S015000, C385S016000, C385S031000, C385S033000, C385S088000, C385S089000, C398S055000, C398S056000, C398S057000, C398S111000, C398S112000, C398S113000, C398S118000, C398S130000

Reexamination Certificate

active

07024070

ABSTRACT:
A large fiber optic switch system with a free-space optical interconnection configuration. The switch system comprises a plurality of individual switch units, each individual switch unit having a plurality of electronic multi-switch switches each multi-switch switch being re-configurable upon command of a computer processor and having a plurality of electronic input ports and electronics output ports. A first portion of these input ports and a first portion of these output ports are connected directly or indirectly to incoming and outgoing communication lines. A second portion of the output ports is connected to an electronic driver unit that drives an optical emitter array. Each emitter in the emitter array produces a light beam for carrying an optical communication signal. A second portion of the input ports of each of the multi-switch switches is connected to a detector array comprising an array of optical detectors for detecting optical signals and converting the signals to electronic signals and an array of amplifiers for amplifying the signals. The switch comprises a free space optical interconnection configuration for directing each of the light beams which are produced by said emitters of each emitter array in each switch unit to one of the optical detectors in each of the detector arrays of the other switch units. In a preferred embodiment signals incoming into a port of the first portion of the input ports of a first switch unit may be switched by the multi-switch to an emitter in the first switch unit which emits a light beam which is directed at one of the optical detectors of another switch unit. An optical detector of the other switch unit produces an electronic signal corresponding to the optical communication signals and the electronic signal is directed by the multi-switch switch of the other switch unit to one of the output ports from which the signal proceeds to a corresponding outgoing communication lines. In a preferred embodiment the optical interconnection configuration includes a mirror configured to direct beams from each of the emitters to one of the optical detectors.

REFERENCES:
patent: 4979138 (1990-12-01), Arrathoon
patent: 5532855 (1996-07-01), Kato et al.
patent: 5576873 (1996-11-01), Crossland et al.
patent: 5648859 (1997-07-01), Hirabayashi et al.
patent: 6313936 (2001-11-01), Holmes
patent: 6326600 (2001-12-01), Christensen et al.
patent: 6452700 (2002-09-01), Mays, Jr.
patent: 6580845 (2003-06-01), Holmes
patent: 6707594 (2004-03-01), Holmes
Haney, et al; Description and Evaluation of the Fast-Net Smart Pixel Based Optical Interconnection Prototype, Proc of the IEEE, vol. 88, No. 6 Jun. 2000.
Christensen et al, Two Bounce Optical Arbitrary permutation network Applied Optics, vol. 37, No. 14, May 10, 1998.

Affiliated with

Also associated with

Rating

Electronic fiber optic switch with optical interconnect does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.

If you have personal experience with Electronic fiber optic switch with optical interconnect, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Electronic fiber optic switch with optical interconnect will most certainly appreciate the feedback.

Rate now

Comments { 0 }

Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-3561936