Optical waveguides – With optical coupler – Switch
Reexamination Certificate
2000-06-22
2001-12-11
Ngo, Hung N. (Department: 2874)
Optical waveguides
With optical coupler
Switch
C385S018000, C385S022000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06330380
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates in general to optical beam control and distribution systems, and is particularly directed to a new and improved multiport optical switching system, which contains first and second sets of optical deflection elements, such as translatable or rotatable mirrors, that are optically coupled with plural optical input and output ports, respectively, and are selectively displaced by associated actuators, so as to cause a selected optical input port to be coupled to a selected optical output port.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
As the number of industries utilizing optical communications and light beam (e.g., laser) technology continues to increase, there is a substantial need for optical switching system implementations that can be readily integrated into everyday types of user equipments, including both free space optical transport units and those which use fiber optic components, such as computer workstations, telecommunication switches, measuring and testing devices, medical instruments, surgical equipment, and the like. Unfortunately, currently existing optical switching systems that have been proposed for such applications are mechanically impractical, especially in a limited volume hardware environment, are cumbersome to use (often involving the physical movement of an optical fiber), have limited port switching capacity, and are relatively slow.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In accordance with the present invention, such drawbacks of conventional optical switching systems are effectively obviated by an M input N output multiport optical switching system, which is operative to selectively and individually couple one of a plurality of optical input ports with one of a plurality of optical output ports by means of a relatively compact arrangement of optical deflection elements. Light light beam paths coupled with said optical input and output ports may include optical fibers and beam collimating elements (e.g., collimating lenses). The optical deflection elements may comprise translatable or rotatable mirrors, that are selectively displaced by associated actuators, such as solenoid or piezoelectric devices, so as to cause a selected optical input port to be rapidly coupled to a selected optical output port.
Pursuant to a first aspect of the invention, a 1×N output optical beam switching system is configured to controllably direct or steer an individual incoming light beam, such as a modulated or unmodulated laser beam, supplied over single input beam path, into a selected one of a plurality of N optical output ports associated output beam paths for which are orthogonal to and intersect the input beam path. The switching system includes a plurality (N−1) of controlled optical deflection elements installed at a plurality of locations along the input beam path, and an additional, or Nth optical deflection element disposed in the input beam path optically downstream of the (N−1)th controlled optical deflection element. Each controlled optical deflection element is selectively controlled by an associated actuator to deflect the incoming light beam into a respectively associated output beam port/path, or to pass the beam therethrough to downstream deflector elements.
As will be described, each controlled optical deflection element may comprise a translatable mirror that is oriented at a prescribed angle (e.g., 45°) relative to each of the direction of the input beam path and its associated output beam path, so that the input light beam will be deflected by its reflective surface at an angle that is generally transverse (e.g., 90°) to the input optical beam path and therefore into the associated orthogonal output beam path. The mirror may be mounted to an electrically controlled actuator, such as a solenoid-based or piezoelectric transducer-based actuator, which is operative to physically displace the mirror into and out of the input beam path, so as to control whether or not the reflective surface of the mirror deflects the light beam into its output beam path or allows the beam to pass therebeyond to a downstream mirror.
Physical displacement of a mirror may be translational, or rotational. Alternatively, rather than employ a physically displaceable mirror, a respective controlled optical deflection element may comprise a functionally equivalent device, that is operative to controllably deflect or pass the incident light beam, but does so without being physically displaced. As a non-limiting example, such a controlled light beam deflector element may comprise a controlled medium-containing element, which functions as a mirror or as a transmitter in accordance with the application of control stimulus, such as a medium transmissivity-modifying voltage to the element.
A non-limiting example of a material whose reflective and transmissivity properties vary in response to an external stimulus is a liquid crystal, whose molecular orientation is affected by the application of a control voltage. However, because currently commercially available liquid crystal-based light beam deflector components have an efficiency of less than one hundred percent efficient, their performance is degraded relative to that of a displaceable mirror. Still, as such controlled transmissivity and reflectivity materials are improved to an acceptable efficiency level (ideally one hundred percent), their use in the present invention will be capable of achieving a performance level comparable to that of a displaceable mirror.
In order to direct an incoming beam to a selected output port/path, the actuators associated with each of the light beam deflectors optically upstream of the light beam deflector associated with the output path of interest are controllably operated, so as to cause their controlled deflector elements to pass the incident beam to the selected light beam deflector. The selected light beam deflector is positioned in the input beam path so that it deflects the incident beam along the desired output path.
Pursuant to a second aspect of the invention, an M×1 input optical beam switching system is configured to controllably steer a selected one of a plurality of incoming light beams into a single optical beam path that is orthogonal to and intersects each of the input beam paths. Such an M×1 input beam switching includes a plurality a plurality of input beam ports to which the input beams are applied. Input beam paths associated with the input ports are generally orthogonal to the single output beam path. As in the 1×N optical switch embodiment, the light beam paths may be free space or include optical transport materials such as optical fibers.
Installed at a first location of the single output beam path is a reflector element, such as a first mirror oriented at 45° relative to each of its associated input path and the single output beam path, so as to deflect light traveling along its input beam path onto the single output beam path. Further installed at a plurality of locations along the output beam path are respective ones of a plurality of (M−1) controlled optical deflection elements. As in the 1×N switch described above, each controlled optical deflection element is selectively operable to deflect a light beam traveling along its associated input path onto its orthogonal (output beam) path. When a respective displaceable deflector is positioned so that its reflective surface does not coincide with the intersection of its two intersecting orthogonal beam paths, then a light beam incident along its input path will be either directed to the rear surface of an immediate downstream mirror, or will pass by the mirror.
In order to direct an incoming beam travelling on a selected input beam path onto the single output beam path, the actuators associated with each of the light beam deflectors optically downstream of the light beam deflector at the beam path location of interest are controllably driven so as to cause these downstream controlled deflector elements to prevent an incident beam travelling along any of the
Ghassemi Faramarz Frank
Young Eddie H.
Allen Dyer Doppelt Milbrath & Gilchrist, P.A.
Neos Technologies, Inc.
Ngo Hung N.
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