Optical switch

Details Optical switch Optical switch

2002-06-28

2003-12-30

Dang, Hung Xuan (Department: 2873)

Optical: systems and elements

Optical modulator

Light wave directional modulation

C385S016000, C385S017000, C385S018000, C385S024000

Reexamination Certificate

active

06671082

ABSTRACT:

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to an optical switch, and in particular, to a 2×2 optical switch using a movable reflecting device to switch the optical path.
2. Description of the Related Art
An optical switch is a device which switches a light ray from one input terminal to a target output terminal and possesses the function of switching a transmitting path of the light ray to switch signal sources, receive terminals and failure points, etc. The optical switch is applicable in optical communication network node systems such as the optical cross connect (OXC) or optical add & drop multiplexer (OADM), so as to accomplish the functions of error restoration and exchange.
As shown in
FIGS. 1 and 2
, the conventional 2×2 optical switch
1
includes four collimators
11
,
12
,
13
and
14
and six reflectors
101
,
102
,
103
,
104
,
105
and
106
, wherein the reflectors
101
,
104
,
105
and
106
are fixed, and the reflectors
102
and
103
are movable. Referring to
FIG. 1
, after the collimator
11
has received a first ray R
1
, the first ray R
1
is reflected by the reflectors
101
and
102
and is received by the collimator
12
to be output therefrom. In addition, after the collimator
13
has received a second ray R
2
, the second ray R
2
is reflected by the reflectors
103
and
104
and is received by the collimator
14
to be output therefrom. Referring to
FIG. 2
, after the reflectors
102
and
103
are removed, the collimator
11
receives the first ray R
1
, and the first ray R
1
is reflected via the reflectors
101
and
104
and is received by the collimator
14
and not by the collimator
12
. The collimator
13
receives the second ray R
2
and the second ray R
2
is reflected via the reflectors
105
and
106
and is received by the collimator
14
and not by the collimator
12
. In other words, when the reflectors
102
and
103
are removed, the light transmission path can be switched.
Although the conventional 2×2 optical switch
1
achieves the objective of optical path switching, six reflectors are needed in this case. As a result, the cost of the switch is high, and the requirements for a light, thin, short and small in size of an optic-electro product cannot be achieved.
In view of the above, it is an imperative issue that needs to be overcome in order to reduce the production cost and to reduce the volume, weight and size of a 2×2 optical switch.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Accordingly, it is an objective of the invention to provide an optical switch, which is light, thin, short and small in size and the cost of production of the switch is low.
In order to achieve the above objective, the optical switch includes two optical input terminals, two optical output terminals, two reflecting devices and a movable device. The optical input terminals are used to receive light rays. The two reflecting devices are positioned at a fixed position and the movable device reflects light rays. When the position of the movable device moves, the light rays are reflected by one of the reflecting devices and are selectively output from the optical output terminals.
As a result of change in position of the reflecting devices and the movable device, the objective of switching the optical path of the light ray can be achieved by means of two reflecting devices and a movable device. Thus, the production cost of the 2×2 optical switch is greatly reduced, and in turn, the volume of the optical switch is reduced and the weight is lightened.


REFERENCES:
patent: 6449407 (2002-09-01), Kiang et al.
patent: 6591031 (2003-07-01), Wu et al.

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