Integrated circuit photonic signal matrix
First Claim
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1. An optoelectronic signal matrix for selectively connecting any of N inputs to any of M outputs, comprising:
- an integrated circuit matrix having N rows by M columns of optoelectronic matrix elements, with each matrix element including a detector and emitter pair adapted to detect first photonic signals and to re-emit the detected first photonic signals as second photonic signals;
one or more input emitters for each N input, adapted to transmit a first photonic signal along a separate respective N matrix row, wherein the first photonic signals transmitted thereby have one or more wavelengths corresponding to one or more respective M outputs;
one or more output detectors for each M output, adapted to receive second photonic signals from a separate respective matrix column;
a waveguide located adjacent the matrix and adapted to provide a transmission medium along individual rows and along individual columns of the matrix;
a separate diffraction grating associated with the waveguide over each detector of each matrix element and adapted to provide wavelength dependent diffraction of the first photonic signals traveling in the waveguide along each N row into the matrix element detector of wavelength respective M columns; and
a separate optical distribution element associated with the waveguide over each emitter of each matrix element and adapted to distribute second photonic signals emitted from each matrix element emitter into the waveguide and along the respective M column;
wherein the signal matrix is adapted to receive signals at each N input intended for any M output, transmit the received signals through the waveguide as first photonic signals at a wavelength corresponding to the intended M output, diffract the transmitted first photonic signals for detection by the matrix element of the corresponding M column, re-emit the detected signal from the detecting matrix element as a second photonic signal, distribute the second photonic signal into the respective M column and detect the distributed second photonic signal at the respective M output detector.
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Abstract
A signal matrix provides high speed interconnections using optoelectronic elements by detecting wavelength dependent photonic signals at each element of a matrix and re-emitting the detected photonic signals for transmission to an intended destination. Applications include telecommunications and computing, and particularly, cross bar switches and fiber optic bundles.
3 Citations
18 Claims
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1. An optoelectronic signal matrix for selectively connecting any of N inputs to any of M outputs, comprising:
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an integrated circuit matrix having N rows by M columns of optoelectronic matrix elements, with each matrix element including a detector and emitter pair adapted to detect first photonic signals and to re-emit the detected first photonic signals as second photonic signals;
one or more input emitters for each N input, adapted to transmit a first photonic signal along a separate respective N matrix row, wherein the first photonic signals transmitted thereby have one or more wavelengths corresponding to one or more respective M outputs;
one or more output detectors for each M output, adapted to receive second photonic signals from a separate respective matrix column;
a waveguide located adjacent the matrix and adapted to provide a transmission medium along individual rows and along individual columns of the matrix;
a separate diffraction grating associated with the waveguide over each detector of each matrix element and adapted to provide wavelength dependent diffraction of the first photonic signals traveling in the waveguide along each N row into the matrix element detector of wavelength respective M columns; and
a separate optical distribution element associated with the waveguide over each emitter of each matrix element and adapted to distribute second photonic signals emitted from each matrix element emitter into the waveguide and along the respective M column;
wherein the signal matrix is adapted to receive signals at each N input intended for any M output, transmit the received signals through the waveguide as first photonic signals at a wavelength corresponding to the intended M output, diffract the transmitted first photonic signals for detection by the matrix element of the corresponding M column, re-emit the detected signal from the detecting matrix element as a second photonic signal, distribute the second photonic signal into the respective M column and detect the distributed second photonic signal at the respective M output detector. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
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9. A method for connecting electrical signals from any one of N inputs to anyone of M outputs, comprising:
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emitting a first photonic signal representing an electrical signal from an N input at a photonic wavelength corresponding to an intended M output;
conveying the emitted first photonic signal adjacent a separate row of an integrated circuit matrix of N rows by M columns of optoelectronic matrix elements;
detecting the conveyed first photonic signal at a matrix element corresponding to the intended M output;
re-emitting the detected first photonic signal as a second photonic signal from the corresponding matrix element;
conveying the re-emitted second photonic signal along the respective M column; and
detecting the conveyed second photonic signal in the respective M column at the respective M output. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 16, 18)
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15. An optoelectronic signal matrix for sending input photonic signals over a fiber optic bundle, comprising:
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an integrated circuit matrix having at least N rows of optoelectronic matrix elements, with each matrix element including a detector and emitter pair adapted to detect input photonic signals and to re-emit the detected input photonic signals;
a waveguide located adjacent the matrix and adapted to provide a transmission medium along individual rows of the matrix, the waveguide including optical elements for directing input photonic signals into the matrix element detectors from the waveguide; and
means for coupling re-emitted photonic signals from the matrix element emitters into a fiber optic bundle;
wherein the switch matrix is adapted to detect input photonic signals in the waveguide at each matrix element and re-emit the detected input photonic signals into the optical fiber bundle.
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17. An optoelectronic signal matrix for receiving photonic signals from a fiber optic bundle, comprising:
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a integrated circuit matrix having at least N rows of optoelectronic matrix elements, with each matrix element including a detector and emitter pair adapted to detect photonic signals and to re-emit the detected photonic signals;
means for coupling photonic signals from the fiber optic bundle to the matrix element detectors; and
a waveguide located adjacent the matrix and adapted to provide a transmission medium along individual rows of the matrix, the waveguide including optical elements for directing optical signals along the waveguide from the matrix elements emitters;
wherein the signal matrix is adapted to detect photonic signals present in the fiber optic bundle and to re-emit these detected photonic signals into the waveguide.
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Specification