OPTICAL SWITCHING APPARATUS
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Accused Products
Abstract
An optical matrix switch station (1) is shown mounting a plurality of optical switch units (15, 17), each of which includes a mirror (29), moveable in two axes, for purpose of switching light beams from one optical fiber to another. A mirror assembly (41) is formed from a single body of silicon and comprises a frame portion (43), gimbals (45), mirror portion (47), and related hinges (55). Magnets (53, 54) and air coils (89) are utilized to position the central mirror surface (29) to a selected orientation. The moveable mirror and associated magnets along with control LED'"'"'s (71) are hermetically packaged in a header (81) and mounted with the air coils on mounting bracket (85) to form a micromirror assembly package (99) mounted in each optical switch unit.
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Citations
30 Claims
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1-10. -10. (canceled)
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11. A method for use in operating an optical beam switching system for transmitting an optical beam from at least one source to at least one of a plurality of optical receptors, said method comprising the steps of:
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providing one or more beam directing devices in an optical pathway of said optical beam, said beam-directing devices being operative for selectively redirecting said optical beam; obtaining information from at least one feedback device, indicating an actual beam redirection position associated with at least one of said beam directing devices; and selectively repositioning said at least one of said beam directing devices based on said information. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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21. A method for use in operating an optical beam switching system for transmitting an optical beam from at least one source to at least one of a plurality of optical receptors, said method comprising the steps of:
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providing one or more beam directing devices in an optical pathway of said optical beam, said beam-directing devices being operative for selectively redirecting said optical beam; obtaining information from a feedback device, indicating an actual beam redirection position associated with at least one of said beam directing devices; performing a comparison of the actual beam redirection position with a desired beam-redirection position; and selectively repositioning the first beam-directing device based on the comparison. - View Dependent Claims (22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30)
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Specification