Method and Apparatus for Coupling Optical Signal with Packaged Circuits Via Optical Cables and Lightguide Couplers

• US 20110110673A1
• Filed: 04/16/2010
• Published: 05/12/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 11/11/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Elbex Video Limited (Elbex Japan Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Elbex Video Limited (Elbex Japan Ltd.)
• Inventors: Elberbaum, David
• Granted Patent: US 8,041,221 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 398/202
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/02033 Core or cladding made from organic material, e.g. polymeric material G02B1/04 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/3644 the coupling means being through-holes or wall apertures
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/3817 containing optical and electrical conductors cables including electrical and optical conductors H01B11/22; G02B6/3816 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/4292 the light guide being disconnectable from the opto-electronic element, e.g. mutually self aligning arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/4295 coupling with semiconductor devices activated by light through the light guide, e.g. thyristors, phototransistors
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/475 Mechanical aspects of installing cables in ducts or the like for buildings
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 23/168 using cams
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 23/24 with two operating positions
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 9/0271 structurally combining a switch and an electronic component for relays H01H50/021
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 31/167 the light sources and the devices sensitive to radiation all being semiconductor devices characterised by potential barriers
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 31/173 formed in, or on, a common substrate
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/40013 Details regarding a bus controller

Abstract

Method and apparatus for coupling electrical and communication circuits, included in a packaged semiconductor comprising photo receivers, photo transmitters and photovoltaic cells, through lightguide and optical fiber cables. The packaged semiconductor combinations comprise one, two or plurality of photo elements for a single or plurality one way optical signal, receive or transmit, and a single or plurality of two way optical signal communications via direct optical links and via optical prisms, filters, half mirrors and lenses. The packaged semiconductor includes at least one optical access to a single or plurality of lightguides or optical fiber with single core and for multicore lightguides. A built-in or attachable holders are used for attaching the different lightguide cables to the one or plurality of optical accesses with the attached cable end is terminated by cutting, trimming and shaping. The packaged circuit comprising electrical switches, current sensors, basic elements such as diodes, transistors and FETs, switches and power switches and different basic electrical circuit and communication, distribution circuits including CPU, DSP and complex semiconductor circuits, as used for communicating within limited short distances through optical network of lightguides and fiber optical cables. A packaged semiconductor of an SPDT power switch circuit is integrated with an SPDT manually activated switch, for providing dual switching for lights and other electrical appliances, via manual action and remotely via the lightguide or the optical fiber.

Claims

1. A method for coupling an optical signal to a packaged semiconductor circuit via at least one optical cable selected from a group comprising lightguide, optical fiber and a combination thereof for controlling electrical appliances, said packaged semiconductor includes at least one optically aligned access with at least one photo element selected from a group comprising a photo diode, a photovoltaic cell, a photo diac, a photo thyristor, a photo triac, a photo transistor, a photo MOSFET, an LED, a laser and combinations thereof and at least one holder selected from a group comprising a built-in holder, an attachable holder and a combination thereof for fastening said optical cable to said access:

said circuit selected from a group comprising a driver, a buffer, a distributor, a repeater, a controller, a switch, a current sensor, a current data processor and combinations thereof, said method comprising the steps of;

a. terminating said optical cable end by a process selected from a group comprising cutting, trimming, shaping and combinations thereof;

b. introducing and fastening the terminated end of said optical cable to said access through said holder; and

c. providing said controlling to at least one of said appliances by a propagation selected from a group comprising transmit, receive and a combination thereof of said optical signal via said optical cable through said access and said element and by communicating said signal with said circuit.

2. The method for coupling an optical signal to a packaged semiconductor circuit according to claim 1, wherein at least two photo elements comprising one receiver and one transmitter are included in said packaged semiconductor for linking two way optical signals via a structure within said access selected from a group comprising a prism, a lens, a filter, an half mirror, in-line two way optical links and combinations thereof.

3. The method for coupling an optical signal to a packaged semiconductor circuit according to claim 1, wherein at least three photo elements selected from one of a combination comprising one receiver with two transmitters and one transmitter with two receivers are included in said packaged semiconductor for linking two way optical signals via a structure within said access selected from a group comprising a prism, a lens, a filter, an half mirror, in-line three optical links and combinations thereof.

4. The method for coupling an optical signal to a packaged semiconductor circuit according to claim 1, wherein at least two photo elements comprising one receiver and one transmitter are included in said packaged semiconductor for linking two way optical signals via one of said optical cable with dual core and two optical cables with a single core, and wherein said holder and said access are structured in one of a combination comprising said holder for fastening said dual core optical cable to a dual core access with two optical links and two holders for fastening two said single core optical cables to two accesses each with a single optical link.

5. The method for coupling an optical signal to a packaged semiconductor circuit according to claim 1, wherein a plurality of photo elements selected from one of a plurality of receivers and a plurality of transmitters for linking a plurality of one of receiving and transmitting optical signals via said access are included in said packaged semiconductor, and wherein said holder fastens said optical cable with multicore to said access with multi optical links for linking each of said elements with one core of said multicore.

6. The method for coupling an optical signal to a packaged semiconductor circuit according to claim 1, wherein a plurality of photo elements selected from one of a plurality of receivers and a plurality of transmitters for linking a plurality of one of receiving and transmitting optical signals via a plurality of accesses are included in said packaged semiconductor, and wherein a plurality of holders fasten a plurality of said optical cables to said accesses, each with a single optical link.

7. The method for coupling an optical signal to a packaged semiconductor circuit according to claim 1, wherein a plurality of pairs of photo elements each pair comprising one receiver and one transmitter for linking a plurality of two way optical signals via a plurality of structures within said access selected from a group comprising prisms, lenses, filters, half mirrors, in-line two way optical links and combinations thereof are included in said packaged semiconductor, wherein said holder fastens said optical cable with multicore to said access with optical links for at least two of said pairs with at least two cores of said multicore.

8. The method for coupling an optical signal to a packaged semiconductor circuit according to claim 1, wherein a plurality of pairs of photo elements each pair comprising one receiver and one transmitter for linking a plurality of two way optical signals via a plurality of structures selected from a group comprising a prism, a lens, a filter, an half mirror, in-line two way optical links and combinations thereof within each access of a plurality of accesses are included in said packaged semiconductor, and wherein at least two holders fasten two optical cables to two of said accesses.

9. The method for coupling an optical signal to a packaged semiconductor circuit according to claim 1, wherein a plurality of pairs of photo elements, each pair comprising one receiver and one transmitter aligned via one of said access and a plurality of accesses are included in said packaged semiconductor for linking a plurality of two way optical signals, and wherein a combination selected from one of said holder fastens one said optical cable with multicore to said access and a plurality of holders fasten a plurality of optical cables each with a single core to said accesses, for linking at least two of said pairs with two pairs of cores of said multicore or four of said optical cables with single core.

10. The method for coupling an optical signal to a packaged semiconductor circuit according to claim 1, wherein said circuit is an SPDT switch for connection to one of a manually and a remotely operated mechanical SPDT switch via two traveler contacts.

11. The method for coupling an optical signal to a packaged semiconductor circuit according to claim 10, wherein said mechanical SPDT switch and said packaged semiconductor are joined via at least said two traveler contacts.

12. The method for coupling an optical signal to a packaged semiconductor circuit according to claim 1, wherein said circuit is an SPDT switch and said packaged semiconductor is structured to be a part of an opto-mechanical switch, wherein two traveler contacts of said SPDT switch form the mechanical traveler contacts of said opto-mechanical switch and a common terminal of said SPDT switch and a terminal of the mechanical pole of said opto-mechanical switch provide for power line and load connections.

13. The method for coupling an optical signal to a packaged semiconductor circuit according to claim 1, wherein said circuit is a current sensor for sensing a current drain of a load and generating a sensor signal and wherein said element is at least one transmitter for outputting an optical signal commensurate with said sensor signal.

14. The method for coupling an optical signal to a packaged semiconductor circuit according to claim 1, wherein said packaged semiconductor includes a receiver for receiving an optical signal comprising current drain data of a load and said circuit is a data processor for converting the received current drain data to an electrical signal for propagation via a wired network.

15. The method for coupling an optical signal to a packaged semiconductor circuit according to claim 14, wherein said receiver for receiving current drain data receives an optical signal from an optical transmitter for installing an identifying data of said load into a memory included in said processor, and wherein said processor attaches at least a portion of said identifying data to said data of said current drain propagated via said wired network.

16. The method for coupling an optical signal to a packaged semiconductor circuit according to claim 1, wherein a plurality of photo elements and a plurality of accesses for distributing a plurality of optical signals selected from a group comprising receive, transmit, two way and combinations thereof via a structure within each of said plurality of said accesses selected from a group comprising a prism, a lens, a filter, an half mirror, an in-line single optical link, in-line two way optical links and combinations thereof are included in said packaged semiconductor, and wherein a plurality of holders fasten a plurality of optical cables to said accesses.

17. A packaged semiconductor circuit including at least one optical access aligned with at least one photo element selected from a group comprising a photo diode, a photovoltaic cell, a photo diac, a photo thyristor, a photo triac, a photo transistor, a photo MOSFET, an LED, a laser and combinations thereof and at least one holder selected from a group comprising a built-in holder, an attachable holder and a combination thereof for fastening an end of at least one optical cable selected from a group comprising lightguide, optical fiber and a combination thereof to said access;

said circuit selected from a group comprising a driver, a buffer, a distributor, a repeater, a controller, a switch, a current sensor, a current data processor and combinations thereof is electrically connected via contacts selected from a group comprising pins, solder pins, surface mount contacts, surface mount terminals, plugs, sockets, posts, blades, terminal blocks, screw terminals, crimp terminals, fast on terminals, solder terminals, solder contacts, and combinations thereof; and

said packaged semiconductor, said holder and said access are structured to fasten and optically link said end of said optical cable terminated by a process selected from a group comprising cutting, trimming, shaping and combinations thereof with said circuit through said photo element.

18. The packaged semiconductor circuit according to claim 17, wherein at least two photo elements comprising one receiver and one transmitter are included in said packaged semiconductor for linking two way optical signals via a structure within said access selected from a group comprising a prism, a lens, a filter, an half mirror, in-line two way optical links and combinations thereof.

19. The packaged semiconductor circuit according to claim 17, wherein at least three photo elements selected from one of a combination comprising one receiver with two transmitters and one transmitter with two receivers are included in said packaged semiconductor for linking two way optical signals via a structure within said access selected from a group comprising a prism, a lens, a filter, half mirror, in-line three optical links and combinations thereof.

20. The packaged semiconductor circuit according to claim 17, wherein at least two photo elements comprising one receiver and one transmitter are included in said packaged semiconductor for linking two way optical signals via one of said optical cable with dual core and two optical cables, and wherein said holder and said access are structured in one of a combination comprising said holder for fastening said optical cable with dual core to a dual core access with dual optical links and two holders for fastening said two optical cables to two accesses each with a single optical link.

21. The packaged semiconductor circuit according to claim 17, wherein a plurality of photo elements selected from one of a plurality of receivers and a plurality of transmitters for linking a plurality of one way optical signals via said access are included in said packaged semiconductor, and wherein said holder fastens said optical cable with multicore to said access with multi links for linking each of said photo elements with one core of said multicore.

22. The packaged semiconductor circuit according to claim 17, wherein a plurality of photo elements selected from one of a plurality of receivers and a plurality of transmitters for linking a plurality of one way optical signals via a plurality of accesses are included in said packaged semiconductor, and wherein a plurality of holders fasten a plurality of optical cables to said accesses for linking each of said photo elements with one said optical cable.

23. The packaged semiconductor circuit according to claim 17, wherein a plurality of pairs of photo elements each pair comprising one receiver and one transmitter for linking a plurality of two way optical signals via multi structures within said access selected from a group comprising prisms, lenses, filters, half mirrors, in-line two way optical links and combinations thereof are included in said packaged semiconductor, wherein said holder fastens said optical cable with multicore to said access for optically linking each said pair with one core of said multicore.

24. The packaged semiconductor circuit according to claim 17, wherein a plurality of pairs of photo elements each pair comprising one receiver and one transmitter for linking a plurality of two way optical signals via a plurality of accesses, each via a structure selected from a group comprising a prism, a lens, a filter, an half mirror, in-line two way optical links and combinations thereof within each of said accesses are included in said packaged semiconductor, and wherein a plurality of holders fasten a plurality of optical cables to said accesses for optically linking each said pair with one of said optical cables.

25. The packaged semiconductor circuit according to claim 17, wherein a plurality of pairs of photo elements, each pair comprising one said receiver and one said transmitter aligned via one of a single said access and a plurality of accesses are included in said packaged semiconductor for linking a plurality of two way optical signals, and wherein one of said holder fastens one of said optical cable with multicore to said single access and a plurality of holders fasten a plurality of optical cables with a single core to said accesses for linking at least two of said pairs with two pairs of cores of said multicore or four of said optical cables with single core.

26. The packaged semiconductor circuit according to claim 17, wherein said circuit is an SPDT switch for connection to one of a manually and a remotely operated SPDT mechanical switch via two traveler contacts.

27. The packaged semiconductor circuit according to claim 26, wherein said mechanical SPDT switch and said packaged semiconductor are joined via at least said two traveler contacts.

28. The packaged semiconductor circuit according to claim 17, wherein said circuit is an SPDT switch and said packaged semiconductor is structured to be a part of an opto-mechanical switch, wherein two traveler contacts of said SPDT switch form the mechanical traveler contacts of said opto-mechanical switch and wherein the common terminal of said SPDT switch and a terminal of the mechanical pole of said opto-mechanical switch provide for power line and load connections.

29. The packaged semiconductor circuit according to claim 17, wherein said circuit is a current sensor for sensing a current drain of a load and generating a sensor signal and wherein said photo element is at least one transmitter for outputting an optical signal commensurate with said sensor signal.

30. The packaged semiconductor circuit according to claim 17, wherein said packaged semiconductor includes a receiver for receiving an optical signal comprising current drain data of a load and said circuit is a data processor for converting the received current drain data to an electrical signal for propagation via a wired network.

31. The packaged semiconductor circuit according to claim 30, wherein said receiver for receiving current drain data receives an optical signal from an optical transmitter for installing an identifying data of said load into a memory included in said processor, and wherein said processor attaches at least a portion of said identifying data to said data of said current drain propagated via said wired network.

32. The packaged semiconductor circuit according to claim 17, wherein a plurality of photo elements and a plurality of accesses for distributing a plurality of optical signals selected from a group comprising receive, transmit, two way and combinations thereof via a structure within each of said plurality of said accesses selected from a group comprising a prism, a lens, a filter, an half mirror, an in-line single optical link, in-line two way optical links and combinations thereof are included in said packaged semiconductor, and wherein a plurality of holders fasten a plurality of optical cables to said accesses.