M input port by N output port optical switching system

• US 6,091,867 A
• Filed: 04/30/1999
• Issued: 07/18/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 05/02/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Optical Switches And Sensors, Inc.
• Original Assignee: NEOS Technologies Incorporated (Gooch & Housego PLC)
• Inventors: Ghassemi, Faramarz Frank, Young, Eddie H.
• Primary Examiner(s): NGO, HUNG NHAT
• Application Number:
  US09/303,468
• Time in Patent Office: 445 Days
• Field of Search: 385/16-25, 349/196, 349/197, 349/202
• US Class Current: 385/17
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/3514 the reflective optical element moving along a line so as to translate into and out of the beam path, i.e. across the beam path
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/3546 NxM switch, i.e. a regular array of switches elements of matrix type constellation
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/3548 1xN switch, i.e. one input and a selectable single output of N possible outputs
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/3578 Piezoelectric force piezoelectric forces controlling reflecting elements in general G02B26/0858; piezo-optic devices G02F1/0131
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 11/0001 using optical switching
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 11/0005 Switch and router aspects
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2011/0026 using free space propagation (e.g. lenses, mirrors)

Abstract

An M×N optical switching system has a plurality of M optical input ports, each of which is directs a respectively associated optical input beam along one of M spaced apart coplanar parallel input optical paths intersecting an optical coupling path. N optical output ports are installed of the input ports at spaced apart locations of the optical coupling path. Each optical output ports receives a respective optical signal along one of N spaced apart coplanar output optical paths that intersect the optical coupling path apart. M+N mirrors are alignable with a normal bisecting a common angle at a respective intersection of the M input optical paths and the N output optical paths with the optical coupling path. A plurality of actuators controllably move selected mirrors into and out of the optical coupling path, so as to cause an optical signal incident at a selected one of the M optical input ports to be coupled to a selected one of the N optical output ports.

Claims

1. An arrangement for controllably directing a light beam comprising:

a plurality of light beam directing elements, each of which may be positioned into and out of a first path of said light beam and is operative, in response to a light beam direction control signal therefor, to be positioned into said first path and thereby direct said light beam into a respective second path of a second plurality of second paths associated with said plurality of light beam directing elements, or to be positioned out of said first path and thereby allow said light beam to continue to travel along said first path; and

an optical direction element control mechanism, which is coupled to said plurality of light beam directing elements and is operative to apply a first light beam direction control signal to a selected one of said plurality of light beam directing elements, and thereby cause said selected one of said plurality of light beam directing elements to be controllably positioned into said first path of said light beam and thereby direct said light beam into a respective second path associated therewith.

2. An arrangement according to claim 1, wherein said optical direction element control mechanism is further operative to apply a second light beam direction control signal to one or more selected others of said plurality of light beam directing elements, so as to position said one or more selected others of said plurality of light beam directing elements out of said path and thereby allow said light beam to continue to travel along said first path.

3. An arrangement according to claim 2, wherein said plurality of controlled optical direction elements comprise moveable reflectors.

4. An arrangement according to claim 1, wherein said controlled optical direction elements contain material that selectively passes said light beam therethrough along said first path or reflects said light beam therefrom along a respective second path at an angle of 45°

relative thereto in accordance with said light beam direction control signal therefor.

5. An arrangement according to claim 4, wherein said material comprises liquid crystal material.

6. An optical switching system comprising:

a plurality M of first optical ports, each of which is adapted to direct optical energy along one of M spaced apart coplanar parallel optical paths intersecting an optical coupling path;

a plurality N of second optical ports, each of which is adapted to receive optical energy along one of N spaced apart coplanar output optical paths that intersect said optical coupling path apart from said M first optical paths, said M first optical paths and said N second optical paths being parallel with one another in a single plane and defining M×

N optical switch paths;

M plus N optical directing elements, each of which is positionable at a respective intersection of said M first optical paths and said N second optical paths with said optical coupling path; and

a control mechanism which is operative to control selected ones of said M plus N optical directing elements so as to cause optical energy incident upon a selected one of said plurality of M first optical ports to be coupled via said optical coupling path to a selected one of said N second optical ports.

7. An optical switching system according to claim 6, wherein a respective optical directing element comprises a moveable reflector.

8. An optical switching system according to claim 6, wherein said M plus N optical directing elements contain material that selectively passes said light beam therethrough or reflects said light beam therefrom in accordance with a light beam direction control input applied thereto.

9. An arrangement according to claim 6, wherein said material comprises liquid crystal material.

10. A method for controllably directing a light beam comprising the steps of:

(a) providing a plurality of light beam directing elements, each of which is operative, in response to a respective light beam direction control signal therefor, to be controllably positioned in a first path of said light beam and direct said light beam into a respective second path, or to be positioned out of said first path and thereby allow said light beam to continue to travel along said first path; and

(b) applying a first light beam direction control signal to a selected one of said plurality of light beam directing elements, and thereby controllably position said selected one of said plurality of light beam directing elements into said first path and thereby direct said light beam into a respective second path associated therewith; and

(c) applying a second light beam direction control signal to one or more selected others of said plurality of light beam directing elements, so as to position said one or more selected others of said plurality of light beam directing elements out of said first path and thereby allow said light beam to continue to travel along said first path.

11. A method according to claim 10, wherein said plurality of controlled optical direction elements comprise moveable reflectors.

12. A method according to claim 10, wherein said controlled optical direction elements contain material that selectively passes said light beam therethrough along said first path or reflects said light beam therefrom along a respective second path at an angle of 45°

with respect thereto in accordance with a light beam direction control signal therefor.

13. A method according to claim 12, wherein said material comprises liquid crystal material.

14. An arrangement according to claim 12, wherein said optical direction element control mechanism is further operative to apply a second light beam direction control signal to one or more selected others of said plurality of light beam directing elements, so as to allow said light beam to continue to travel along said first path.

15. An arrangement for controllably directing a light beam comprising:

a plurality of light beam directing elements, each of which may be positioned in a first path of said light beam at an angle of 45°

with respect to said first path and is operative, in response to a light beam direction control signal therefor, to controllably reflect said light beam into a respective second path of a second plurality of second paths associated with said plurality of light beam directing elements, or to allow said light beam to continue to travel along said first path; and

an optical direction element control mechanism, which is coupled to said plurality of light beam directing elements and is operative to apply a first light beam direction control signal to a selected one of said plurality of light beam directing elements, and thereby controllably reflect said light beam into a respective second path associated therewith.

16. A method for controllably directing a light beam comprising the steps of:

(a) positioning, in a first path of said light beam, a plurality of light beam directing elements at an angle of 45°

with respect to said first path, which are operative, in response to light beam direction control signals therefor, to controllably direct said light beam into respective second paths, each of said second paths being oriented at an angle of 45°

with respect to said first path or to allow said light beam to continue to travel along said first path; and

(b) applying a first light beam direction control signal to a selected one of said plurality of light beam directing elements, and thereby controllably reflect said light beam into a respective second path associated therewith; and

(c) applying a second light beam direction control signal to one or more selected others of said plurality of light beam directing elements, so as to allow said light beam to continue to travel along said first path.

17. A method according to claim 16, wherein said plurality of controlled optical direction elements comprise moveable reflectors.