Free space optical switch with lenses for re-collimating the light

• US 6,366,715 B1
• Filed: 03/03/2000
• Issued: 04/02/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 03/03/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Avago Technologies General IP PTE Limited (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Agilent Technologies, Inc.
• Inventors: Wang, Shih-Yuan
• Primary Examiner(s): Sanghavi, Hemang
• Assistant Examiner(s): KNAUSS, SCOTT A
• Application Number:
  US09/517,943
• Time in Patent Office: 760 Days
• Field of Search: 385/17, 385/16, 385/18, 385/19, 385/20, 385/31, 385/33, 385/34, 385/35
• US Class Current: 385/17
• 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

A cross-connect switch for switching light signals arriving on N input optical fibers to M output optical fibers. The switch includes N×M mirror elements arranged as N rows and M columns of mirror elements. Each mirror element has a reflecting state and a non-reflecting state. In the reflecting state, each mirror element reflects light from a corresponding one of the input optical fibers to a corresponding one of the output optical fibers. Each mirror element is positioned in the non-reflecting state such that the mirror element does not intercept light from any of the input optical fibers. All of the mirror elements corresponding to a given input optical fiber are located on the same row and all mirror elements corresponding to a given output optical fiber are located in the same column. The switch also includes a plurality of re-collimating lenses. One such re-collimating lens is located between two of the mirror elements in each of the rows of mirror elements. Each re-collimating lens collimates light from the input optical fiber corresponding to that row. The switch also includes one such re-collimating lens between two of the mirror elements in each of the columns of mirror elements.

Claims

1. A cross-connect switch comprising:

N input optical fibers, wherein N>

1;

M output optical fibers, wherein M>

1;

N×

M mirror elements arranged as N rows and M columns of mirror elements, each mirror element having a reflecting state and a non-reflecting state, each mirror element reflecting light from a corresponding one of said input optical fibers to a corresponding one of said output optical fibers in said reflecting state, and each mirror element being positioned in said non-reflecting state such that said mirror element does not intercept light from any of said input optical fibers, all of said mirror elements corresponding to a given input optical fiber being located on the same row and all mirror elements corresponding to a given output optical fiber being located in the same column; and

a plurality of re-collimating lenses, one such re-collimating lens being located between two of said mirror elements in each of said rows of mirror elements, each re-collimating lens collimating light from said input optical fiber corresponding to that row and one such recollimating lens being located between two of said mirror elements in each of said columns of mirror elements.

2. The cross-connect switch of claim 1 wherein the number of re-collimating lenses in one of said rows is less than M−

1.

3. The cross-connect switch of claim 1 wherein said re-collimating lenses are ball lenses.