Free-space optical signal switch arrangement
US6002818A · kind A · utility
102Cited by
4References
15Claims
0Family size
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Dec 5, 1997 |
| Grant date | Dec 14, 1999 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Dec 5, 2017 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
- CPC primaryH04Q2011/0026
- WIPO fieldTelecommunications
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
A free-space N by M, where N and M>1, optical signal switch (OXC) requires only transmitter beam steering for controlling to which receiver an optical signal from a transmitter is directed. In a preferred embodiment the transmitters handle single mode optical signals and the receivers handle multimode optical signals. The OXC may optionally include a fixed optical unit implemented using either a single fixed shared lens or a plurality of M optical elements for further directing each of the M optical signals to their respective receivers.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.