Patent · US Expired

Optical interconnect using microlens/minilens relay

US6339503B1 · kind B1 · utility

14Cited by
14References
40Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateNov 2, 1999
Grant dateJan 15, 2002
Priority date
Expiry dateNov 2, 2019

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC G)Physics
  • CPC primaryG02B3/0056
  • WIPO fieldOptics
  • WIPO sectorInstruments

Abstract

An optical system for imaging an array of light sources includes an array of microlenses disposed to intercept light from respective light sources in the array of light sources to reduce the divergence angles of light emanating from the light sources, a first array of lenses (sometimes referred to as minilenses), a second array of lenses (minilenses), and an additional array of microlenses disposed to intercept and focus light from the second array of lenses. Each lens in the first array is sized to intercept light from a respective sub-plurality of the microlenses, and each lens in the second array intercepts and focuses light from a respective lens in the first array. The first and second arrays of minilenses are preferably configured to define a doubly-telecentric imaging system. Each microlens in the additional array intercepts and focuses light that originated from a respective light source in the array of light sources and passed through a respective microlens in the first-mentioned array of microlenses.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.