Patent · US Expired

Optical interconnect method and apparatus

US6367989B1 · kind B1 · utility

10Cited by
1References
20Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateMay 22, 2000
Grant dateApr 9, 2002
Priority date
Expiry dateMay 22, 2020

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC G)Physics
  • CPC primaryG02B6/43
  • WIPO fieldOptics
  • WIPO sectorInstruments

Abstract

An optical interconnect system (100) includes an array of optical sources (102), a high-density fiber bundle (110), and an array of optical receivers (150). The density of the fiber bundle is such that each optical source (104) couples light to multiple fibers within the bundle. The fiber bundle has a consistent cross section along its length so that the footprint of fibers (306, FIG. 3) illuminated by a spot (304) from an optical source illuminates a similar footprint (404, FIG. 4) over the optical receivers (406). The optical receiver array has a density of optical receivers such that the footprint of fibers corresponding to a single optical source illuminates at least one optical receiver. A method (600, FIG. 6) for creating optical source/receiver pairs excites each optical source in turn and detects energy at the optical receiver array.

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