Optical switch incorporating stepped faceted mirrors
US6580849B2 · kind B2 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Jan 5, 2001 |
| Grant date | Jun 17, 2003 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Apr 13, 2021 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG02B2006/12104
- WIPO fieldOptics
- WIPO sectorInstruments
Abstract
An optical switch that includes optical paths organized into a set of M input optical paths and a set of N output optical paths. The optical switch additionally includes a faceted mirror corresponding to each of the M input optical paths and including N facets and a faceted mirror corresponding to each of the N output optical paths and including M facets. Finally, the optical switch includes a moving mechanism coupled to each faceted mirror to step the faceted mirror to selectively align one of the facets of the faceted mirror with the one of the optical paths with which the faceted mirror is associated. The facets of each of the faceted mirrors corresponding to one of the sets of optical paths, i.e., the set of input optical paths or the set of output optical paths, are preferably angled to reflect light towards a different one of the faceted mirrors corresponding to the other of the sets of optical paths, i.e., the set of output optical paths or the set of input optical paths, respectively.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.