Method and apparatus for aligning optical interconnections between printed circuit boards
US6583904B1 · kind B1 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Oct 1, 1999 |
| Grant date | Jun 24, 2003 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Oct 1, 2019 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
- CPC primaryH05K1/14
- WIPO fieldOptics
- WIPO sectorInstruments
Abstract
Method and apparatus for the alignment of optical interconnections between at least one optical data transmission point and at least one corresponding optical data receiving point. A collimated beam of data carrying light is polarized through an electrically-controlled light polarizer, such as a spatial light modulator or a liquid crystal, which comprises an array of pixels. A focused beam of the data-carrying light, emitted from the light polarizer, is obtained on the receiving point, by individually controlling the polarization of each pixel, and deflecting the direction of the collimated beam when emitted from the light polarizer, until a predetermined value of an electrical signal (current and/or voltage) representing the level of alignment is obtained. The collimated beam is further continuously and/or adaptively aligned by determining a desired current and a threshold current and/or voltage produced by an optical sensor at the receiving point. A comparator circuitry compares the actual current produced by the optical sensor, to the threshold current, and a feedback loop controls each individual pixel according to the comparison result.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.