Patent · US Expired

Optical cross-connect switch with telecentric lens and multi-surface optical element

US6985299B2 · kind B2 · utility

7Cited by
10References
3Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateAug 13, 2004
Grant dateJan 10, 2006
Priority date
Expiry dateAug 13, 2024

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC G)Physics
  • CPC primaryG02B6/356
  • WIPO fieldOptics
  • WIPO sectorInstruments

Abstract

In the beam path of an Optical Cross Connect between the front face of a fiber block and a moveable mirror array are placed a telecentric lens and multi-surface optical element. The lens is placed adjacent the front face with a front focal plane coinciding with the front face. The substantially parallel beam path axes between the front face and the telecentric lens are converted by the lens into dispersing directions towards the optical element. Discrete optical surfaces of the optical element redirect the dispersing beam paths in a fashion such that the beam paths coincide in the following with corresponding moveable mirrors of a mirror array. Pitches of arrayed fiber ends and of the optical surfaces as well as the moveable mirrors are independently selectable. The telecentric lens simultaneously focuses the signal beams with improved beam separation and reduced signal loss.

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