An optical matrix switcher comprising:
- a plurality of input assemblies, a plurality of output assemblies, a screen disposed between said input assemblies and said output assemblies;
- each of said input assemblies comprising an input beam shaping means, a first input means, a first output means;
- said input beam shaping means comprising an input and an output so that said first input means is optically connected to the input of said input beam shaping means and said first output means is optically connected to the output of said input beam shaping means;
- said input beam shaping means further comprising a plurality of lenses having specific optical properties and disposed within said input beam shaping means in a way that a beam of light irradiating said first input means will pass between the input and output of said input beam shaping means and come out of said first output means in the form of a shaped beam, said shaped beam shaped into a plane;
- each of said output assemblies comprising an output beam shaping means, a second input means, a second output means;
- said output beam shaping means comprising an input and an output so that said second input means is optically connected to the input of said output beam shaping means and said second output means is optically connected to the output of said output beam shaping means;
- each of said output beam shaping means further comprising a plurality of lenses having specific optical properties and disposed within said output beam shaping means in a way that the shaped beam irradiating said second input means will pass between the input and output of said output beam shaping means and come out of said second output means in the form of a beam of light carrying the same information as the shaped beam irradiating said second input means;
- said output assemblies and said input assemblies are disposed with respect to each other in a way that in the absence of said screen, each of said first output means can be placed in an optical connection with each of said second input means by way of said shaped beams coming out of said first output means and irradiating said second input means;
- said screen comprising a substantially opaque material preventing optical connection between said first output means and said second input means when said shaped beams come out of said first output means;
- said screen further comprising a plurality of switching means in a way that said switching means can be placed in an “on” position or in an “off” position, so that when any of said switching means is placed in the “on” position, it creates a substantially transparent opening in said screen permitting light to pass through said screen and when any of said switching means is placed in the “off” position, it maintains the opaque properties of said screen and does not permit light to pass through said screen;
- said switching means are disposed in said screen in a way that each of the substantially transparent openings created by each of said switching means placed in the “on” position is in an optical alignment with one of said first output means and one of said second input means, such that any of said first output means can be placed in an optical connection with any of said second input means by way of placing a selected switching means in the “on” position and permitting said shaped beam coming out of a selected first output means to pass through the substantially transparent opening in said screen created by the selected switching means and irradiate a selected second input means, thus permitting a beam of light from any of the first input means to be sent to any of the second output means via the corresponding switching means in the “on” position.