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US 2002/0159685 A1Published application
1xN optical fiber switch
OwnerRobert H. Cormackinventor
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Abstract
A 1×N optical switch according to the present invention switches between output fibers without the need for active alignment by utilizing two beam deflecting stages, for example first passing the input beam through a translating element and then through a beam angle adjusting element. The translating element directs the input beam toward the selected fiber, and the angle adjusting element directs the beam toward the core of the selected fiber.
Claims18
A 1×N optical switch for coupling an input beam to a selected one of N output fibers comprising:
- a rough beam deflector for directing the input beam toward the selected output fiber, resulting in a roughly directed beam;
- and
- a fine beam deflector for directing the roughly directed beam toward the core of the selected fiber.
The method of selectively switching an input beam of light to one of N output fibers comprising the steps of:
- (a) directing the input beam toward the selected output fiber, resulting in a roughly directed beam;
- and
- (b) directing the roughly directed beam toward the core of the selected fiber.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.