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US 6,192,171 B1Granted
Dynamic fiber optic switch with artificial muscle
OwnerAlbert Goodman, Mohsen Shahinpoorinventors
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OwnerAlbert Goodman, Mohsen Shahinpoorinventors
Estimating the term…
An optical switch comprised of an artificial muscle activation material that is adhered longitudinally around an optical channel, such as an optical fiber or group of fibers, to cause the channel to undulate in 2-½ dimensions when the material is activated by a voltage source via electrodes on the surface of the artificial muscle activation material. The material can be applied to the optical channel in a series of longitudinal strips or as a jacket surrounding the channel. When activated by a voltage source, be it a constant source or a variable source varying in amplitude, frequency or polarity, the artificial muscle material bends, causing the optical channel to also bend. The artificial muscle activation material can be formed into an optical channel itself when formed into a channel and cladded to have internal reflection.
An optical switch comprising an artificial muscle activation material adhered longitudinally around said at least one input optical channel to cause said at least one input optical channel to undulate in 2½dimensions and align with the desired output optical channels when said material is activated.
An optical switch comprised of:
A method of switching optical channels, the method comprising the steps of adhering an artificial muscle material longitudinally around an optical channel and activating the material to cause the channel to undulate in 2½ dimensions.
A method of optical switching, the method comprising the steps of:
An optical channel comprising an artificial muscle activation material cladded to have internal reflection, and electrodes coated upon said activation material to cause said optical channel to undulate in 2½ dimensions when said material is activated via said electrodes.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.