US 6,307,983 B1Granted

Robotic optical cross-connect

AssigneeLucent Technologies Inc.

InventorKeith W. Goossen

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Abstract

A robotic optical cross-connect to operate with three motors irrespective of the number of input fibers. A preferred embodiment includes a ferrule loader arm operated by a first motor; a ferrule loader ring rotatably operated by a second motor; and a loading piston upon which the ferrule loader-ring is mounted. The first motor imparts a motion to the ferrule loader arm in a first direction. The loading piston imparts a motion to the ferrule loader ring in a second direction, the second direction being substantially orthogonal to the first direction. A plurality of connectorized patch fibers is connected at a first end (leaving a second end free) to a first fiber bundle arranged in a substantially circular fashion. A second fiber bundle is also arranged in a substantially circular fashion and is configured to receive connections from the free second end of the plurality of patch fibers. Ferrules are loaded from the ferrule loader arm onto the ferrule loader ring. By operating the second motor, the ferrule loader ring is rotated to an appropriate (arbitrary, prescribed) position within contact or within a free-space coupling region. Thereafter a connection between the fibers from the first fiber bundle and the second fiber bundle is established.

Claims8

Dependent claims

A robotic optical cross-connect comprising:

an assembler, comprising:
a ferrule conveyor arm comprising a plurality of ferrules, the ferrule conveyor arm driven by a first motor in a first direction;
a loading piston driven by a second motor in a second direction;
and
a ferrule-loader ring rotatably driven by a third motor, the ferrule loader ring mounted on the loading piston so as to receive a motion in the second direction;
a first fixed fiber bundle arranged in a substantially circular fashion, the first fixed bundle comprising a first set of fibers, each one of the first set of fibers connectorized with a first type of connector at at least a first end;
a second fixed fiber bundle arranged in a substantially circular fashion, the second fixed bundle comprising a second set of fibers, each one of the second set of fibers connectorized with a first type of connector at at least a second end;
and
a plurality of patch fibers, each one of the plurality of patch fibers having a third end and a fourth end and connectorized with a second type of connector at the third end and at the fourth end, each of the plurality of connectorized third ends being coupled to a corresponding connectorized end of the first fixed fiber bundle at the first end,
wherein the plurality of ferrules are loaded from the ferrule conveyor arm onto the ferrule loader ring in an arbitrary, prescribed fashion by rotating the ferrule loader ring to a suitable position for each ferrule, and the loading piston is moved in a direction so that each of the plurality of the fourth ends is brought within contact or within a free-space coupling region of a corresponding connector in the second set of fibers.

7 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 09/495,303Filed 1 Feb 2000
Granted: 23 Oct 2001
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification10 codes

G02B 6/3556
3D constellations, i.e. with switching elements and switched beams located in a volume: nxM switch, i.e. regular arrays of switches elements of…
H04Q 11/0005
Using optical switching: switch and router aspects
G02B 6/3504
Involving direct waveguide displacement, e.g. cantilever type waveguide displacement involving waveguide bending, or displacing an interposed…:…
G02B 6/356
Switching arrangements, i.e. number of input/output ports and interconnection types: in an optical cross-connect device, e.g. routing and…