Electron beam switch
AssigneeHewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
InventorThomas C. Hogan
Life of this patent
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Abstract
The present invention is directed to an electron beam crossbar switch for interconnection between communication units. The crossbar switch includes an array of electrically charged particle emitter source devices with an input connected to a slow wave structure coupled to the emitter source. An array of detectors is positioned relative to the array of emitter devices for receiving charged particles from various of the emitter devices. X and y deflection means are positioned adjacent each of the emitters for directing the charged particles from each of the emitters to at least one of the detectors to provide more signal output and a reduction in deflection accuracy.
Claims13
An electron beam crossbar switch for interconnection between communication units comprising:
- an array of electron emitters associated with a first plurality of slow wave structures;
- a plurality of data inputs connected to the first plurality of slow wave structures, wherein each of the data inputs is connected to a corresponding one of the first plurality of slow wave structures;
- an array of data output detectors positioned relative to the array of electron emitter slow wave devices for receiving electrons from any of the first plurality of slow wave structures;
- first deflection means positioned between one of the first plurality of slow wave structures and the detectors for directing the electrons from one of the emitters to a selected one of any of the data output detectors;
- and
- a plurality of data outputs connected to the array of data output detectors, wherein each of the data outputs is connected to a corresponding one of the array of data output detectors.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.