JPS60150010A - Optical switch device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To discriminate clearly between the transmission and cutoff of each switch based upon the wavelength of light and to improve the reliability of signal decision making by providing a multiplexer at both sides of a demultiplexer for wavelength multiplex light, and arranging a couple of light shielding members which have an open and a closed state exclusively. CONSTITUTION:An optical switch device part 5 consists of a demultiplexer 4, multiplexers 6 and 7, and light shielding members 81-83, and 91-93 which are opened and closed exclusively. Multiple input light L1 having wavelengths lambda1-lambda3 is split into two by a half-mirror 1 and enters the demultiplexer 4 from end surfaces 4a and 4b through paths 2 and 3. The input light L1 from the end surface 4a is split by an interference film filters 41-43 into light beams with lambda1-lambda3, which are passed through corresponding optical switches composed of light shielding members 81-83, multiplexed again by interference thin-film filters 61-63 of the multiplexer 6, and outputted from a path 1. A detection signal for an object is obtained by utilizing whether the light beams with wavelengths lambda1- lambda3 arrive or not.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to an optical switch device that ensures reliable determination of the presence or absence of a signal.

An optical switch device separates wavelength-multiplexed light transmitted from a light source through an optical fiber into light of each wavelength using a plurality of interference thin-film filters, and separates the light of each wavelength from a corresponding light shielding member. This device is configured to transmit or block light through an optical switch and generate a desired signal state depending on the presence or absence of light of each wavelength. The light of each wavelength that has passed through each optical switch is multiplexed again by a multiplexing interference thin film filter, and then outputted from the optical switch device and transmitted to a processing circuit via an optical fiber. In the above, each party switch is configured to be linked to the operation of a predetermined operating means of various electrical devices, so that it becomes possible to detect various signal states in the processing circuit.

However, according to optical switch devices, the presence or absence of light of a predetermined wavelength is used as a signal.
Even when it is determined that the signal light is present, leakage light may still occur, and it may be extremely difficult to determine whether it is actual signal light or leakage light.

Therefore, in view of the above-mentioned problems in optical switch devices, the present inventors have created the present invention in order to effectively solve the problems.

An object of the present invention is to make it possible to clearly distinguish between transmission and blocking by each optical switch in an optical switch device that uses wavelength-multiplexed light as a signal medium and generates a desired signal state depending on the presence or absence of light of each demultiplexed wavelength. The purpose is to improve the reliability of signal discrimination.

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides an optical switch device that has an entrance surface that allows each wavelength-multiplexed light to enter separately, and has a double-sided demultiplexing action corresponding to each wavelength of the wavelength-multiplexed light. a demultiplexer including a demultiplexing element having a demultiplexing element, and two multiplexers for separately re-multiplexing each wavelength multiplexed light, between the demultiplexer and each of the two multiplexers. The gist of the present invention is that a pair of opening/closing means are arranged in a pair of opening/closing means for transmitting and blocking light of each wavelength, and are connected so that the opening/closing means are in opposite states.

A preferred embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

FIG. 1 schematically shows the configuration of an optical switch device according to the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a view taken in the direction indicated by the arrow in FIG.

In Figure 1, the wavy lines indicate the traveling path of light. Originally, light is guided and transmitted through an optical transmission line such as an optical fiber, but to simplify the illustration, the optical transmission line is shown in the figure. It is abbreviated. Ll is input light, and in this embodiment, wavelengths λl, λ2 . This is wavelength multiplexed light consisting of each wavelength λ3. The input light L1 is separated by a half mirror or an optical coupler 1 into lights passing through two paths 2 and 3 in the figure at a rate of 50% each, and each is input to a demultiplexer 4 of an optical switch device. be done.

The optical switch device section 5 includes a demultiplexer 4, two multiplexers 6 and 7 arranged in parallel on both sides of the demultiplexer 4, and between the demultiplexer 4 and each multiplexer 6.7. Light shielding members 81, 82, 83, 91 that are provided corresponding to the light of each wavelength and can open and close.
, 92, 93 and 751. The demultiplexer 4 is constructed by arranging three demultiplexing interference thin film filters 41, 42° 43 in a line in accordance with the number of wavelengths of light to be multiplexed. The fill 43 has a wavelength λ1. The interference thin film filter 42 transmits wavelengths λ1 . λ3 and reflects wavelength λ2, the interference thin film filter 41 transmits wavelength λ2.
It has the characteristic of transmitting wavelength λ3 and reflecting wavelength λ1. These interference thin film filters 41 and 42
．． 43 is formed so as to exhibit the above-mentioned characteristics even if wavelength-multiplexed light is incident on either the front or back surface.

Therefore, in the demultiplexer 4, incidence surfaces for the wavelength-multiplexed light L1 are formed on both end surfaces 4a and 4b, and the above-mentioned path 2,
As shown in the figure, the input light L1 guided through the R4m surface 4a is inputted into the R4m surface 4a through the path 2, and into the end surface 4b through the path 3, respectively.

In contrast to the demultiplexer 4, the multiplexers 6 and 7 each include interference thin film filters 61.62, 63, 71°72.73 for multiplexing, and interference thin film filters 61°71ij for multiplexing: Similarly, a filter 62 is installed opposite to the interference thin film filter 41.
．． 72 is arranged to face the filter 42, and filters 63 and 73 are arranged to face the filter 43, respectively. The filter characteristics of fill 61.71 are the same as filter 41, the filter characteristics of filter 62.72 are the same as filter 42, and the filter characteristics of fill 63.73 are the same as filter 43, respectively. The lights of each wavelength that have passed through the multiplexers 6 and 7 are multiplexed, and the output of the multiplexer 6 passes through a path 10 as the first output 01, and the output of the multiplexer 7 passes through a path 11. second
are respectively output as output 02.

Then, the interference thin film filters 41, 42, 43 for demultiplexing and the interference thin film filters 61, 62, 6 for multiplexing of each multiplexer 6, 7 are used.
3, 71, 72, and 73 are provided with light shielding members 81, 82, 83, 91, 92, and 93 that are movable and transmit or block light of each wavelength passing between them. At the same time, as is clear from FIG. 2, the light shielding members 81, 91, 82, 92, 83, and 93 are attached to connecting rods 12°, 13.
14 and are combined and integrated. Due to this configuration, if any one of the light shielding members 81, 91, 82, 92, 83, and 93 is in a transmitting state, the other is always in a blocking state. For example, the light shielding member 81
．． 82 and 83 are configured to transmit or block light of each wavelength in conjunction with respective corresponding predetermined operating means, etc., to form an optical switch, and the other light blocking members 91 and 92.

93 generates a signal state that is completely opposite to the signal state generated by the light shielding members 81, 82, and 83.

In FIGS. 1 and 2, numerals 15, . . . are lenses for condensing or collimating light.

In the above configuration, the optical switch device according to the present invention operates as follows.

Wavelengths λI and λ emitted from three light sources (not shown)
2. Each part of λ3 is multiplexed, becomes input light L1, and is transmitted to half mirror 1, etc. In a half mirror etc. 1, the input light Ll can be separated into two parts, and one input light Ll
enters the splitter 4 from the end face 4a through a path 2, and the other input light Ll enters the splitter 4 from the end face 4b through a path 3. The input light Ll entering the demultiplexer 4 from the end face 4a is divided into wavelengths λl by the right side surfaces of the interference thin film filters 41, 42 and 43 as described above.

λ2. A light shielding member 81 that is separated into light of λ3 and corresponds to each one.
．． After passing through each optical switch consisting of 82 and 83, it is transmitted to the multiplexer 6. The light of each wavelength that has passed through each optical switch is filtered through interference thin film filters 61, 62.6 for multiplexing in the multiplexer 6.
3, the light is multiplexed again and output as wavelength-multiplexed light through path 1o. In the above, the light shielding members 81, 82, 83 disposed between the duplexer 4 and the multiplexer 6 open and close in conjunction with corresponding operating means (not shown), and are in a transmitting or blocking state. Therefore, each wavelength λ1. in the wavelength multiplexed light output from the multiplexer 6. λ2. Depending on the presence or absence of the light of λ3, it is possible to obtain a predetermined detection signal related to the state of the object to be detected.

The input light L1 entering the demultiplexer 4 from the other end surface 4b is divided into wavelengths λ1 . λ2. The wavelengths λ1, λ2, . Depending on the presence or absence of the light of λ3, the wavelength-multiplexed light forming the detection signal is outputted on the path 11.

In the above, the output OX from the multiplexer 6 via the path 10
The signal state of each wavelength at the output 02 from the path 11 from the multiplexer 7 occurs in an exclusive state, that is, a contradictory state, based on the above-described configuration. Therefore, after converting the output ○chio2 into an electrical signal as shown in Fig. 3,
By inputting the signals to the respective input terminals of the comparator 16 and comparing them, the signals relating to the light of each wavelength at the outputs 01 and 02 can be taken out, thereby making it possible to reliably determine the presence or absence of the signal relating to each wavelength. It can be done. Determination of the presence or absence of such a signal is performed by a signal processing function at the end of the path 10.11.

The optical switch device according to the present invention is not limited to the above-mentioned embodiments. For example, the number of wavelengths of wavelength-multiplexed light can be increased, and two light sources can also be provided, and each wavelength-multiplexed light can be separated by a demultiplexer. may be configured to be input separately.

As is clear from the above description, according to the present invention, in an optical switch device that generates a predetermined signal state using wavelength-multiplexed light, the presence or absence of light of each wavelength passing through each light shielding member is controlled by opening/closing. The advantage is that the judgment is made by comparing two signals generated based on a pair of light-shielding members that occur exclusively, and that the state of the light-shielding members to be detected, that is, the signal state, can be accurately determined. has.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram of an optical switch device according to the present invention, FIG. 2 is a view taken in the direction of the arrow in FIG. 1, and FIG. 3 is a circuit diagram for determining the presence or absence of a signal. In the drawing, 1 is a no-f mirror or optical coupler, 4 is a demultiplexer, 6 and 7 are multiplexers, 81, 82, 83°91.92.9
3 is a light shielding member. Patent applicant: Honda Motor Co., Ltd., Toyodenso Co., Ltd. Representative, Patent Attorney 1) Japan Patent Attorney: Kuni Ohashi Otoma Patent Attorney: Yu Koyama

Claims (1)

[Scope of Claims] Wavelength-multiplexed light is demultiplexed into each wavelength by a demultiplexer, each i-length light is transmitted or blocked by an individual opening/closing means, and multiplexed again by a multiplexer. An optical switch device configured to include a demultiplexing element having an entrance surface that allows each of the wavelength-multiplexed lights to enter separately, and a demultiplexing element having a double-sided demultiplexing action corresponding to each wavelength of the wavelength-multiplexed light. a demultiplexer, two multiplexers that separately re-multiplex the respective wavelength-multiplexed lights, and disposed between the demultiplexer and each of the two multiplexers,
An optical switch comprising: a plurality of opening/closing means connected so that pairs of opening/closing means transmitting and blocking light of each wavelength can take opposite states;