TH76578A - Type 1X2 controllable optical switching device for Wavelength Division Multiplexing system. - Google Patents

Abstract

An OCR (Optical Cross-Response Unit) is a 1x2 controllable optical switching device for use in wavelength multiplexing networks. It comprises a fiber optic collimator containing a single optical fiber, a fiber optic collimator containing two optical fibers (a fiber optic collimator containing three optical fibers in the third manifestation), and uses position control of mirrors in the optical path to control the output channel of the desired wavelength of light. The lenses used in the fiber optic collimator are coated with a thin film, allowing only the desired wavelength of light to pass through, while other wavelengths of light are reflected back into the lens at an angle of incidence equal to the angle of reflection. In another manifestation, the thin film is separated from the fiber optic collimator by making the surfaces of the two sides of the coated material at an appropriate angle to deflect the light into the desired optical fiber, or a similar beam deflector can be added placed between the coated material and the mirror.

Claims (1)

OCR 1. A 1x2 optical switching device for controllable fiber optic connections for use in wavelength dividing multiplex networks. The switching device consists of the incoming optical fiber (1); the first outgoing optical fiber (7); the second outgoing optical fiber (6); the first optical collimator fiber (16) which is incorporated with the first sheath (11) which has a longitudinal end surface and a gap parallel to the longitudinal axis. This gap accommodates the incoming optical fiber (1) and the first outgoing optical fiber (7) and the collimating lens (10) which is positioned near the end surface of the first sheath (11) in the axial direction in the optical path of the incoming optical signal from the incoming optical fiber (1); characterized by: The collimating lens (10) has an outlet surface fitted with a filter (3) that allows only specific frequencies of optical signals to pass through, while other frequencies are reflected back. This filter (3) is positioned so that the other frequencies are reflected back to the first output optical fiber (7): a movable reflector (4) that can move between two positions, where in the first position, the reflector (4) is positioned in the path of the optical signal exiting the first collimating optical fiber (16), and the reflector (4) is oriented to reflect the signal back into the first collimating optical fiber (16) and into the first output optical fiber (7); and in the second position, the reflector (4) is positioned out of the path of the optical signal exiting the first collimating optical fiber (16); and a second optical fiber collimator (5) which is incorporated with a second sheath (31) with a longitudinal end face and a gap parallel to that longitudinal axis. This gap accommodates the second output optical fiber (6) and a collimating lens (30) which is positioned near the end face of the second sheath (31) in the axial direction in the path of the optical signal from the first optical fiber collimator (16). When the reflector (4) is moved to the first position, no optical signal passes out of the second output optical fiber (6), and when the reflector (4) is moved to the second position, an optical signal of a specific frequency is transmitted through the second output optical fiber (6), while optical signals of other frequencies are transmitted through the second output optical fiber (6). 1. A 1x2 optical switching device according to claim 1 where the aforementioned reflector (4) is controlled to move by a motor. 3. A 1x2 optical switching device according to claim 1 where the aforementioned reflector (4) is controlled to move by a relay. 4. A 1x2 optical switching device according to claim 1 where the aforementioned reflector (4) is a mirror constructed from Micro-electromechanical systems (MEMs). 5. A 1x2 optical switching device according to claim 1 where the filter (3) is a thin film layer. 6. A 1x2 optical switching device according to claim 1 where the collimating lens (10) is a GRIN lens. 7. A 1x2 optical switching device for controllable optical fiber connection. For use in wavelength dividing multiplex networks, the switching device consists of an optical consolidator (13) which contains an input port for receiving optical signals, an output port one (12) and an output port two connected to the input optical fiber (1); the output optical fiber one (7); the output optical fiber two (6); and an optical fiber collimator one (16) which is incorporated with a sheath one (11) with a longitudinal end surface and a gap parallel to that longitudinal axis. This gap accommodates the input optical fiber (1) and the output optical fiber one (7) and a collimating lens (10) which is positioned near the end surface of the sheath one (11) in the axial direction in the optical path of the input optical fiber (1); characterized by: The collimating lens (10) has an outlet surface fitted with a filter (3) that allows only specific frequencies of optical signals to pass through, while other frequencies are reflected back, and this filter (3) is positioned such that such other frequencies of optical signals are reflected back to the first output optical fiber (7); a movable reflector (4) that can move between two positions, where in the first position, this reflector (4) is positioned in the path of the optical signal exiting the first optical collimator fiber (16), and this reflector (4) is oriented to reflect such signal back into the first optical collimator fiber (16) and back into the first incoming optical fiber (1), and in the second position, this reflector (4) is positioned out of the path of the optical signal exiting the first optical collimator fiber (16). The optical signal emitted from the first optical collimator fiber (16) and the second optical collimator fiber (5), which is incorporated with a second sheath (31) with a longitudinal end face and a gap parallel to that longitudinal axis, accommodates the second output optical fiber (6) and the collimating lens (30), which is positioned near the end face of the second sheath (31) in the axial direction in the path of the optical signal from the first optical collimator fiber (16). When the reflector (4) is moved to the first position, no optical signal is emitted from the second output optical fiber (6), and when the reflector (4) is moved to the second position, an optical signal of a specific frequency is emitted from the second output optical fiber (6). 8. A 1x2 optical switching device according to claim 7 where the reflector (4) is controlled to move by a motor. 10. A 1x2 optical switching device according to claim 7 where the reflector (4) is controlled to move by a relay. 11. A 1x2 optical switching device according to claim 7 where the reflector (4) is a mirror constructed from Micro-electromechanical systems (MEMs). 11. A 1x2 optical switching device according to claim 7 where the filter (3) is a thin-film layer. 12. A 1x2 optical switching device according to claim 7 where the collimating lens (10) is a GRIN lens. 13. A 1x2 optical switching device for controllable optical fiber connection. For use in wavelength dividing multiplex networks, the switching device consists of the incoming optical fiber (1); the first output optical fiber (7); the second output optical fiber (6); the third output optical fiber (8); the first optical collimator fiber (14) which is incorporated with the first sheath (9) which has an end surface, longitudinal axis and a gap parallel to that longitudinal axis. This gap accommodates the incoming optical fiber (1), the third output optical fiber (8), and the first output optical fiber (7), and a collimating lens (10) which is positioned near the end surface of the first sheath (9) in the axial direction in the optical path of the incoming optical signal from the incoming optical fiber (1). The collimating lens (10) has an outlet surface fitted with a filter (3) that allows only specific optical signals of a given frequency to pass through, while other optical signals are reflected back, and this filter (3) is positioned such that such other optical signals are reflected back to the first output optical fiber (7); a movable reflector (4) that can move between the first and second positions, where, when in the first position, this reflector (4) is positioned in the path of The optical signal emitted from the first optical collimator fiber (14) and the reflector (4) is aligned to reflect the signal back into the first optical collimator fiber (14) and into the third output optical fiber (8). When in the second position, the reflector (4) is positioned away from the optical signal path emitted from the first optical collimator fiber (14) and the second optical collimator fiber (5), which is fitted with a second sheath (31) with an end surface, a longitudinal axis, and a gap parallel to that longitudinal axis. This gap accommodates the second output optical fiber (6) and the collimating lens (30), which is positioned near the end surface of the second sheath (31) in the axial direction in the optical signal path emitted from the first optical collimator fiber (14). When the reflector (4) is moved to the first position, no optical signal passes through. 13. A 1x2 optical switching device according to claim 13 where the aforementioned optical signal of specific frequency as specified passes out through the aforementioned third optical output fiber (8), and when the reflector (4) is moved to the aforementioned second position, the optical signal of specific frequency as specified passes out through the aforementioned second optical output fiber (6), while the optical signal of other frequencies as specified passes out through the aforementioned first optical output fiber (7). 14. A 1x2 optical switching device according to claim 13 where the aforementioned reflector (4) is controlled to move by a motor. 15. A 1x2 optical switching device according to claim 13 where the aforementioned reflector (4) is controlled to move by a relay. 16. A 1x2 optical switching device according to claim 13 where the aforementioned reflector (4) is a mirror constructed from the technology Micro-electromechanical systems (MEMs) 17. A 1x2 optical switching device according to claim 13, where such filter (3) is a thin film layer. 18. A 1x2 optical switching device according to claim 13, where such collimating lens (10) is a GRIN lens. 19. A 1x2 optical switching device for controllable fiber optic connections for use in a Wavelength Dividing Multiplex network, such switching device consists of an incoming optical fiber (1); an first output optical fiber (7); a second output optical fiber (6); a third output optical fiber (8); a first collimating optical fiber (14) incorporated with a first sheath (9) with a face, end, longitudinal axis and a gap parallel to the said longitudinal axis. The gap accommodates the aforementioned incoming optical fiber (1), the aforementioned third outgoing optical fiber (8), and the aforementioned first outgoing optical fiber (7), and a collimating lens (10) positioned near the end surface of the first sheath (9) in the axial direction in the path of the incoming optical signal from the incoming optical fiber (1); a filter (17) which allows only specific frequencies of optical signal to pass through while other frequencies are reflected back, with the filter (17) positioned in such a way that the other frequencies are reflected back to the first outgoing optical fiber (7); a beam deflector (18) with a first and second surface, positioned near the filter (17), with the plane of the first surface parallel to the plane of the filter (17), to better control the amount of specific wavelength light that passes through the filter (17) and strikes the reflector (4) and returns to the desired optical fiber, which is characterized as The said beam deflector (18) has a refractive index equal to the refractive index of the said filter (17), and where the said beam deflector (18) has a plane of the first surface making an angle ≠ ... The path of the optical signal exiting the first optical fiber collimator (14), the filter (17), and the beam deflector (18); and the second optical fiber collimator (5) which is incorporated with a second sheath (31) with a longitudinal end face and a gap parallel to that longitudinal axis. This gap accommodates the second output optical fiber (6) and the collimating lens (30), which is positioned near the end face of the second sheath (31) in the axial direction in the path of the optical signal exiting the first optical fiber collimator (14). When the reflector (4) is moved to the first position, no optical signal passes out of the second output optical fiber (6), while the specific frequency optical signal is exited through the third output optical fiber (8), and when the reflector (4) is moved to the second position, the specific frequency optical signal is exited through the third output optical fiber (8). 20. A 1x2 optical switching device according to claim 19 where such reflector (4) is controlled to move by a motor. 21. A 1x2 optical switching device according to claim 19 where such reflector (4) is controlled to move by a relay. 22. A 1x2 optical switching device according to claim 19 where such reflector (4) is a mirror made of technology. Micro-electromechanical systems (MEMs) 23. A 1x2 optical switching device according to claim 19 where the filter (17) is a thin film. 24. A 1x2 optical switching device according to claim 19 where the collimating lens (10) is a GRIN lens. 25. A 1x2 optical switching device according to claim 19 where the beam deflector (18) has a refractive index equal to the refractive index of the filter (17). 26. A 1x2 optical switching device according to claim 19 where the filter (17) and the beam deflector (18) are combined into a single unit.