EP0000647B1
Expired / Lapsed
EP
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Optical crosspoint switch
Assignee: AT&T Inc
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Filing: 1978-07-20
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Granted: 1981-04-29
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Expires: 1998-07-20
Abstract
No abstract record available.
Inventors
- 👤 Dean Gillette
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
EP
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-02 17:07
CPC Classifications
G; G02; G02F; G02F1/00; G02F1/29; G02F1/31; G02F1/313; G02F1/3137; G02F1/01; G02F1/09; G02F1/095; G02F2201/00; G02F2201/30; G02F2201/307
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 7
Claim 1
Independent Claim
178 words
An optical switch including a first (36) and a second (51) optical channel each supportive of optical wave energy in a first mode and a second mode, optical redirecting means (121) arranged to redirect optical wave energy from the first channel (36) to the second channel (51) and two optical mode-switching means (61, 101) of which one (101) is coupled to the second channel downstream of the redirecting means and is selectively operable to convert optical wave energy from the first mode to the second mode and the other (61) is coupled to the first channel characterised in that the redirecting means (121) is mode sensitive so as to redirect optical wave energy in the first mode from the first channel (36) to the second channel (51) and to pass optical wave energy in the second mode without substantial redirection and the said other (61) of the mode-switching means is coupled to the first channel upstream of the redirecting means (121) and is selectively operable to convert optical wave energy from the second mode to the first mode.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
178 words
An optical switch including a first (36) and a second (51) optical channel each supportive of optical wave energy in a first mode and a second mode, optical redirecting means (121) arranged to redirect optical wave energy from the first channel (36) to the second channel (51) and two optical mode-switching means (61, 101) of which one (101) is coupled to the second channel downstream of the redirecting means and is selectively operable to convert optical wave energy from the first mode to the second mode and the other (61) is coupled to the first channel characterised in that the redirecting means (121) is mode sensitive so as to redirect optical wave energy in the first mode from the first channel (36) to the second channel (51) and to pass optical wave energy in the second mode without substantial redirection and the said other (61) of the mode-switching means is coupled to the first channel upstream of the redirecting means (121) and is selectively operable to convert optical wave energy from the second mode to the first mode.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
30 words
A switch as claimed in claim 1 wherein the redirecting means (121) is substantially transparent to optical wave energy incident thereon from the first channel (36) in the second mode.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
22 words
A switch as claimed in any of the preceding claims wherein the mode-switching means (61, 101) are connected together for joint operation.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
40 words
A switch as claimed in any of the preceding claims in which the mode-switching means (61, 101)a are magneto-optic further characterised in that the mode-switching means are switchable between a magnetically stable mode-converting state and a magnetically stable non-mode-converting state.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
30 words
A switch as claimed in any of the preceding claims wherein the redirecting means comprises a reflection-type mode filter (121) at a crosspoint between the first and the second channel.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
30 words
An optical crosspoint switching array characterised by a switch as claimed in any of the preceding claims associated with each crosspoint, the switches being disposed on a common substrate (22).
References Cited (Backward Citations)
No citation records indexed.
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