US4943136A — Optical backplane interconnection

Claim 1

Independent Claim 247 words

An optical backplane arrangement comprising: M circuit boards, each of said circuit boards having an optoelectronic bus transceiver, said optoelectronic bus transceiver having n optical signal lines; M optical cables having N optical signal lines, one of said optical cables being connected to the optoelectronic bus transceiver of a specific one of said circuit boards so that each of the N optical signal lines of said optoelectronic bus transceiver is connected to a specific one of the N optical signal lines of said optical cable; a reflective star coupler array having N reflective star couplers, each of said reflective star couplers having M guide channels, M input ports and a mixer, each of said guide channels being connected to said mixer and to a respective one of said input ports, said mixer having a reflective surface arranged so that light propagating along any one of said guide channels is reflected by said reflective surface and distributed by said mixer to all of said M guide channels, said reflective star couplers being configured and oriented relative to one another so that said input ports have a predetermined arrangement; and an alignment matrix for connecting said optical cables to said reflective star coupler array, said alignment matrix having M×N alignment apertures, said alignment apertures being disposed in said predetermined arrangment so that each aperture holds a specific one of said N optical signal lines in alignment with a specific one of the input ports of said reflective star couplers.

Claim 2

Dependent Claim 247 words

An optical backplane arrangement comprising: M circuit boards, each of said circuit boards having an optoelectronic bus transceiver, said optoelectronic bus transceiver having n optical signal lines; M optical cables having N optical signal lines, one of said optical cables being connected to the optoelectronic bus transceiver of a specific one of said circuit boards so that each of the N optical signal lines of said optoelectronic bus transceiver is connected to a specific one of the N optical signal lines of said optical cable; a reflective star coupler array having N reflective star couplers, each of said reflective star couplers having M guide channels, M input ports and a mixer, each of said guide channels being connected to said mixer and to a respective one of said input ports, said mixer having a reflective surface arranged so that light propagating along any one of said guide channels is reflected by said reflective surface and distributed by said mixer to all of said M guide channels, said reflective star couplers being configured and oriented relative to one another so that said input ports have a predetermined arrangement; and an alignment matrix for connecting said optical cables to said reflective star coupler array, said alignment matrix having M×N alignment apertures, said alignment apertures being disposed in said predetermined arrangment so that each aperture holds a specific one of said N optical signal lines in alignment with a specific one of the input ports of said reflective star couplers.

Claim 3

Dependent Claim 84 words

The optical backplane arrangement of claim 1, wherein said optical cables comprise fiber optic ribbon cables each having N spaced-apart optical fibers and wherein: said alignment matrix comprises M V-groove arrays, each of said V-groove arrays having N generally V-shaped grooves in a surface thereof, said V-grooves being spaced to correspond to the spacing of the optical fibers in said fiber optic ribbon cable, each of said V-groove arrays holding the N optical fibers of a specific one of said fiber optic ribbon cables.

Claim 4

Dependent Claim 79 words

The optical backplane arrangement of claim 2, wherein each of said optoelectronic bus transceivers comprises: a transceiver array having N optical transmitters and N optical receivers arranged in N-pairs so that one of said transmitters is paired with one of said receivers; an electronic interface circuit connected to said transceiver array; and an optical coupler array having N 2×1 waveguide couplers, one of said waveguide couplers being coupled to a specific one of said N-pairs of transmitters and receivers.

Claim 5

Dependent Claim 18 words

The optical backplane arrangement of claim 3, wherein each of said 2×1 waveguide couplers is an asymmetric coupler.

Claim 6

Dependent Claim 21 words

The optical backplane arrangement of claim 4 wherein said transceiver array comprises an interleaved array of light emitting diodes and photodiodes.

Claim 7

Dependent Claim 141 words

The optical backplane arrangement of claim 2, wherein each of said optoelectronic but transceivers comprises: an array of N optical transmitters; an array of N optical receivers; an electronic interface circuit connected to said arrays of transmitters and receivers; and a raised optical waveguide having N transmitter channels, N receiver channels, and N ports, one of said ports being coupled to a specific one of the optical signal lines of said optical cables, one of said transmitter channels being coupled to a specific one of said N transmitters to guide light launched by said transmitter to a specific one of said ports, one of said receiver channels being coupled to a specific one of said N receivers, each of said transmitter channels having a reflective surface oriented to direct light propagating toward transmitter into a specific one of said receiver channels.

Claim 8

Dependent Claim 222 words

An optical coupling arrangement for interconnecting M optical cables in a backplane configuration, each of said optical cables having N optical signal lines to be interconnected in parallel so that the Nth optical signal line of each of the M cables is connected the Nth optical signal line of each other one of said M cables, said coupling arrangement comprising: a reflective star coupler array having N reflective star couplers, each of said reflective star couplers having M guide channels, M input ports and a mixer, each of said guide channels being connected to said mixer and to a respective one of said input ports, said mixer having a reflective surface arranged so that light propagating along any one of said guide channels is reflected by said reflective surface and distributed by said mixer to all of said M guide channels, said reflective star couplers being configured and oriented relative to one another so that said input ports have a predetermined arrangement; and an alignment matrix for connecting said optical cables to said reflective star coupler array, said alignment matrix having M×N alignment apertures, said alignment apertures being diposed in said predetermined arrangement so that each aperture holds a specific one of said N optical signal lines in alignment with a specific one of the input ports of said reflective star couplers.

Claim 9

Dependent Claim 222 words

An optical coupling arrangement for interconnecting M optical cables in a backplane configuration, each of said optical cables having N optical signal lines to be interconnected in parallel so that the Nth optical signal line of each of the M cables is connected the Nth optical signal line of each other one of said M cables, said coupling arrangement comprising: a reflective star coupler array having N reflective star couplers, each of said reflective star couplers having M guide channels, M input ports and a mixer, each of said guide channels being connected to said mixer and to a respective one of said input ports, said mixer having a reflective surface arranged so that light propagating along any one of said guide channels is reflected by said reflective surface and distributed by said mixer to all of said M guide channels, said reflective star couplers being configured and oriented relative to one another so that said input ports have a predetermined arrangement; and an alignment matrix for connecting said optical cables to said reflective star coupler array, said alignment matrix having M×N alignment apertures, said alignment apertures being diposed in said predetermined arrangement so that each aperture holds a specific one of said N optical signal lines in alignment with a specific one of the input ports of said reflective star couplers.

Claim 10

Dependent Claim 84 words

The optical coupling arrangement of claim 7, wherein said optical cables comprise fiber optic ribbon cables each having N spaced-apart optical fibers and wherein: said alignment matrix comprises M V-groove arrays, each of said V-groove arrays having N generally V-shaped grooves in a surface thereof, said V-grooves being spaced to correspond to the spacing of the optical fibers in said fiber optic ribbon cable, each of said V-groove arrays holding the N optical fibers of a specific one of said fiber optic ribbon cables.

Claim 11

Dependent Claim 116 words

The optical coupling arrangement of claim 7, wherein said optical cables comprise fiber optic ribbon cables each having N spaced-apart optical fibers and wherein: said alignment matrix comprises N v-groove arrays, each of said V-groove arrays having M generally V-shaped grooves in a surface thereof, said V-grooves being spaced to correspond to the spacing of the input ports in said reflective star couplers, a specific one of said V-groove arrays being associated with a specific one of said reflective star couplers so that the M V-grooves therein are aligned with the M input ports of said reflective star coupler, the Nth V-groove array holding the Mth optical fibers of each of said fiber optic ribbon cables.

Claim 12

Independent Claim 71 words

A method of fabricating a reflective star coupler, comprising: providing an n×n planar star coupler, said coupler including a mixing region having a length L m ; cutting said planar star coupler in a cross-sectional direction through said mixing region substantially at the midpoint of said length L m to expose a surface of said mixing region; polishing the exposed surface of said mixing region and applying a reflective coating thereto.

Claim 13

Independent Claim 71 words

A method of fabricating a reflective star coupler, comprising: providing an n×n planar star coupler, said coupler including a mixing region having a length L m ; cutting said planar star coupler in a cross-sectional direction through said mixing region substantially at the midpoint of said length L m to expose a surface of said mixing region; polishing the exposed surface of said mixing region and applying a reflective coating thereto.

Claim 14

Dependent Claim 23 words

The method of claim 10, wherein said planar star coupler is integrated in a glass substrate and wherein said reflective coating is aluminum.

Annuity Stage	Window Opens	Payment Deadline	Surcharge Period Until	Estimated Fee	Status
3.5 Years (Year 4)	1993-07-23	1994-01-22	1994-07-24	$2000.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8)	1997-07-23	1998-01-22	1998-07-24	$3760.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12)	2001-07-23	2002-01-22	2002-07-24	$7700.00	Window Closed / Lapsed

Optical backplane interconnection

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