Passive bypass for fiber optic ring network

Claim 1

In a ring network for carrying information in the form of optical energy, including a fiber optic bus connecting a plurality of nodes, wherein each node includes a transmitter for inserting optical energy onto the bus via a transmitting fiber connected to the fiber optic bus, a receiver for detecting optical energy on the bus via a receiving fiber connected to the fiber optic bus, an incoming fiber connected to the fiber optic bus, an outgoing fiber connected to the fiber optic bus, and an optical bypass device for routing the optical energy at the node wherein said optical bypass device comprises: a first partially reflecting and partially transmissive surface; and a second substantially reflecting surface located proximate said first surface and having a wedge orientation with respect thereto; and wherein the transmitting fiber, the receiving fiber, the incoming fiber, and the outgoing fiber are oriented with respect to said first and said second surfaces so that optical energy from the transmitting fiber is reflected off said first surface onto the outgoing fiber, and wherin optical energy from the incoming fiber is reflected off said first surface onto the receiving fiber, and wherein optical energy from the incoming fiber is reflected off said second surface onto the outgoing fiber.