US6421179B1 — Wavelength division multiplexing system and metho…

Claim 1

Independent Claim 92 words

An optical wavelength division multiplexing system, comprising: a reconfigurable diffraction grating diffracting at least one input light beam into diffracted light beams of N wavebands wherein N is an integer greater than zero; and further diffracting each of said input light beams into diffracted light beams across X diffraction orders wherein X is an integer greater than zero, for each of said N wavebands; wherein X is greater than one and said X diffraction orders include at least one diffraction order other than a first diffraction order of said reconfigurable diffraction grating.

Claim 2

Dependent Claim 92 words

An optical wavelength division multiplexing system, comprising: a reconfigurable diffraction grating diffracting at least one input light beam into diffracted light beams of N wavebands wherein N is an integer greater than zero; and further diffracting each of said input light beams into diffracted light beams across X diffraction orders wherein X is an integer greater than zero, for each of said N wavebands; wherein X is greater than one and said X diffraction orders include at least one diffraction order other than a first diffraction order of said reconfigurable diffraction grating.

Claim 3

Dependent Claim 125 words

The system of claim 1 , further comprising: at least X sets of at least N light output means each, each one of said X sets corresponding with one of said X diffraction orders, and for each said diffraction order, each one of said N light output means corresponding with one of said N wavebands at said order, wherein: for each given one of said X diffraction orders, all of the diffracted light beams of a given one of said N wavebands, from all of said input light beams, are focused on the one of said N light output means corresponding with said given waveband within the one of said X sets of output means corresponding with said given one of said X diffraction orders.

Claim 4

Dependent Claim 94 words

The system of claim 1 , said reconfigurable diffraction grating comprising: a first plurality of substantially parallel diffraction beams; a second plurality of lower electrode extension beams each associated with, substantially parallel to, and beneath one of said diffraction beams, said second plurality being at most equal to said first plurality in number; and voltage differential application means for applying selected voltage differentials between each of said lower electrode extension beams and its associated diffraction beam to thereby move at least one diffraction beam from an initial position thereof to a deflected position thereof.

Claim 5

Dependent Claim 136 words

The system of claim 3 , said diffraction beams further comprising a plurality of stationary beams and a plurality of deflectable beams; wherein in said initial position, said stationary beams substantially reside within a stationary beam plane and said deflectable beams substantially reside within a deflectable beam plane slightly elevated with respect to said stationary beam plane; said deflectable beams occupy regular, periodic positions among said diffraction beams and separated from one another within each such period by at least one successive stationary beam; each of said plurality of lower electrode extension beams is associated with, substantially parallel to, and beneath, one of said deflectable beams; and in said deflected position, said deflectable beams and hence said deflectable beam plane are moved by a selected distance, from said initial position, by applying said selected voltage differentials.

Claim 6

Dependent Claim 54 words

The system of claim 3 , wherein said selected voltage differentials can be applied to a subset plurality of said diffraction beams, thereby moving all of the diffraction beams in said subset plurality into their deflected positions while diffraction beams to which said selected voltage differentials are not applied remain in their initial positions.

Claim 7

Dependent Claim 58 words

The system of claim 3 , wherein at least two different voltage differentials can be applied to at least two different subset pluralities of said diffraction beams, thereby enabling all of the diffraction beams in each subset plurality to be moved into deflected positions differing from deflected positions of the diffraction beams in the other said subset pluralities.

Claim 8

Dependent Claim 33 words

The system of claim 3 , wherein a subset plurality of said diffraction beams can be separated from one another by exactly one diffraction beam of another subset plurality of said diffraction beams.

Claim 9

Dependent Claim 33 words

The system of claim 3 , wherein a subset plurality of said diffraction beams can be separated from one another by exactly two diffraction beams of another subset plurality of said diffraction beams.

Claim 10

Dependent Claim 33 words

The system of claim 3 , wherein a subset plurality of said diffraction beams can be separated from one another by exactly four diffraction beams of another subset plurality of said diffraction beams.

Claim 11

Dependent Claim 107 words

The system of claim 3 , said second plurality being exactly equal to said first plurality in number such that each said diffraction beam has one lower electrode extension beam associated therewith, thereby enabling at least one subset plurality of said diffraction beams to be moved from the initial position thereof to the deflected position thereof in any desired periodic combination with respect to at least one other subset plurality of said diffraction beams, and thereby enabling the deflected positions of at least one subset plurality of said diffraction beams to differ from the deflected positions of at least one other subset plurality of said diffraction beams.

Claim 12

Dependent Claim 46 words

The system of claim 3 , said voltage differential application means enabling the application of a plurality of voltage differentials to applied to a corresponding plurality of subsets of said diffraction beams, said subsets of said diffraction beams comprising at least one of said diffraction beams.

Claim 13

Dependent Claim 40 words

The system of claim 1 , further comprising a reflective coating on upper surfaces of a plurality of diffraction beams of said reconfigurable diffraction grating and on at least an upper surface of a base of said reconfigurable diffraction grating.

Claim 14

Dependent Claim 17 words

The system of claim 1 , wherein said reconfigurable diffraction grating is fabricated using microelectromechanical systems technology.

Claim 15

Dependent Claim 45 words

The system of claim 1 , wherein a ratio of spacing between each successive diffraction beam of a plurality of diffraction beams of said reconfigurable diffraction grating to a width of each said diffraction beam is substantially between ¼ to 1 and 2 to 1.

Claim 16

Dependent Claim 44 words

The system of claim 1 , further comprising: optical input means for delivering an input source light beam to said system; and means of collimating said input source light beam into said at least one input light beam diffracted by said reconfigurable diffraction grating.

Claim 17

Dependent Claim 28 words

The system of claim 2 , each of said at least N output means of each said each said set of output means comprising an individual optical fiber.

Claim 18

Dependent Claim 31 words

The system of claim 2 , each of said at least X sets of at least N light output means comprising an optical fiber bundle of at least N optical fibers.

Claim 19

Dependent Claim 125 words

The system of claim 1 , further comprising: at least X optical detectors, each one of said X optical detectors corresponding with and detecting diffracted light from one of said X diffraction orders, wherein: for each given one of said X diffraction orders, all of the diffracted light beams at said given diffraction order, from all of said input light beams, are focused on the optical detector corresponding with said given diffraction order; and for each given one of said X diffraction orders, all of the diffracted light beams of a given one of said N wavebands, from all of said input light beams, are focused on one of at least N light output regions of the optical detector corresponding with said given diffraction order.

Claim 20

Dependent Claim 188 words

The system of claim 2 , further comprising: at least X optical detectors, each one of said X optical detectors corresponding with and detecting diffracted light from one of said X diffraction orders, and also corresponding with and receiving diffracted light from the set of at least N light output means corresponding with said one of said X diffraction orders, wherein: for each given one of said X diffraction orders, all of the diffracted light beams at said given diffraction order, from all of said input light beams, are received by the optical detector corresponding with said given diffraction order over said set of at least N light output means corresponding with said given diffraction order; and for each given one of said X diffraction orders, all of the diffracted light beams of a given one of said N wavebands, from all of said input light beams, are received by one of at least N light output regions of the optical detector detecting said given diffraction order over the one of said N light output means corresponding with said given one of said N wavebands at said order.

Claim 21

Dependent Claim 12 words

The system of claim 1 , wherein N is greater than one.

Claim 22

Dependent Claim 12 words

The system of claim 2 , wherein N is greater than one.

Claim 23

Dependent Claim 20 words

The system of claim 1 , said at least one input light beam comprising more than one input light beam.

Claim 24

Dependent Claim 20 words

The system of claim 2 , said at least one input light beam comprising more than one input light beam.

Claim 25

Dependent Claim 20 words

The system of claim 20 , said at least one input light beam comprising more than one input light beam.

Claim 26

Dependent Claim 20 words

The system of claim 21 , said at least one input light beam comprising more than one input light beam.

Claim 27

Dependent Claim 45 words

The system of claim 1 , further comprising: grating reconfiguration means moving at least one of a plurality of substantially parallel diffraction beams of said diffraction grating from one position thereof to another position thereof relative to at least one other of said diffraction beams.

Claim 28

Dependent Claim 45 words

The system of claim 2 , further comprising: grating reconfiguration means moving at least one of a plurality of substantially parallel diffraction beams of said diffraction grating from one position thereof to another position thereof relative to at least one other of said diffraction beams.

Claim 29

Dependent Claim 12 words

The system of claim 16 , wherein N is greater than one.

Claim 30

Dependent Claim 12 words

The system of claim 17 , wherein N is greater than one.

Claim 31

Dependent Claim 12 words

The system of claim 18 , wherein N is greater than one.

Claim 32

Dependent Claim 12 words

The system of claim 19 , wherein N is greater than one.

Claim 33

Dependent Claim 12 words

The system of claim 26 , wherein N is greater than one.

Claim 34

Dependent Claim 12 words

The system of claim 27 , wherein N is greater than one.

Claim 35

Independent Claim 103 words

A method of optical wavelength division multiplexing, comprising the steps of: diffracting at least one input light beam into diffracted light beams of N wavebands wherein N is an integer greater than zero, using a reconfigurable diffraction grating; and further diffracting each of said input light beams into diffracted light beams across X diffraction orders wherein X is an integer greater than zero, for each of said N wavebands, also using said reconfigurable diffraction grating; wherein X is greater than one and said X diffraction orders include at least one diffraction order other than a first diffraction order of said reconfigurable diffraction grating.

Claim 36

Independent Claim 103 words

A method of optical wavelength division multiplexing, comprising the steps of: diffracting at least one input light beam into diffracted light beams of N wavebands wherein N is an integer greater than zero, using a reconfigurable diffraction grating; and further diffracting each of said input light beams into diffracted light beams across X diffraction orders wherein X is an integer greater than zero, for each of said N wavebands, also using said reconfigurable diffraction grating; wherein X is greater than one and said X diffraction orders include at least one diffraction order other than a first diffraction order of said reconfigurable diffraction grating.

Claim 37

Dependent Claim 128 words

The method of claim 34 , comprising the further steps of: providing at least X sets of at least N light output means each, each one of said X sets corresponding with one of said X diffraction orders, and for each said diffraction order, each one of said N light output means corresponding with one of said N wavebands at said order; and for each given one of said X diffraction orders, focusing all of the diffracted light beams of a given one of said N wavebands, from all of said input light beams, on the one of said N light output means corresponding with said given waveband within the one of said X sets of output means corresponding with said given one of said X diffraction orders.

Claim 38

Dependent Claim 104 words

The method of claim 34 , comprising the further steps of: providing a first plurality of substantially parallel diffraction beams of said reconfigurable diffraction grating; providing a second plurality of lower electrode extension beams of said reconfigurable diffraction grating, each associated with, substantially parallel to, and beneath one of said diffraction beams, said second plurality being at most equal to said first plurality in number; and moving at least one said diffraction beam from an initial position thereof to a deflected position thereof by applying selected voltage differentials between said diffraction beams and their associated lower electrode extension beams, using voltage differential application means.

Claim 39

Dependent Claim 141 words

The method of claim 36 , said diffraction beams further comprising a plurality of stationary beams and a plurality of deflectable beams; comprising the further step of: moving said deflectable beams and hence said deflectable beam plane by a selected distance, from said initial position into said deflected position, by applying said selected voltage differentials; wherein: in said initial position, said stationary beams substantially reside within a stationary beam plane and said deflectable beams substantially residing within a deflectable beam plane slightly elevated with respect to said stationary beam plane; said deflectable beams occupy regular, periodic positions among said diffraction beams and being separated from one another within each such period by at least one successive stationary beam; and each of said plurality of lower electrode extension beams is associated with, substantially parallel to, and beneath, one of said deflectable beams.

Claim 40

Dependent Claim 57 words

The method of claim 36 , comprising the further steps of: moving all of the diffraction beams in a subset plurality of said diffraction beams into their deflected positions by applying said selected voltage differentials to said subset plurality; and simultaneously maintaining diffraction beams to which said selected voltage differentials are not applied in their initial positions.

Claim 41

Dependent Claim 63 words

The method of claim 36 , comprising the further step of: moving all of the diffraction beams in each of at least two different subset pluralities of said diffraction beams into deflected positions differing from deflected positions of the diffraction beams in the other said subset pluralities by applying at least two different voltage differentials to said at least two different subset pluralities.

Claim 42

Dependent Claim 35 words

The method of claim 36 , comprising the further step of: separating a subset plurality of said diffraction beams from one another by exactly one diffraction beam of another subset plurality of said diffraction beams.

Claim 43

Dependent Claim 35 words

The method of claim 36 , comprising the further step of: separating a subset plurality of said diffraction beams from one another by exactly two diffraction beams of another subset plurality of said diffraction beams.

Claim 44

Dependent Claim 35 words

The method of claim 36 , comprising the further step of: separating a subset plurality of said diffraction beams from one another by exactly four diffraction beams of another subset plurality of said diffraction beams.

Claim 45

Dependent Claim 113 words

The method of claim 36 , comprising the further steps of: enabling at least one subset plurality of said diffraction beams to be moved from the initial position thereof to the deflected position thereof in any desired periodic combination with respect to at least one other subset plurality of said diffraction beams; and enabling the deflected positions of at least one subset plurality of said diffractions beams to differ from the deflected positions of at least one other subset plurality of said diffraction beams; by providing said second plurality to be exactly equal to said first plurality in number such that each said diffraction beam has one lower electrode extension beam associated therewith.

Claim 46

Dependent Claim 47 words

The method of claim 36 , comprising the further step of applying a plurality of voltage differentials to a corresponding plurality of subsets of said diffraction beams, said subsets of said diffraction beams comprising at least one of said diffraction beams, using said voltage differential application means.

Claim 47

Dependent Claim 44 words

The method of claim 34 , comprising the further step of: providing a reflective coating on upper surfaces of a plurality of diffraction beams of said reconfigurable diffraction grating and on at least an upper surface of a base of said reconfigurable diffraction grating.

Claim 48

Dependent Claim 20 words

The method of claim 34 , comprising the further step of: fabricating said reconfigurable diffraction grating using microelectromechanical systems technology.

Claim 49

Dependent Claim 45 words

The method of claim 34 , wherein a ratio of spacing between each successive diffraction beam of a plurality of diffraction beams of said reconfigurable diffraction grating to a width of each said diffraction beam is substantially between ¼ to 1 and 2 to 1.

Claim 50

Dependent Claim 45 words

The method of claim 34 , further comprising: delivering an input source light beam for multiplexing by said method, using optical input means; and collimating said input source light beam into said at least one input light beam for diffracting by said reconfigurable diffraction grating.

Claim 51

Dependent Claim 28 words

The method of claim 35 , each of said at least N output means of each said each said set of output means comprising an individual optical fiber.

Claim 52

Dependent Claim 31 words

The method of claim 35 , each of said at least X sets of at least N light output means comprising an optical fiber bundle of at least N optical fibers.

Claim 53

Dependent Claim 126 words

The method of claim 34 , comprising the further steps of: providing at least X optical detectors, each one of said X optical detectors corresponding with and detecting diffracted light from one of said X diffraction orders; for each given one of said X diffraction orders, focusing all of the diffracted light beams at said given diffraction order, from all of said input light beams, on the optical detector corresponding with said given diffraction order; and for each given one of said X diffraction orders, focusing all of the diffracted light beams of a given one of said N wavebands, from all of said input light beams, on one of at least N light output regions of the optical detector corresponding with said given diffraction order.

Claim 54

Dependent Claim 189 words

The method of claim 35 , comprising the further steps of: providing at least X optical detectors, each one of said X optical detectors corresponding with and detecting diffracted light from one of said X diffraction orders, and also corresponding with and receiving diffracted light from the set of at least N light output means corresponding with said one of said X diffraction orders; for each given one of said X diffraction orders, receiving all of the diffracted light beams at said given diffraction order, from all of said input light beams, with the optical detector corresponding with said given diffraction order, over said set of at least N light output means corresponding with said given diffraction order; and for each given one of said X diffraction orders, receiving all of the diffracted light beams of a given one of said N wavebands, from all of said input light beams, at one of at least N light output regions of the optical detector detecting said given diffraction order, over the one of said N light output means corresponding with said given one of said N wavebands at said order.

Claim 55

Dependent Claim 12 words

The method of claim 34 , wherein N is greater than one.

Claim 56

Dependent Claim 12 words

The method of claim 35 , wherein N is greater than one.

Claim 57

Dependent Claim 20 words

The method of claim 34 , said at least one input light beam comprising more than one input light beam.

Claim 58

Dependent Claim 20 words

The method of claim 35 , said at least one input light beam comprising more than one input light beam.

Claim 59

Dependent Claim 50 words

The method of claim 34 , further comprising the step of: reconfiguring said diffraction grating by moving at least one of a plurality of substantially parallel diffraction beams of said diffraction grating from one position thereof to another position thereof relative to at least one other of said diffraction beams.

Claim 60

Dependent Claim 50 words

The method of claim 35 , further comprising the step of: reconfiguring said diffraction grating by moving at least one of a plurality of substantially parallel diffraction beams of said diffraction grating from one position thereof to another position thereof relative to at least one other of said diffraction beams.

Claim 61

Dependent Claim 12 words

The method of claim 49 , wherein N is greater than one.

Claim 62

Dependent Claim 12 words

The method of claim 50 , wherein N is greater than one.

Claim 63

Dependent Claim 12 words

The method of claim 51 , wherein N is greater than one.

Claim 64

Dependent Claim 12 words

The method of claim 52 , wherein N is greater than one.

Claim 65

Dependent Claim 12 words

The method of claim 57 , wherein N is greater than one.

Claim 66

Dependent Claim 12 words

The method of claim 58 , wherein N is greater than one.

Claim 67

Dependent Claim 20 words

The method of claim 53 , said at least one input light beam comprising more than one input light beam.

Claim 68

Dependent Claim 20 words

The method of claim 54 , said at least one input light beam comprising more than one input light beam.

Annuity Stage	Window Opens	Payment Deadline	Surcharge Period Until	Estimated Fee	Status
3.5 Years (Year 4)	2005-07-15	2006-01-14	2006-07-16	$2000.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8)	2009-07-15	2010-01-14	2010-07-16	$3760.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12)	2013-07-15	2014-01-14	2014-07-16	$7700.00	Window Closed / Lapsed

Wavelength division multiplexing system and method using a reconfigurable diffraction grating

Abstract

Inventors

Bibliographic Details

Claims Analysis

References Cited (Backward Citations)

USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows

Assigned Categories & Tags

Assign Category Tag