FREE SPACE OPTICAL SIGNAL SWITCHING DEVICE

摘要

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a free space optical switching array device using only orientation of optical transmitter beams. SOLUTION: Optical signal switching (OXC) from N transmitter to M receivers in free spaces (N and M are larger than 1) requires only transmitter beam orientation for controlling to which receiver 230 the optical signals from the transmitters 210 should be sent. It is preferred that the transmitters 210 process single mod optical signal, and the receiver 230 process multiple mode optical signals. OXC may optionally include fixed an optical unit packaged using either a single fixed common lens or plural M pieces of optical elements for further orienting each of the M pieces of optical signals to their individual receivers 230.