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United States Patent | 5,093,879 |
Bregman , et al. | March 3, 1992 |
A direct optical connector (DOC) comprised of first and second members, each including a plurality of light emitting and light detecting locations, operative in combination with energy transfer media to form direct optical connections between the light emitting locations and the light detecting locations, wherein said first and second members are adapted for reclosable connection to each other whereupon the light emitting locations on one member are aligned with the light detecting locations on the other member. The first and second members of the preferred DOC are modular. Alternative forms of energy transfer media are used in various embodiments of the invention including lenslet arrays, imaging fiber plates (IFPs), and energy transfer fiber plates (ETFPs). These media have differing alignment criteria, differing degrees of immunity from crosstalk, differing degrees of transfer efficiency, different manufacturing costs, etc., thereby permitting the fabrication and/or use of a connector most suited to meet the requirements of a particular application. A modular half of a DOC can be used in conjunction with a remote optical connector (ROC) to channel light over relatively long distances. The invention also encompasses processes for fabricating ROCs.
Inventors: | Bregman; Mark F. (Ridgefield, CT), Brewer; William D. (Berlin, DE), Cohen; Mitchell S. (Ossining, NY), Johnson; Glen W. (Yorktown Heights, NY), Noyan; Ismail C. (Peekskill, NY), Oprysko; Modest M. (Mahopac, NY), Ritter; Mark B. (Brookfield, CT), Rogers; Dennis L. (Croton-on-Hudson, NY), Trewhella; Jeanine M. (Peekskill, NY) |
Assignee: |
International Business Machines Corporation
(Armonk,
NY)
|
Appl. No.: | 07/542,275 |
Filed: | June 22, 1990 |
Current U.S. Class: | 385/93 ; 250/227.11; 250/551; 257/80; 257/E31.108; 385/49; 385/54; 385/55; 385/89; 398/157; 398/164; 398/60 |
Current International Class: | G02B 6/42 (20060101); G02B 6/43 (20060101); H01L 31/167 (20060101); H04B 10/00 (20060101); H01L 31/16 (20060101); G02B 006/32 (); H01J 005/16 (); G02F 001/00 (); H01L 027/10 () |
Field of Search: | 350/96.15,96.17,96.18,96.20,96.21,96.24,96.25,96.31,320 250/227.11,551 455/602,606,607,617,610,612 357/17,19,45,75,30 |
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Glaser et al., "Optcal Interconnections for Digital . . .", Optics Lett., 1/86, vol. 11, No. 1, pp. 53-55. . Glaser, "Lenslet Array Processors", Applied Optics, vol. 21, No. 7, pp. 1271-1280.. |