Calient Networks, Inc.

Adrian Keating

Roger Jonathan Helkey

John E Bowers

David Edward Welsh

Xuezhe Zheng

Daniel Jacob Blumenthal

Kevin J White

Peter Hunt

James R Sechrist

Walter Joseph Fant

David Kinghorn

Paul Wills

Bart Erwin

A method and apparatus are described to provide optical path protection for an optical switching system. An apparatus includes a first optical core switch, a second optical core switch, and an optical protection switch. The optical protection switch has at least two inputs and at least two outputs that allow the optical protection switch to direct input optical data traffic to one of the first optical core switch and the second optical core switch, and to direct a test signal to the other of the first optical core switch and the second optical core switch. For one embodiment, the optical protection switch is a 2&#xd7;2 non-blocking optical switch having only two-path loss optimization. Alternatively, the optical protection switch may be a blocking 3&#xd7;2 optical switch implemented to function as a 2&#xd7;2 non-blocking optical switch. For one embodiment, the blocking 3&#xd7;2 optical switch is a translational switch.

Method and apparatus to provide alternative paths for optical protection path switch arrays

Optical switch package

The invention provides an optical switch comprising a housing, an input optical fiber, a mirror substrate, an input pivoting mirror, an output optical fiber, a first optical splitter, and a first optical detector. The input optical fiber propagates a light beam and is secured to the housing. The mirror substrate is secured to the housing. The input pivoting mirror is located in a path of the light beam after leaving the input optical fiber. The input pivoting mirror is pivotally secured to the mirror substrate. Pivoting of the mirror relative to the mirror substrate alters an angle with which the light beam is reflected therefrom. The output optical fiber is secured to the housing and has an end through which the light beam enters after being reflected by the input pivoting mirror. The first optical splitter is located in a path of the light beam after leaving the input optical fiber. The first optical splitter splits the light beam into a first propagated portion and a first monitoring portion. The first propagated portion is propagated through the output optical fiber and the first monitoring portion is detected by the first optical detector.

Optical switch with internal monitoring

A method of moving reflectors in an optical cross-connect switch. In one embodiment, the optical cross-connect switch identifies a reflector path avoiding possible interference with other reflectors, predicts the reflector path from pre-computed tables, and moves the reflector in a straight line in target reflector plane coordinates from initial position to target position.

Safe procedure for moving mirrors in an optical cross-connect switch

An apparatus comprising an optical fiber array, a spacer to receive a light beam from the optical fiber array, and a lens array having an input to receive the light beam from the spacer and an output to output the light beam is disclosed. The spacer has a first refraction index and the lens has a second refraction index.

Dual refraction index collimator for an optical switch

Growing community of inventors

Santa Barbara, CA, United States of America

Adrian Keating