The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
May. 29, 1990
Filed:
Jun. 24, 1988
Raymond W Huggins, Mercer Island, WA (US);
The Boeing Company, Seattle, WA (US);
Abstract
An optical switch and a wavelength division multiplexing system utilizing the switch. The multiplexing system comprises an optical bus, an optical source, and a plurality of optical switches. The source provides light on the bus having a plurality of wavelength bands, and the switches are serially connected along the bus. Each switch includes means for reacting to an external stimulus by assuming one of at least two states. In a first state, light in all wavelength bands is transmitted through the switch. In a second state, light in a modulation wavelength band is attenuated, and light in the remaining bands is transmitted, the modulation band being different for each switch. The switch may comprise an optical bandpass filter onto which light from the bus is directed, such that light within the passband is transmitted, and light outside the passband is reflected. The transmitted beam is selectively attenuated in accordance with the external stimulus.