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:
Mar. 03, 1992
Filed:
Jun. 22, 1990
Mark F Bregman, Ridgefield, CT (US);
William D Brewer, Berlin, DE;
Mitchell S Cohen, Ossining, NY (US);
Glen W Johnson, Yorktown Heights, NY (US);
Ismail C Noyan, Peekskill, NY (US);
Modest M Oprysko, Mahopac, NY (US);
Mark B Ritter, Brookfield, CT (US);
Dennis L Rogers, Croton-on-Hudson, NY (US);
Jeanine M Trewhella, Peekskill, NY (US);
International Business Machines Corporation, Armonk, NY (US);
Abstract
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.