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. 14, 2000
Filed:
Jul. 17, 1997
Wendell E Bishop, Somerville, MA (US);
Natural MicroSystems Corporation, Framingham, MA (US);
Abstract
Methods and apparatus for providing an optical bus between circuit boards or other devices is provided. In one aspect, the present invention features an electronic circuit assembly that includes first electrical circuitry, a first beam splitter having a primary optical axis and a secondary optical axis, a first detector having an electrical output electrically connected to the first circuitry and an optical input responsive to the secondary optical axis of the first beam splitter, a first optical source having a first optical output and a first electrical input responsive to the first electrical circuitry and wherein the secondary optical axis of the first beam splitter is responsive to the first optical output, and a second beam splitter having a primary optical axis and a secondary optical axis, wherein the first optical input of the first detector is responsive to the secondary optical axis of the second beam splitter, wherein the secondary optical axis of the second beam splitter is responsive to the first optical output of the first optical source, and wherein the primary optical axis of the first beam splitter is different from the primary optical axis of the second beam splitter.