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. 04, 2003
Filed:
Mar. 31, 1999
Carlos Munoz-Bustamante, Durham, NC (US);
David Carroll Challener, Raleigh, NC (US);
Daniel McConnell, Raleigh, NC (US);
International Business Machines Corporation, Armonk, NY (US);
Abstract
An apparatus for broadcasting optical signals within an optoelectric computer network is disclosed. The optoelectric computer network includes multiple computers. Each of the computers includes a first fiber optic cable for sending optical signal beams and a second fiber optic cable for receiving optical signal beams. The apparatus for broadcasting optical signals within the optoelectric computer network includes a lens and a mirror array. The lens is capable of splitting an optical signal beam received from a first fiber optic cable of one of the computers into multiple optical signal beams. The mirror array, which is formed by an array of deformable mirrors, then individually directs each of the split optical signal beams to a respective second fiber optic cable of the selected remaining computers within the optoelectric computer network.