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:
Jul. 13, 2004
Filed:
Apr. 26, 2001
Creo SRL, Holetown, BB;
Abstract
A method and apparatus are disclosed for an optical fiber cross-connect switch incorporating an absolute position encoder and a magnetic actuation system into its alignment system. The switch comprises two optically opposed arrays of fiber-optic switching units, each of which contains a single fiber active to send or receive an optical communication signal. The magnetic actuation system comprising four magnetically polarizable actuator branches positioned surrounding the fiber and a magnetizable disk circumferentially attached to the fiber end. Selective magnetic polarization of the actuator branches bends the fiber end. A two-dimensional Moiré type position encoder determines the absolute position of the fiber end. The encoder comprises at east one plurality of radiation sources, which emits pulses of radiation (control signals) directed toward the switching units. Each switching unit is equipped with a reticle, an optical system that focuses the control signals onto the reticle, and a single photodetector, which measures the power of the control signals transmitted through the reticle. A controller uses the measured control signals to determine the two-dimensional position of the fiber in that switching unit and to generate actuation signals, which form the input for the actuation system.