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:
Sep. 12, 2006
Filed:
Jan. 05, 2001
Andrew Nicholas Dames, Cambridge, GB;
Jonathan Horton James, Cambridge, GB;
Andrew Nicholas Dames, Cambridge, GB;
Jonathan Horton James, Cambridge, GB;
Polatis Limited, Cambridge, GB;
Abstract
An optical guide switching assembly in which steering devices are used to assembly deflect radiation from a transmitting guide to a selected receiving guide. Each of the steering devices includes a collimator for light emerging from the transmitting guide and an actuator to cause relative movement between the collimator and the guide to cause the deflection, or to move the guide and collimator together. The actuator can be piezoelectric and of either a foil type, or a monolithic type, and mechanical leverage can be used to improve deflection. Capacitive sensing means provide positional information for feedback control, preferably in a diagonal switching arrangement.