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Protection schemes for mirror-failure in free-space micromachined optical switches
| Details |
Inventors: Lin, Lih Y.; Saleh, Adel A. M.; Simmons, Jane M.;
Assignee: AT&T Corporation (Middletown, NJ)
Primary Examiner: Sanghavi; Hemang
Assistant Examiner: Doan; Jennifer
Attorney, Agent or Firm: Kenyon & Kenyon
The present invention provides a device and method for achieving protection in a free-space micromachined optical switching fabric. The present invention provides two protection schemes for mirror failures, which utilize either existing switching mirrors or additional integrated mirrors without extra fabrication effort or performance-degradation of the switch fabric. A switch fabric includes a plurality of micromachined free-rotating mirrors arranged in a rectilinear matrix configuration. The mirrors are reflective on both front and back sides. According to one embodiment of the present invention, upon the detection of a failed mirror associated with a transmission between an input and an output, a transmission path is determined that includes a backside of a pivot mirror. A transmission path is then established between the input and the output that utilizes the backside of the pivot mirror. |
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DETAILED DESCRIPTION The present invention provides a device and method for achieving protection in a free-space micromachined optical switching fabric.
The present invention provides two protection schemes for mirror failures, which utilize either existing switching mirrors or additional integrated mirrors without extra fabrication effort or performance-degradation of the switch fabric.
A switch fabric includes a plurality of micromachined free-rotating mirrors arranged in a rectilinear matrix configuration.
The mirrors are reflective on both front and back sides.
According to one embodiment of the present invention, upon the detection of a failed mirror associated with a transmission between an input and an output, a transmission path is determined that includes a backside of a pivot mirror.
A transmission path is then established between the input and the output that utilizes the backside of the pivot mirror.
According to one embodiment, the switching fabric utilizes M.
times.
N mirrors arranged in a rectilinear matrix configuration of M columns and N rows.
Upon the detection of a mirror failure associated with a column Fc and a row Fr (mirror (Fc, Fr)), a pivot mirror is determined, wherein the pivot mirror is any actuated mirror having located in a column Pc and row Pr, wherein Pc<Fc and Pr<Fr.
A first mirror at location (Fc,Pr) and a second mirror at location (Pc,Fr) are then actuated to perform the necessary routing.
According to an alternative embodiment, at least one protection row of switch mirrors and at least one protection column of switch mirrors is coupled to a rectilinear switch fabric.
Upon detection of a mirror failure, a transmission path associated with the failed mirror is established by actuating mirrors in the protection row and protection column.
In particular, according to one alternative embodiment, the present invention is applied to a rectilinear switch fabric of M.
times.
N micromirrors arranged in M columns and N rows.
A series of input ports are provided along a first side of the switch fabric and a series of output ports are provided along a second side of the switch fabric perpendicular to the first side
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