MULTIPLE-STAGE OPTOELECTRONIC IMAGE COMMUTATOR Russian patent published in 1997 - IPC

FIELD: optical information processing. SUBSTANCE: device may be used in efficient commutators for multiple-user telecommunication systems which transmit large volumes of information which is represented as two-dimensional optical images. Device for 2Nx2N cells has input and output units which are optically connected. Input unit joins and output unit separates p- and s- polarized signals of input images. In addition device has stages of N light polarization plate switches which are controlled individually, focusing and switching stages of M types. Each of them has N/M identical units with M input and M output optical channels which provide constant length of optical paths of light signals which are transmitted through image commutator for both polarization types. This does not depend on way for connection between input and outputs ports. This also results in possibility to increase throughput capacity of channels to be connected and total maximal load of commutator by factor of 10-50. EFFECT: increased functional capabilities, increased throughput capacity. 4 cl, 3 dwg