Programmable Injector Grid Plate

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2021263300-A1
Application number	US-202017101302-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Nov 23, 2020
Priority date	Feb 24, 2020
Publication date	Aug 26, 2021
Grant date	—

Abstract

A programmable beam blocker includes a liquid crystal based grid of pixels, one or more groups of pixels, or plurality of pixels, corresponding to individual beams of light. The application of a voltage through one pixel can change the phase of the liquid crystal material to prevent the transmission of light through it.

First claim

1 . A programmable beam injector comprising:
a light source adapted to generate a beam of light; a beam splitter configured to receive the beam of light from the light source and polarize the received beam of light; a beam blocker receiving the polarized beam of light from the beam splitter, comprising a plurality of pixel modulators, wherein each pixel modulator includes a plurality of liquid crystal cells, wherein each pixel modulator is independently operable between an off state in which the light passes through and an on state in which the light is blocked.

2 . The programmable beam injector of claim 1 wherein the programmable beam injector further comprises a data connector configured to send and receive data or interface with an optical switching circuit control.

3 . The programmable beam injector of claim 2 wherein the programmable beam injector is configured to receive information related to its operation from the optical switching circuit control based on at least an image generated from a camera receiving beams from the programmable beam injector.

4 . The programmable beam injector of claim 1 wherein the beam blocker contains a number of the pixel modulators that corresponds to a number of MEMS mirrors used in an optical switching circuit.

5 . The programmable beam injector of claim 1 wherein:
the pixel modulator is operable in a partial state in which only a portion of the light is passed through the beam blocker; and

the beam blocker is used to shape the received polarized beam of light to conform to a beam profile.

6 . The programmable beam injector of claim 1 wherein the programmable beam injector beam blocks beams through modulation of the phase of the received beam of light.

7 . The programmable beam injector of claim 1 wherein the programmable beam injector blocks beams through intensity modulation of the received beam of light.

8 . An optical switching circuit comprising:
a microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) mirror configured to receive a beam of light; a camera configured to capture the beam of light; a fiber collimator; and a programmable beam injector comprising: a light source adapted to generate the beam of light; a beam splitter configured to polarize the beam of light from the light source; a beam blocker, the beam blocker comprising: a plurality of pixel modulators, wherein each pixel modulator includes a plurality of liquid crystal cells, wherein each pixel modulator is independently operable between an off state in which the light passes through and an on state in which the light is blocked.

9 . The optical switching circuit of claim 9 wherein the programmable beam injector further comprises a data connector.

10 . The optical switching circuit of claim 9 wherein the data connector is configured be in data communication with an optical control switch controller.

11 . The optical switching circuit of claim 9 wherein the programmable beam injector receives instructions based on algorithms which utilize as input information from at least the camera and MEMS mirror controller.

12 . The optical switching circuit of claim 8 wherein each cell further comprises a polarization filter layer.

13 . A method of selectively blocking, in an optical switching circuit, a beam of light generated by a light source comprising:
configuring a first pixel modulator of a plurality of pixel modulators in an off state, wherein voltage is not applies to the first pixel modulator; configuring a second pixel modulator of the plurality of pixel modulators in an on state, wherein a voltage is applied to the second pixel modulator; receiving, at the first pixel modulator, a first beam of light; transmitting the received beam of light through the first pixel modulator; receiving, at the second pixel modulator, a second beam of light; and blocking, by the second pixel modulator, the second beam of light.

14 . The method of claim 13 further comprising capturing, by a camera, an image wherein the image represents blocked beams with dark spots and unblocked beams with light spots.

15 . The method of claim 13 , further comprising reprogramming at least one of the first pixel modulator or the second pixel modulator.

16 . The method of claim 15 , wherein reprogramming the at least one of the first pixel modulator or the second pixel modulator comprises changing a voltage applied to the pixel modulator, such that the pixel modulator transitions to a different state as a result of the change in applied voltage.

17 . The method of claim 13 further comprising comparing at an OCS controller, information generated from the captured image with information related to the plurality of pixel modulators.

18 . The method of claim 17 further comprising automatically reprogramming a pixel modulator corresponding to a beam of light when information generated from the captured image indicates that a parameter of the beam of light is below a certain threshold.

19 . The method of claim 18 wherein the parameter measured is the intensity of the beam of light.

20 . The method of claim 17 further comprising automatically reprogramming a second pixel modulator to transmit a previously blocked beam of light based on information from an optical control switch controller.

21 . The method of claim 13 further comprising evaluating, at an OCS controller, a malfunction in the MEMS mirror array or MEMS controller based upon information generated from the captured image, information related to the plurality of pixel modulators, and information received from the MEMS controller.

Assignees

• Google Llc

Inventors

• Haslett Thomas L
• Krause Robert M
• Berger Jill
• Yasumura Kevin

Classifications

• G02B26/0833 Primary

  the reflecting element being a micromechanical device, e.g. a MEMS mirror, DMD (G02B26/0825 takes precedence; micromechanical devices in general B81B) · CPC title

• G02B6/359 Primary

  of the position of the moving element itself during switching, i.e. without monitoring the switched beams · CPC title

• G02F1/13306

  Circuit arrangements or driving methods for the control of single liquid crystal cells (G02F1/132, G02F1/133382 take precedence) · CPC title

• G02B6/3518

  the reflective optical element being an intrinsic part of a MEMS device, i.e. fabricated together with the MEMS device (MEMS devices in general B81B; manufacture of MEM devices in general B81C; micromechanical devices controlling the direction of light G02B26/0833) · CPC title

• G02B6/3556

  NxM switch, i.e. regular arrays of switches elements of matrix type constellation · CPC title