Patent ID: 7366371

Claim:
An optical multiplexing and demultiplexing apparatus comprising: (a) an optical signal transmission block having on opposite first and second sides thereof corresponding parallel planar first and second surfaces substantially covered by respective highly reflective first and second coatings; (b) a first signal source comprising: (i) a first laser capable of producing transmitted signals at a first transmission wavelength, the first laser being positioned on the first side of the transmission block with the transmission axis of the first laser oriented at and substantially normal to the first surface of the transmission block; and (ii) a first lens associated with the first laser, the first lens reorienting transmitted signals an acute tilt angle from the first laser through shifting a distance between an optical axis of the first lens and the transmission axis of the first laser along a redirected transmission pathway to a corresponding first admission window in the first coating; (c) a second signal source comprising: (i) a second laser capable of producing transmitted signals at a second transmission wavelength, the second laser being positioned on the first side of the transmission block separated along the first surface of the transmission block from the first laser with the transmission axis of the second laser oriented at and substantially normal there the first surface of the transmission block; and (ii) a second lens associated with the second laser, the second lens reorienting transmitted signals an acute tilt angle from the second laser through shifting a distance between optical axis of the second lens and the optical axis of the second laser along a redirected transmission pathway parallel to the redirected transmission pathway of the transmitted signals from the second laser to a corresponding second admission window in the first coating; (d) a multiplexed signal transmitting port on the second side of the transmission block, the transmitting port being positioned to receive transmitted signals from the first and second lenses emerging in mutual optical alignment as a multiplexed transmission signal from a multiplexed signal egress window in the second coating following reflections of the transmitted signals from the first and second lenses within the transmission block between the first and second coatings; and (e) a demultiplexer cooperative with the transmission block for separating a multiplexed reception signal into constituent received signals at respective first and the second reception wavelengths.