Patent ID: 8247756

Claim:
An optical interconnect comprising: an optical subsystem having a first end and a second end; at least two emitter subsystem/detector subsystem combinations directly optically connected to said first end; each emitter subsystem emits electromagnetic radiation; each detector subsystem receives electromagnetic radiation; at least two other emitter subsystem/detector subsystem combinations directly optically connected to said second end; each emitter subsystem/detector subsystem combination comprising: a first emitter/detector subsystem pair comprising: a first emitter subsystem; a first detector subsystem; and a switching component switching input/output signals to/from one subsystem selected from said first emitter subsystem and said first detector subsystem; said switching component being operatively connected to said first emitter subsystem and said first detector subsystem; said switching component receiving a switch control signal; said optical subsystem configured to image electromagnetic radiation from said first emitter subsystem in at least one of said at least two emitter subsystem/detector subsystem combinations and at least another one of said at least two other emitter subsystem/detector subsystem combinations into a number of beams of electromagnetic radiation; said optical subsystem also configured to provide a one-to-one optical interconnection between emitter subsystems from said at least two emitter subsystem/detector subsystem combinations and said at least two other emitter subsystem/detector subsystem combinations and corresponding detectors.