Patent ID: 8218918

Claim:
A low cost, multimode optical fiber switch for connecting at least one single first directional multimode fiber to at least one plurality of second directional multimode fibers said multimode optical switch comprising: A) at least one multimode optical fiber bundle comprising: 1) a single first directional multimode fiber and 2) a plurality of second directional multimode fibers in said optical fiber bundle and surrounding said single first directional multimode fiber; B) at least one lens movable in a plane perpendicular to light beams from said single first directional multimode fiber and said plurality of second directional multimode fibers, said lens and said single directional fiber being adapted so that outgoing beams from said single first directional fiber is incident on said lens in a telecentric manner; C) a mirror positioned so as to reflect light from said single first directional multimode fiber into said plurality of second directional multimode fibers, one at a time; or to reflect light from said plurality of second directional multimode fibers into said single first directional multimode fiber, one at a time; D) lens position controls adapted to control directions of light beams passing to or from said single multimode fiber so as to optically connect said single first directional multimode fiber to said second directional multimode fibers one at a time.