Patent ID: 6909820

Claim:
A method for switching optical signals, the method comprising: (a) transmitting a first optical signal along a first optical path from a first input channel; (b) transmitting a second optical signal along a second optical path from a second input channel; (c) transmitting a third optical signal along a third optical path from a third input channel, (d) transmitting a fourth optical signal along a fourth optical path from a fourth input channel, (e) collimating the first, second, third and fourth optical signals from the first, second, third and fourth optical paths with a collimator; (f) moving a first reflector to a first position such that the first optical signal is reflected by a second reflector through the collimator and refocused into a first output channel, the second optical signal is reflected by the second reflector through the collimator and refocused into a second output channel, the third optical signal is reflected by the second reflector through the collimator and refocused into a third output channel, and the fourth optical signal is reflected by the second reflector through the collimator and refocused into a fourth output channel; and (g) moving the first reflector to a second position such that the first optical signal is reflected back through the collimator by the first reflector, such that the collimator re-focuses the first signal into the fourth output channel, the second optical signal is reflected by the first reflector back through the collimator, such that the collimator re-focuses the second signal into the third output channel, the third optical signal is reflected back through the collimator by the first reflector, such that the collimator re-focuses the third signal into the second output channel, and the fourth optical signal is reflected by the first reflector back through the collimator, such that the collimator re-focuses the fourth optical signal into the first output channel.