Patent ID: 7483600

Claim:
An integrated optical device, comprising: at least a first input and an alignment input, an optical interface having an interface circuit and a first alignment system both having integrated waveguides, the interface circuit and the first alignment system are adapted to operate at different non-overlapping time periods, the integrated waveguides of the interface circuit and the integrated waveguides of the first alignment system each having at least one output waveguide, the output waveguides of the interface circuit and the output waveguides of the first alignment system being essentially parallel each other, the first alignment system having at least one alignment waveguide to pass light from the alignment input to a first alignment system output, the first alignment waveguide having light intensity losses less than 2 dB, a receiving unit positioned adjacent to the optical interface with an accuracy of at least 10 micron in the direction essentially perpendicular the output waveguides, the receiving unit containing a receiving circuit and a second alignment system, the second alignment system having at least one photodetector positioned along the line of the first alignment system output waveguide, wherein the interface circuit and the first alignment system are each formed as part of a single planar chip.