Patent ID: 7796885

Claim:
An apparatus, comprising a broadcast optical interconnect including: a plurality of nodes positioned to define a node array, each of the plurality of nodes having at least one optical signal emitter and a plurality of optical signal receivers, the plurality of optical signal receivers positioned to define an individual receiver array that with regard to image forming geometry substantially corresponds to the node array; and a plurality of optics optically coupled to the array of nodes, the plurality of optics positioned to define an optics array whose members with regard to image forming geometry substantially correspond to the nodes of the node array and, each of the plurality of optics including at least one optical distributing element and an optical collecting element, wherein diverging elements of the optics array with regard to image forming geometry substantially correspond to the optical receivers of each node of the node array, wherein an optical signal from the optical signal emitter is fanned-out by the at least one optical distributing element of one of the optics and broadcast to one of the plurality of receivers of all of the plurality of nodes by the optical collecting element of all of the plurality of optics.