Patent ID: 6898013

Claim:
Apparatus for the optical spatial re-arrangement of signals, the apparatus comprising: a) an input means; b) an array of first optical systems; c) a second optical system; d) an array of third optical systems; and e) an output means; the input means being constituted by a first plurality of input sources, each of which is constituted by a second plurality of light sources; the output means being constituted by a plurality of output devices, each of which is constituted by a plurality of light sinks; each of the first optical systems being associated with, and corresponding to, the light sources of a respective input source; and each of the third optical systems being associated with and corresponding to, the light sinks of a respective output device; the apparatus being such that the optical beams from the light sources of each input source pass through the associated first optical system where they are re-directed, the re-directed beams then pass through the second optical system where the beams from each input source are re-arranged, each of the re-arranged beams associated with each input source then enters a respective third optical system, and each of the third optical systems re-directs all the beams incident thereupon to the light sinks of the associated output device.