Patent ID: 7024070

Claim:
A large electronic-optic interconnect switch for connecting communication lines, said switch comprising: A) a plurality of switch units, each switch unit comprising: 1) a processor controlled electronic multi-switch switch comprising a plurality of micro-switches, re-configurable upon computer command and having a plurality of electronic input ports and a plurality of output ports, 2) a plurality of input communication lines connected to a portion of said input ports, 3) a plurality of output communication lines connected to a portion of said output ports, 4) an optical emitter array in communication with a portion of said output ports, said array comprising a plurality of optical emitters for emitting light beams for carrying optical communication signals, and 5) an optical detector array unit comprising a plurality of detectors for detecting optical communication signals in light beams and converting the optical signals to electronic signals, said detector array unit being configured to provide said electronic signals to a portion of said input ports; B) a free space optical interconnection configuration for directing light beams from said plurality of emitters in said emitter arrays in said plurality of switch units to said plurality of detectors in said detector array in said plurality of switch units; and C) a computer processor programmed with an algorithm for configuring said micro-switches to produce desired connections among said input communication lines and said output communication lines.