Patent ID: 7339714

Claim:
A light processing system, comprising: an optical divider operable to receive an unmodulated optical signal and to separate the unmodulated optical signal into a first signal part and a second signal part; a light pipe operable to communicate at least the first signal part for processing; a moveable reflector operable to receive at least a portion of the first signal part and to reflect that portion of the first signal to an array of optical signal processing devices, the array of optical signal processing devices located on one or more semiconductor substrates, the array of optical signal processing devices operable to receive at least some of the portion of the first signal part and to modulate that portion of the first signal part based at least in part on a control signal received from a controller, at least some of the optical signal processing devices comprise: an inner conductive layer comprising an at least substantially conductive material; and a plurality of at least partially reflective mirrors disposed outwardly from the inner conductive layer and operable to receive at least some of the portion of the first signal part, wherein at least some of the mirrors are operable to undergo a partial rotation in response to the control signal, the partial rotation resulting in a reflection of the at least some of the portion of the first signal part, and wherein a majority of the reflected signal is communicated in one direction; and an optical reflector operable to receive at least some of the modulated first signal part and to communicate the at least some of the modulated first signal part to an output interface.