Patent ID: 7416352

Claim:
An optical, multi-channel, free space interconnect for coupling a transmitter array to a detector array, wherein the transmitter array includes a plurality of transmitters, each transmitting light, and the detector array includes a plurality of light detectors, comprising: a first transparent block of material positioned in front of the transmitter array and having a first side and a second side perpendicular with the first side, wherein the light transmitted from each transmitter of the transmitter array enters through the first side and exits through the second side; a second transparent block of material positioned in front of the transmitter array and between the transmitter array and the first side of the first block so that the light transmitted from each transmitter of the array passes through the second block before entering the first block; a coupling lens positioned adjacent the second side of the first block such that the light exiting the second side passes through the coupling lens; and a collimator positioned adjacent the coupling lens, the coupling lens being positioned between the first block and the collimator, wherein the light passing through the coupling lens also pass though the collimator.