Patent ID: 7237964

Claim:
A method for optically coupling an external optical device to a communication module disposed on an internal side of a panel, comprising: optically coupling an optical coupler to the communication module through an opening in the panel that provides access from an external side of the panel to the communication module; guiding a first open end of a mechanical bezel through the opening in the panel and over an uncoupled end of the optical coupler, such that at least a portion of the optical coupler becomes disposed in a volume of the mechanical bezel; fixedly attaching the mechanical bezel to the communication module; connecting a first end of an optical attenuator to an optical connector of the external optical device; and optically coupling a second end of the optical attenuator to the uncoupled end of the optical coupler through a second open end of the mechanical bezel, to optically couple the external optical device to the communication module through the optical coupler and the optical attenuator.