Patent ID: 7139488

Claim:
A cable-side optical communication unit connectable with an apparatus-side optical communication unit provided in an apparatus for executing communication with a communicating partner by using optical signals, the cable-side optical communication unit comprising: a light emitting section to transmit an optical signal to said apparatus; a light receiving section to receive an optical signal from said apparatus; an optical module to house said light emitting section, said light receiving section, and an integrated circuit to execute communications with the apparatus-side optical communication unit, wherein the light emitting section is connected to one of a pair of optical fiber cables to transmit the optical signal from the optical fiber cable to the apparatus, and the light receiving section is connected to the other of the pair of optical fiber cables to transmit the optical signal from said apparatus to the optical fiber cable; a first converging lens attached to said optical module, to converge the optical signal transmitted by said light emitting section and to transmit the converged optical signal to said apparatus; a second converging lens attached to said optical module, to converge the optical signal transmitted by said apparatus and to transmit the converged optical signal to said light receiving section; a frame formed in a box form to contain said optical module, said first converging lens and said second converging lens; a contact surface with said apparatus-side communication unit provided on said frame; an optical filter provided on said contact surface to pass an infrared ray therethrough; and a shielding section to optically shield light between said first converging lens and said second converging lens, and to enable simultaneous bi-directional optical communication, wherein the first converging lens and the second converging lens are provided within said frame so as to face said optical filter, and said shielding section is provided within said frame.