Patent ID: 6996300

Claim:
A device for transmitting optical signals, comprising: a light guide having at least one hollow body or parts of a hollow body with a reflecting inside surface for guiding light by reflection at the inside reflecting surface, or having at least one body of a transparent material, surrounded by at least one medium of a lower refractive index for guiding light by total reflection at a boundary surface between the body of the transparent material and the medium; an optical transmitter connected to at least one point of the light guide for feeding optical signals into the light guide; an optical receiver connected for receiving optical signals to at least one point of the light guide at which signals from the optical transmitter can be received; wherein the light guide comprises at least one light-guiding medium located in an optical path between the transmitter and the receiver, the at least one light-guiding medium exhibiting at least one optical effect that can be changed by external electromagnetic fields or radiation; wherein the transmission characteristics of the medium and also of the light guide can be changed by means of the optical effect according to the external electromagnetic fields or radiation; wherein at least one probe is disposed at a variable position relative to the optical receiver or optical transmitter along a course of the light guide; and wherein the at least one probe is designed to apply to the light guide at least one of electric fields, magnetic fields, electromagnetic fields, or radiation in accordance with information to be transmitted, so that the transmission characteristics of the light guide change in accordance with the information to be transmitted.