Patent ID: 7099585

Claim:
Memory circuit comprising: a plurality of memory cells; an input/output area for addressing, reading from or writing onto the plurality of memory cells by means of electrical signals; a plurality of optical-electrical converters for converting optical signals into the electrical signals, or a plurality of electrical-optical converters for converting the electrical signals into optical signals; an electrical-optical converters for an electrical-optical comverter connectable to a single optical waveguide adapted for carrying at least two different wavelengths, each wavelength carrying a different signal of a group of signals, said group of signals including control signals, status signals, address signals and data signals; said optical-electrical converter or said electrical-optical converter including a light-sensitive or light-emitting electrical component for each wavelength, each light sensitive or light-emitting component being selective for one of the at least two different wavelengths; and said optical-electrical converter being operative to output a plurality of different electrical signals, the different electrical signals carried by the wavelengths, or said electrical-optical converter being operative to output at least two different wavelengths for carrying the different signals; the plurality of memory cells and the input/output area being integrated on a chip; and said optical-electrical converter or said electrical-optical converter being mechanically connected to the chip or being integrated into the chip.