Patent attributes
Planar assemblies for coupling a plurality of optical transceivers to the same optical fiber. For example, the optical transceivers may be PON transceivers functioning according to different data rates and/or different modulation formats. Each optical transceiver communicates using one or more different wavelength channels. At least some of the disclosed planar assemblies are scalable to couple various numbers of optical transceivers to the same end face of an optical fiber, e.g., by fixing a corresponding number of passive, slab-like optical filters to a substantially planar surface of the support substrate to which the optical transceivers are also fixed adjacent and along. Some embodiments may employ various bulk lenses fixed to said planar surface to suitably relay light-beam segments between the end face of the fiber and the optical transceivers and/or between the different slab-like optical filters.
