Bi-directional optical/electrical transceiver module

1. A bi-directional optoelectric transceiver module comprising:

a bi-directional element with a side, a first optical axis, and a second optical axis wherein the first and second optical axes intersect approximately at the side of the bi-directional element;

a reflection enhancing coating with a thickness positioned on the side of the bi-directional element wherein the reflecting enhancing coating reflects light at a first wavelength and transmits light at a second wavelength;

a first lens system positioned along the first optical axis to focus light along the first optical axis;

a second lens system positioned along the second optical axis to focus light along the second optical axis;

a light emitting device capable of emitting light at the first wavelength along the first optical axis;

a light guiding device capable of transmitting light at the second wavelength along the second optical axis and receiving light at the first wavelength along the second optical axis; and

a light detecting device capable of detecting at least one of the first and second wavelengths of light along the second optical axis.

2. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein the reflection enhancing coating includes at least one of silicon oxide (SiO), titanium oxide (TiO), tantalum oxide (TaO), magnesium fluoride (MgF), and another suitable coating material which reflects light at the first wavelength and transmits light at the second wavelength.

3. An apparatus as claimed in claim 2 wherein the reflection enhancing coating includes a plurality of material layers with a thickness wherein the thickness of each of the plurality of material layers is chosen so that the reflection enhancing coating reflects light at the first wavelength and transmits light at the second wavelength.

4. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein the reflection enhancing coating includes a plate.

5. An apparatus as claimed in claim 4 wherein at least one of the bi-directional element and the plate includes at least one of glass, plastic, and another suitable optically transparent material which can be molded.

6. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein the bi-directional element, the first lens system, and the second lens system are formed as a single unit of a molded plastic.

7. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein the light emitting device and the light detecting device are formed on a common substrate.

8. A bi-directional optoelectric transceiver module comprising:

a bi-directional element with a first side, a second side, a third side, and a fourth side wherein the third side is opposite the first side and the fourth side is opposite the second side;

a reflection enhancing coating with a thickness positioned on the first and third sides of the bi-directional element wherein the reflection enhancing coating transmits light at a first wavelength and reflects light at a second wavelength;

wherein a first optical axis is directed through the first and second sides;

wherein a second optical axis is directed through the third and fourth sides;

wherein a third optical axis is directed through the first and third sides and intersects the first optical axis at the first side and the second optical axes at the third side so that light incident to the first side at the second wavelength is reflected along the third optical axis to the third side;

a first lens system positioned along the first optical axis to focus light along the first optical axis;

a second lens system positioned along the second optical axis to focus light along the second optical axis;

a light emitting device capable of emitting light at the first wavelength along the first optical axis;

a light guiding device capable of transmitting light at the second wavelength along the first optical axis and receiving light at the first wavelength along the first optical axis; and

a light detecting device capable of detecting light at the second wavelength along the second optical axis.

9. An apparatus as claimed in claim 8 wherein the reflection enhancing coating includes a plate.

10. An apparatus as claimed in claim 9 wherein the light emitting device and the light detecting device are formed on a common substrate.

11. An apparatus as claimed in claim 10 wherein a spherical lens is positioned on the common substrate to focus light emitted from the light emitting device.

12. An apparatus as claimed in claim 11 wherein a reflective device is formed on the common substrate to reflect light focused by the spherical lens along the first optical axis.

13. An apparatus as claimed in claim 9 wherein at least one of the bi-directional element and the plate includes at least one of glass, plastic, and another suitable optically transparent material which can be molded.

14. An apparatus as claimed in claim 9 wherein the bi-directional element, the first lens system, and the second lens system are formed as a single unit of a molded plastic.

15. An apparatus as claimed in claim 9 wherein the first lens system focuses light at the first wavelength in a direction along the first optical axis and focuses light at the second wavelength in an opposite direction along the first optical axis.

16. An apparatus as claimed in claim 9 wherein the reflection enhancing coating includes at least one of silicon oxide (SiO), titanium oxide (TiO) tantalum oxide (TaO), magnesium fluoride (MgF), and another suitable coating material which reflects light at the first wavelength and transmits light at the second wavelength.

17. An apparatus as claimed in claim 9 wherein the reflection enhancing coating includes a plurality of material layers with a thickness wherein the thickness of each of the plurality of material layers is chosen so that the reflection enhancing coating transmits light at the first wavelength and reflects light at the second wavelength.

18. A method of optoelectronically communicating with a light guiding element comprising the steps of:

providing a bi-directional element with a side, a first optical axis, and a second optical axis wherein the first and second optical axes intersect approximately at the side of the bi-directional optical element;

coating the side of the bi-directional element with a reflection enhancing coating with a thickness which reflects light at a first wavelength and transmits light at a second wavelength;

positioning a first lens system along the first optical axis to focus light along the first optical axis;

positioning a second lens system along the second optical axis to focus light along the second optical axis;

positioning a light emitting device to emit light at the first wavelength along the first optical axis;

positioning the light guiding device to transmit light at the second wavelength along the second optical axis and receive light at the first wavelength along the second optical axis; and

positioning a light detecting device to detect at least one of the first and second wavelengths of light along the second optical axis.

19. A method as claimed in claim 18 wherein the reflection enhancing coating includes a plate.

20. A method as claimed in claim 19 wherein at least one of the bi-directional element and the plate includes at least one of glass, plastic, and another suitable optically transparent material which can be molded.

21. A method as claimed in claim 18 wherein the bi-directional element, the first lens system, and the second lens system are formed as a single unit of a molded plastic.

22. A method as claimed in claim 18 wherein the second lens system focuses light at the first wavelength in a direction along the second optical axis and focuses light at the second wavelength in an opposite direction along the second optical axis.

23. A method as claimed in claim 18 wherein the reflection enhancing coating includes at least one of silicon oxide (SiO), titanium oxide (TiO), tantalum oxide (TaO), magnesium fluoride (MgF), and another suitable coating material which reflects light at the first wavelength and transmits light at the second wavelength.

24. A method as claimed in claim 18 wherein the reflection enhancing coating includes a plurality of material layers with a thickness wherein the thickness of each of the plurality of material layers is chosen so that the reflection enhancing coating reflects light at the first wavelength and transmits light at the second wavelength.