1. An all-optical, optical cross-connect, comprising:
first and second pluralities of multiport optical devices, said first plurality of multiport optical devices having at least one input port for receiving a WDM optical signal and a plurality of output ports for selectively receiving one of more wavelength components of the optical signal, said second plurality of multiport optical devices having a plurality of input ports for selectively receiving one of more wavelength components of the optical signal and at least one output port for selectively receiving one of more wavelength components of the optical signal, at least one of said first or second plurality of multiport optical devices being all-optical switches that can route every wavelength component independently of every other wavelength component; and
wherein the plurality of input ports of the second plurality of multiport optical devices are optically coupled to respective ones of the plurality of output ports of the first plurality of multiport optical devices.
2. The optical cross-connect of claim 1 wherein the other of the first or second plurality of multiport optical devices are all-optical switches that can route every wavelength component independently of every other wavelength component.
3. The optical cross-connect of claim 1 wherein the other of the first or second plurality of multiport optical devices are couplers.
4. The optical cross-connect of claim 1 wherein said all-optical switch comprising:
a plurality of wavelength selective elements that each select a channel wavelength from among the plurality of wavelength components received at the at least one input port; and
a plurality of optical elements respectively associated with said plurality of wavelength selective elements, each of said optical elements directing one of the selected wavelength components selected by the associated wavelength selective element to any one of the output ports independently of all other channel wavelengths.
5. The optical cross-connect of claim 2 wherein each of said all-optical switches comprising:
a plurality of wavelength selective elements that each select a channel wavelength from among the plurality of wavelength components received at the at least one input port; and
a plurality of optical elements respectively associated with said plurality of wavelength selective elements, each of said optical elements directing one of the selected wavelength component selected by the associated wavelength selective element to any one of the output ports independently of all other wavelength components.
6. The optical cross-connect of claim 4 wherein said optical elements each include a tiltable mirror.
7. The optical cross-connect of claim 4 further comprising a free space region disposed between the input ports and the wavelength selective elements.
8. The optical cross-connect of claim 4 wherein said optical elements retroreflect said channel wavelengths.
9. The optical cross-connect of claim 4 wherein said wavelength selective elements are thin film filters each transmitting therethrough a different one of the wavelength components and reflecting the remaining channel wavelengths.
10. The optical cross-connect of claim 4 wherein said optical elements are reflective mirrors that are selectively tiltable in a plurality of positions such that in each of the positions the mirrors reflect the wavelength component incident thereon to any selected one of the output ports.
11. The optical cross-connect of claim 10 wherein said reflective mirrors are part of a micro-electromechanical (MEM) reflective mirror assembly.
12. The optical cross-connect of claim 11 wherein said reflective mirror assembly is a retroreflective mirror assembly.
13. The optical cross-connect of claim 10 wherein said reflective mirrors are part of a retroreflective optical assembly.
14. The optical cross-connect of claim 10 wherein said reflective mirrors each include a piezoelectric actuator.
15. The optical cross-connect of claim 7 wherein said free space region comprises an optically transparent substrate having first and second parallel surfaces, said wavelength selective element includes a plurality of wavelength selective elements arranged in first and second arrays extending along the first and second parallel surfaces, respectively.
16. The optical cross-connect of claim 15 wherein the optically transparent substrate includes air as a medium in which the optical signal propagates.
17. The optical cross-connect of claim 15 where the optically transparent substrate is silica glass.
18. The optical cross-connect of claim 15 wherein said first and second arrays are laterally offset with respect to one another.
19. The optical cross-connect of claim 18 wherein each of said wavelength selective elements arranged in the first array direct the selected wavelength component to another of said wavelength selective elements arranged in the second array.
20. The optical cross-connect of claim 4 further comprising a collimating lens disposed between each one of said wavelength selective elements and the optical element associated therewith, each of said optical elements being positioned at a focal point of the lens associated therewith.
21-38. (canceled)
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
What is claimed is:
1. An ink jet recording apparatus comprising:
a carriage for mounting a recording head for effecting recording by discharging recording ink and for moving said recording head; and
recovery means for effecting a recovery operation with respect to said recording head,
wherein said recording apparatus is forwarded from a manufacturing factory in a condition that said recording head filled with transporting ink different from the recording ink is mounted on said carriage, and wherein an on-arrival recovery mode executed by said recovery means upon first usage of said recording apparatus by the user differs from a normal recovery mode executed by said recovery means after the first usage.
2. An ink jet recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said apparatus includes suction means for effecting suction from said recording head as recovery means, and suction pressure in ink suction from said recording head by means of said suction means in said on-arrival recovery mode is set to be greater than suction pressure in ink suction in said normal recovery mode.
3. An ink jet recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said apparatus includes suction means for effecting suction from said recording head as recovery means, and a suction amount in ink suction from said recording head by means of said suction means in said on-arrival recovery mode is set to be greater than a suction amount in ink suction in said normal recovery mode.
4. An ink jet recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said apparatus includes suction means for effecting suction from said recording head as recovery means, and the number of suction operations in ink suction from said recording head by means of said suction means in said on-arrival recovery mode is set to be greater than the number of suction operations in ink suction in said normal recovery mode.
5. An ink jet recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said on-arrival recovery mode is a mode in which one kind of recovery operations in said normal recovery mode are executed continuously by plural times.
6. An ink jet recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said recovery means includes suction means for effecting suction from said recording head, and the number of idle suction operations for discharging the ink from a cap by driving said suction means in a communication condition between the interior of said cap and the atmosphere upon ink suction from said recording head by said suction means in said on-arrival recovery mode is set to be greater than the number of idle suction operations in said normal recovery mode.
7. An ink jet recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said recovery means includes suction means for effecting suction from said recording head and a wiper for wiping said recording head and the number of wiping operations of said wiper after ink suction from said recording head by said suction means in said on-arrival recovery mode is set to be greater than the number of wiping operations after ink suction in said normal recovery mode.
8. An ink jet recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said recovery means includes a wiper for wiping said recording head and a cleaner for cleaning said wiper, and the number of cleaning operations of said cleaner after the wiping of said wiper in said on-arrival recovery mode is set to be greater than the number of cleaning operations after the wiping in said normal recovery mode.
9. An ink jet recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said recovery means includes suction means for effecting suction from said recording head and a wiper for wiping said recording head, and, in said on-arrival recovery mode, after ink suction from said recording head is firstly effected by said suction means, wiping of said wiper is effected.
10. An ink jet recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein viscosity of the transporting ink is greater than that of the recording ink.
11. An ink jet recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the recording ink includes color material and the transporting ink does not include color material or has color component fewer than that of the recording ink.
12. An ink jet recording apparatus comprising:
a carriage for mounting a recording head for effecting recording by discharging recording ink and for moving said recording head; and
recovery means for effecting a recovery operation with respect to said recording head,
wherein said recording apparatus is forwarded from a manufacturing factory in a condition that said recording head filled with transporting ink different from the recording ink is mounted on said carriage, and wherein an on-arrival recovery mode executed by said recovery means upon first usage of said recording apparatus by the user is the same as a recovery mode executed upon exchange of said recording head among a plurality of recovery modes executed by said recovery means after the first usage.
13. An ink jet recording apparatus comprising:
a carriage for mounting a recording head for effecting recording by discharging recording ink and for moving said recording head; and
a mounting section for mounting an ink tank for storing the recording ink to be supplied to said recording head,
wherein said recording apparatus is forwarded from a manufacturing factory in a condition that said recording head filled with transporting ink different from the recording ink is mounted on said carriage, and further comprising:
detection means for detecting whether said ink tank is mounted on said mounting section; and
alarm means for emitting alarm to the user of said recording apparatus if the fact that said ink tank is not mounted on said mounting section upon first usage of said recording apparatus by the user is detected by means of said detection means.
14. An ink jet recording apparatus according to claim 1, 12 or 13, wherein said recording head includes an ink discharging electrothermal converter for generating thermal energy utilized for discharging the ink.
15. An ink jet recording apparatus according to claim 14, wherein he ink is discharged by utilizing pressure change based on growth of a bubble created by film boiling caused by the thermal energy generated by said electrothermal converter.
16. An ink jet recording apparatus according to claim 1, 12 or 13, wherein the transporting ink is heated by an ink temperature maintaining electrothermal converter within said recording head before or during the ink suction by said suction means in said on-arrival recovery mode.
17. An ink jet recording apparatus according to claim 1, 12 or 13, wherein the transporting ink is heated by an ink discharging electrothermal converter within said recording head before or during the ink suction by said suction means in said on-arrival recovery mode.
18. An ink jet recording apparatus according to claim 1, 12 or 13, wherein the transporting ink is heated by an ink temperature maintaining electrothermal converter and an ink discharging electrothermal converter within said recording head before or during the ink suction by said suction means in said on-arrival recovery mode.
19. An ink jet recording apparatus according to claim 1, 12 or 13, wherein the transporting ink is discharged by an ink discharging electrothermal converter within said recording head before or during the ink suction by said suction means in said on-arrival recovery mode.
20. An ink jet recording apparatus according to claim 1, 12 or 13, wherein the transporting ink is heated by an ink temperature maintaining electrothermal converter within said recording head and the transporting ink is discharged by an ink discharging electrothermal converter during the ink suction by said suction means in said on-arrival recovery mode.
21. An ink jet recording apparatus according to claim 1, 12 or 13, wherein the transporting ink is heated by an ink temperature maintaining electrothermal converter within said recording head from before the ink suction to the end of the ink suction by said suction means in said on-arrival recovery mode.
22. An ink jet recording apparatus according to claim 1, 12 or 13, wherein the transporting ink is heated by an ink discharging electrothermal converter within said recording head from before the ink suction to the end of the ink suction by said suction means in said on-arrival recovery mode.
23. An ink jet recording apparatus according to claim 1, 12 or 13, wherein the transporting ink is heated by an ink temperature maintaining electrothermal converter and an ink discharging electrothermal converter within said recording head from before the ink suction to the end of the ink suction by said suction means in said on-arrival recovery mode.
24. An ink jet recording apparatus according to claim 1, 12 or 13, wherein the transporting ink is discharged by an ink discharging electrothermal converter within said recording head from before the ink suction to the end of the ink suction by said suction means in said on-arrival recovery mode.
25. An ink jet recording apparatus according to claim 1, 12 or 13, wherein the transporting ink is heated by an ink temperature maintaining electrothermal converter and the transporting ink is discharged by an ink discharging electrothermal converter within said recording head form before the ink suction to the end of the ink suction by said suction means in said on-arrival recovery mode.
26. An ink jet recording apparatus according to claim 1, 12 or 13, wherein, when the transporting ink is heated and discharged by an ink discharging electrothermal converter within said recording head from before the ink suction to the end of the ink suction by said suction means in said on-arrival recovery mode, an input signal value, frequency, ink color to be inputted and a discharge port can be selected appropriately, and any input signal value, frequency and ink color can be inputted to said ink temperature holding electrothermal converter of said recording head.
27. An ink jet recording apparatus according to claim 1, 12 or 13, further comprising time counting means for counting an elapsed time from the forwarding.
28. An ink jet recording apparatus according to claim 1, 12 or 13, further comprising time reading means for reading the elapsed time from the forwarding.
29. An ink jet recording apparatus according to claim 1, 12 or 13, further comprising control means for judging and determining a heating amount of said recording head on the basis of the elapsed time from the forwarding.
30. An ink jet recording apparatus according to claim 1, 12 or 13, further comprising temperature history storing means for storing temperature history from the forwarding.
31. An ink jet recording apparatus according to claim 1, 12 or 13, further comprising temperature history reading means for reading temperature history from the forwarding.
32. An ink jet recording apparatus according to claim 1, 12 or 13, further comprising heating control means for judging and determining a heating amount of said recording head on the basis of temperature history from the forwarding.
33. An ink jet recording apparatus according to claim 32, wherein a heating temperature for each color can be set by said heating control means.
34. An ink jet recording apparatus according to claim 1, 12 or 13, further comprising storing means capable of re-writing and calling an elapsed time and temperature history from the forwarding.
35. An ink jet recording apparatus according to claim 12 or 13, wherein viscosity of the transporting ink is greater than that of the recording ink.
36. A method for handling an ink jet recording apparatus comprising a carriage for mounting a recording head for effecting recording by discharging recording ink and for moving said recording head, and recovery means for effecting a recovery operation with respect to said recording head, the method comprising the steps of:
forwarding said ink jet recording apparatus from a manufacturing factory in a condition that said recording head filled with transporting ink different from the recording ink is mounted on said carriage; and
executing an on-arrival recovery mode different from a normal recovery mode executed by said recovery means after first usage of said recording apparatus by the user by means of said recovery means upon the first usage, with respect to said recording head.
37. A method for handling an ink jet recording apparatus comprising a carriage for mounting a recording head for effecting recording by discharging recording ink and for moving said recording head, and recovery means for effecting a recovery operation with respect to said recording head, the method comprising the steps of:
forwarding said ink jet recording apparatus from a manufacturing factory in a condition that said recording head filled with transporting ink different from the recording ink is mounted on said carriage; and
executing an on-arrival recovery mode same as a recovery mode executed upon exchange of said recording head among a plurality of recovery modes executed by said recovery means after first usage of said recording apparatus by the user by means of said recovery means upon the first usage, with respect to said recording head.
38. A method for handling an ink jet recording apparatus comprising a carriage for mounting a recording head for effecting recording by discharging recording ink and for moving said recording head, and a mounting section for mounting an ink tank for storing the recording ink to be supplied to said recording head, the method comprising the steps of:
forwarding said ink jet recording apparatus from a manufacturing factory in a condition that said recording head filled with transporting ink different from the recording ink is mounted on said carriage; and
emitting alarm to the user of said recording apparatus if the fact that the said tank is not mounted on said mounting section upon first usage of said recording apparatus by the user is detected.