Patent ID: 6658175
Filing Date: 2003-12-02
Classification: H04Q

Abstract:
A switch (112) for optical signals, the switch including a number of outputs at least equal to the number N of inputs, for routing an input signal to at least one output, each input being adapted to receive signals modulating optical carriers having m different wavelengths (&lgr;1, &lgr;2, . . . , &lgr;m); characterized in that it includes:means (12611, . . . , 126NB; 22611, . . . , 226NB) for grouping all of the carriers received at an input of the switch into non-contiguous subsets (S11, . . . , S1B) of carriers; selector units (1291, . . . 129NB; 2291, . . . , 229NB) for routing in blocks (G11, . . . , GNB) the signals corresponding to each subset of optical carriers; and means (142, 145, 150) for dividing each subset and then transmitting all the carriers of that subset to the same output of the switch.