Patent ID: 6532090
Filing Date: 2003-03-11
Classification: H04Q

Abstract:
An optical cross-connect apparatus having k input ports and k output ports, k>1, each input port for receiving an M channel wavelength division multiplexed (WDM) signal, M>1, the cross-connect apparatus comprisingk wavelength interchange (WI) modules, each WI module connected to couple a WDM signal received at one of the k input ports to a kÃ—k wavelength selective optical cross-connect (WSC) apparatus, at least one WI module for changing a wavelength assignment of one or more channels of the M channels of the WDM signal received at an input port, and said kÃ—k WSC apparatus for selectively cross-connecting each wavelength of the k input ports individually over a different path through the kÃ—k WSC apparatus to any of the k output ports.