Patent ID: 9106983
Filing Date: 2015-08-11
Classification: H04L,H04Q

Abstract:
1. A method for optical communication comprising: receiving an input signal from a terminal at a reconfigurable branching unit (BU); splitting the input signal into at least two parts, with one part being associated with one or more trunk terminals and another part being associated with one or more branch terminals; selecting and individually switching each of one or more spectrum channels to one of a plurality of paths using at least optical wavelength selective switch (WSS), with the at least one WSS being configured to transmit the one or more spectrum channels to their respective target output port, wherein the at least one WSS determines whether to employ each of the one or more spectrum channels for a trunk terminal to trunk terminal connection, or for a trunk terminal to branch terminal connection; combining signals switched to a specific port into a wavelength division multiplexing (WDM) signal using the at least one WSS, and sending the WDM signal to an output port; and filtering out individual spectrum channels using at least one wavelength blocker (WB) passing each demultiplexed waveband through at least one 1×2 optical switch, with at least one corresponding 1×2 optical switch being provided for transmission of the same demultiplexed waveband in a reverse direction and performing independent per-waveband switching using a combined split-and-select (S&S) and demultiplexer-switch-multiplexer (DSM), wherein each demultiplexed waveband is multiplexed using at least one multiplexer to combine wavebands from different sources into a wavelength division multiplexed (WDM) signal, and transmitting the WDM signal to a destination terminal.