Patent ID: 7106926

Claim:
An optical switching device, comprising: a) a plurality of optical input paths and a plurality of optical output paths; b) a first array of individually, selectably tiltable microelectromechanical system (MEMS) mirrors in which each mirror of the first array is operative for receiving optical radiation from a respective input path; c) a second array of individually, selectably tiltable MEMS mirrors in which each mirror of the second array is operative for deflecting the optical radiation incident thereon along a respective output path; d) the first and second arrays of mirrors being arranged on a common plane and being selectably tiltable about a single axis; e) a fixed reflector arranged above the two arrays of mirrors, wherein, in operation, the optical radiation received along each input path is deflected by its respective mirror of the first array via the fixed reflector to a selected mirror of the second array for reflection therefrom to its respective output path; and f) additional arrays of individually, selectably tiltable MEMS mirrors tiltable about a single axis that is transverse to the single axis of the mirrors of the first and second arrays, said additional arrays being operative for respectively selectively adding radiation to an input path or dropping radiation intended for an output path.