Patent ID: 7231147

Claim:
An optical switching device, comprising: an optical switch matrix having one or more optical switches that are capable of redirecting optical channels passing through the matrix; an input port coupled to the optical switch matrix adapted to receive input channels and to transmit them to the optical switch matrix, the input channels being at respective different wavelengths; an output port coupled to the optical switch matrix adapted to receive output channels from the optical switch matrix; an add port coupled to the optical switch matrix adapted to transmit add channels to the optical switch matrix; and a drop port coupled to the optical switch matrix adapted to receive dropped channels from the optical switch matrix; wherein the switches of the optical switch matrix can be selectively configured so that at least one of the input channels is directed to the drop port and at least one of the add channels is directed to the output port in place of the at least one input channel, wherein each add channel can be tuned to the wavelengths of any of the input channels so that the at least one add channel can be directed to the output port in place of any particular one of the input channels at that particular channel's wavelength, wherein the optical switch matrix includes a first array of switches and a second array of switches, and wherein the first array of switches is an N×M array of switches, the second array of switches is an M×M array of switches, the add port is coupled to the second array of switches and the input port, output port, and drop port are coupled to the first array of switches.