Patent ID: 7336900

Claim:
An optical switch comprising: at least one first set of ports for receiving in parallel an optical byte of data; multiple second sets of ports, each second set of ports being capable of outputting in parallel the optical byte of data; an array of optical switching elements disposed between the at least one first set of ports and the multiple second sets of ports, wherein the array of optical switching elements direct the optical byte of data in parallel from the at least one first set of ports to at least one second set of ports of the multiple second sets of ports; and wherein the array of optical switching elements direct the optical byte of data from the at least one first set of ports to the at least one second set of ports using at least one wavelength of the optical byte of data, at least some optical switching elements of the array of optical switching elements comprising optical filters, each optical filter transferring optical data of a selected wavelength, and wherein the optical byte of data comprises a plurality of bits of optical data, and the plurality of bits of optical data have a common wavelength, and wherein the optical filters assist in selecting the at least one second set of ports based on the common wavelength of the bits of optical data.