Patent ID: 8195048

Claim:
A method for communicating optical signals, the method comprising: receiving, at a terminal from a first remote terminal, a first overlay signal, the first overlay signal comprising a first short haul signal and a first long haul signal; receiving, at the terminal from a second remote terminal, a second overlay signal, the second overlay signal comprising a second short haul signal and a second long haul signal; receiving, at the terminal from a master terminal, a third long haul signal and a fourth long haul signal; decoupling, at the terminal, the first short haul signal and the first long haul signal from the first overlay signal; decoupling, at the terminal, the second short haul signal and the second long haul signal from the second overlay signal; coupling, at the terminal, the second short haul signal and the third long haul signal to form a third overlay signal; coupling, at the terminal, the first short haul signal and the fourth long haul signal to form a fourth overlay signal; transmitting the third overlay signal from the terminal to the first remote terminal; transmitting the fourth overlay signal from the terminal to the second remote terminal; and transmitting the first long haul signal and the second long haul signal from the terminal to the master terminal.