Patent ID: 7356259

Claim:
An optical-electrical-optical (OEO) node to pre-enable bypass upgrade, comprising: an OEO switch including first and second inputs and first and second outputs, the OEO switch configured to receive optical signals on its first and second inputs, electrically process the received optical signals, and optically output the processed signals to its first and second outputs; first and second drop taps, wherein each of the drop taps includes an input and first and second outputs, and wherein each of the drop taps is configured to direct optical signals present at the input to both the first and second outputs; first and second add taps, wherein each of the add taps includes first and second inputs and an output, and wherein each of the add taps is configured to direct optical signals present at both the first and second inputs to the output, wherein the first output of the first drop tap optically communicates with the first input of the OEO switch, the first output of the second drop tap optically communicates with the second input of the OEO switch, the first input of the first add tap optically communicates with the first output of the OEO switch, and the first input of the second add tap optically communicates with the second output of the OEO switch; a bypass device, wherein the bypass device comprises: a drop tap or an add tap, wherein the drop tap of the bypass device includes an input and first and second outputs and is configured to direct optical signals present at the input to both the first and second outputs, and wherein the add tap of the bypass device includes first and second inputs and an output and is configured to direct optical signals present at both the first and second inputs to the output; and a blocking filter including an input and output, wherein the blocking filter is configured to direct a subset of optical channels of optical signals present at its input to its output, and wherein the input of the blocking filter optically communicates with the output of the drop tap of the bypass device, or the output of the blocking filter optically communicates with the input of the add tap of the bypass device.