Patent ID: 7925165

Claim:
A packet and optical routing equipment, comprising: an optical input suitable for receiving input multiplexed signals; an optical output suitable for supplying output multiplexed signals; a non-packet optical port suitable for exchanging branch non-packet signals; a packet optical port suitable for exchanging branch packet signals; an optical forwarding and multiplexing stage coupled between said optical input and said optical output; a packet forwarding stage connected between said optical packet port and said optical forwarding and multiplexing stage; a non-packet optical/electric converter connected to said non-packet optical port and suitable for converting said branch non-packet signals into and from non-packet electric signals; a packet optical/electric converter connected between said optical packet port and said packet forwarding stage, said packet optical/electric converter being suitable for converting said branch packet signals into and from electric packet signals exchanged with said packet forwarding stage; an electric switching unit connected to said non-packet optical /electric converter and said packet forwarding stage for exchanging therewith said electric non-packet and packet signals; and an interface converter coupled between said electric switching unit and said optical forwarding and multiplexing stage for converting said electric non-packet and packet signals into and from optical signals supplied to and from said optical forwarding and multiplexing stage, wherein the packet forwarding stage comprises a packet and optical control plane configured to generate control signals for said optical input and output, said optical forwarding and multiplexing stage, said interface converter, said electric switching unit, and said non-packet and packet optical/electric converters.