Patent ID: 7532817

Claim:
An optical communication system to connect each of a plurality of transmission nodes to a respective one of a plurality of reception nodes, comprising: a plurality of primary optical transmission paths, each primary optical transmission path conveying one optical signal from one of the transmission nodes to the associated one of the reception nodes; at least one protection optical transmission path to convey any one optical signal transmitted on one of said plurality of primary optical transmission paths, if a fault exists in one of the plurality of primary optical transmission paths; a first path selection mechanism in communication with each of the primary transmission paths for sensing a fault/no fault signal at a transmission end of each of the primary transmission paths to detect a fault within one of the primary transmission paths and transfer the optical signal from said primary transmission path having said fault to the at least one protection transmission path; and a second path selection mechanism in communication with each of the primary transmission paths for sensing the optical signal at a receiving end of each of the primary transmission paths to detect a fault within one of the primary transmission paths and transfer the optical signal from said primary transmission path having said fault to the at least one protection transmission paths.