Patent ID: 7760972

Claim:
An N×1 optical switch assembly, wherein N is an integer greater than one, the optical switch assembly comprising: N optical input ports; N micro-electro-mechanical system (MEMS) variable optical attenuators (VOAs), wherein each MEMS VOA is optically coupled to a different one of the N optical input ports and is operable between an on position and an off position and wherein the MEMS VOAs are controlled so that, when one of the MEMS VOAs is in the on position the remaining MEMS VOAs are in the off position; and an N×1 optical combiner optically coupled to the N MEMS VOAs, wherein each MEMS VOA is configured to transmit an optical signal from the different one of the optical input ports to the N×1 optical combiner in the on position and to not transmit the optical signal in the off position.