Patent ID: 7499651

Claim:
An upgradeable optical network, comprising: an upstream terminal operable to forward a downstream signal comprising traffic in a first wavelength, the traffic in the first wavelength transmitted by a first transmitter at the upstream terminal; and a distribution node communicatively coupled to the upstream terminal, the distribution node: operable to communicate the downstream signal from the upstream terminal to a first plurality and a second plurality of downstream terminals; comprising a primary power splitter configured to create a plurality of copies of the downstream signal for communication to the downstream terminals, the primary power splitter further configured to receive an upstream signal comprising at least traffic in a fourth wavelength from the downstream terminals, wherein the downstream terminals share the fourth wavelength for transmission of upstream traffic; and configured to facilitate the addition of a wavelength router at a section of the distribution node such that: the wavelength router may be added to the distribution node without interrupting the communication of traffic through the network; and the addition of the wavelength router allows for: routing of traffic in a second wavelength transmitted by a second transmitter to be added at the upstream terminal, the traffic destined for the first plurality of downstream terminals; routing of traffic in a third wavelength transmitted by a third transmitter to be added at the upstream terminal, the traffic destined for the second plurality of downstream terminals; and the downstream terminals to continue to share the fourth wavelength for transmission of upstream traffic and the primary power splitter to continue to receive the traffic in the fourth wavelength from the downstream terminals.