Patent ID: 7805077

Claim:
A method for increasing data transmission capacity over an optical network, comprising: receiving, at a first node on a first optical fiber, a first multiplexed CWDM optical signal in which a CWDM channel is reserved over a range of wavelength frequencies within a CWDM system, the first optical fiber being operable to carry the first multiplexed CWDM optical signal; and inserting a multiplexed DWDM signal into the reserved CWDM channel at the first node on the first optical fiber without demultiplexing the first multiplexed CWDM optical signal, wherein the multiplexed DWDM signal is inserted into the reserved CWDM channel via a first passband filter on the first optical fiber, the method further comprising the act of removing the multiplexed DWDM signal via a second passband filter on the first optical fiber, wherein the CWDM system comprises a legacy optical network, wherein the legacy optical network comprises: a CWDM multiplexer for multiplexing a first plurality of individual optical signals into the first multiplexed CWDM signal; a CWDM demultiplexer for demultiplexing a second multiplexed CWDM signal into a second plurality of individual optical signals; and a signal coupling device for coupling the first multiplexed CWDM signal from a second optical fiber into the first optical fiber and coupling the second multiplexed CWDM signal from the first optical fiber to a third optical fiber that is in communication with the CWDM demultiplexer, wherein the first optical fiber has the first multiplexed signal and the second multiplexed signal traveling in opposite directions thereon.