Patent ID: 6928244

Claim:
An optical switching device, comprising: an optical switch matrix having one or more optical switches that are capable of redirecting optical channels passing therethrough; an input port coupled to the optical switch matrix that receives at least one input channel and transmits the at least one channel to the optical switch matrix; an output port coupled to the optical switch matrix that receives at least one output channel from the optical switch matrix; an add port coupled to the optical switch matrix that inputs add channels to the optical switch matrix, each said add channel being tuned to a selected wavelength by said add port; and a drop port coupled to the optical switch matrix that receives dropped channels from the optical switch matrix; wherein the switches of the optical switch matrix can be selectively configured so that the at least one input channel is directed to the drop port and at least one add channel is directed to the output port; wherein the optical switch matrix includes a first array of switches and a second array of switches; and wherein the first array of switches and the second array of switches are respective N×M arrays of switches, and the input port and the drop port are coupled to the first array of switches, and the add port and the output port are coupled to the second array of switches.