Patent ID: 7058303

Claim:
An optical cross-connecting device for switching wavelength multiplexed signals input from a plurality of optical fibers, comprising: switching means for switching per wavelength group for a part of a plurality of said wavelength multiplexed signals, said switching means comprising: a first optical switch for switching the wavelength multiplex signals; first wavelength group demultiplexers for dividing input wavelength multiplexing signals output from the first optical switch into a plurality wavelength groups having first granularity; second optical switches for switching, per wavelength group, for only signals having the first granularity; second wavelength group demultiplexers for dividing a part of a plurality of wavelength groups output from said second optical switches into a plurality of wavelength groups having a second granularity smaller than said first granularity; and third optical switches for switching per wavelength signal and adding/dropping for individual wavelength signals extracted from the groups output from said second wavelength group demultiplexers.