Patent ID: 7130540

Claim:
A wavelength division multiplexed optical communications network, comprising: a plurality of spectral group routers through which optical signals can pass without undergoing an optical to electrical to optical conversion wherein: at least one of the spectral group routers is an all-optical add/drop multiplexer including a first port, a second port, an add port, and a drop port, wherein at least a portion of the optical signals entering the first port can be output at the second port without an optical to electrical to optical conversion, and wherein at least a portion of the optical signals can be selectively output at the drop port, and wherein additional signals provided at the add port can be output at the second port; at least one of the spectral group routers is an all-optical switch including at least three ports, wherein each port is connected to a different optical communications path, wherein optical signals entering one port can be selectively output at another port without undergoing an optical to electrical to optical conversion, and wherein the optical switch selectively switches signals in groups of one or more spectral groups; optical communication paths optically connecting the plurality of spectral group routers; means for configuring a plurality of connections in the network into a plurality of spectral groups, wherein configuring the plurality of connections includes: routing each connection from a source node to a destination node; partitioning each of a plurality of the connections into a plurality of subconnections; and forming spectral groups for connections and subconnections that are routed on identical paths.