Patent ID: 7120360

Claim:
An optical access network, comprising: a first ring operable to communicate optical signals in a first direction and a second ring operable to communicate optical signals in a second, opposite direction; one or more access nodes coupled to each ring and operable to passively add and drop traffic to and from each ring in one or more wavelengths, wherein at least a first access node is operable to add traffic in at least a first wavelength of a first optical signal communicated on the first ring; a hub node coupled to each ring and also coupled to an optical core network, the hub node comprising one or more components configured to: receive the first optical signal on the first ring; forward a first copy of the first optical signal to a first wavelength blocking unit of the hub node associated with the first ring, the first wavelength blocking unit configured to selectively forward or terminate the traffic in each wavelength of the first optical signal, wherein the traffic in the first wavelength is terminated; and forward a second copy of the first optical signal to a first network interconnection element of the hub node associated with the first ring, the first network interconnection element configured to selectively forward to the core network or terminate the traffic in each wavelength of the first optical signal, wherein the traffic in the first wavelength is forwarded to the core network; the first access node comprising logic embodied on a computer-readable medium and operable to configure the first access node upon detection of an interruption of the traffic in the first wavelength on the first ring to add the traffic in a second wavelength of a second optical signal communicated on the second ring; and the hub node comprising logic embodied on a computer-readable medium and operable to configure the hub node upon detection of an interruption to: receive the second optical signal on the second ring; forward a first copy of the second optical signal to a second wavelength blocking unit of the hub node associated with the second ring, wherein the traffic in the second wavelength is terminated; and forward a second copy of the second optical signal to a second network interconnection element of the hub node associated with the second ring, wherein the traffic in the second wavelength is forwarded to the core network.