Patent ID: 8036531

Claim:
An optical switch for effecting a switchover from a first optical fiber to a second optical fiber, comprising: a first switching component for switching signals in an optical domain, wherein the first switching component includes a first output associated with the first optical fiber and a second output associated with the second optical fiber, wherein the first switching component further includes a first input and a second input, the first input connected to the first output via a first cross connect; and a second switching component for switching signals in the optical domain, wherein the second switching component includes a first output associated with the first input of the first switching component and a second output associated with the second input of the first switching component, wherein the first switching component is configured to establish a second cross connect between the second output associated with the second optical fiber and the second input of the first switching component, and wherein the second switching component is configured to switch from the first output associated with the first input of the first switching component to the second output associated with the second input of the first switching component following establishment of the second cross connect.