# US 11,114,809 B2 · Fiber optic device operational monitoring > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 11,114,809 B2 - Document ID: US11114809B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 16/260,892 - Filed: 2019-01-29 - Published: 2019-08-22 - Granted: 2021-09-07 - Earliest claimed: 2018-02-22 - Assignees: Lumentum Operations LLC - Applicants: Lumentum Operations LLC - Inventors: Xiang Peng; I-Ning Hu; Michael Mielke; Boris Kharlamov - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11114809B2 ## CPC - H01S 3/0014: {Monitoring arrangements not otherwise provided for (photometry G01J1/00, e.g. G01J1/4257; radiation pyrometry G01J5/00; measuring coherence of light G01J9/00; measuring wavelength of light G01J9/00, e.g. G01J9/0246; measuring optical pulses G01J11/00; calorimetrically measuring power of laser beams G01K17/003)} - G01M 11/30: {Testing of optical devices, constituted by fibre optics or optical waveguides} - H01S 3/0057: {Temporal shaping, e.g. pulse compression, frequency chirping (soliton generation and propagation G02F1/3513, H01S3/063 and H01S3/108)} - H01S 3/067: Fibre lasers - H01S 3/102: by controlling the active medium, e.g. by controlling the processes or apparatus for excitation (H01S3/13 takes precedence) - H01S 3/2383: {Parallel arrangements} - H01S 3/1028: {by controlling the temperature} - H01S 3/1305: {Feedback control systems} - H01S: DEVICES USING THE PROCESS OF LIGHT AMPLIFICATION BY STIMULATED EMISSION OF RADIATION [LASER] TO AMPLIFY OR GENERATE LIGHT; DEVICES USING STIMULATED EMISSION OF ELECTROMAGNETIC RADIATION IN WAVE RANGES OTHER THAN OPTICAL - G01M: TESTING STATIC OR DYNAMIC BALANCE OF MACHINES OR STRUCTURES; TESTING OF STRUCTURES OR APPARATUS, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR ## Abstract A monitoring device may receive sensor information, associated with an optical device included in a high-power fiber laser, from a set of sensors associated with the optical device. The monitoring device may determine, based on the sensor information, a set of operational properties of the optical device. The set of operational properties may include: a health property that describes a health of one or more components of the optical device, a degradation property that describes degradation of one or more components of the optical device, an environmental property that describes an environment of the optical device, or a process property associated with a process in which the optical device is being used. The monitoring device may identify whether an operational property, of the set of operational properties, satisfies a condition, and may selectively perform a monitoring action based on whether the operational property satisfies the condition. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method, comprising: receiving, by a monitoring device, sensor information associated with an optical device included in a high-power fiber laser, wherein the sensor information is received from a set of sensors associated with the optical device; determining, by the monitoring device and based on the sensor information, a set of operational properties of the optical device, wherein the set of operational properties includes at least one of: a health property that describes a health of one or more components of the optical device, a degradation property that describes degradation of one or more components of the optical device, an environmental property that describes an environment of the optical device, or a process property associated with a process in which the optical device is being used, and wherein, when the set of operational properties includes the degradation property, the set of sensors includes: a temperature sensor to measure a temperature at or near the one or more components of the optical device; a photodiode arranged to measure scattered light at or near the one or more components of the optical device; a stress sensor arranged to measure stress at or near the one or more components of the optical device; or a camera arranged to identify hot spots at or near the one or more components of the optical device; identifying, by the monitoring device, whether an operational property, of the set of operational properties, satisfies a condition; and selectively performing, by the monitoring device, a monitoring action based on whether the operational property satisfies the condition. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein, when the operational property satisfies the condition, selectively performing the monitoring action comprises: providing an error code indicating that the operational property satisfies the condition. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein, when the operational property satisfies the condition, selectively performing the monitoring action comprises: causing another optical device to be powered off, the optical device being included in the other optical device. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the optical device is a fiber optic beam combiner. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein, when the set of operational properties includes the health property, the set of sensors includes: the temperature sensor and a power monitor arranged to measure optical power associated with the optical device; or the photodiode. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein, when the set of operational properties includes the environmental property, the set of sensors includes: the temperature sensor; or a humidity sensor arranged to measure humidity at or near the one or more components of the optical device. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein, when the set of operational properties includes the process property, the set of sensors includes: the photodiode, wherein the photodiode is positioned at an attachment component of an output fiber of the optical device. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising: identifying a set of monitoring functions, of a plurality of monitoring functions, to be performed by the monitoring device; and wherein determining the set of operational properties of the optical device comprises: determining the set of operational properties based on the identified set of monitoring functions. ### Claim 9 A monitoring device, comprising: one or more processors to: receive sensor information associated with an optical device included in a high-power fiber laser, wherein the sensor information is received from a set of sensors associated with the optical device, and wherein the set of sensors includes: a temperature sensor to measure a temperature at or near one or more components of the optical device; a power monitor arranged to measure optical power associated with the optical device; a photodiode arranged to measure scattered light at or near the one or more components of the optical device; a stress sensor arranged to measure stress at or near the one or more components of the optical device; a camera arranged to identify hot spots at or near the one or more components of the optical device; a humidity sensor arranged to measure humidity at or near the one or more components of the optical device; or a photodiode arranged to measure back-reflected light propagating through the optical device; determine, based on the sensor information, a set of operational properties of the optical device, wherein the set of operational properties includes at least one of: a health property that describes a health of the one of more components of the optical device, a degradation property that describes degradation of the one or more components of the optical device, an environmental property that describes an environment of the optical device, or a process property associated with a process in which the optical device is being used; identify whether an operational property, of the set of operational properties, satisfies a condition; and selectively perform a monitoring action based on whether the operational property satisfies the condition. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The monitoring device of claim 9, wherein, when the operational property satisfies the condition, the one or more processors, when selectively performing the monitoring action, are to: provide an error code indicating that the operational property satisfies the condition. ### Claim 11 (depends on 9) The monitoring device of claim 9, wherein, when the operational property satisfies the condition, the one or more processors, when selectively performing the monitoring action, are to at least one of: cause another optical device to be powered off, wherein the optical device is included in the other optical device; or cause a power level of the other optical device to be adjusted. ### Claim 12 (depends on 9) The monitoring device of claim 9, wherein the optical device is a fiber optic beam combiner. ### Claim 13 (depends on 9) The monitoring device of claim 9, wherein the one or more processors are further to: identify a set of monitoring functions, of a plurality of monitoring functions, to be performed by the monitoring device; and wherein the one or more processors, when determining the set of operational properties of the optical device, are to: determine the set of operational properties based on the identified set of monitoring functions. ### Claim 14 A method, comprising: identifying, by a monitoring device, a set of monitoring functions, of a plurality of monitoring functions, to be performed by the monitoring device in association with monitoring an optical device included in a high-power fiber laser, wherein the set of monitoring functions includes at least one of: a health monitoring function associated with monitoring a health of one of more components of the optical device, a degradation monitoring function associated with monitoring degradation of the one or more components of the optical device, an environmental monitoring function associated with monitoring an environment of the optical device, or a process monitoring function associated with monitoring a process in which the optical device is operating; determining, by the monitoring device, at least one set of operational properties of the optical device, each of the at least on set of operational properties being associated with a respective one of the identified set of monitoring functions, wherein the at least one set of operational properties is determined based on sensor information, associated with the optical device, that is received from a set of sensors during operation of the optical device; and selectively performing, by the monitoring device, a monitoring action based on the at least one set of operational properties. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The method of claim 14, wherein the monitoring action includes at least one of: providing an error code associated with at least one of the identified set of monitoring functions; or causing another optical device to be powered off, the optical device being included in the other optical device. ### Claim 16 (depends on 14) The method of claim 14, wherein the optical device is a fiber optic beam combiner. ### Claim 17 (depends on 14) The method of claim 14, wherein the set of sensors includes: a temperature sensor to measure a temperature at or near the one or more components of the optical device; a power monitor arranged to measure optical power associated with the optical device; a photodiode arranged to measure scattered light at or near the one or more components of the optical device; a stress sensor arranged to measure stress at or near the one or more components of the optical device; a camera arranged to identify hot spots at or near the one or more components of the optical device; a humidity sensor arranged to measure humidity at or near the one or more components of the optical device; or a photodiode arranged to measure back-reflected light propagating through the optical device. ### Claim 18 (depends on 14) The method of claim 14, wherein the set of sensors includes a photodiode arranged to measure back-reflected light propagating through the optical device, wherein the photodiode is positioned at an attachment component of an output fiber of the optical device. ### Claim 19 (depends on 8) The method of claim 8, wherein the set of monitoring functions includes at least one of: a health monitoring function associated with the health property, a degradation monitoring function associated with the degradation property, an environmental monitoring function associated with the environmental property, or a process monitoring function associated with the process property. ### Claim 20 (depends on 13) The monitoring device of claim 13, wherein the set of monitoring functions includes at least one of: a health monitoring function associated with the health property, a degradation monitoring function associated with the degradation property, an environmental monitoring function associated with the environmental property, or a process monitoring function associated with the process property.