Optical Fiber Fault Locator
AssigneeAT&T Intellectual Property I, L.P.
InventorBryan Smith
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A method includes applying pulsed light to a first end of an optical fiber from an optical fault locator during a first distance test. The method includes determining an estimated distance to a fault based on the pulsed light. The method includes sending information indicative of the estimated distance to a remote device. The method also includes applying first visible light from the optical fault locator to the first end of the optical fiber to facilitate identification of the fault at a first site that is remote from the first end of the optical fiber.
Claims20
A device comprising:
- a connector configured to couple to an optical fiber;
- a light source coupled to the connector;
- at least one selector operable to change a mode of the device between a distance test operating mode and a visual test operating mode;
- an oscillator that is operable in the distance test operating mode to send pulses of light from the light source to a first end of the optical fiber;
- a sensor coupled to the connector, wherein the sensor is operable in the distance test operating mode to detect light reflected by a fault in the optical fiber;
- a processor that is operable in the distance test operating mode to determine an estimated distance to the fault in response to the sensor detecting the light reflected by the fault;
- and
- a receiver that enables remote selection of the distance test operating mode and the visual test operating mode;
- wherein visible light from the light source is provided to the optical fiber in the visual test operating mode.
A method comprising:
- applying pulsed light to a first end of an optical fiber from an optical fault locator during a first distance test;
- determining an estimated distance to a fault based on the pulsed light;
- sending information indicative of the estimated distance to a remote device;
- and
- applying first visible light from the optical fault locator to the first end of the optical fiber to facilitate identification of the fault at a first site that is remote from the first end of the optical fiber.
A tangible computer-readable medium comprising instructions executable by a processor to:
- receive a signal from a remote device to perform a distance test;
- instruct a first light source to send a plurality of pulses of light to a connector coupled to a first end of an optical fiber in response to the signal;
- receive reflection data including information regarding reflected pulses detected by a sensor;
- determine an estimated distance to a fault in the optical fiber based on the reflection data;
- receive a second signal from the remote device to perform a visual fault location test;
- and
- instruct a second light source to send visible light to the connector to perform the visual fault location test in response to the second signal.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.