Optically powered fiber optic sensors
AssigneeNokia Solutions and Networks Oy
InventorsPatrick Iannone, Mikael Mazur, Jonathan Nagel
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Injected light, such as pump light, provides power to each of one or more sensor modules in an optical fiber span extending between communication nodes. Each sensor module extracts some of the injected light. Part of the extracted light is used for power. Part of the extracted light is modulated with a sensor output signal and reinjected into the fiber span.
Claims19
A system, comprising an optical fiber span that extends between a first communication node and a second communication node, and further comprising one or more first sensor modules, each of which is situated along the optical fiber span at a respective intermediate position between the first and second communication nodes, wherein:
- the first communication node comprises an optical source module configured to inject light of one or more first operational wavelength channels into a first optical fiber of the optical fiber span;
- each of the one or more first sensor modules comprises a respective set of one or more first sensors;
- each of the one or more first sensor modules is configured to extract light from the first optical fiber in one or more of the first operational wavelength channels, to convert a portion of the extracted light to electric power for operating its respective set of one or more first sensors, to modulate a portion of the extracted light with one or more output signals from its respective set of one or more first sensors, and to reinject the modulated portion into the first optical fiber for transmission to one or both of the first and second communication nodes.
A method, comprising:
- from an optical source module in a first communication node of an optical fiber network in which an optical fiber span extends between the first communication node and a second communication node of said network, injecting light belonging to one or more first operational wavelength channels into a first optical fiber of the optical fiber span;
- and
- at a first sensor module situated along the optical fiber span at an intermediate position between the first and second communication nodes:
- extracting light from the first optical fiber in at least one of the first operational wavelength channels;
- converting a portion of the extracted light to electric power for operating a first sensor;
- modulating a portion of the extracted light with an output signal from the first sensor;
- and
- reinjecting the modulated portion into the first optical fiber for transmission to one or both of the first and second communication nodes.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.