US 5,493,406 A · Apparatus for measuring spectral characteristics of an optical fiber component

Abstract

This invention relates to an optical fiber component characteristics measuring device which can measure with high precision for a short period of time characteristics of the optical fiber component. The optical fiber component characteristics measuring device comprises a plurality of light sources for emitting light of set different wavelengths, optical coupling means for mixing light from the light sources, coupling means for supplying mixed light from the optical coupling means to an optical fiber component to be measured, spectroscoping means for spectroscoping light from the optical fiber component to be measured, and photoelectric means for parallelly detecting spectra of the light of the respective wavelengths outputted by the spectroscoping means and for converting the spectra into electric signals corresponding to the respective wavelengths. On the input side of the spectroscoping means there is provided optical switch means for switching sequentially between that of light outputted from the plurality of output optical fibers of the optical fiber component to be measured, which has one of said different wavelengths. The light from the optical switch means is detected by the spectroscoping means, whereby characteristics of the optical fiber component including a plurality of output optical fibers can be measured.

Claims14

Dependent claims

An apparatus for measuring spectral characteristics of an optical fiber component which includes an input optical fiber and two output optical fibers in accordance with respective spectral characteristics of light and which separates a mixed light into respective wavelengths, the apparatus comprising:

an input mechanism for providing the mixed light to the optical fiber component, the input mechanism comprising:
a plurality of light sources for respectively emitting light of set wavelengths;
optical coupling means optically connected to the plurality of light sources for generating the mixed light by mixing light emitted from the plurality of light sources;
and
an output optical terminal connected to the optical coupling means for supplying the mixed light to the input optical fiber of the optical fiber component;
and
an output mechanism for obtaining spectral characteristic data of a selected light output from the optical fiber component, the output mechanism comprising:
two input optical terminals for respectively inputting light from the two output optical fibers of the optical fiber component corresponding thereto;
optical switching means for selecting one of the input optical terminals;
spectroscoping means for spectroscoping the selected light and for providing a spectrum of the selected light, the spectroscoping means being selectively optically connected to one of the input optical terminals by the optical switching means;
and
photoelectric conversion means for in parallel detecting wavelengths included in the spectrum provided by the spectroscoping means and for converting a distribution of the spectrum into electric signals as spectral characteristic data.

9 more elements

An apparatus for measuring spectral characteristics of an optical fiber component which includes a plurality of input optical fibers and a plurality of output optical fibers in accordance with respective spectral characteristics of light and which separates a mixed light into respective wavelengths, the apparatus comprising:

an input mechanism for providing the mixed light to the optical fiber component to be measured, the input mechanism comprising:
a plurality of light sources for respectively emitting light of set wavelengths;
optical coupling means optically connected to the plurality of light sources for generating the mixed light by mixing light emitted from the plurality of light sources;
a plurality of output optical terminals for supplying the mixed light to the plurality of input optical fibers of the optical fiber component corresponding thereto;
and
first optical switching means disposed between the optical coupling means and the plurality of output optical terminals, the first optical switching means being constructed and arranged to allow the optical coupling means to be optically connected to any one of the output optical terminals;
and
an output mechanism for obtaining spectral characteristic data of a selected light output from the optical fiber component, the output mechanism comprising:
a plurality of input optical terminals for respectively inputting the lights from the plurality of output optical fibers of the optical fiber component corresponding thereto, the number of the input optical terminals being greater than that of the output optical terminals;
second optical switching means for selecting one of the input optical terminals;
spectroscoping means for spectroscoping the selected light and for providing a spectrum of the selected light, the spectroscoping means being selectively optically connected to one of the input optical terminals by the optical switching means;
and
photoelectric conversion means for in parallel detecting wavelengths included in the spectrum provided by the spectroscoping means and for converting a distribution of the spectrum into electric signals as spectral characteristic data.

10 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Apparatus for measuring spectral characteristics of an optical fiber component

Life of this patent

Apparatus for measuring spectral characteristics of an optical fiber component

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims14