Interlocked high power fiber system using OTDR

An in-fiber safety interlock system using OTDR, comprising:

• a high power laser coupled to a terminal portion of a fiber system, said fiber system also including an extended portion;
• an OTDR system coupled to the terminal portion of the fiber system, said OTDR system including a laser transmitter having a wavelength selected to minimize non-linear coupling in the extended portion of the fiber system;
• a wavelength selective coupler coupling said high power laser and said OTDR system to the fiber system;
• a control circuit coupled to said high power laser and said OTDR system, said switch controller enabling said high power laser when said OTDR system detects integrity of optical path of the fiber system.

An in-fiber safety interlock system using OTDR, comprising:

• a first high power laser coupled to a fiber system;
• a first OTDR system including a laser transmitter having a first wavelength selected to minimize non-linear coupling in the fiber system;
• a first wavelength selective coupler coupling said first high power laser and said OTDR system to the fiber system;
• a second high power laser coupled to the fiber system;
• a second OTDR system including a laser transmitter having a second wavelength selected to minimize non-linear coupling in the fiber system, said second wavelength being different from said first wavelength;
• a second wavelength selective coupler coupling said second high power laser and said second OTDR system to the fiber system;
• a second control circuit coupled to said second high power laser and said second OTDR system, said second control circuit enabling said second high power laser when said second OTDR system detects integrity of optical path of the fiber system.

An in-fiber safety interlock system comprising:

• means for transmitting a high power laser signal onto the fiber system;
• means for transmitting a plurality of low power optical pulses onto the fiber system, the wavelength of said low power optical pulses selected to minimize non-linear coupling in the extended portion of the fiber system;
• means for coupling the high power laser signal and the low power optical pulses onto the fiber system;
• means for detecting the integrity of the optical path based on the return signal of the low power optical pulses;
• and
• means for enabling the high power laser only if the integrity of the optical path of the fiber system has been detected.

A method of monitoring the integrity of a fiber system using an OTDR, the fiber system including a terminal portion and an extended portion, said method comprising the steps of:

• transmitting a plurality of low power optical pulses onto the fiber system, the wavelength of said low power optical pulses selected to minimize non-linear coupling in the extended portion of the fiber system;
• detecting the integrity of the optical path based on the return signal of the low power optical pulses;
• transmitting a high power laser signal onto the fiber system using a high power laser only if the integrity of the optical path of the fiber system has been detected;
• and
• coupling the high power laser signal and the low power optical pulses onto the fiber system.

A method of monitoring the integrity of a fiber system using one or more OTDRs, said method comprising the steps of:

• using a first OTDR to transmit a plurality of low power optical pulses at a first wavelength onto the fiber system, the first OTDR monitoring a first optical path of the fiber system including a first separate portion and a common portion;
• using the first OTDR to detect the integrity of the first optical path based on the return signal of the low power optical pulses at the first wavelength;
• transmitting a first high power laser signal onto the fiber system using the first high power laser only if the integrity of the first optical path of the fiber system has been detected;
• coupling the first high power laser signal and the low power optical pulses of the first wavelength onto the fiber system;
• using a second OTDR to transmit a plurality of low power optical pulses at a second wavelength onto the fiber system, the second wavelength being different from the first wavelength, the second OTDR monitoring a second optical path of the fiber system including a second separate portion and the common portion;
• using the second OTDR to detect the integrity of the second optical path based on the return signal of the low power optical pulses at the second wavelength;
• transmitting a second high power laser signal onto the fiber system using the second high power laser only if the integrity of the second optical path of the fiber system has been detected;
• coupling the second high power laser signal and the low power optical pulses of the second wavelength onto the fiber system.