US 7,002,735 B2 · Method for detecting disengagement of an optical fiber, an optical fiber amplifier, and a unit of an optical fiber amplifier with a transmission optical fiber

Abstract

A method for detecting a connector disengagement of an optical fiber amplifier and a transmission optical fiber connected thereto, the optical fiber amplifier including a doped optical fiber and a pumping light source, and a transmission optical fiber including at least one connecting portion connected to an output of the optical fiber amplifier, includes the steps of: measuring a reflection from the transmission optical fiber to the optical fiber amplifier; and comparing the reflection to an allowable range between a first threshold that is greater than a predetermined reflection in the absence of a connector disengagement, and a second threshold that is smaller than the predetermined reflection in the absence of a connector disengagement; determining that there is no connector disengagement when the measured reflection is within the allowable range; and determining that there is a connector disengagement otherwise.

Claims14

Dependent claims

A method for detecting a connector disengagement of an optical fiber amplifier and a transmission optical fiber connected to the optical fiber amplifier, the optical fiber amplifier comprising a doped optical fiber and a pumping light source, and a transmission optical fiber comprising at least one connecting portion connected to an output of the optical fiber amplifier, the method comprising:

measuring a reflection from the transmission optical fiber to the optical fiber amplifier, the reflection being given as a power ratio of a reflected light and an output optical signal;
comparing the reflection to an allowable range between a first threshold that is greater than a predetermined reflection in the absence of a connector disengagement, and a second threshold that is smaller than the predetermined reflection in the absence of a connector disengagement;
determining that there is no connector disengagement when the measured reflection is within the allowable range;
and
determining that there is a connector disengagement when the reflection is out of the allowable range.

2 more elements

An optical fiber amplifier comprising:

a doped optical fiber;
a pumping light source;
a reflection detector that, when a transmission optical fiber comprising at least one connecting portion is connected to an output of the optical fiber amplifier via the connecting portion, measures a reflection from the transmission optical fiber to the optical fiber amplifier;
and
a control unit that compares the reflection measured by the reflection detector to an allowable range between a first threshold that is greater than a predetermined reflection in the absence of a connector disengagement, and a second threshold that is smaller than the predetermined reflection in the absence of a connector disengagement, determines that there is no connector disengagement when the measured reflection is within the allowable range, and also determines that there is a connector disengagement when the reflection is out of the allowable range.

2 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Method for detecting disengagement of an optical fiber, an optical fiber amplifier, and a unit of an optical fiber amplifier with a transmission optical fiber

Life of this patent

Method for detecting disengagement of an optical fiber, an optical fiber amplifier, and a unit of an optical fiber amplifier with a transmission optical fiber

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims14