Identifying optical fiber segments and determining characteristics of an optical device under test based on fiber segment scatter pattern data
AssigneeLuna Innovations Incorporated
InventorsMark Earl Froggatt, Brian Joseph Soller
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Complex data is obtained from OFDR backscatter measurements for an optical device under test (DUT). That complex scatter pattern data may be used along with a previously-determined fiber segment pattern to identify the fiber segment within the DUT, even when the DUT is an optical network DUT that includes multiple fibers coupled to perform one or more functions. In other non-limiting example applications, the OFDR scatter pattern data can be used to identify where in the DUT a loss occurred and where in the DUT a temperature change occurred.
Claims20
A method for identifying a fiber segment that is unique relative to all other fiber segments, comprising:
- obtaining a scatter pattern associated with the fiber segment, and
- using the scatter pattern to uniquely identify the fiber segment to distinguish the fiber segment from all other fiber segments including differentiating between individual different segments of the same type of fiber;
- and
- using the scatter pattern to identify a characteristic of the identified fiber segment.
A method for identifying a fiber segment, comprising:
- obtaining a scatter pattern associated with the fiber segment using Optical Frequency Domain Reflectometry (OFDR), wherein the scatter pattern corresponds to a first set of complex reflectivity numbers as a function of frequency;
- using OFDR to process a DUT and generate a second set of complex reflectivity numbers;
- performing a comparison using the first and second sets of complex reflectivity numbers;
- and
- determining a location of the fiber segment in the DUT based on the comparison.
Apparatus for identifying an optical fiber segment that is unique relative to all other fiber segments, comprising:
- optical detection circuitry configured to obtain optical intensity signals associated with the optical fiber segment;
- processing circuitry configured to transform the intensity signals into a detected scatter pattern associated with the fiber segment that is unique compared to scatter patterns associated with all other fiber segments;
- a memory configured to store the detected scatter pattern;
- and
- comparison circuitry configured to compare the detected scatter pattern with a scatter pattern corresponding to an optical DUT to identify whether the fiber segment is included in the DUT as opposed to any other fiber segment.
Optical apparatus, comprising:
- a memory for storing a first set of complex numbers corresponding to a scatter pattern for a fiber segment;
- optical processing circuitry configured to optically scan a device under test (DUT) over a range of wavelengths to acquire a light intensity signal;
- transformation circuitry for transforming the light intensity signal into a second set of complex numbers corresponding to a scatter pattern for the DUT;
- comparison circuitry configured to compare the first and second sets of complex numbers to produce information associated with a location of the fiber segment in the DUT.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.