Optical path monitoring device and optical path monitoring system

An optical path monitoring system comprising:

• an optical path monitoring device comprising a measurement unit and a processing unit, the measurement unit irradiating optical pulses to an optical path as a monitoring target to cause back scattered lights, the measurement unit generating measurement data based on the back scattered lights;
• a computer which acquires the measurement data from the optical path measurement device, the computer performing an arithmetic processing of the measurement data to identify an abnormal point of the optical path;
• and
• a communication line which connects the optical path measurement device and the computer so as to allow communication therebetween,
• the measurement unit outputting an interruption to the processing unit after generating the measurement data, the interruption indicating that the measurement data has been generated,
• after acquiring the interruption from the measurement unit and before completing the arithmetic processing, the processing unit sending the measurement unit instructions to start the next measurement,
• the computer generating differential data representing differences between the measurement data and reference data, the measurement data being acquired during measurement, the reference data being acquired by irradiating the optical pulses to the optical path free from abnormality, and the computer identifying, as the abnormal point, a value included in the differential data, the identified value exceeding a threshold value.

A method of controlling an optical path monitoring device, the method comprising:

• making a measurement unit irradiate optical pulses to an optical path as a monitoring target to cause back scattered lights, and making the measurement unit generate measurement data based on the back scattered lights;
• controlling operation of the measurement unit, acquiring the measurement data from the measurement unit, and performing an arithmetic processing of the measurement data to identify an abnormal point of the optical path;
• making the measurement unit output an interruption after generating the measurement data, the interruption indicating that the measurement data has been generated;
• after acquiring the interruption from the measurement unit and before completing the arithmetic processing, sending the measurement unit instructions to start the next measurement;
• and
• generating differential data representing differences between the measurement data and reference data, the measurement data being acquired during measurement, the reference data being acquired by irradiating the optical pulses to the optical path free from abnormality, and identifying, as the abnormal point, a value included in the differential data, the identified value exceeding a threshold value.