# US 9,435,713 B2 · System and method for identifying fiber sequence in a multi-fiber optical cable > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 9,435,713 B2 - Document ID: US9435713B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 14/397,910 - Filed: 2013-05-29 - Published: 2015-05-07 - Granted: 2016-09-06 - Earliest claimed: 2012-05-29 - Assignees: AFL Telecommunications LLC - Applicants: AFL Telecommunications LLC - Inventors: Michelle Collier; Scott Prescott; Joe Fitzgerald - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US9435713B2 ## CPC - G01M 11/3136: {for testing of multiple fibers} - G02B 6/562: {locatable, e.g. using magnetic means} - H04B 10/071: using a reflected signal, e.g. using optical time domain reflectometers [OTDR] - G01M: TESTING STATIC OR DYNAMIC BALANCE OF MACHINES OR STRUCTURES; TESTING OF STRUCTURES OR APPARATUS, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR - G02B: OPTICAL ELEMENTS, SYSTEMS OR APPARATUS - H04B: TRANSMISSION ## Abstract A system, method and apparatus for identifying fiber sequence in a multi-fiber optical cable are disclosed. The system may include an OTDR device, a receiver, and a launch box. The receiver may comprise a plurality of receiver-fibers differentiated from each other by length. Each receiver-fiber is connected to a fiber of the cable. The launch-box enables the connection of the OTDR device to each of the fibers. A user may connect the output of the OTDR to each of the front ports of a front-connector and collects a trace for each front port. The traces may comprise a marker identifying, by length, the receiver-fiber connected to the fiber. A computer program may be used to compare the traces with each other and to determine a fiber sequence in the tested multi-fiber cable. The determined sequence may be displayed on the OTDR display. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method for identifying the sequence of fibers in a multi-fiber optical cable, the multi-fiber optical cable comprising a plurality of fibers, each fiber being connected between a front-port of a plurality of front-ports and an end-port of a plurality of end-ports; the method comprising: for each front-port of the plurality of front-ports, collecting an OTDR trace; comparing with each other, via at least a processor, the OTDR traces as associated with their corresponding front-port; for each front-port, determining the corresponding end-port of the fiber connected to the corresponding front-port thereby determining the sequence of the multi-fiber optical cable. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising: displaying the sequence of the multi-fiber optical cable. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein: the plurality of fibers are connected, via the end-ports, to a receiver; the receiver comprises a plurality of receiver-fibers having lengths which are different from each other or comprising OTDR markers identifying each receiver-fiber; and each fiber is connected, via an end-port, to a corresponding receiver-fiber. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The method of claim 3, wherein the collecting an OTDR trace comprises: connecting an output of an OTDR to a front-port; sending a test pulse from the OTDR through a fiber connected to the front-port connected to the output of the OTDR and further through a corresponding receiver-fiber; and receiving the trace. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising: storing, via at least a processor, a plurality of pre-determined fiber sequences associated with a plurality of cable types; comparing the determined sequence with the pre-determined fiber sequences; determining the cable type of the multi-fiber optical cable. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising: storing, via at least a processor, a pre-determined fiber sequence; comparing, via at least a processor, the determined sequence of the multi-fiber optical cable with the pre-determined fiber sequence; determining, via at least a processor, mis-mappings of the multi-fiber optical cable; displaying the mis-mappings of the multi-fiber optical cable. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The method of claim 6, further comprising: determining a plurality of procedures for correcting the mis-mappings of the cable; and displaying instructions of how to implement the procedures. ### Claim 8 A system for identifying fiber sequence in a multi-fiber optical cable, the multi-fiber optical cable comprising a plurality of fibers, each fiber being connected between a front-port of a plurality of front-ports and an end-port of a plurality of end-ports; the system comprising: an OTDR device; and a non-transitory computer readable media comprising a program configured to compare with each other a plurality of OTDR traces, each of the traces corresponding to a fiber of the plurality of fibers, and to determine a sequence of the fibers in the multi-fiber optical cable; wherein the multi-fiber optical cable is connected to a receiver comprising a plurality of receiver-fibers having lengths which are different from each other; and wherein each fiber is connected to a corresponding receiver-fiber. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The system of claim 8, further comprising a program configured to display the sequence of the multi-fiber optical cable. ### Claim 10 (depends on 8) The system of claim 8, wherein the non-transitory computer readable media further comprises a program configured to: store, via at least a processor, a plurality of pre-determined fiber sequences associated with a plurality of cable types; compare the determined sequence with the pre-determined fiber sequences; determine the cable type of the multi-fiber optical cable. ### Claim 11 (depends on 8) The system of claim 8, wherein the non-transitory computer readable media further comprises a program configured to: store, via at least a processor, a pre-determined fiber sequences; compare, via at least a processor, the determined sequence of the multi-fiber optical cable with the pre-determined fiber sequences; determine, via at least a processor, mis-mappings of the multi-fiber optical cable; display the mis-mappings of the multi-fiber optical cable. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The system of claim 11, wherein the non-transitory computer readable media further comprises a program configured to: determine a plurality of procedures for fixing the mis-mappings of the cable; and display instructions of how to carry on the procedures for fixing the mis-mappings. ### Claim 13 A non-transitory computer readable media comprising a program configured to execute a method for identifying the sequence of fibers in a multi-fiber optical cable comprising a plurality of fibers, the method comprising: comparing with each other a plurality of OTDR traces corresponding to the plurality of fibers in the multi-fiber optical cable; determining a sequence of the multi-fiber optical cable; and outputting the sequence of the multi-fiber optical cable; wherein each trace of the plurality of OTDR traces corresponds to a fiber of the plurality of fibers and comprises an identifying marker of a receiver-fiber connected to the fiber. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The non-transitory computer readable media of claim 13, further comprising a program configured to display the sequence of the multi-fiber optical cable. ### Claim 15 (depends on 13) The non-transitory computer readable media of claim 13, further comprising a program configured to: store, via at least a processor, a plurality of pre-determined fiber sequences associated with a plurality of cable types; compare the determined sequence with the pre-determined fiber sequences; and determine the cable type of the multi-fiber optical cable. ### Claim 16 (depends on 13) The non-transitory computer readable media of claim 13, further comprising a program configured to: store, via at least a processor, pre-determined fiber sequences; compare, via at least a processor, the determined sequence of the multi-fiber optical cable with the pre-determined fiber sequences; determine, via at least a processor, mis-mappings of the multi-fiber optical cable; and display the mis-mappings of the multi-fiber optical cable. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The non-transitory computer readable media of claim 16, further comprising a program configured to: determine a plurality of procedures for correcting the mis-mappings of the multi-fiber optical cable; and display instructions of how to implement the procedures. ### Claim 18 (depends on 13) The non-transitory computer readable media of claim 13, wherein the program is stored on an OTDR device.