Optical test device and systems

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11012153-B2
Application number	US-201816141813-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 25, 2018
Priority date	Nov 18, 2011
Publication date	May 18, 2021
Grant date	May 18, 2021

Abstract

Systems, methods, and devices are disclosed for monitoring optical communications between a managed location and a remote location. In particular, an optical signal is transmitted over an optical fiber and passed-through a test device. A portion of the optical signal is filtered from the original optical signal and passed to a monitoring unit. The monitoring unit may instruct one or more switches in the test device to loop the optical signal back toward the managed location. Subsequently, testing and monitoring may be performed at the managed location. The device may provide a test output or may transmit the information to the managed location.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method comprising:
receiving an optical signal at an optical test device, the optical test device comprising at least one monitoring device and a first switch;
receiving, at the monitoring device, a portion of the optical signal;
detecting a power level of the portion of the optical signal and comparing the detected power level of the portion of the optical signal with a threshold power level to determine if the optical signal is valid or invalid;
detecting, when the detected power level indicates that the optical signal is invalid, a control signal within the optical signal, the control signal used to control the status of the optical test device; and
altering the state of the optical test device from a first state to a second state when the control signal is detected at the optical test device.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein altering the state of the optical test device comprises toggling the first switch from a first position to a second position to alter the state of the optical test device from the first state to the second state when the control signal is detected.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the control signal is an encoded signal in the optical signal.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein the encoded signal is a predetermined series of bits.

5. The method of claim 2 , further comprising altering the state of the optical test device to a pass-through state when the optical test device fails.

6. The method of claim 2 , wherein the first state is a pass-through state and the second state is a loop-back state.

7. An optical test device comprising:
at least one optical filter coupled with a first optical fiber, the at least one first optical filter configured to allow an optical signal on the first optical fiber to pass from the first optical fiber to a second optical fiber;
at least one monitoring device coupled with the at least one optical filter, the at least one monitoring device configured to receive a portion of the optical signal to test the optical signal by measuring power of the portion of the optical signal and determining whether the power is above a first threshold;
a first switch in communication with the first optical fiber, the first switch configured to switch the optical signal on the first optical fiber to a third optical fiber for loop-back testing; and
wherein the monitoring device is further configured to detect a control signal and toggle the first switch to switch the optical signal on the first optical fiber to the third optical fiber when the control signal is detected.

8. The optical device of claim 7 , wherein the first switch is interposed between the first optical fiber and the second optical fiber and allows the optical signal to pass from the first optical fiber to the second optical fiber in a first state and switches the optical signal to the third optical fiber for loop-back testing.

9. The optical test device of claim 7 , further comprising a second switch interposed between a fourth optical fiber and the third optical fiber, the second optical switch further configured to receive the optical signal from the first switch and couple the optical signal with the third optical fiber for loop-back testing.

10. The optical test device of claim 9 , wherein the first optical fiber and the third optical fiber are coupled with a network provider device, and wherein the second optical fiber and the fourth optical fiber are coupled with a customer network device.

11. The optical test device of claim 7 , further comprising a manual loop-back button and wherein the manual loop-back button is configured to provide the control signal.

12. The optical test device of claim 7 , wherein the control signal is an encoded signal in the optical signal.

13. The optical test device of claim 12 , wherein the encoded signal is a predetermined series of bits.

14. An optical filter test system comprising:
an optical test device comprising:
at least one optical filter coupled with a first optical fiber, the at least one first optical filter configured to allow an optical signal on the first optical fiber to pass from the first optical fiber to a second optical fiber;
at least one monitoring device coupled with the at least one optical filter, the at least one monitoring device configured to measure power of a portion of the optical signal and determine whether the power is above a first threshold and to detect a control signal; and
a first switch in communication with the first optical fiber, the first switch configured to switch the optical signal on the first optical fiber to a third optical fiber for loop-back testing when the control signal is detected; and

an optical device to provide the control signal to the optical test device.

15. The system of claim 14 , wherein the first switch is interposed between the first optical fiber and the second optical fiber and allows the optical signal to pass from the first optical fiber to the second optical fiber in a first state and switches the optical signal to the third optical fiber for loop-back testing.

16. The system of claim 14 , wherein the optical test device further comprises a second switch interposed between a fourth optical fiber and the third optical fiber, the second optical switch further configured to receive the optical signal from the first switch and couple the optical signal with the third optical fiber for loop-back testing.

17. The system of claim 14 , wherein the first optical fiber and the third optical fiber are coupled with a network provider device, and wherein the second optical fiber and the fourth optical fiber are coupled with a customer network device.

18. The system of claim 14 , wherein the control signal is an encoded signal in the portion of the optical signal.

19. The system of claim 18 , wherein the encoded signal is a predetermined series of bits.

20. The system of claim 14 , wherein the optical device is a customer device.

Assignees

• Level 3 Communications Llc

Inventors

• Storey Jeffrey K
• Waters John F
• Dugan Andrew
• Paredes Salvador
• Ratterree Gary

Classifications

• H04B10/07955

  Monitoring or measuring power · CPC title

• H04B10/0791

  Fault location on the transmission path · CPC title

• H04B10/0793 Primary

  Network aspects, e.g. central monitoring of transmission parameters · CPC title

• H04B10/0775

  Performance monitoring and measurement of transmission parameters · CPC title

• H04B10/035 Primary

  using loopbacks · CPC title