Optical fiber endface inspection microscope having adapter tip detection and autoconfiguration

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11624680-B2
Application number	US-202117446368-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 30, 2021
Priority date	Sep 10, 2020
Publication date	Apr 11, 2023
Grant date	Apr 11, 2023

Abstract

There are provided an optical-fiber connector endface inspection microscope system and a method for inspecting an endface of an optical-fiber connector. The inspection microscope device is releasably connectable to an adapter tip configured to interface with the optical-fiber connector to inspect the endface thereof. The adapter tip is one among a plurality of adapter tip types adapted to inspect respective types of optical-fiber connectors. The optical-fiber connector endface inspection microscope system comprises a tip detection system adapted to recognize the type of the adapter tip among the plurality of adapter tip types; and is configured to analyze inspection images to produce an inspection result for the endface, at least partly based on a fiber type corresponding to the recognized adapter tip and/or other information read by the tip detection system.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An optical-fiber connector endface inspection microscope system for inspecting an endface of an optical-fiber connector, the optical-fiber connector endface inspection microscope system comprising:
an optical-fiber connector endface inspection microscope comprising an image detector for capturing at least one image of the endface to be inspected;
a housing structure enclosing the optical-fiber connector endface inspection microscope and releasably connectable to an adapter tip configured to interface with the optical-fiber connector to inspect the endface thereof, the adapter tip being of one type among a plurality of adapter tip types adapted to inspect respective types of optical-fiber connectors;
a tip detection system adapted to recognize said one type of the adapter tip among the plurality of adapter tip types;
a processing unit configured for:
determining at least one connector endface acceptance criterion among a set of connector endface acceptance criteria, at least partly based upon a fiber type corresponding to the recognized type of adapter tip; and
analyzing the at least one image to produce an inspection result for the endface based on the determined connector endface acceptance criterion.

2. The optical-fiber connector endface inspection microscope system as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the processing unit is further configured for determining image acquisition parameters at least partly based upon the recognized type of adapter tip; and for configuring the optical-fiber connector endface inspection microscope based on the determined image acquisition parameters.

3. The optical-fiber connector endface inspection microscope system as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the tip detection system comprises a RFID reader and a RFID antenna and wherein the adapter tip comprises a RFID tag; from a reading of the RFID tag by the RFID reader, the tip detection system recognizing at least one of: the type of adapter tip and the type of fiber type associated with the adapter tip.

4. The optical-fiber connector endface inspection microscope system as claimed in claim 3 , the adapter tip is to be recognized by bringing it close to the RFID antenna before being connected to the housing structure.

5. The optical-fiber connector endface inspection microscope system as claimed in claim 3 , wherein the tip detection system is enclosed in the housing structure.

6. The optical-fiber connector endface inspection microscope system as claimed in claim 3 , wherein the tip detection system is enclosed in a mobile device physically separate from the housing structure.

7. The optical-fiber connector endface inspection microscope system as claimed in claim 1 , wherein upon recognition of the type of the adapter tip, a limited number of choices of connector endface acceptance criterion are determined and wherein the connector endface acceptance criterion is determined among the limited number of choices based on a user input.

8. The optical-fiber connector endface inspection microscope system as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the tip detection system is configured to recognize the adapter tip upon connection to the housing structure.

9. The optical-fiber connector endface inspection microscope system as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the tip detection system receives a picture of the adapter tip and analyzes the picture to recognize the type of adapter tip.

10. The optical-fiber connector endface inspection microscope system as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the processing unit is further configured for displaying on a display screen, a visual indicator corresponding to the at least one connector type that can be inspected using the recognized adapter tip.

11. An optical-fiber connector endface inspection microscope system for inspecting an endface of an optical-fiber connector, the optical-fiber connector endface inspection microscope system comprising:
an optical-fiber connector endface inspection microscope comprising an image detector for capturing at least one image of the endface to be inspected;
a housing structure enclosing the optical-fiber connector endface inspection microscope and releasably connectable to an adapter tip configured to interface with the optical-fiber connector to inspect the endface thereof, the adapter tip being of one type among a plurality of adapter tip types adapted to inspect respective types of optical-fiber connectors;
a tag reader adapted to read information contained in a tag associated with the adapter tip;
a processing unit configured for:
analyzing the at least one image to produce an inspection result for the endface, at least partly based upon the information read from the tag.

12. The optical-fiber connector endface inspection microscope system as claimed in claim 11 , wherein the processing unit is configured for: determining at least one connector endface acceptance criterion among a set of connector endface acceptance criteria, at least partly based upon the information read from the tag; and analyzing the at least one image to produce an inspection result for the endface based on the determined connector endface acceptance criterion.

13. The optical-fiber connector endface inspection microscope system as claimed in claim 11 , wherein the processing unit is configured for: selecting image acquisition parameters at least partly based upon the information read from the tag and to be used in capturing at least one image of the endface to be inspected.

14. The optical-fiber connector endface inspection microscope system as claimed in claim 11 , wherein the processing unit is configured for: selecting endface analysis parameters at least partly based upon the information read from the tag and to be used in analyzing the at least one image to produce an inspection result for the endface.

15. The optical-fiber connector endface inspection microscope system as claimed in claim 11 , wherein the tag reader comprises a RFID reader and a RFID antenna in the housing structure and wherein the adapter tip comprises a RFID tag.

16. The optical-fiber connector endface inspection microscope system as claimed in claim 15 , the adapter tip is to be recognized by bringing it close to the RFID antenna before being connected to the housing structure.

17. The optical-fiber connector endface inspection microscope system as claimed in claim 15 , wherein the tag reader is enclosed in the housing structure.

18. The optical-fiber connector endface inspection microscope system as claimed in claim 15 , wherein the tag reader is enclosed in a mobile device physically separate from the housing structure.

19. The optical-fiber connector endface inspection microscope system as claimed in claim 12 , wherein upon reading information contained in a tag, a limited number of choices of connector endface acceptance criterion are determined and wherein the connector endface acceptance criterion is determined among the limited number of choices based on a user input.

20. The optical-fiber connector endface inspection microscope system as claimed in claim 11 , wherein the tag reader is configured to read information upon connection to the housing structure.

21. The optical-fiber connector endface inspection microscope system as claimed in claim 11 , wherein the processing unit is further configured for displaying on a display screen, a visual indicator corresponding to the at least one connector type that can be inspected using the adapter tip.

22. A method for inspecting t

Assignees

• Exfo Inc

Inventors

• L'Heureux Mario
• Lavallee Guillaume
• Baribault Robert

Classifications

• G01N21/8803

  Visual inspection (measuring projectors G01B9/08) · CPC title

• G01M11/31 Primary

  with a light emitter and a light receiver being disposed at the same side of a fibre or waveguide end-face, e.g. reflectometers · CPC title

• G02B6/385 Primary

  Accessories for testing or observation of connectors (means for centering or aligning the light guide within the ferrule with auxiliary facilities for movably aligning or adjusting the fibre within its ferrule, measuring position, eccentricity G02B6/3843; mechanical features associated with the optical testing of optical fibres G01M11/088) · CPC title

• G06T2207/10056

  Microscopic image · CPC title

• G02B6/3825

  with an intermediate part, e.g. adapter, receptacle, linking two plugs · CPC title