Utility pole localization by distributed fiber sensing of aerial fiber cable

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12372679-B2
Application number	US-202117504365-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 18, 2021
Priority date	Oct 19, 2020
Publication date	Jul 29, 2025
Grant date	Jul 29, 2025

Abstract

Aspects of the present disclosure describe the localization of a utility pole by distributed fiber sensing of aerial fiber cable suspended from the utility pole.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method for determining a location of a utility pole, the method comprising:
receiving, from an aerial optical fiber suspended at least in part by the utility pole, an optical signal containing scattering effects resulting from an instant mechanical impact applied to the utility pole;
identifying, based on the received optical signal containing the scattering effects resulting from the instant mechanical impact applied to the utility pole, a first vibration of the aerial optical fiber due to vibration of the utility pole resulting from the instant mechanical impact applied to the utility pole;
analyzing, based on the identified first vibration, a location along the length of the optical fiber where the instant mechanical impact applied to the utility pole occurred; and
determining, based on the location along the length of the optical fiber where the instant mechanical impact applied to the utility pole occurred, the location of the utility pole.

2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the received optical signal contains a time of vibrations.

3. The method according to claim 2 , further comprising:
plotting, based on the received optical signal, a time the instant mechanical impact applied to the utility pole occurred and a location where the instant mechanical impact occurred.

4. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the identification of the first vibration is performed using edge detection and deep learning methodologies.

5. A system for determining a location of a utility pole, the system comprising:
a non-transitory computer readable medium configured to store instructions thereon;
a DFOS configured to receive from an aerial optical fiber suspended at least in part by the utility pole, an optical signal containing scattering effects resulting from an instant mechanical impact applied to the utility pole, wherein the DFOS connected to the aerial optical fiber;
a processor connected to the DFOS and the non-transitory computer readable medium, wherein the processor is configured to execute the instructions for:
identifying, based on the received optical signal containing the scattering effects resulting from the instant mechanical impact applied to the utility pole, a first vibration of the aerial optical fiber due to vibration of the utility pole resulting from the instant mechanical impact applied to the the utility pole;
analyzing, based on the identified first vibration, a location along the length of the optical fiber where the instant mechanical impact applied to the utility pole occurred;
determining, based on the location along the length of the optical fiber where the instant mechanical impact applied to the utility pole occurred, the location of the utility pole.

6. The system according to claim 5 , wherein the received optical signal contains a time of the vibrations.

7. The system according to claim 6 , wherein the processor is further configured to execute the instructions for:
plotting, based on the received optical signal, a time the instant mechanical impact applied to the utility pole occurred and the location where the instant mechanical impact occurred.

8. The system according to claim 5 , wherein the identification of the first vibration is performed using edge detection and deep learning methodologies.

Assignees

• Nec Lab America Inc
• Nec Corp

Inventors

• Tian Yue
• Han Shaobo
• Ozharar Sarper
• Ding Yangmin
• Lu You

Classifications

• G06N3/0464

  Convolutional networks [CNN, ConvNet] · CPC title

• G01H1/006

  of the rotor of turbo machines · CPC title

• G01H9/004

  using fibre optic sensors (light guides per se G02B6/00, acousto-optical devices specially adapted for gating or modulating in optical wave guides G02F1/125) · CPC title

• G01N29/2418

  using optoacoustic interaction with the material, e.g. laser radiation, photoacoustics (photoacoustic cells G01N21/1702; measuring characteristics of vibrations by using radiation-sensitive means G01H9/00; acousto-optical conversion techniques for short-range imaging G01S15/8965; sound-producing devices using laser bundle G10K15/046) · CPC title

• G01H9/00

  Measuring mechanical vibrations or ultrasonic, sonic or infrasonic waves by using radiation-sensitive means, e.g. optical means · CPC title