Alignment system and method for calibrating position of optical fiber bore ferrule

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016377818-A1
Application number	US-201515111742-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jan 6, 2015
Priority date	Jan 14, 2014
Publication date	Dec 29, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

The present invention discloses an alignment system for calibrating a position of an optical fiber ( 30 ) in a bore of a ferrule ( 20 ), comprising: an outer cylinder alignment element ( 100 ) for calibrating a center position of an outer cylinder of the ferrule ( 20 ), so that the center of the outer cylinder of the ferrule ( 20 ) is aligned with a center of the outer cylinder alignment element ( 100 ); a fiber core alignment element ( 300 ) comprising a fiber core ( 302 ) having a center aligned with the center of the outer cylinder alignment element ( 100 ); an optical vision system ( 411, 412, 421, 422 ) for identifying a center position of a fiber core ( 32 ) of the optical fiber ( 30 ) and the center position of the fiber core ( 302 ) of the fiber core alignment element ( 300 ); and a controlling and moving system for actively adjusting the position of the optical fiber ( 30 ) in the bore of the ferrule ( 20 ) under the guide of the optical vision system ( 411, 412, 421, 422 ), so that the center of the fiber core ( 32 ) of the optical fiber ( 30 ) is aligned with the center of the fiber core ( 302 ) of the fiber core alignment element ( 300 ), and so that the center of the fiber core ( 32 ) of the optical fiber ( 30 ) is aligned with the center of the outer cylinder of the ferrule ( 20 ), eliminating the insertion loss of the ferrule ( 20 ) due to a radial deviation between the center of the fiber core ( 32 ) of the optical fiber ( 30 ) and the center of the outer cylinder of the ferrule ( 20 ).

First claim

1 . An alignment system for calibrating a position of an optical fiber in a bore of a ferrule, comprising:
an outer cylinder alignment element for calibrating a center position of an outer cylinder of the ferrule, so that the center of the outer cylinder of the ferrule is aligned with a center of the outer cylinder alignment element; a fiber core alignment element comprising a fiber core having a center aligned with the center of the outer cylinder alignment element; an optical vision system for identifying a center position of a fiber core of the optical fiber and the center position of the fiber core of the fiber core alignment element; and a controlling and moving system for actively adjusting the position of the optical fiber in the bore of the ferrule under the guide of the optical vision system, so that the center of the fiber core of the optical fiber is aligned with the center of the fiber core of the fiber core alignment element, and so that the center of the fiber core of the optical fiber is aligned with the center of the outer cylinder of the ferrule.

2 . The alignment system according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a calibration ferrule having a bore in which the fiber core alignment element is fixed.

3 . The alignment system according to claim 2 , wherein the outer cylinder alignment element is configured to be an alignment sleeve; and
wherein the calibration ferrule and the ferrule are inserted into the alignment sleeve from both ends thereof, respectively.

4 . The alignment system according to claim 3 , wherein the optical vision system at least comprises:
a first imaging device configured to pick up a first image of the optical fiber and the fiber core alignment element in a first direction perpendicular to a center axis of the outer cylinder alignment element; a second imaging device configured to pick up a second image of the optical fiber and the fiber core alignment element in a second direction perpendicular to the center axis of the outer cylinder alignment element and the first direction; and an image recognition device configured to recognize the center position of the fiber
core of the optical fiber and the center position of the fiber core of the fiber core alignment element in the first image and recognize the center position of the fiber core of the optical fiber and the center position of the fiber core of the fiber core alignment element in the second image.

5 . The alignment system according to claim 4 , wherein the first imaging device comprises:
a first light source provided at one side of the outer cylinder alignment element in the first direction; and a first camera provided at the other side, opposite to the first light source, of the outer cylinder alignment element in the first direction

6 . The alignment system according to claim 5 , wherein the second imaging device comprises:
a second light source provided at one side of the outer cylinder alignment element in the second direction; and a second camera provided at the other side, opposite to the second light source, of the outer cylinder alignment element in the second direction.

7 . The alignment system according to claim 4 ,
wherein the image recognition device comprises an image processing system for processing the first image and the second image.

8 . The alignment system according to claim 6 ,
wherein an end of the optical fiber protrudes from an end surface of the ferrule and wherein an end of the fiber core alignment element protrudes from an end surface of the calibration ferrule and faces and is spaced from the end of the optical fiber.

9 . The alignment system according to claim 8 ,
wherein the first imaging device and the second imaging device are configured to pick up images of the ends, facing to and spaced from each other, of the optical fiber and the fiber core alignment element.

10 . The alignment system according to claim 9 ,
wherein a light transmission window is formed on a peripheral wall of the outer cylinder alignment element, so that lights emitted from the first and second light sources transmit through the outer cylinder alignment element and are received by the first and second cameras, respectively.

11 . The alignment system according to claim 9 ,
wherein the outer cylinder alignment element is made of transparent material, so that lights emitted from the first and second light sources transmit through the outer cylinder alignment element and are received by the first and second cameras, respectively.

12 . The alignment system according to claim 9 , wherein the controlling and moving system comprises:
a manipulator having a gripper for gripping the optical fiber; and
a closed loop feedback control system configured to adjust a position of the gripper until
an error, detected by the optical vision system, between the center position of the fiber core of the optical fiber and the center position of the fiber core of the fiber core alignment element is equal to zero or within a predetermined range.

13 . The alignment system according to claim 12 , wherein the predetermined range is a range of −0.001 mm˜0.001 mm.

14 . The alignment system according to claim 12 , wherein the predetermined range is a range of −0.3 μπι˜0.3 μπι.

15 . A method of calibrating a position of an optical fiber in a bore of a ferrule, comprising steps of:
providing an outer cylinder alignment element and a fiber core alignment element wherein a center of a fiber core of the fiber core alignment element is aligned with a center of the outer cylinder alignment element; calibrating a center position of an outer cylinder of the ferrule with the outer cylinder alignment element, so that a center of the outer cylinder of the ferrule is aligned with the center of the outer cylinder alignment element; and actively adjusting the position of the optical fiber in the bore of the ferrule under the guide of an optical vision system, so that a center of a fiber core of the optical fiber is aligned with the center of the fiber core of the fiber core alignment element.

16 . The method according to claim 15 , wherein the fiber core alignment element is fixed in a bore of the calibration ferrule.

17 . The method according to claim 16 ,
wherein the outer cylinder alignment element is configured to be an alignment sleeve; and wherein the calibration ferrule and the ferrule are inserted into the alignment sleeve from both ends thereof, respectively.

18 . The method according to claim 17 , wherein the optical vision system at least comprises:
a first imaging device configured to pick up a first image of the optical fiber and the fiber core alignment element in a first direction perpendicular to a center axis of the outer cylinder alignment element; a second imaging device configured to pick up a second image of the optical fiber and the fiber core alignment element in a second direction perpendicular to the center axis of the outer cylinder alignment element and the first direction; and an image recognition device configured to recognize the center position of the fiber core of the optical fiber and the center position of the fiber core of the fiber core alignment element in the first image and recognize the center position of the fiber core of the optical fiber and the center position of the fiber core of the fiber core alignment element in the second image.

19 . The method according to claim 18 , wherein the first imaging device comprises:
a first light source provided at one side of

Assignees

• Tyco Electronics Shanghai Co Ltd
• Tyco Electronics Ltd Uk

Inventors

• Tong Zhaoyang
• Liu Lei
• Lin Lin

Classifications

• G02B6/3874

  using tubes, sleeves to align ferrules · CPC title

• G01M11/37

  in which light is projected perpendicularly to the axis of the fibre or waveguide for monitoring a section thereof · CPC title

• G02B6/3843 Primary

  with auxiliary facilities for movably aligning or adjusting the fibre within its ferrule, e.g. measuring position or eccentricity (testing the alignment of axes, including eccentricity, G01B11/27) · CPC title

• H04N23/90

  Arrangement of cameras or camera modules, e.g. multiple cameras in TV studios or sports stadiums · CPC title

• H04N5/247

  Electricity · mapped topic