Processing images of fiber optic connector ends

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9110251-B2
Application number	US-201113307466-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 30, 2011
Priority date	Nov 30, 2011
Publication date	Aug 18, 2015
Grant date	Aug 18, 2015

Abstract

A system includes a scope for obtaining images of an end face of an optical fiber in a fiber optic connector. The system also includes a computing device. The computing device is configured to obtain images of the end face of the optical fiber via the scope, identify surface defects on the end face of the optical fiber based on the images, and determine insertion loss of the fiber optic connector due to the surface defects.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A system comprising:
a scope for obtaining images of an end face of an optical fiber in a fiber optic connector;
a mechanical device configured to orient the fiber optic connector; and
a computing device configured to:
determine a type of contact of the optical fiber;
cause the mechanical device to orient the fiber optic connector such that the end face of the optical fiber is parallel to a plane that is imaged by the scope when the type of contact of the optical fiber is an angle polished contact;
obtain images of the end face of the optical fiber via the scope;
identify surface defects on the end face of the optical fiber based on the images; and
determine insertion loss of the fiber optic connector due to the surface defects.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the computing device is further configured to cause the scope to obtain one or more images of the end face at 400× magnification.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the computing device is further configured to:
determine whether each of the surface defects is on an area, in the end face, that corresponds to a core of the optical fiber or an area, in the end face, that corresponds to a cladding of the optical fiber.

4. The system of claim 3 , wherein when the computing device determines the insertion loss, the computing device is configured to:
determine, for each of the surface defects, an amount of signal degradation that the surface defect causes based on the determination whether the surface defect is on the area that corresponds to the core of the optical fiber or the area that corresponds to the cladding.

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein the surface defects include at least one of:
a scratch, a crack, or dirt.

6. The system of claim 5 , wherein when the computing device identifies the surface defects, the computing device is further configured to:
identify the scratch, the crack or the dirt on the end face based on image recognition; and
determine at least one of a location or a size of the scratch, the crack, or the dirt.

7. The system of claim 1 , wherein the computing system is further configured to:
identify a core of the optical fiber in images of the end face of the optical fiber;
determine a diameter of the core; and
determine whether the optical fiber is a multimode fiber or a single mode fiber based on the diameter of the core.

8. The system of claim 7 , wherein when the computing device determines whether the optical fiber is a multimode fiber or a single mode fiber, the computing device is further configured to:
determine whether the diameter of the core is approximately equal to a typical diameter of a multimode fiber or a typical diameter of a single mode fiber.

9. The system of claim 1 , wherein the computing device is further configured to:
obtain images of the end face of a ferrule of the fiber optic connector; and
determine whether the fiber optic connector includes an angle polished contact, an ultra polished contact, or an apex contact based on the images.

10. The system of claim 1 , wherein the computing device determines whether the fiber optic connector includes an angle polished contact, an ultra polished contact, or an apex contact based on a user provided input at the computing device.

11. The system of claim 1 , wherein the computer device is further configured to:
determine an eccentricity of the optical fiber; and
determine the insertion loss of the fiber optic connector due to the surface defects and the eccentricity.

12. A device comprising:
an interface for communicating with an external device;
a memory configured to store program instructions; and
one or more processors to execute the program instructions to:
determine a type of contact of an optical fiber being housed in a fiber optic connector;
cause a device holding the fiber optic connector to reorient the fiber optic connector, such that an end face of the optical fiber is parallel with a plane of a view of a scope communicatively coupled wirelessly or via wires to the interface, when the fiber optic connector is an angle polished contact connector;
obtain images of the end face of the optical fiber from the scope;
identify surface defects on the end face of the optical fiber based on the images; and
determine power loss of the fiber optic connector due to the surface defects.

13. The device of claim 12 , wherein the surface defects includes one of:
a scratch or a crack in the end face.

14. The device of claim 12 , wherein the one or more processors are further configured to:
determine whether each of the surface defects is on an area, on the end face, that corresponds to a core of the optical fiber.

15. The device of claim 12 , wherein when the one or more processors identify the surface defects, the one or more processors are configured to:
identify a scratch or a crack on the end face based on image recognition; and
determine at least one of a location or a size of the scratch or the crack.

16. The device of claim 12 , wherein the one or more processors are further configured to:
identify a core of the optical fiber in images of the end face of the optical fiber;
determine a diameter of the core; and
determine whether the optical fiber is a multimode fiber or a single mode fiber based on the diameter of the core.

17. The device of claim 12 , wherein the one or more processors are further configured to:
obtain images of the end face of a ferrule of the fiber optic connector; and
determine whether the fiber optic connector includes an angle polished contact (APC), an ultra polished contact (UPC), or an apex contact based on the images.

18. The device of claim 12 , wherein the power loss includes at least one of:
insertion loss or return loss.

19. The device of claim 12 , wherein the one or more processors are further configured to:
determine an eccentricity of the optical fiber; and
determine the power loss of the fiber optic connector due to the surface defects and the eccentricity.

20. A non-transitory computer-readable medium including computer executable instructions, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to:
obtain one or more images of an end face of an optical fiber from a scope;
determine whether the optical fiber is a multimode optical fiber or a single mode optical fiber;
identify surface defects on the end face of the optical fiber based on the images;
determine insertion loss of the fiber optic connector due to the surface defects based on the identification of the surface defects and based on the determination of whether the optical fiber is a multimode optical fiber or a single mode optical fiber.

21. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 20 , further comprising instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to:
determine whether the fiber optic connector is an angle polished contact (APC) connector, an ultra polished contact (UPC) connector, or an apex contact connector based on images of a ferrule of the fiber optic connector.

Assignees

• Chen David Zhi
• Johnston Jr William
• Verizon Patent & Licensing Inc

Inventors

• Chen David Zhi
• Johnston Jr William

Classifications

• G01N21/94

  Investigating contamination, e.g. dust (G01N21/85 takes precedence) · CPC title

• G01N2021/9511

  Optical elements other than lenses, e.g. mirrors · 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

• G01N21/958

  Inspecting transparent materials {or objects, e.g. windscreens (for conveyed flat sheet or rod G01N21/896)} · CPC title

• G01N21/534

  by measuring transmission alone, i.e. determining opacity · CPC title