Optical fiber fault locator

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9243974-B2
Application number	US-201414249739-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 10, 2014
Priority date	Mar 15, 2011
Publication date	Jan 26, 2016
Grant date	Jan 26, 2016

Abstract

A device includes a memory and a processor coupled to the memory operable to perform operations. The operations include determining a first estimated distance associated with a first location of an optical fiber based on first light detected by a sensor, where the first light is detected at a first time when a portion of the optical fiber has a first configuration, and determining a second estimated distance associated with a second location of the optical fiber based on second light detected by the sensor, where the second light is detected at a second time when the portion of the optical fiber has a second configuration. The operations further include determining a third estimated distance associated with a third location of the optical fiber based on the first estimated distance and the second estimated distance, where the third location is associated with a fault in the optical fiber.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A device comprising:
a sensor coupled to an optical fiber, the sensor configured to:
detect a first light at a first time when a portion of the optical fiber has a first physical configuration; and
detect a second light at a second time when the portion of the optical fiber has a second physical configuration, and wherein the second physical configuration is associated with a bend in the portion of the optical fiber;
a memory; and
a processor coupled to the memory and operable to perform operations comprising:
determining a first estimated distance associated with a first location of the optical fiber based on the first light;
determining a second estimated distance associated with a second location of the optical fiber based on the second light; and
determining a third estimated distance associated with a third location of the optical fiber based on the first estimated distance and the second estimated distance, wherein the third location is associated with a fault in the optical fiber.

2. The device of claim 1 , wherein the first physical configuration is a different physical configuration than the second physical configuration.

3. The device of claim 1 , further comprising a light source coupled to the optical fiber via a connector.

4. The device of claim 3 , further comprising an oscillator coupled to the light source, the light source configured to send pulsed light to the optical fiber.

5. The device of claim 4 , further comprising a pulse selector to set a pulse rate of the pulsed light.

6. The device of claim 1 , further comprising a mode selector configured to select an operating mode from a plurality of operating modes associated with light provided to the optical fiber during an optical fiber fault test initiated by the processor.

7. The device of claim 6 , wherein, when the operating mode is a first operating mode, a pulse selector sets a first pulse rate, wherein, when the operating mode is a second operating mode, the pulse selector sets a second pulse rate, and wherein the first pulse rate is different than the second pulse rate.

8. The device of claim 6 , wherein, when the operating mode is a first operating mode, a non-visible light is provided to the optical fiber, wherein, when the operating mode is a second operating mode, a visible light is provided to the optical fiber.

9. The device of claim 1 , further comprising a receiver configured to receive wireless signals, wherein a first wireless signal received via the receiver causes a mode selector to select a particular operating mode of a plurality of operating modes.

10. The device of claim 9 , wherein the receiver is configured to wirelessly receive a test activation signal to activate a test of the optical fiber based on the particular operating mode.

11. The device of claim 1 , further comprising a transmitter configured to send, to a remote device, information associated with the first estimated distance, the second estimated distance, the third estimated distance, or a combination thereof.

12. A method comprising:
detecting, with a sensor, a first light at a first time when a portion of an optical fiber has a
first physical configuration;
detecting, with the sensor, a second light at a second time when the portion of the optical fiber has a second physical configuration, wherein the second physical configuration is associated with a bend in the portion of the optical fiber;
determining, at a processor, a first estimated distance associated with a first location of the optical fiber based on the first light;
determining, at the processor, a second estimated distance associated with a second location of the optical fiber based on the second light; and
determining, at the processor, a third estimated distance a third location of the optical fiber based on the first estimated distance and the second estimated distance, wherein the third location is associated with a fault in the optical fiber.

13. The method of claim 12 , further comprising receiving, from a remote device, a wireless communication.

14. The method of claim 13 , further comprising transmitting, to the remote device, information associated with the first estimated distance, the second estimated distance, the third estimated distance, or a combination thereof.

15. The method of claim 12 , further comprising receiving a first instruction to initiate a particular operation associated with determining the second estimated distance.

16. The method of claim 15 , further comprising receiving a second instruction to set a particular operating mode of a plurality of operating modes.

17. The method of claim 16 , further comprising:
determining the first estimated distance in a first operating mode;
switching to a second operating mode after the first estimated distance is determined; and
switching to the first operating mode, subsequent to the second operating mode, to determine the second estimated distance.

18. A computer-readable storage device comprising instructions executable by a processor to perform operations comprising:
detecting, with a sensor, a first light at a first time when a portion of an optical fiber has a first physical configuration;
detecting, with the sensor, a second light at a second time when the portion of the optical fiber has a second physical configuration, wherein the second physical configuration is associated with a bend in the portion of the optical fiber;
determining a first estimated distance to a first location of the optical fiber based on the first light detected;
determining a second estimated distance to a second location of the optical fiber based on the second light; and
determining a third estimated distance a third location of the optical fiber based on the first estimated distance and the second estimated distance, wherein the third location is associated with a fault in the optical fiber.

19. The computer-readable storage device of claim 18 , wherein the operations further comprise receiving a signal from a remote device to set a pulse rate associated with the light applied to the optical fiber to determine the first estimated distance, the second estimated distance, and the third estimated distance, and wherein the signal is received via a wireless communication system.

20. The computer-readable storage device of claim 19 , wherein the operations further comprise sending, to the remote device, information indicating the first estimated distance, the second estimated distance, and the third estimated distance.

Assignees

• At & T Ip I Lp

Inventors

• Smith Bryan

Classifications

• G01M11/3109 Primary

  Reflectometers detecting the back-scattered light in the time-domain, e.g. OTDR · CPC title

• H04B10/07

  Arrangements for monitoring or testing transmission systems; Arrangements for fault measurement of transmission systems · CPC title

• G01M11/3154

  Details of the opto-mechanical connection, e.g. connector or repeater · CPC title

• G01M11/3127 Primary

  using multiple or wavelength variable input source · CPC title

• G01M11/31

  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