Patent · US Expired

Optical fiber status analyzer and related methods

US5742715A · kind A · utility

21Cited by
10References
25Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateDec 21, 1995
Grant dateApr 21, 1998
Priority date
Expiry dateDec 21, 2015

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC G)Physics
  • CPC primaryG02B6/4289
  • WIPO fieldOptics
  • WIPO sectorInstruments

Abstract

The apparatus of this invention includes a macrobend/microbend unit which imposes first and second macrobends, and microbends between the first and second macrobends, on an optical fiber under analysis. If light is travelling in one direction on the optical fiber, the bending of the optical fiber is such that some light will escape from the core of the optical fiber at the first macrobend. A first photodetector is arranged to receive light emitted from the first macrobend, and generates a signal indicative of whether light is present at the first macrobend. If light is travelling in the optical fiber in the other direction, the second macrobend causes some light to be emitted. A second photodetector arranged to receive light from the second macrobend, generates a signal indicative of whether light is present at the second macrobend. The apparatus includes a display, generated based on the signals from the photodetectors, indicating the optical fiber status including information such as whether light is travelling in the optical fiber in one direction or the other, whether the optical fiber is live or dead, and/or whether the light emitted from the optical fiber includes a tone sign…

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.