The present disclosure is directed to optical fibers and, particularly, to estimating reliability and/or optical performance of routing paths for optical fibers.
Optical fibers are used in telecommunications networks to carry optical signals, such as voice and data signals between a network provider and network subscribers. The optical fibers can be managed by various fiber management components and structures, such as trays, closures, frames, cabinets, cassettes, panels, and so forth. Bending of optical fibers is controlled to avoid failure of the optical fiber, and also to reduce signal loss, changes in the modal power distribution in multi-mode, few-mode or single mode fibers, and changes in the state of polarization of the light, which can occur where the fiber bends. How much bend a given fiber can tolerate can depend on one or more parameters, such as the core material, the core thickness, the overall length of the optical fiber, and also the wavelength(s) of the signals it carries. Performance standards are set based on these and other parameters, as well as the location in the network the optical fiber will be used.
In general terms the present disclosure is directed to systems and methods for estimating one or more performance characteristics of an optical fiber routing path. The performance characteristic can be, e.g., an amount of signal loss caused by the routing path. In another example, the performance characteristic can be a probability that the fiber will fail within a predefined amount of time. In another example, a performance characteristic sought to be minimized or optimized can be changes in the modal power distribution in multi-mode, few-mode, or single mode fibers. In another example, a performance characteristic sought to be minimized or optimized can be changes in the state of polarization of the light propagating through the fiber. The routing path is mapped and analyzed to calculate one or more non-infinite bend radii defined by the routing path. In addition to using the calculated bend radii, the estimated performance characteristic depends on the fiber's parameters. Such parameters can include, e.g., a transverse thickness of the optical fiber, an axial length of the optical fiber, a location of the routed optical cable within an optical fiber network, a difference in refractive index between a fiber core and a fiber cladding of the optical fiber, the number of optical fiber cores of the optical fiber being routed, the range of transmission wavelengths of signals to be transmitted by the optical fiber, and/or a maximum transmission wavelength of signals to be transmitted by the optical cable. Using the information obtained about the routing path and one or more parameters of the fiber, one or more performance characteristics of the fiber routed along the routing path is estimated. The parameters can be input into the system via the user and/or stored in a memory of the system, e.g., in the form of a look-up table. In addition, the system itself can, in some examples, determine one or more parameters of the fiber based on a captured visual image of the fiber.
If the performance characteristic(s) does (do) not meet a predefined threshold of acceptability, the routing path can be adjusted (i.e., re-routed) and the estimating system and method run again on the adjusted routing path. This process can be repeated as many times as needed to, e.g., optimize a particular optical fiber routing path within a telecommunications network.
It should be appreciated that the methods and systems of the present disclosure can provide for improvements in optical fiber performance and reliability by helping to optimize optical fiber routing paths.
A method according to the present disclosure can be performed using a computing device. The computing device includes non-volatile memory storing computer-readable instructions and one or more processors that execute the computer readable instructions. An optical device is linked to the computing device. The optical device can include, e.g., a camera that captures visual images of routed optical fibers or optical fiber routing paths. The visual images can be provided to the computing device where the computer readable instructions cause the one or more processors to perform operations on the images. Input and output devices are also linked to the computing device. For example, a visual interface is provided on an input/output device. Via the interface, information about the optical fiber and optical fiber routing path can be displayed. In addition, commands can be input via the interface, e.g., to calculate a performance characteristic of a routed optical fiber along the fiber routing path.
According to certain aspects of the present disclosure, a method of estimating one or more performance characteristics of a routed optical fiber routed along a routing path between first and second points, comprises: obtaining a visual image of the optical fiber routed along the routing path; mapping the routing path using the visual image; and calculating, using the mapped routing path, at least one non-infinite bend radius corresponding to a discrete segment of the mapped routing path.
According to further aspects of the present disclosure, a method of estimating one or more performance characteristics of a routed optical fiber routed along a routing path between first and second points, the optical fiber having one or more parameters, comprises: obtaining a visual image of the optical fiber routed along the routing path; mapping the routing path using the visual image; calculating, using the mapped routing path, at least one non-infinite bend radius corresponding to a discrete segment of the mapped routing path; and based on the at least one calculated non-infinite bend radius and the one or more parameters, estimating the one or more performance characteristics of the routed optical fiber.
According to further aspects of the present disclosure, a method of estimating one or more performance characteristics of a routed optical fiber routed along a routing path between first and second points, the optical fiber having one or more parameters, comprises: obtaining a visual image of the optical fiber routed along the routing path; mapping the routing path using the visual image; calculating, using the mapped routing path, a plurality of non-infinite bend radii corresponding to discrete segments of the mapped routing path; and based on the plurality of non-infinite bend radii and the one or more parameters, estimating the one or more performance characteristics of the routed optical fiber.
According to further aspects of the present disclosure, a system for estimating one or more performance characteristics of a routed optical fiber routed along a routing path between first and second points, comprises: an interface; an imaging device; one or more processors; and a non-transitory computer-readable medium having stored thereon instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to: obtain, using the imaging device, a visual image of the optical fiber routed along the routing path; map the routing path using the visual image; and calculate, using the mapped routing path, at least one non-infinite bend radius corresponding to a discrete segment of the mapped routing path.
According to further aspects of the present disclosure, a system for estimating one or more performance characteristics of a routed optical fiber routed along a routing path between first and second points, comprises: an interface; an imaging device; one or more processors; and a non-transitory computer-readable medium having stored thereon instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to: obtain, using the imaging device, a visual image of the optical fiber routed along the routing path; map the routing path using the visual image; calculate, using the mapped routing path, at least one non-infinite bend radius corresponding to a discrete segment of the mapped routing path; and based on the at least one calculated non-infinite bend radius and the one or more parameters, estimate the one or more performance characteristics of the routed optical fiber.
According to yet further aspects of the present disclosure, a system for estimating one or more performance characteristics of a routed optical fiber routed along a routing path between first and second points, comprises: an interface; an imaging device; one or more processors; and a non-transitory computer-readable medium having stored thereon instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to: obtain, using the imaging device, a visual image of the optical fiber routed along the routing path; map the routing path using the visual image; calculate, using the mapped routing path, a plurality of non-infinite bend radii corresponding to discrete segments of the mapped routing path; and based on the plurality of non-infinite bend radii and the one or more parameters, estimate the one or more performance characteristics of the routed optical fiber.
A variety of additional inventive aspects will be set forth in the description that follows. The inventive aspects can relate to individual features and to combinations of features. It is to be understood that both the foregoing general description and the following detailed description are exemplary and explanatory only and are not restrictive of the broad inventive concepts upon which the embodiments disclosed herein are based.
The following drawings are illustrative of particular embodiments of the present disclosure and therefore do not limit the scope of the present disclosure. The drawings are not to scale and are intended for use in conjunction with the explanations in the following detailed description. Embodiments of the present disclosure will hereinafter be described in conjunction with the appended drawings, wherein like numerals denote like elements.
Various embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings, wherein like reference numerals represent like parts and assemblies throughout the several views. Reference to various embodiments does not limit the scope of the invention, which is limited only by the scope of the claims attached hereto. Additionally, any examples set forth in this specification are not intended to be limiting and merely set forth some of the many possible embodiments for the claimed invention.
Referring to
The system 10 is configured to estimate one or more performance characteristics of an optical fiber 20 routed along a routing path 22 between a first end 24 and a second end 26 of the routing path 22. The fiber 20 can be routed on telecommunications equipment 28 for placement within a telecommunications network. The equipment 28 can be, e.g., a tray (e.g., for splicing and/or splitting optical fibers), a panel, a cabinet, a closure, a frame, a fiber loop organizer, etc. The equipment 28 can also consist of multiple pieces of equipment, such that the routing path 22 spans multiple pieces of Dequipment. The equipment 28 can include one or more structures 30, e.g., fiber guides, channels, spools, bend radius limiters, outer boundary walls of the equipment 28 itself, etc. The routing path 22 of the fiber 20 can be partially dictated by the structures 30. In addition, the equipment 28 and structures 30 can provide for multiple different fiber routing paths, of which one such routing path 22 is shown in
The bend radii of the fiber 20 along the routing path 22 can impact both the amount of loss of a signal transmitted by the fiber 20 as well as the lifetime of the optical fiber routed along the routing path 22. The bend radii of the routed fiber can impact the probability that the fiber will fail over a given period of time. This probability, as used herein, will also be referred to as a lifetime. In optimizing the routing path, the selected path, in at least some examples, must meet a predefined minimum lifetime threshold (i.e., no greater than a maximum threshold probability of failure over a given period of time (e.g., 20 years)).
The optical device 14 is positioned such that it can capture a visual image of the equipment 28 and the fiber 20. In some examples, more than one optical device is provided in the system 10. The captured visual image can be provided to the computing device 12 and stored in memory.
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In
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In other examples, the markers are automatically generated by the computing device. For example, the computing device 12 can be configured to automatically recognize an image of a fiber and position markers 80 along the image of the fiber image accordingly. Such a function can be performed, e.g., by a fiber recognition module 74 (
Once the markers 80 are positioned along the fiber image or routing path image, in some examples, locations are assigned to the markers. For example, each of the ten markers 80 is assigned a two dimensional rectilinear set of coordinates 82 relative to the visual image 40. As shown in
Once the marker positions have been assigned, the Interpolate button 32 can be selected. In response to selection of the Interpolate button 32, a routing path mapping module 78 (
Referring to
In some examples, the estimated signal loss is a sum of local signal losses estimated from a plurality of discrete segments or points along the trace curve between the first and second ends of the fiber being analyzed. In some examples, the discrete segments are infinitesimally small, and the sum of the signal losses is taken as a mathematical integral based in part on the mathematical function corresponding to the mapped trace curve. The fiber characteristic estimator module 79 can be configured to perform the summation of local signal losses. In this example, the estimated signal losses 92, 94 are combined (i.e., summed) losses along the entirety of the routing path and include an estimated loss 92 for a first fiber type (e.g., fiber type G657A1) at a defined signal wavelength (1625 nanometers) and an estimated loss 94 for a second fiber type (e.g., fiber type G657A2) at a defined signal wavelength (1625 nanometers). It should be appreciated that the estimator module 79 can be configured to estimate signal losses based on the trace curve 85 for fibers having many different combinations of parameters, with signal wavelength and fiber type being just two of such possible parameters.
Based on the estimated value(s) of the characteristic(s) of the fiber as routed and as presented in the fiber characteristics display area 86, a determination can be made as to whether the routing of the fiber 42 is acceptable or unacceptable. If it is determined that that the routing is acceptable, the fiber 42 can be kept in the analyzed routing configuration on the telecommunications equipment. If the routing is unacceptable, the routing can be adjusted, i.e., rerouted, a visual image of the rerouted fiber can be taken and loaded on to the computing device 12 for display via the interface 18, and the rerouted fiber marked, mapped and analyzed as described above to obtain estimated value(s) of the one or more characteristic(s) of the fiber as rerouted. In some examples, the system 10 is configured to suggest a rerouted path having one or more improved performance characteristics than the initial routing path. This process can be repeated as many times as needed until the estimated value(s) is/are acceptable. For example, if the estimated smallest bend radius is too small (e.g., smaller than a preset or standard minimum threshold), if the estimated signal loss is too great (e.g., greater than a preset or standard maximum threshold depending on how the fiber is being used), and/or if the failure probability is too great (e.g., greater than a preset or standard maximum threshold depending on how the fiber is being used), then the fiber can be rerouted and the estimation process performed again on the rerouted fiber.
It should be appreciated that the estimation process described herein need not be performed on the actual fiber and the actual telecommunications equipment that is to be used in the telecommunications network. Test fibers or other objects that resemble fibers and test equipment that model the actual fibers and equipment can instead be used for the estimation process. In addition, in certain embodiments, no fiber or physical object representing a fiber is required to be routed to perform the estimation. For example, a visual image can be captured of only the telecommunications equipment on which a fiber can be routed. A proposed fiber routing path can then be traced on the image (after calibrating the image as described above), and the traced path can be marked and mapped as described above to generate estimated characteristics of the routing path that would apply to a fiber if a fiber of given parameters were installed in such a routing configuration.
Optionally, a Test button 36 and/or a Reset button 38 are provided via the interface 18. In some examples, selection of the Test button triggers a testing module 71 (
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The device 200 includes a processing device 202, which can correspond to the one or more processors described above. Also included are a main memory 204 and an interconnect bus 206. The processor device 202 may include without limitation a single microprocessor, or may include a plurality of microprocessors for configuring the device 200 for providing the functionalities described herein. The main memory 204 stores, among other things, instructions and/or data for execution by the processor device 202. The main memory 204 may include banks of dynamic random access memory (DRAM), as well as cache memory.
The device 200 may further include a mass storage device 208, peripheral device(s) 210 (such as the optical device 14), audio input device(s) (e.g., a microphone for speech based interaction with the interface 18), portable non-transitory storage medium device(s) 212, input control device(s) 214, optionally an audio playback device (e.g., a speaker) 216, a graphics subsystem 218, and/or an output interactive graphical interface 220 (such as the interface 18 described above). For explanatory purposes, all components in the device 200 are shown in
The mass storage device 208 may also include software that, when executed, causes the device 200 to perform the features described above, including but not limited to the functions of the visual image retrieval module 70, the calibration module 72, the testing module 71, the fiber characteristic estimator module 79, the routing path mapping module 78, the fiber recognition module 74, and the marker positioning module 76.
The portable storage medium device 214 operates in conjunction with a nonvolatile portable storage medium, such as, for example, a solid state drive (SSD), to input and output data and code to and from the device 200. In some embodiments, the software for storing information may be stored on a portable storage medium, and may be inputted into the device 200 via the portable storage medium device 208. The peripheral device(s) 210 may include any type of computer support device, such as, for example, an input/output (I/O) interface configured to add additional functionality to the device 200. For example, the peripheral device(s) 210 may include a network interface card for interfacing the device 200 with a network 16.
The input control device(s) 216 provide a portion of an interface for the device 200. The input control device(s) 216 may include a keypad and/or a cursor control and/or a touch screen. The keypad may be configured for inputting alphanumeric characters and/or other key information. The cursor control device may include, for example, a handheld controller or mouse, a rotary input mechanism, a trackball, a stylus, and/or cursor direction keys. A cursor control device can be used, e.g., for selecting soft buttons displayed via the interface 18. In order to display textual and graphical information, the device 200 may include the graphics subsystem 218 and the graphical interface 220 (e.g., the interface 18 described above). The graphical interface 220 may include a display such as a TFT (Thin Film Transistor), TFD (Thin Film Diode), OLED (Organic Light-Emitting Diode), AMOLED display (active-matrix organic light-emitting diode), and/or liquid crystal display (LCD)-type displays. The displays can also be touchscreen displays, such as capacitive and resistive-type touchscreen displays.
The graphics subsystem 218 receives textual and graphical information, and processes the information for output to the output display of the interactive graphical interface 220.
Input control devices 216 can control the operation and various functions of device 200. Input control devices 216 can include any components, circuitry, or logic operative to drive the functionality of device 200. For example, input control device(s) 216 can include one or more processors acting under the control of an application.
Software embodiments of the examples presented herein may be provided as a computer program product, or software that may include an article of manufacture on a machine-accessible or machine-readable media having instructions. The instructions on the non-transitory machine-accessible, machine-readable or computer-readable medium may be used to program a computer system or other electronic device. The machine- or computer-readable medium may include, but is not limited to, magnetic disks, optical disks, magneto-optical disks, or other types of media/machine-readable medium suitable for storing or transmitting electronic instructions. The techniques described herein are not limited to any particular software configuration. They may find applicability in any computing or processing environment. The terms “computer-readable”, “machine-accessible medium” or “machine-readable medium” used herein shall include any medium that is capable of storing, encoding, or transmitting a sequence of instructions for execution by the machine, and which causes the machine to perform any one of the methods described herein. Further, it is common in the art to speak of software, in one form or another (e.g., program, procedure, process, application, module, engine, unit, logic, and so on), as taking an action or causing a result. Such expressions are merely a shorthand way of stating that the execution of the software by a processing system causes the processor to perform an action to produce a result.
Some embodiments may also be implemented by the preparation of application-specific integrated circuits, field-programmable gate arrays, or by interconnecting an appropriate network of conventional component circuits.
Some embodiments include a computer program product. The computer program product may be a storage medium or media having instructions stored thereon or therein that can be used to control, or cause, a computer to perform any of the procedures of the example embodiments of the invention. The storage medium may include without limitation an optical disc, a ROM, a RAM, an EPROM, an EEPROM, a DRAM, a VRAM, a flash memory, a flash card, a magnetic card, an optical card, nanosystems, a molecular memory integrated circuit, a RAID, remote data storage/archive/warehousing, and/or any other type of device suitable for storing instructions and/or data.
Stored on any one of the computer-readable medium or media, some implementations include software for controlling both the hardware of the system and for enabling the system or microprocessor to interact with a human user or other mechanism utilizing the results of the example embodiments of the invention. Such software may include, without limitation, device drivers, operating systems, and user applications. Ultimately, such computer-readable media further include software for performing example aspects of the invention, as described above.
Included in the programming and/or software of the system are software modules for implementing the procedures described above.
According to a 1st example embodiment, there is provided a system for estimating one or more performance characteristics of a routed optical fiber routed along a routing path between first and second points, the system comprising: an interface; an imaging device; one or more processors; and a non-transitory computer-readable medium having stored thereon instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to: obtain, using the imaging device, a visual image of the optical fiber routed along the routing path; map the routing path using the visual image; and calculate, using the mapped routing path, at least one non-infinite bend radius corresponding to a discrete segment of the mapped routing path.
According to a 2nd example embodiment, there is provided a system for estimating one or more performance characteristics of a routed optical fiber routed along a routing path between first and second points, the system comprising: an interface; an imaging device; one or more processors; and a non-transitory computer-readable medium having stored thereon instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to: obtain, using the imaging device, a visual image of the optical fiber routed along the routing path; map the routing path using the visual image; calculate, using the mapped routing path, at least one non-infinite bend radius corresponding to a discrete segment of the mapped routing path; and based on the at least one calculated non-infinite bend radius and the one or more parameters, estimate the one or more performance characteristics of the routed optical fiber.
According to a 3rd example embodiment, there is provided a system for estimating one or more performance characteristics of a routed optical fiber routed along a routing path between first and second points, the system comprising: an interface; an imaging device; one or more processors; and a non-transitory computer-readable medium having stored thereon instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to: obtain, using the imaging device, a visual image of the optical fiber routed along the routing path; map the routing path using the visual image; calculate, using the mapped routing path, a plurality of non-infinite bend radii corresponding to discrete segments of the mapped routing path; and based on the plurality of non-infinite bend radii and the one or more parameters, estimate the one or more performance characteristics of the routed optical fiber.
According to a 4th example embodiment, there is provided any of the 1st through 3rd example embodiments, wherein the routing path is mapped by marking a plurality of points along the routing path shown by the visual image to provide data points representative of the routing path, and mathematically fitting one or more curves to the data points to provide a trace of the routing path.
According to a 5th example embodiment, there is provided any of the 1st through 3rd example embodiments, wherein the routing path is mapped by a computing device generating a trace of the routing path of the visual image.
According to a 6th example embodiment, there is provided the 4th example embodiment, wherein the at least one curve includes a cubic spline curve.
According to a 7th example embodiment, there is provided the 2nd or 3rd example embodiment, wherein the one or more performance characteristics includes a signal loss of the routed optical fiber.
According to an 8th example embodiment, there is provided the 3rd example embodiment, wherein the one or more performance characteristics includes a signal loss of the routed optical, and wherein the signal loss is calculated by summing signal losses associated with the discrete segments.
According to a 9th example embodiment, there is provided the 2nd or 3rd example embodiment, wherein the one or more performance characteristics includes a probability of failure of the routed optical fiber within a predefined duration of time.
According to a 10th example embodiment, there is provided the 2nd or 3rd example embodiment, wherein the one or more parameters includes a length of the optical fiber.
According to an 11th example embodiment, there is provided the 2nd or 3rd example embodiment, wherein the one or more parameters includes a location of the routed optical fiber within an optical fiber network.
According to a 12th example embodiment, there is provided the 2nd or 3rd example embodiment, wherein the one or more parameters includes a difference in refractive index between a fiber core and a fiber cladding of the optical fiber.
According to a 13th example embodiment, there is provided the 2nd or 3rd example embodiment, wherein the one or more parameters includes a range of transmission wavelengths of signals to be transmitted by the optical fiber.
According to a 14th example embodiment, there is provided the 2rd or 3rd example embodiment, wherein the one or more parameters includes a maximum transmission wavelength of signals to be transmitted by the optical fiber.
According to a 15th example embodiment, there is provided any of the 1st through 14th example embodiments, wherein the instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to calibrate the visual image to obtain a calibrated visual image.
According to a 16th example embodiment, there is provided the 1st example embodiment, wherein the calibrate is performed using a calibrating tool.
According to a 17th example embodiment, there is provided the 16th example embodiment, wherein the calibrating tool is a graduated ruler visible in the visual image.
According to an 18th example embodiment, there is provided any of the 15th through 17th example embodiments, wherein the instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to, using the calibrated visual image, determine a length of the routing path between the first and second points.
According to a 19th example embodiment, there is provided the 2nd or 3rd example embodiment, wherein the routing path is a first routing path, and wherein the instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to, based on the estimated one or more performance characteristics, reroute the optical cable along a second routing path that is different from the first routing path.
According to a 20th example embodiment, there is provided any of the 2rd through 19th example embodiments, wherein the interface includes a visual display.
According to a 21st example embodiment, there is provided the 20th example embodiment, wherein the system is configured to display the one or more performance characteristics on the visual display.
According to a 22nd example embodiment, there is provided the 2nd or 3rd example embodiment, wherein the optical fiber is one of a multi-mode, few-mode, or single mode fiber, and wherein the one or more performance characteristics includes changes in the modal power distribution in multi-mode, few-mode or single mode, respectively.
According to a 23rd example embodiment, there is provided the 2nd or 3rd example embodiment, wherein the one or more performance characteristics includes changes in a state of polarization of light propagated by the optical fiber.
From the foregoing detailed description, it will be evident that modifications and variations can be made in the devices of the disclosure without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention.
This application is being filed on May 12, 2020 as a PCT International Patent Application and claims the benefit of U.S. Patent Application Ser. No. 62/847,459, filed on May 14, 2019, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.
Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind |
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PCT/US2020/032434 | 5/12/2020 | WO | 00 |
Number | Date | Country | |
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62847459 | May 2019 | US |