Fiber optic cable with radio frequency identification devices

• US 20140056561A1
• Filed: 02/20/2013
• Published: 02/27/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 04/19/2005
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: CommScope Technologies, LLC (CommScope Holding Company, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: ADC Telecommunications Incorporated (TE Connectivity Limited)
• Inventors: Lu, Yu, Reagan, Randy, Noonan, Michael, Gniadek, Jeff
• Application Number:
  US13/771,376
• Publication Number:
  US 20140056561A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 385/76
• CPC Class Codes: G01M 11/33 with a light emitter being disposed at one fibre or waveguide end-face, and a light receiver at the other end-face
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/3823 containing surplus lengths, internal fibre loops provisionally see also G02B6/444
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/3827 Wrap-back connectors, i.e. containing a fibre having an U shape
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/3849 using mechanical protective elements, e.g. caps, hoods, sealing membranes G02B6/3816 takes precedence; provisionally see H01R13/44
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/385 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 Class Codes: G02B 6/3878 comprising a plurality of ferrules, branching and break-out means
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/3885 Multicore or multichannel optical connectors, i.e. one single ferrule containing more than one fibre, e.g. ribbon type optical ribbon cable G02B6/4403, G02B6/448
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/3895 identification of connection, e.g. right plug to the right socket or full engagement of the mating parts keying element on the plug or adapter G02B6/3831; keying element on the ferrule G02B6/3851; keying element for electrical connection H01R13/64
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/3897 Connectors fixed to housings, casing, frames or circuit boards G02B6/44528 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/4472 Manifolds
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/4473 Three-way systems
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/4475 with provision for lateral branching G02B6/4431 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/562 locatable, e.g. using magnetic means

Abstract

A loop back connector and methods for testing lines in a fiber optic network are disclosed. The loop back connector includes a ferrule having an interface side constructed for optical connection to a multifiber optical cable. The loop back connector also includes first and second optical loop back paths, each having first and second terminal ends positioned at the interface side. The terminal ends of each loop back path are adapted to be aligned to fibers in the multifiber optical cable. The method includes injecting a signal on a first optical path at a first location, looping back the signal at a second location onto a second optical path, and receiving the signal on the second optical path at the first location.

Claims

1-17. -17. (canceled)

18. A fiber optic cable comprising:

a main cable having a first end and an oppositely disposed second end, the main cable defining a plurality of breakout locations intermittently disposed between the first and second ends; and

a plurality of radio frequency identification devices positioned at the breakout locations.

19. The fiber optic cable of claim 18, wherein the main cable includes an over-mold formed at each breakout location, and wherein the radio frequency identification devices are embedded at the over-molds.

20. The fiber optic cable of claim 18, wherein a plurality of factory integrated terminations are provided at the breakout locations, and wherein the radio frequency identification devices are coupled to the factory integrated terminations.

21. The fiber optic cable of claim 20, wherein an over-mold is formed around a portion of each factory integrated termination.

22. The fiber optic cable of claim 20, wherein the factory integrated terminations include connectors.

23. The fiber optic cable of claim 22, wherein the factory integrated terminations include MT connectors.

24. The fiber optic cable of claim 20, wherein the factory integrated terminations include receptacles.

25. The fiber optic cable of claim 18, wherein the radio frequency identification devices are encoded with information about the breakout locations.

26. The fiber optic cable of claim 25, wherein the radio frequency identification devices store information pertaining to geographical locations of the breakout locations.

27. The fiber optic cable of claim 25, wherein the radio frequency identification devices store information pertaining to subscribers connected to the breakout locations.

28. The fiber optic cable of claim 18, wherein the radio frequency identification devices include passive RFID tags.

29. The fiber optic cable of claim 18, wherein the radio frequency identification devices include active RFID tags.