OPTICAL FIBER ANALYSIS DEVICE, SYSTEM, AND METHOD

• US 20140136139A1
• Filed: 11/08/2013
• Published: 05/15/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 11/09/2012
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Precision Rated Optics
• Original Assignee: Precision Rated Optics
• Inventors: LaBonge, Chris, Depaolantonio, Tom
• Application Number:
  US14/075,670
• Publication Number:
  US 20140136139A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 702/122
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 3/00 Registering or indicating the condition or the working of machines or other apparatus, other than vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 10/07 Arrangements for monitoring or testing transmission systems; Arrangements for fault measurement of transmission systems

Abstract

An optical fiber analysis device, comprises at least one computer processor, computer memory and wireless network interface. The device also comprises a computer program stored in the computer memory and executable by the at least one processors to: receive and utilize optical fiber field test equipment results, associate the results with newly identified or already known test results, logical connection data, and/or geographical location data, and store the results and their associations in a central object database with similar historic data for the purpose of assessing the integrity of the individual optical fiber segments, the overall level of performance of the individual optical fiber segments, and any change in performance of the individual optical fiber segments over time.

Claims

1. A mobile optical fiber analysis device, comprising:

at least one processor, at least one computer storage device, and at least one wireless interface;

a test equipment interface module configured to communicate with test and measurement equipment to receive test data for at least one optical fiber segment under test;

a network asset management interface module configured to communicate with an external network asset management system having a database configured to store current and historical test results for the at least one optical fiber segment under test.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein the mobile optical fiber analysis device comprises a tablet, a cellular phone, or a laptop computer.

3. The device of claim 1, wherein the mobile optical fiber analysis device includes the test and measurement equipment.

4. The device of claim 1, wherein the test and measurement equipment is external to the mobile optical fiber analysis device, and the mobile optical fiber analysis device is configured to wirelessly communicate with the external test and measurement equipment via a Bluetooth interface.

5. The device of claim 1, wherein the test and measurement equipment is external to the mobile optical fiber analysis device, and the mobile optical fiber analysis device is configured to wirelessly communicate with the external test and measurement equipment via at least one of a cellular or satellite network.

6. The device of claim 1, wherein the network asset management system is remote and communicates with the mobile optical fiber analysis device via the at least one wireless interface.

7. The device of claim 1, wherein the network asset management database comprises historical data for the at least one optical fiber segment and the network asset management interface module is configured to associate current test results with the historical data and to output performance of the at least one optical fiber relative to the historical data.

8. The device of claim 1, wherein the network asset management database is a central common object database.

9. The device of claim 1, further comprising:

a test, measurement, and analysis module configured to generate test results from the test data.

10. The device of claim 9, wherein the test, measurement, and analysis module is configured to analyze the test results to assess integrity of the at least one optical fiber under test.

11. A mobile optical fiber system, comprising:

a remote network asset management system having a database configured to store current and historical test results for optical fiber segments;

test and measurement equipment configured to perform field tests of at least one optical fiber segment; and

a mobile optical fiber analysis device configured to receive current test data from the test and measurement equipment and to communicate the current test data to the network asset management system.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the mobile optical fiber analysis device comprises:

at least one processor, at least one computer storage device, and at least one wireless interface;

a test equipment interface module configured to communicate with the test and measurement equipment to receive the test data for at least one optical fiber segment under test; and

a network asset management interface module configured to communicate with the network asset management system.

13. The system of claim 11, wherein the mobile optical fiber analysis device comprises a tablet, a cellular phone, or a laptop computer.

14. The system of claim 11, wherein the mobile optical fiber analysis device includes at least some of the test and measurement equipment.

15. The system of claim 11, wherein the test and measurement equipment is external to the mobile optical fiber analysis device, and the mobile optical fiber analysis device is configured to wirelessly communicate with the external test and measurement equipment via a Bluetooth interface.

16. The system of claim 11, wherein the test and measurement equipment is external to the mobile optical fiber analysis device, and the mobile optical fiber analysis device is configured to wirelessly communicate with the external test and measurement equipment via at least one of a cellular or satellite network.

17. The system of claim 11, wherein the network asset management system is remote and is configured to communicate with the mobile optical fiber analysis device via the at least one wireless interface.

18. The system of claim 11, wherein the network asset management database comprises historical data for the at least one optical fiber segment and the network asset management interface module is configured to associate current test results with the historical data and to output performance of the at least one optical fiber relative to the historical data.

19. The system of claim 11, wherein the network asset management database is a central common object database.

20. The system of claim 11, wherein the mobile optical fiber analysis device further comprises:

a test, measurement, and analysis module configured to generate test results from the test data.

21. The system of claim 20, wherein the test, measurement, and analysis module is configured to analyze the test results to assess integrity of the at least one optical fiber under test.

22. A method of optical fiber analysis, comprising:

providing an optical fiber analysis device including at least one processor, at least one computer storage device, and at least one wireless interface;

wirelessly receiving test data for at least one optical fiber under test by the optical fiber analysis device from in-field test and measurement equipment by the optical fiber analysis device; and

electronically communicating the test data from the optical fiber analysis device to a remote network asset management system by the optical fiber analysis device.

23. The method of claim 22, further comprising the network asset management system:

storing and analyzing the test data;

generating a test report; and

electronically communicating the test report to the optical fiber analysis device.

24. The method of claim 22, wherein communication between the optical fiber analysis device and the network asset management system includes wireless communication.

25. The method of claim 22, wherein communication between the optical fiber analysis device and the test and measurement equipment includes real-time wireless communication.

26. The method of claim 22, further comprising:

associating historical data from the network asset management system with the test data received by the optical fiber analysis device; and

assessing a performance of the at least one optical fiber relative to the historical data based on the associating of the historical data with the test data.

27. The method of claim 22, further comprising:

assessing an integrity of the at least one optical fiber based on the test data; and

outputting the integrity assessment.

28. The method of claim 22, wherein the mobile optical fiber analysis device comprises a tablet, a cellular phone, or a laptop computer.

29. The method of claim 22, wherein the test and measurement equipment is internal to the mobile optical fiber analysis device.

30. A computer program product stored in a memory of a mobile optical fiber analysis device and executable by at least one processor thereof to perform a method of optical fiber analysis, comprising:

wirelessly receiving test data for at least one optical fiber under test by the optical fiber analysis device from in-field test and measurement equipment by the optical fiber analysis device; and

electronically communicating the test data from the optical fiber analysis device to a remote network asset management system by the optical fiber analysis device.

31. The computer program product of claim 30, wherein the method further comprises:

associating historical data from the network asset management system with the test data received by the optical fiber analysis device; and

assessing a performance of the at least one optical fiber relative to the historical data based on the associating of the historical data with the test data.

32. The computer program product of claim 30, wherein the method further comprises:

assessing an integrity of the at least one optical fiber based on the test data; and

outputting the integrity assessment.

33. The computer program product of claim 30, wherein the mobile optical fiber analysis device comprises a tablet, a cellular phone, or a laptop computer.

34. The computer program product of claim 30, wherein the test and measurement equipment is internal to the mobile optical fiber analysis device.