Optical fiber data transmission system
First Claim
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1. An optical fiber data transmission system comprising:
- a plurality of optical sensor devices capable of modulating an interrogatory signal;
first means coupled to said devices for transmitting an optical interrogatory signal to all of said devices;
an optical receiver;
a first optical fiber optically coupled at one end to all of said devices and at the other end to said receiver; and
a plurality of second means each coupled to a different one of said devices to discriminate between optical output signals, including said interrogatory signal modulated by sensor information, emitted from said devices in response to said interrogatory signal.
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Abstract
Optical sensors may be arranged to give transmission or reflection of signals along optical fibers depending on the quantity to be measured. The outputs of several sensors may be simply multiplexed onto a single fiber (or pair) by putting a different delay line in series with each sensor. Similarly optical filters can be used separately or combined with the delay lines and/or space division multiplexing can be used to increase the number of sensors. Local frequency modulation of the sensors offer an additional means of multiplexing.
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Citations
17 Claims
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1. An optical fiber data transmission system comprising:
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a plurality of optical sensor devices capable of modulating an interrogatory signal; first means coupled to said devices for transmitting an optical interrogatory signal to all of said devices; an optical receiver; a first optical fiber optically coupled at one end to all of said devices and at the other end to said receiver; and a plurality of second means each coupled to a different one of said devices to discriminate between optical output signals, including said interrogatory signal modulated by sensor information, emitted from said devices in response to said interrogatory signal. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
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17. An optical fiber data transmission system comprising:
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a plurality of optical signal devices; first means coupled to said devices for transmitting an optical interrogatory signal to all of said devices; an optical receiver; a first optical fiber optically coupled at one end to all of said devices and at the other end to said receiver; and second means each coupled to a different one of said devices to discriminate between optical output signals emitted from said devices in response to said interrogatory signal; said devices including a first plurality of a first given number of turns at the end of said first optical fiber remote from said receiver, a second plurality of a second given number of turns greater than said first given number of turns at one end of a second optical fiber whose other end is coupled to said first means, said first and second plurality of turns being disposed side-by-side to provide optical coupling between said first and second optical fibers at a number of points corresponding to said first given number of turns so that progressive immersion of said first and second plurality of turns in a liquid causes a change in the coupling coefficient between said first and second optical fibers to be incrementally advanced along said coupling points, and said first means transmits said interrogatory signal as pulses.
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Specification