Method of detecting an optical transmission line

• US 5,457,998 A
• Filed: 03/25/1993
• Issued: 10/17/1995
• Est. Priority Date: 08/02/1991
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Furukawa Electric Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Furukawa Electric Company Limited
• Inventors: Nakamura, Kazunori, Fujisaki, Akira
• Primary Examiner(s): Williams, Hezron E.
• Assistant Examiner(s): MILLER, ROSE MARY
• Application Number:
  US08/030,202
• Time in Patent Office: 936 Days
• Field of Search: 73/655, 73/657, 73/432.1, 73/DIG. 1, 73/618, 73/643, 181/125
• US Class Current: 73/657
• CPC Class Codes: G01H 9/004 using fibre optic sensors light guides per se G02B6/00, acousto-optical devices specially adapted for gating or modulating in optical wave guides G02F1/125
• CPC Class Codes: G01V 1/001 Acoustic presence detection
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/562 locatable, e.g. using magnetic means
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 73/01 Vibration

Abstract

A method of detecting an underground optical transmission line effectively and efficiently regardless if the optical transmission line is of a non-metallic type or not. The method comprises steps of emitting acoustic vibration from vibration generating means toward an underground area where the optical transmission line 1 is laid while moving the vibration generating means on a road roller 5 on the ground and measuring changes in the intensity of an optical signal being transmitted through the optical transmission line 1 subjected to the vibration and the displacement of the vibration generating means to determine the location of the underground optical transmission line 1 from the distribution of the intensity of the transmitted optical signal.

Claims

1. A method of detecting an underground optical transmission line, comprising emitting acoustic vibration from a vibration generating means toward an underground area where the optical transmission line is buried, moving the vibration generating means on the ground, measuring changes in the intensity of an optical signal being transmitted through the optical transmission line subjected to the vibration, and displacing the vibration generating means to determine the location of the underground optical transmission line from a distribution of the intensity of the transmitted optical signal.

2. A method of detecting an optical transmission line according to claim 1, wherein said underground optical transmission line is buried integrally with another underground utility installation.

3. A method of detecting an optical transmission line according to claim 1, wherein said underground optical transmission line is buried in parallel with another underground utility installation.

4. A method of detecting an optical transmission line according to claim 1, wherein said optical transmission line is detected by two-dimensionally locating said optical transmission line in terms of two different horizontal directions from the ground surface.

5. A method of detecting an optical transmission line according to claim 1, wherein said optical transmission line is detected by vertically locating said optical transmission line from the ground surface.

6. A method of detecting an optical transmission line according to claim 1, wherein a state of polarization of a signal applied to the optical transmission line to be detected is modulated to change the intensity of an output signal

7. A method of detecting an optical transmission line according to claim 1, wherein an optical coupling coefficient is modulated at the output terminal of the optical transmission line to change the intensity of an output signal of the transmission line to be detected.

8. A method of detecting an optical transmission line according to claim 1, wherein a single mode optical fiber in the optical transmission line to be detected is used for the detection.

9. A method of detecting an optical transmission line according to claim 1, wherein a multi-mode optical fiber in the optical transmission line is used for the detection and connected at a terminal thereof with a single mode optical fiber.

10. A method of detecting an optical transmission line according to claim 9, wherein a speckle pattern appearing at the connection of the multi-mode optical fiber and the single mode optical fiber is varied to change the intensity of the output signal of the multi-mode optical fiber of the optical transmission line.