Electronic cable signature

• US 7,539,379 B2
• Filed: 02/01/2006
• Issued: 05/26/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 02/01/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: SBC Knowledge Ventures LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Stahulak, Chuck, Heinmiller, Wayne, Khoshaba, Shadi, Barnes, Bruce, Marathe, Nikhil, Towster, Henry
• Primary Examiner(s): Pak; Sung H
• Assistant Examiner(s): Petkovsek; Daniel
• Application Number:
  US11/345,603
• Publication Number:
  US 20070189678A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,210 Days
• Field of Search: 385100-114
• US Class Current: 385/100
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/4416 Heterogeneous cables
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/4422 of the overhead type
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/44265 Fibre-to-antenna cables; Auxiliary devices thereof
• CPC Class Codes: H01B 9/005 including optical transmission elements

Abstract

Optical fiber cable from a Central Office (CO) to a Service Area Interface (SAI) Optical Line Terminal (OLT) box may have a plurality of optical fibers, each fiber having at least one conductive sheath to can propagate an identifying signal. Optical fibers that emit a signal with identifying information, or other useful information, may be advantageous when, for example, the fiber optic cable holds fibers owned by more than one content or service provider. A further advantage may be that a signal may be designated to a particular address, thereby facilitating the installation of fiber optic service to a customer.

Claims

1. An optical fiber construction comprising:

at least one fiber optic core;

an outer jacket housing the at least one fiber optic core; and

one or more sheaths between the jacket and the at least one fiber optic core, at least one of the sheaths surrounding a respective fiber optic core and comprising one or more non-metallic signal conductive portions for propagating an information signal associated with and identifying the respective fiber optic core through the non-metallic signal conductive portions.

2. The construction of claim 1, wherein the one or more of the non-metallic signal conductive portions are physically connected to a signal generator.

3. The construction of claim 1, wherein the one or more of the non-metallic signal conductive portions are wirelessly connected to a signal generator via a signal induction field.

4. The construction of claim 1, wherein the at least one of the sheaths comprises a braid of multiple strands and wherein at least one of the strands comprises a non-metallic signal conductive portion connected to a signal generator.

5. The construction of claim 1, further comprising a dielectric layer between at least one of the sheaths and the fiber optic core.

6. The construction of claim 1, wherein at least one of the sheaths comprises a conductive material selected to at least approximate one or more desired performance characteristics.

7. The optical fiber construction of claim 1, wherein the outer jacket is connected to a signal generator to carry the information signal.

8. A fiber optic cable system, the system comprising:

a fiber optic cable housing a plurality of optical fibers, each optical fiber further comprising a fiber optic core, an outer jacket and one or more sheaths between the fiber optic core and the outer jacket, wherein at least one of the sheaths comprises a non-metallic signal conductive portion for propagating an information signal associated with and identifying the respective optical fiber through the non-metallic signal conductive portion.

9. The system of claim 8, further comprising a signal source in communication with the one or more of the sheaths to induce a signal into the at least one of the sheaths.

10. The system of claim 8, further comprising a detector to detect an emitted signal from the at least one of the sheaths.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the detector further comprises a display to display information that relates to the detected signal.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the information comprises a waveform profile of the signal.

13. The system of claim 11, wherein the information comprises data.

14. The system of claim 9, further comprising a computer in communication with the detector.

15. The system of claim 8, further comprising a display to display information that relates to the detected signal.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the information comprises a waveform profile of the signal.

17. The system of claim 15, wherein the information comprises data.

18. The system of claim 8, wherein one or more of the optical fibers in the cable emits an identifying signal.

19. The system of claim 8, wherein the outer jacket is connected to a signal generator to carry the information signal.

20. A fiber optic network having one or more network components, the network comprising:

one or more fiber optic cables, each of the one or more fiber optic cables including one or more optical fibers, each optical fiber further including a fiber optic core and one or more non-metallic signal conductive sheaths surrounding the core; and

one or more signal sources connected to the one or more of the non-metallic signal conductive sheaths, at least one of the one or more non-metallic signal conductive sheaths conveys an information signal associated with the respective optical fiber;

wherein the one or more of the optical fibers connects to at least one of the network components.

21. The network of claim 20, wherein the one or more network components comprise one or more fiber optic transmitters.

22. The network of claim 20, wherein the one or more network components comprise one or more central offices.

23. The network of claim 20, wherein the one or more network components comprise one or more optical line terminals.

24. The network of claim 20, wherein the one or more network components comprise one or more service area interfaces.

25. The network of claim 20, wherein the one or more network components comprise one or more end distribution points.

26. The network of claim 20, wherein the one or more network components comprise one or more optical network terminals.

27. The network of claim 20, wherein the one or more network components comprise one or more optical-to-electric converters.

28. The network of claim 20, further comprising one or more signal detectors to detect one or more information signals conveyed by the at least one of the sheaths.

29. The optical fiber construction of claim 20, wherein the at least one of the sheaths that conveys the information signal is between the fiber optic core and an outer jacket housing the fiber optic core.

30. The optical fiber construction of claim 20, wherein the at least one of the sheaths that conveys the information signal is an outer jacket housing the fiber optic core.