Optical system and method for inferring a disturbance
First Claim
1. An optical sensing system for sensing a disturbance in one of a first waveguide portion and a second waveguide portion relative to a disturbance in the other of the first waveguide portion and the second waveguide portion, the optical system having:
- means for generating a first signal and a second signal;
means for directing the first signal along a first path and for directing the second signal along a second path and for directing the first and second signals to traverse the first and the second waveguide portions in both a first direction and a second direction opposite the first direction; and
, combining means for combining the first and second signals that have travelled along the first and second paths so as to provide a combination signal, the first and second signals being related to one another such that the disturbance can be inferred from the combination signal.
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Abstract
The present invention relates to an disturbance sensing system, in particular an optical system in which a disturbance can be inferred. The system includes: a first waveguide portion and a second waveguide portion disposed in a side to side arrangement relative to one another; launch means for launching a first signal and a second signal onto the first waveguide portion and the second waveguide portion respectively, the first and second waveguide portions being optically coupled such that each of the transmitted first and second signals travels along each of the first and second waveguides; and, combining means for combining the transmitted first and second signals so as to produce a combination signal, the first and second signals being related to one another such that a disturbance in either one of the first and the second waveguide portions can be inferred from the combination signal. The noise or other signal resulting from a disturbance applied to both waveguide portions will be at least partially suppressed.
118 Citations
18 Claims
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1. An optical sensing system for sensing a disturbance in one of a first waveguide portion and a second waveguide portion relative to a disturbance in the other of the first waveguide portion and the second waveguide portion, the optical system having:
- means for generating a first signal and a second signal;
means for directing the first signal along a first path and for directing the second signal along a second path and for directing the first and second signals to traverse the first and the second waveguide portions in both a first direction and a second direction opposite the first direction; and
, combining means for combining the first and second signals that have travelled along the first and second paths so as to provide a combination signal, the first and second signals being related to one another such that the disturbance can be inferred from the combination signal. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
- means for generating a first signal and a second signal;
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17. The method of determining whether a first waveguide is disturbed relative to a second waveguide, the method including the steps of:
- generating pairs of signals, each pair including a first signal and a second signal;
channelling the first signals along a first path;
channelling the second signals along a second path such that each path traverses each of the first and the second waveguide portions in both a first direction and a second direction opposite the first direction; and
combining the first and second signals of each pair that have travelled along the first and second paths so as to provide a combination signal, the first and second signals being related to one another such that the disturbance can be inferred from the combination signal. - View Dependent Claims (18)
- generating pairs of signals, each pair including a first signal and a second signal;
Specification