Optical signal measurement devices

• US 8,308,375 B2
• Filed: 11/02/2010
• Issued: 11/13/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 12/18/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Inventors: XIA, Tiejun J., Wellbrock, Glenn A., Gee, Nee-Ben
• Primary Examiner(s): Kianni, K. Cyrus
• Application Number:
  US12/917,757
• Publication Number:
  US 20110043793A1
• Time in Patent Office: 742 Days
• Field of Search: 385/89, 385/14
• US Class Current: 385/89
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 10/07955 Monitoring or measuring power

Abstract

A device includes a female connector to receive a male network connector of a network conduit, and a first male connector optically communicating with the female connector, where the first male connector includes a first indicator that identifies a first wavelength optical signal. The device also includes a second male connector optically communicating with the female connector, where the second male connector includes a second indicator that identifies a second wavelength optical signal. The device further includes a wavelength splitter to receive an optical signal from the network conduit via the female connector, provide the optical signal to the first male connector when the optical signal corresponds to the first wavelength optical signal, and provide the optical signal to the second male connector when the optical signal corresponds to the second wavelength optical signal.

Claims

1. A device, comprising:

a female connector to receive a male network connector of a network conduit,

the device enabling selection of a particular type of transceiver for receiving the male network connector of the network conduit, when the device is utilized with an optical power meter;

a first male connector optically communicating with the female connector, the first male connector being associated with a first indicator that identifies a first wavelength optical signal;

a second male connector optically communicating with the female connector, the second male connector being associated with a second indicator that identifies a second wavelength optical signal that is different than the first wavelength optical signal, the second indicator being different than the first indicator; and

a wavelength splitter to;

receive an optical signal from the network conduit via the female connector,

provide the optical signal to the first male connector when the optical signal corresponds to the first wavelength optical signal, a transceiver of a first type being selected when the optical signal corresponds to the first wavelength optical signal and when the device is utilized with the optical power meter, and

provide the optical signal to the second male connector when the optical signal corresponds to the second wavelength optical signal, a transceiver of a second type being selected when the optical signal corresponds to the second wavelength optical signal and when the device is utilized with the optical power meter.

2. The device of claim 1, further comprising:

a first collimator lens, provided between the female connector and the wavelength splitter, to provide the optical signal from the female connector to the wavelength splitter;

a second collimator lens, provided between the wavelength splitter and the first male connector, to provide the optical signal from the wavelength splitter to the first male connector; and

a third collimator lens, provided between the wavelength splitter and the second male connector, to provide the optical signal from the wavelength splitter to the second male connector.

3. The device of claim 1, where the first indicator is associated with a first color and the second indicator is associated with a second color different than the first color.

4. The device of claim 1, where the first indicator is associated with a first graphic pattern and the second indicator is associated with a second graphic pattern different than the first graphic pattern.

5. The device of claim 1, where the transceiver of the first type or the transceiver of the second type includes a small form-factor pluggable (SFP) transceiver.

6. The device of claim 1, where the device comprises an optical signal measurement device.

7. The device of claim 1, where the female connector is to receive at least one of:

a Local Connector (LC) male network connector;

a Ferrule Connector (FC) male network connector;

a Straight Tip (ST) male network connector;

a Standard Connector (SC) male network connector;

a biconic male network connector;

an Enterprise Systems Connection (ESCON) male network connector;

a Fiber Connectivity (FICON) male network connector;

a Fiber-Distributed Data Interface (FDDI) male network connector;

a loopback male network connector;

an Opti-Jack male network connector;

a Mechanical Transfer Registered Jack (MT-RJ) male network connector;

a D4 male network connector;

a MTP male network connector;

a MU male network connector;

or

a SMA male network connector.

8. The device of claim 1, where the first male connector and the second male connector are to selectively connect to the optical power meter, the optical power meter selectively reading a first optical power of the first wavelength optical signal when connected to the first male connector and a second optical power of the second wavelength optical signal when connected to the second male connector, and

where the device determines:

a wavelength, associated with the first wavelength optical signal, based on the first optical power of the first wavelength optical signal, and

a wavelength, associated with the second wavelength optical signal, based on the second optical power of the second wavelength optical signal.

9. The device of claim 1, where the network conduit includes a single fiber bi-directional communications (SFBDC) conduit.

10. A system comprising:

a device that includes;

a first connector to receive a network connector of a network conduit,

a second connector optically communicating with the first connector, the second connector being associated with a first indicator that identifies a first wavelength optical signal associated with a first wavelength,

a third connector optically communicating with the first connector, the third connector being associated with a second indicator that identifies a second wavelength optical signal associated with a second wavelength,

the second wavelength being different than the first wavelength,

the second indicator being different than the first indicator, and

the first connector, the second connector, and the third connector differing from one another; and

a wavelength splitter to;

receive an optical signal from the network conduit via the first connector,

provide the optical signal to an optical power meter via the second connector when the optical signal corresponds to the first wavelength optical signal, and

provide the optical signal to the optical power meter via the third connector when the optical signal corresponds to the second wavelength optical signal,

the device enabling selection of a particular type of transceiver for receiving the network connector of the network conduit, when the device is utilized with the optical power meter,

a transceiver of a first type being selected based on the optical signal corresponding to the first wavelength optical signal, and

a transceiver of a second type being selected based on the optical signal corresponding to the second wavelength optical signal.

11. The system of claim 10, where the first indicator is associated with a first color, and

where the second indicator is associated with a second color different than the first color.

12. The system of claim 10, where the first indicator is associated with first textual information or first graphical information, and

where the second indicator is associated with second textual information or second graphical information.

13. The system of claim 10, where the device further includes:

a first collimator lens, provided between the wavelength splitter and the second connector, to provide the optical signal from the wavelength splitter to the second connector; and

a second collimator lens, provided between the wavelength splitter and the third connector, to provide the optical signal from the wavelength splitter to the third connector.

14. The system of claim 13, where the device further includes:

a third collimator lens, provided between the first connector and the wavelength splitter, to provide the optical signal from the first connector to the wavelength splitter.

15. The system of claim 10, where the second connector and the third connector are to selectively connect to the optical power meter,

where the transceiver of the first type is selected when a first power, associated with the first wavelength optical signal, is detected when the optical power meter is connected to the second connector, and

where the transceiver of the second type is selected when a second power, associated with the second wavelength optical signal, is detected when the optical power meter is connected to the third connector.

16. A device comprising:

a first connector to receive a connector of a network conduit;

a second connector communicating with the first connector, the second connector being associated with a first indicator that identifies a first signal associated with a first wavelength;

a third connector communicating with the first connector, the third connector being associated with a second indicator that identifies a second signal associated with a second wavelength that is different than the first wavelength,

the second indicator being different than the first indicator, and

the first connector, the second connector, and the third connector differing from one another; and

a wavelength splitter to;

receive an optical signal from the network conduit via the first connector,

provide the optical signal to the second connector when the optical signal corresponds to the first signal, and

provide the optical signal to the second male connector when the optical signal corresponds to the second signal,

the device enabling selection of a particular type of transceiver for receiving the connector of the network conduit, when the device is utilized with an optical power meter,

a transceiver of a first type being selected based on the optical signal corresponding to the first signal, and

a transceiver of a second type being selected based on the optical signal corresponding to the second signal.

17. The device of claim 16, where the first indicator is associated with a first color, and

where the second indicator is associated with a second color different than the first color.

18. The device of claim 16, where the first indicator includes first textual information or first graphical information, and

where the second indicator includes second textual information or second graphical information.

19. The device of claim 16, further comprising:

a first collimator lens, provided between the wavelength splitter and the first connector, to provide the optical signal from the first connector to the wavelength splitter;

a second collimator lens, provided between the wavelength splitter and the second connector, to provide the optical signal from the wavelength splitter to the second connector; and

a third collimator lens, provided between the wavelength splitter and the third connector, to provide the optical signal from the wavelength splitter to the third connector.

20. The device of claim 16, where the second connector and the third connector are to selectively connect to the optical power meter,

where the transceiver of the first type is selected when a first power, associated with the first signal, is detected when the optical power meter is connected to the second connector, and

where the transceiver of the second type is selected when a second power, associated with the second signal, is detected when the optical power meter is connected to the third connector.