Optical signal measurement devices

• US 8,523,460 B2
• Filed: 10/16/2012
• Issued: 09/03/2013
• 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, KAVEH C
• Application Number:
  US13/653,130
• Publication Number:
  US 20130057854A1
• Time in Patent Office: 322 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 male connector to connect to an optical power meter; and

a wavelength splitter to;

receive a first optical signal from a network conduit,

provide the first optical signal to the male connector when the first optical signal corresponds to a first wavelength optical signal that is identified by a first indicator, and

provide a second optical signal to the male connector when the second optical signal corresponds to a second wavelength optical signal that is identified by a second indicator,

the device being to;

enable, when the male connector connects to the optical power meter, a selection of a first type of transceiver or a second type of transceiver for receiving a network connector associated with the network conduit,

the first type of transceiver being selected when the first optical signal corresponds to the first wavelength optical signal, and

the second type of transceiver being selected when the second optical signal corresponds to the second wavelength optical signal.

2. The device of claim 1, further comprising:

a first female connector to receive the network connector;

a second female connector to receive the network connector;

a mirror to receive the second optical signal via the second female connector;

a first collimator lens provided between the first female connector and the wavelength splitter,

the first optical signal being transmitted from the first female connector to the wavelength splitter via the first collimator lens;

a second collimator lens provided between the second female connector and the mirror,

the second optical signal being transmitted from the second female connector to the mirror via the second collimator lens; and

a third collimator lens provided between the wavelength splitter and the male connector,

the second optical signal being transmitted from the wavelength splitter to the male connector, via the third collimator lens, when the second optical signal corresponds to the second wavelength optical signal.

3. The device of claim 1,

where the first indicator is associated with a first wavelength, and

where the second indicator is associated with a second wavelength that is different from the first wavelength.

4. The device of claim 1,

where the first indicator includes a first graphic pattern, and

where the second indicator includes a second graphic pattern that is different from the first graphic pattern.

5. The device of claim 1, where at least one of the first type of transceiver or the second type of transceiver 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 network connector includes 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 network conduit includes a single fiber bi-directional communications (SFBDC) conduit.

9. The device of claim 1, further comprising:

a first female connector to receive the network connector,

the first female connector being associated with the first indicator, and

the first optical signal being received by the wavelength splitter via the first female connector; and

a second female connector to receive the network connector,

the second female connector being associated with the second indicator, and

the second optical signal being received via the second female connector.

10. The device of claim 1, further comprising:

a mirror to;

receive the second optical signal, and

reflect the second optical signal to the wavelength splitter.

11. A system comprising:

a device comprising;

a male connector to connect to an optical power meter; and

a wavelength splitter to;

provide a first optical signal, received from a network conduit, to the male connector when the first optical signal corresponds to an optical signal, of a first wavelength, that is identified by a first indicator, and

provide a second optical signal, received from the network conduit, to the male connector when the second optical signal corresponds to an optical signal, of a second wavelength, that is identified by a second indicator,

the device being to;

enable, when the male connector is connected to the optical power meter, a selection of a first transceiver or a second transceiver for a piece of equipment that is to receive a network connector associated with the network conduit,

the first transceiver transmitting optical signals of the first wavelength,

the first transceiver being selected when the first optical signal corresponds to an optical signal of the first wavelength,

the second transceiver transmitting optical signals of the second wavelength, and

the second transceiver being selected when the second optical signal corresponds to an second optical signal of the second wavelength.

12. The system of claim 11,

where the first indicator includes first textual information that identifies the first wavelength,

where the second indicator includes second textual information that identifies the second wavelength, and

where the second textual information is different from the first textual information.

13. The system of claim 11,

where the first indicator includes first graphical information that identifies optical signals of the first wavelength,

where the optical signals of the first wavelength include the optical signal of the first wavelength,

where the second indicator includes second graphical information that identifies optical signals of the second wavelength,

where the optical signals of the second wavelength include the optical signal of the second wavelength, and

where the second graphical information is different from the first graphical information.

14. The system of claim 11, where the device further comprises:

a female connector to receive the network connector; and

a mirror to;

receive the second optical signal from the network conduit via the female connector, and

reflect the second optical signal to the wavelength splitter.

15. The system of claim 11, where the device further comprises:

a first female connector to receive the network connector;

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

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

16. The system of claim 11, where the device further comprises:

a first female connector to receive the network connector,

the first female connector being associated with the first indicator, and

the first optical signal being received by the wavelength splitter via the first female connector;

a second female connector to receive the network connector,

the second female connector being associated with the second indicator; and

a mirror to;

receive the second optical signal via the second female connector, and

provide the second optical signal to the wavelength splitter.

17. A device comprising:

a male connector to connect to an optical power meter; and

a wavelength splitter to;

provide a first optical signal, received from the network conduit, to the male connector when a wavelength of the first optical signal corresponds to a first wavelength that is identified by a first indicator, and

provide a second optical signal, received from the network conduit, to the male connector when a wavelength of the second optical signal corresponds to a second wavelength that is identified by a second indicator, the device being to;

enable, when the male connector is connected to the optical power meter, a selection of a first transceiver or a second transceiver for receiving a network connector associated with the network conduit,

the first transceiver being associated with the first wavelength,

the first transceiver being selected when the wavelength of the first optical signal corresponds to the first wavelength,

the second transceiver being associated with the second wavelength, and

the second transceiver being selected when the wavelength of the second optical signal corresponds to the second wavelength.

18. The device of claim 17,

where the first indicator includes first information that identifies the first wavelength,

where the second indicator includes second information that identifies the second wavelength, and

where the second information is different from the first information.

19. The device of claim 17, further comprising:

a first female connector to receive the network connector;

a second female connector to receive the network connector; and

a mirror to;

receive the second optical signal from the network conduit via the second female connector, and

reflect the second optical signal to the wavelength splitter.

20. The device of claim 19, further comprising:

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

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

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