IDENTIFIABLE VISIBLE LIGHT SOURCES FOR FIBER OPTIC CABLES

• US 20120086935A1
• Filed: 10/07/2010
• Published: 04/12/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 10/07/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: SMITH, BRYAN, Bartlett, Max, Shrove, Michael L.
• Granted Patent: US 8,797,518 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 356/73.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 10/073 using an out-of-service signal H04B10/071 takes precedence

Abstract

A system that incorporates teachings of the present disclosure may include, for example, a method including generating a plurality of identifiable visible light sources having at least one constant visible light source and at least one oscillating visible light source and selectively applying, such as one at a time, at least two identifiable visible light sources among the plurality of identifiable visible light sources to a fiber optic cable strand in order to remotely test a fiber optic cable having a plurality of strands including the fiber optic cable strand. Other embodiments are disclosed.

Claims

1. A device, comprising:

a plurality of identifiable visible light sources comprising a constant visible light source and at least one oscillating visible light source;

a switch selector operable to switch among the constant visible light source and the at least one oscillating visible light source; and

an optical fiber connector coupled to the plurality of identifiable visible light sources, wherein the optical fiber connector enables sequential application of at least two of the plurality of identifiable visible light sources to a single fiber optic cable fiber strand.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein at least one visible light source of the plurality of identifiable visible light sources have a wavelength of 670 nanometers.

3. The device of claim 1, wherein the plurality of identifiable visible light sources each have a wavelength between 400 nanometers and 700 nanometers.

4. The device of claim 1, comprising a power source for selectively supplying power to a light emitting diode and an oscillator operably coupled with at least a portion of the plurality of identifiable visible light sources.

5. The device of claim 1, wherein the plurality of identifiable visible light sources comprises a visible light source oscillating at 2 Hertz, a visible light source oscillating at 270 Hertz, a visible light source oscillating at 1 kilohertz, and a visible light source oscillating at 2 kilohertz.

6. The device of claim 1, wherein the plurality of identifiable visible light sources comprises a plurality of visible light sources oscillating at a plurality of frequencies.

7. The device of claim 6, wherein the plurality of visible light sources oscillating at the plurality of frequencies are each distinguishable using a fiber optic identifier.

8. The device of claim 1, comprising connectors for mounting the device at a frame in a central office of a fiber optic telecommunication system.

9. The device of claim 1, comprising a housing having a size, shape and weight that allows the device to be a portable visible fiber optic test fixture.

10. The device of claim 1, wherein the constant visible light source is a Visual Fault Locator Light (VFL).

11. The device of claim 1, comprising a wireless receiver coupled to the switch selector for remotely switching among the plurality of identifiable visible light sources.

12. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium, comprising computer instructions to:

remotely switch among a plurality of identifiable visible light sources in response to a remote request, wherein the plurality of identifiable visible light sources comprises at least a constant visible light source and at least one oscillating visible light source; and

selectively apply the plurality of identifiable visible light sources to a single fiber optic cable fiber strand for remote testing.

13. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 12, wherein remote switching is performed using a wireless receiver coupled to a switch selector operable to switch among the constant visible light source and the at least one oscillating visible light source.

14. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 12, wherein the plurality of identifiable visible light sources comprises light from a light emitting diode having a wavelength between 400 nanometers and 700 nanometers.

15. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 12, wherein each of the plurality of identifiable visible light sources are applied to a single fiber optic cable fiber strand one at a time.

16. A method, comprising:

generating a plurality of identifiable visible light sources comprising at least one constant visible light source and at least one oscillating visible light source; and

selectively applying at least two identifiable visible light sources among the plurality of identifiable visible light sources to a fiber optic cable strand to remotely test a fiber optic cable having a plurality of strands including the fiber optic cable strand, wherein the at least two identifiable visible light sources are selectively applied one at a time.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the plurality of identifiable visible light sources comprises a plurality of visible light sources oscillating at a plurality of frequencies.

18. The method of claim 16, comprising selectively applying the at least two identifiable visible light sources one at a time in response to remote wireless communication instructions to switch among the plurality of identifiable visible light sources.

19. The method of claim 16, wherein the plurality of identifiable visible light sources are each distinguishable using a fiber optic identifier that detects oscillations in the plurality of identifiable visible light sources.

20. The method of claim 16, wherein the plurality of identifiable visible light sources comprises at least two visible light sources each having different wavelengths.