| Patent application number | Description | Published |
|---|
| 20080232757 | Assemblies and Methods for Drop Cable - Assemblies and methods for installing and maintaining aerial fiber optic cable are provided. Embodiments include a cable long enough to extend from two elevated support points and to provide enough slack for at least a portion of the cable to extend along the ground. The cable includes a wrapped portion for storing the slack and to elevate the entire cable above the ground. The wrapped portion being releasable in response to a force acting on the cable, such as a falling tree, allowing for at least a portion of the cable to fall to the ground and minimize the likelihood of the tree snapping the cable. Fasteners and frame members may be employed to support the wrapped portion. An embodiment may also include a cut-off apparatus for cutting the cable in response to the cable being pulled further once any slack in the cable has been expended. | 09-25-2008 |
| 20080239295 | OPTICAL POWER MONITORING WITH ROBOTICALLY MOVED MACRO-BENDING - A method may include bending a first optical fiber of a plurality of optical fibers; measuring light leaked from the first optical fiber with a photo detector; robotically moving the photo detector to a second optical fiber of the plurality of optical fibers; bending the second optical fiber; and measuring light leaked from the second other optical fiber with the photo detector. | 10-02-2008 |
| 20080298802 | OPTICAL SIGNAL MEASUREMENT DEVICE - A device connects to a male network connector of a network conduit, and connects to a female network connector of the network conduit. The female network connector is capable of communicating with the male network connector. The device also measures outputs of the male network connector and the female network connector. | 12-04-2008 |
| 20090073424 | FIBER RACK ASSEMBLY AND ASSOCIATED TESTING SYSTEM - A fiber rack assembly is provided. The assembly includes at least one patch panel having adapters configured to couple a first plurality of fibers to a second plurality of fibers and a test system for measuring the optical power lever of the fibers. The test system may include a base and a sensor. The base may define a plurality of test sites. Each test site is configured to support a portion of a fiber. The sensor is movable to one or more test sites and, at each test site, is configured to measure a macro-bending loss at the portion of the fiber supported at the test site as an indication of an optical power level of the fiber. The test system may also have interface panel that includes user inputs and a display. | 03-19-2009 |
| 20090080900 | ENVIRONMENTALLY STABLE COMPONENT ASSEMBLY - Component assemblies and methods of making component assemblies are disclosed. An exemplary component assembly may generally include a capsule defining a cavity for receiving a component. The component assembly may additionally include at least one lead extending from the component and through the capsule to allow communication between the component and a network or device. The lead may generally define a sealed length within the capsule that is at least as great as a predetermined or expected intrusion distance of an external contaminant along the sealed length over an expected lifetime or service interval associated with the component encapsulated in the cavity. | 03-26-2009 |
| 20090154938 | IN-CHANNEL RESIDUAL CHROMATIC DISPERSION MEASUREMENT - A system generates optical pulses, that include two frequencies within one optical channel, at a first end of an optical link, and receives the optical pulses at a second end of the optical link. The system also sets a frequency difference for the two frequencies of the optical pulses, calculates a relative group delay difference for the two frequencies of the optical pulses, and calculates a residual chromatic dispersion of the channel based on the frequency difference and the calculated relative group delay difference. | 06-18-2009 |
| 20090162052 | LATENCY MEASUREMENT IN OPTICAL NETWORKS - A device for measuring optical latency in a test path includes an optical source to generate an optical signal. An optical modulator modulates the optical signal based on a modulation signal. An output port outputs the modulated optical signal to the test path. An input port receives a return optical signal following propagation through the test path. Latency calculating logic calculates the optical latency for the test path based on the modulation signal and the return optical signal. | 06-25-2009 |
| 20090244524 | OPTICAL POWER MONITORING WITH ROBOTICALLY MOVED MACRO-BENDING - A method may include bending a first optical fiber of a plurality of optical fibers; measuring light leaked from the first optical fiber with a photo detector; robotically moving the photo detector to a second optical fiber of the plurality of optical fibers; bending the second optical fiber; and measuring light leaked from the second other optical fiber with the photo detector. | 10-01-2009 |
| 20090279887 | Systems and Methods For Wavelength Scanning Of In-Service Wavelength Division Multiplexing Systems - A testing input module for testing an in-service WDM system is provided. The testing input module includes a first light source configured to emit a first light signal to one or more empty channels of the in-service WDM system; and a tunable second light source configured to emit a second light signal to test the one or more empty channels. The testing input module also includes a first switch module configured to: receive from the first light source and output the first light signal during a first time interval; and receive from the second light source and output the second light signal during a second time interval. The second time interval is a duration wherein a channel power monitoring function of the in-service WDM system is not triggered. | 11-12-2009 |
| 20090324179 | SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR PROVIDING LARGE SCALE, AUTOMATED, FIBER-OPTIC, CROSS-CONNECTION - A system and method for automatically inserting optical-fiber (fiber-optics) cable jumpers into a patch panel to connect optical signal source equipment to optical signal destination equipment, and for automatically removing those jumpers from that patch panel to disconnect that equipment. This is accomplished robotically under computer control. Large scale fiber-optical splicings can be made, on the order of ten thousand (10,000) separate optical splices or more. Previous embodiments required hand insertion of these jumpers. Embodiments of the present invention permit any un-occupied port to be connected to any other un-occupied port, regardless of their input or output port status, where previous embodiments required only unoccupied input ports to be connected to unoccupied output ports. | 12-31-2009 |
| 20100095167 | METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR PROVIDING BIT ERROR RATE CHARACTERIZATION - An approach is provided for bit error rate characterization. A test signal representing one or more Ethernet frames exhibiting a particular bit error rate is generated. The test signal is output to a device under test. Traffic is received from the device under test. A determination is made as to whether a link failure condition exists at a port on an Ethernet switch. | 04-15-2010 |
| 20100119224 | ENHANCED POLARIZATION MODE DISPERSION OF OPTICAL CHANNELS - A device receives, from an optical receiver, performance information associated with an optical channel generated by an optical transmitter, and determines, based on the received performance information, a wavelength that minimizes polarization mode dispersion (PMD) associated with the optical channel. The device also provides, to the optical transmitter, a request to adjust an optical channel wavelength to the determined wavelength. | 05-13-2010 |
| 20100150547 | FAULT LOCATOR FOR LONG HAUL TRANSMISSION SYSTEM - A system and methods include generating an optical time domain reflectrometry signal; transmitting the optical time domain reflectrometry signal on a first fiber path in a first direction through at least one optical amplifier; receiving a reflection of the optical time domain reflectrometry signal on the first fiber path in a second direction opposite the first direction; transmitting the reflected optical time domain reflectrometry signal on a second fiber path in the second direction, where the second fiber path is not the first fiber path; and determining a location of a fault on the first fiber path based on the reflected optical time domain reflectrometry signal. | 06-17-2010 |
| 20100253936 | MEASUREMENT OF NONLINEAR EFFECTS OF AN OPTICAL PATH - A network device may include a receiver to receive optical pulses from an optical path, wherein the optical pulses include a plurality of intensities and represent data. The network device may also include a processor to determine a rate of bit errors introduced during propagation of the optical pulses through the optical path and to determine a parameter indicative of nonlinear effects of the optical path based on the rate of bit errors and the plurality of intensities. | 10-07-2010 |
| 20100266275 | Optical Network Testing - A method includes generating a test signal and modulating the test signal. The method may also include transmitting the test signal on an optical path, where the optical path may include a number of add-drop multiplexer devices and amplifiers. The method may also include receiving the test signal at a destination device and converting the received test signal into an electrical signal. The method may further include identifying a portion of the electrical signal that is associated with the modulated test signal. | 10-21-2010 |
| 20100322620 | Self-Healing Repeater Node - A device may include a component, a first switch, a repeater, and a second switch. The component may configure optical paths between ports. The component may comprise a first pair of optical ports connected to a first pair of optical fibers, and a second pair of optical ports connected to a second pair of optical fibers. The first switch may be configured to output one of two optical signals received by the first pair of optical ports from the first pair of optical fibers. The repeater may reshape or amplify the outputted optical signal. The second switch may be configured to direct the reshaped or amplified signal to one of the second pair of optical ports. | 12-23-2010 |
| 20110043793 | OPTICAL SIGNAL MEASUREMENT DEVICES - 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. | 02-24-2011 |
| 20110110662 | METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR INTEGRATING AUTOMATED SWITCHING IN A PASSIVE OPTICAL NETWORK - An approach is provided for integrating one or more fiber switches in a passive optical network. A platform generates a command signal to control a splitter hub of a passive optical network, the splitter hub being configured to communicate with a plurality of optical network terminals that respectively serve a plurality of customer premises. The splitter hub includes a fiber switch configured to provide switching between one of a plurality of input ports and one of a plurality of output ports of the splitter hub. | 05-12-2011 |
| 20110116786 | HOT-SWAPPING IN-LINE OPTICAL AMPLIFIERS IN AN OPTICAL NETWORK - An amplifier node, in an optical network, includes a first switch connected to a working path from which network traffic is received; a second switch connected to the working path to which the network traffic is transmitted; and two amplifiers that interconnect the first switch and the second switch, where the network traffic travels from the first switch to the second switch via a first amplifier. The amplifier node also includes a controller to receive an instruction to switch the network traffic from the first amplifier to a second amplifier that enables the first amplifier to be repaired; send, to the first switch and the second switch, another instruction to switch the network traffic from the first amplifier to the second amplifier; receive an indication that the network traffic is traveling via the second amplifier; and send a notification that the first amplifier can be repaired based on the indication. | 05-19-2011 |
| 20110116789 | MAINTENANCE FRIENDLY OPTICAL FIBER SWITCHING SYSTEM - First and second switching device are connected by a number of signal paths. The first switching device receives an instruction to switch from a first one of the signal paths to a second one of the signal paths. The first switching device performs, in response to the received instruction, a first switching operation to connect the first path, at an input of the first switching device, to the second path, at an output of the first switching device. The second switching device receives the instruction to switch from the first path to the second path and detects a loss of signal on the first path as a result of the first switching operation performed by the first switching device. The second device performs, in response to detecting the loss of signal on the first path, a second switching operation to connect the first path, at an output of the second switching device, to the second path, at an input of the second switching device. | 05-19-2011 |
| 20110116805 | FREE SPACE OPTICS BROADBAND HOME NETWORK - A system comprises a transmitter including a laser configured to generate a laser beam directed at a spot on a surface, and a laser driver connected to the laser and configured to modulate input data onto the laser beam. The system may further comprise a receiver including an optical detector configured to decode received light into raw data, a signal processor configured to decode the raw data into the original input data, and telescope optics configured to receive light reflected from the spot on the surface, collimate the light and converge the light onto the optical detector. | 05-19-2011 |
| 20110123190 | Connection Loss Scheme for Fiber Connections in Optical Communication System - A method includes outputting an optical signal from an optical transmitter; causing the optical signal to propagate through equipment of an optical communication site and to loop back to an optical receiver; measuring optical powers, respectively, based on taps proximate to the optical transmitter and the optical receiver; calculating an optical power loss based on the optical powers measured; determining whether the optical power loss is an acceptable value; and indicating when the optical power loss is not the acceptable value. | 05-26-2011 |
| 20110142440 | MEASUREMENT OF POLARIZATION MODE DISPERSION OR DIFFERENTIAL GROUP DELAY OF AN OPTICAL PATH - A method may include generating first and second optical signals and modulating the first and second optical signals simultaneously to synchronize the signals. The method may include varying the polarization of the second optical signal and transmitting the first and second optical signals. The method may include receiving the first and second optical signals, wherein the signals traveled along a same optical path. The method may include determining a plurality of differential travel delays between the first and second optical signals over a period of varying polarizations and determining a differential group delay based on the maximum and the minimum differential travel delays. | 06-16-2011 |
| 20110142441 | OPTICAL FIBER CONNECTOR AND NETWORK DEVICE CONFIGURATION - A fiber-optic coupler may include a first optical fiber including an end portion to send or receive optical signals to or from an end portion of a second optical fiber. The coupler may also include a micro-electromechanical systems (MEMS) structure to align the end portion of the first optical fiber with the end portion of the second optical fiber. | 06-16-2011 |
| 20110149747 | METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR PROVIDING BIT ERROR RATE CHARACTERIZATION - An approach is provided for bit error rate characterization. A test signal representing one or more Ethernet frames exhibiting a particular bit error rate is generated. The test signal is output to a device under test. Traffic is received from the device under test. A determination is made as to whether a link failure condition exists at a port on an Ethernet switch. | 06-23-2011 |
