Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 8
Claim 1
Independent Claim
64 words
1 A method of measuring a measurand characterised in that it comprises the steps of subjecting a region of a birefringent monomode optical fibre to the influence of said measurand, launching radiation into said fibre, receiving radiation scattered from said region, allowing eigenmode components of said received radiation to interfere and determining from an interference pattern produced thereby the spatial distribution of said measurand.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
64 words
1 A method of measuring a measurand characterised in that it comprises the steps of subjecting a region of a birefringent monomode optical fibre to the influence of said measurand, launching radiation into said fibre, receiving radiation scattered from said region, allowing eigenmode components of said received radiation to interfere and determining from an interference pattern produced thereby the spatial distribution of said measurand.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
45 words
A method of measuring a measurand as claimed in claim 1 characterised in that it further comprises the step of deriving from temporal variation of said interference pattern an electrical signal the temporal variation of which is indicative of the spatial variation of said measurand.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
40 words
A method of measuring a measurand as claimed in claim 2 characterised in that it further comprises the step of integrating said electrical signal over a time substantial equal to the time of propagation of said radiation in said fibre.
Claim 5
Independent Claim
26 words
A method of measuring a measurand as claimed in any one of the preceding claims characterised in that said interference pattern is derived from back-scattered radiation.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
28 words
A method of measuring a measurand as claimed in any one the preceding claim 1 to 3 characterised in that said interference pattern is derived from forward-scattered radiation.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
92 words
Apparatus for measuring the spatial variation of a measurand characterised in that it comprises a source of radiation (1), a bi-refringent optical fibre (3) having a region sensitive to variations of said measurand, means (2) for launching radiation from said source into said fibre, means (8) for deriving an interference pattern from orthogonally-polarised components or radiation scattered from said region and means(9,10) for deriving from said interference pattern an electrical signal, the temporal variation of which provides an indication of the spatial variation of said measurand in the vicinity of said region
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
92 words
Apparatus for measuring the spatial variation of a measurand characterised in that it comprises a source of radiation (1), a bi-refringent optical fibre (3) having a region sensitive to variations of said measurand, means (2) for launching radiation from said source into said fibre, means (8) for deriving an interference pattern from orthogonally-polarised components or radiation scattered from said region and means(9,10) for deriving from said interference pattern an electrical signal, the temporal variation of which provides an indication of the spatial variation of said measurand in the vicinity of said region