US5862250A — System and method for contactlessly and automatic…

Claim 1

Independent Claim 88 words

A method for contactlessly and automatically determining insertion loss of an optical fiber connector having a domed combination of an optical fiber and a surrounding support ferrule, the method comprising the steps of: (a) determining a core-to-ferrule eccentricity (CFE) parameter corresponding with an offset between a fiber center and a ferrule center; (b) determining a fiber light intensity (FLIT) parameter corresponding with an amount of a reference light that fails to pass through said fiber; and (c) determining an insertion loss of said connector based upon said parameters.

Claim 2

Independent Claim 88 words

A method for contactlessly and automatically determining insertion loss of an optical fiber connector having a domed combination of an optical fiber and a surrounding support ferrule, the method comprising the steps of: (a) determining a core-to-ferrule eccentricity (CFE) parameter corresponding with an offset between a fiber center and a ferrule center; (b) determining a fiber light intensity (FLIT) parameter corresponding with an amount of a reference light that fails to pass through said fiber; and (c) determining an insertion loss of said connector based upon said parameters.

Claim 3

Dependent Claim 78 words

The method of claim 1, further comprising a means for identifying an insertion loss class based upon said insertion loss, said class indicating one of four ranges, a first range representing said insertion loss of less than 0.1 decibels, a second range representing said insertion loss of between 0.1 and 0.4 decibels, a third range representing said insertion loss of between 0.4 and 0.6 decibels, and a fourth range representing said insertion loss of greater than 0.6 decibels.

Claim 4

Dependent Claim 70 words

The method of claim 1, wherein step (a) comprises the steps of: (1) imaging a fiber periphery of said fiber and a portion of said ferrule from a vantage point that is substantially axial to said fiber; (2) determining a fiber center from said fiber periphery; (3) determining a ferrule center from said ferrule portion; and (4) determining said CFE parameter based upon said fiber center and said ferrule center.

Claim 5

Dependent Claim 74 words

The method of claim 1, wherein step (b) comprises the steps of: (1) passing said reference light through said connector at one end of an optical fiber cable and through another connector disposed at another end of said cable to derive modified reference light; and (2) combining said modified reference light from said another connector with said reference light to determine said amount of said reference light that fails to pass through said connector.

Claim 6

Dependent Claim 60 words

The method of claim 1, wherein step (c) comprises the steps of: determining whether each of said parameters falls within a respective predefined range; indicating an unacceptable insertion loss when one of said parameters falls outside its respective predefined range; and combining said parameters when all of said parameters fall within their respective predefined ranges to identify said insertion loss.

Claim 7

Dependent Claim 25 words

The method of claim 5, further comprising the step of using one or more lookup tables in said combining step to identify said insertion loss.

Claim 8

Dependent Claim 24 words

The method of claim 5, further comprising the step of using one or more equations in said combining step to identify said insertion loss.

Claim 9

Independent Claim 176 words

A method for contactlessly and automatically determining an insertion loss of an optical fiber connector having a domed combination of an optical fiber and a surrounding support ferrule, the method comprising the steps of: (a) determining a core-to-ferrule eccentricity parameter by: (1) imaging a fiber periphery and a portion of said ferrule from a vantage point that is substantially axial to said fiber; (2) determining a fiber center from said fiber periphery; (3) determining a ferrule center from said ferrule portion; and (4) determining said core-to-ferrule eccentricity based upon said fiber center and said ferrule center; (b) determining a fiber light intensity parameter by: (1) passing said reference light through said connector at one end of an optical fiber cable and through another connector disposed at another end of said cable to derive modified reference light; and (2) combining said modified reference light from said another connector with said reference light to determine said amount of said reference light that fails to pass through said connector; and (c) determining an insertion loss based upon said parameters.

Claim 10

Independent Claim 176 words

A method for contactlessly and automatically determining an insertion loss of an optical fiber connector having a domed combination of an optical fiber and a surrounding support ferrule, the method comprising the steps of: (a) determining a core-to-ferrule eccentricity parameter by: (1) imaging a fiber periphery and a portion of said ferrule from a vantage point that is substantially axial to said fiber; (2) determining a fiber center from said fiber periphery; (3) determining a ferrule center from said ferrule portion; and (4) determining said core-to-ferrule eccentricity based upon said fiber center and said ferrule center; (b) determining a fiber light intensity parameter by: (1) passing said reference light through said connector at one end of an optical fiber cable and through another connector disposed at another end of said cable to derive modified reference light; and (2) combining said modified reference light from said another connector with said reference light to determine said amount of said reference light that fails to pass through said connector; and (c) determining an insertion loss based upon said parameters.

Claim 11

Dependent Claim 78 words

The method of claim 8, further comprising the step of identifying an insertion loss class based upon said insertion loss, said class indicating one of three ranges, a first range representing said insertion loss of less than 0.1 decibels, a second range representing said insertion loss of between 0.1 and 0.4 decibels, a third range representing said insertion loss of between 0.4 and 0.6 decibels, and a fourth range representing said insertion loss of greater than 0.6 decibels.

Claim 12

Independent Claim 104 words

A system for contactlessly and automatically determining an insertion loss of an optical fiber connector having a domed combination of an optical fiber and a surrounding support ferrule, the system comprising: (a) a core-to-ferrule eccentricity (CFE) inspection system configured to determine a CFE parameter corresponding with an offset between a fiber center and a ferrule center; (b) a fiber light intensity tester (FLIT) configured to determine a FLIT parameter corresponding with an amount of a reference light that falls to pass through said fiber; and (c) an insertion loss evaluation system configured to determine an insertion loss of said connector based upon said parameters.

Claim 13

Independent Claim 104 words

A system for contactlessly and automatically determining an insertion loss of an optical fiber connector having a domed combination of an optical fiber and a surrounding support ferrule, the system comprising: (a) a core-to-ferrule eccentricity (CFE) inspection system configured to determine a CFE parameter corresponding with an offset between a fiber center and a ferrule center; (b) a fiber light intensity tester (FLIT) configured to determine a FLIT parameter corresponding with an amount of a reference light that falls to pass through said fiber; and (c) an insertion loss evaluation system configured to determine an insertion loss of said connector based upon said parameters.

Claim 14

Dependent Claim 78 words

The system of claim 10, further comprising a means for identifying an insertion loss class based upon said insertion loss, said class indicating one of three ranges, a first range representing said insertion loss of less than 0.1 decibels, a second range representing said insertion loss of between 0.1 and 0.4 decibels, a third range representing said insertion loss of between 0.4 and 0.6 decibels, and a fourth range representing said insertion loss of greater than 0.6 decibels.

Claim 15

Dependent Claim 85 words

The system of claim 10, wherein said CFE inspection system comprises: an imaging system including a fiber core imager and a boundary segment imager, said fiber core imager configured to capture a fiber core image of a fiber core, said boundary segment imager configured to capture a boundary segment image of a boundary segment of said ferrule; and a machine vision system interfaced with said imaging system and configured to determine said CFE parameter based upon said fiber core image and said boundary segment image.

Claim 16

Dependent Claim 135 words

The system of claim 10, wherein said FLIT comprises: (1) a reference light source providing first and second light channels, said first light channel being passed through an optical fiber cable having said connector at one end and another connector at another end; (2) a scope having: (i) first and second objectives configured to receive said first and second light channels respectively; and (ii) a mechanism for combining light paths from said objectives to produce a combined light path; (3) a camera associated with said scope for receiving said combined light path to produce an electrical signal; (4) a machine vision system configured to receive said electrical signal, to determine said amount of said reference light that fails to pass through said fiber from said signal, and to determine said FLIT parameter from said amount.

Claim 17

Dependent Claim 109 words

The system of claim 10, wherein said insertion loss evaluation mechanism comprises: (1) a CFE analysis mechanism for determining whether said CFE parameter falls within a predefined CFE range, said CFE analysis mechanism for indicating an unacceptable insertion loss when said CFE parameter falls outside said predefined CFE range; (2) a FLIT analysis mechanism for determining whether said FLIT parameter falls within a predefined FLIT range, said FLIT analysis mechanism for indicating an unacceptable insertion loss when said FLIT parameter falls outside said predefined FLIT range; (3) an assimilation mechanism configured to combine said parameters when all of said parameters fall within said ranges to identify said insertion loss.

Claim 18

Dependent Claim 67 words

The system of claim 12, wherein said imaging system comprises: a fiber core lens configured to capture said fiber core image of said fiber core; a boundary segment lens configured to capture said boundary segment image of said boundary segment; and a camera situated relative to said lenses to receive said fiber core image and said boundary segment image and configured to create a combined image therefrom.

Claim 19

Dependent Claim 17 words

The system of claim 14, wherein said assimilation mechanism is implemented with one or more lookup tables.

Claim 20

Dependent Claim 16 words

The system of claim 14, wherein said assimilation mechanism is implemented with one or more equations.

Claim 21

Dependent Claim 73 words

A computer readable medium having a computer program, said program comprising: means for receiving a core-to-ferrule eccentricity (CFE) parameter corresponding with an offset between a fiber center and a ferrule center of an optical fiber connector; means for receiving a fiber light intensity parameter corresponding with an amount of a reference light that fails to pass through said fiber; and means for determining an insertion loss of said connector based upon said parameters.

Claim 22

Dependent Claim 73 words

A computer readable medium having a computer program, said program comprising: means for receiving a core-to-ferrule eccentricity (CFE) parameter corresponding with an offset between a fiber center and a ferrule center of an optical fiber connector; means for receiving a fiber light intensity parameter corresponding with an amount of a reference light that fails to pass through said fiber; and means for determining an insertion loss of said connector based upon said parameters.

Claim 23

Dependent Claim 104 words

The medium of claim 18, further comprising: (1) a CFE analysis mechanism for determining whether said CFE parameter falls within a predefined CFE range, said CFE analysis mechanism for indicating an unacceptable insertion loss when said CFE parameter falls outside said predefined CFE range; (2) a FLIT analysis mechanism for determining whether said FLIT parameter falls within a predefined FLIT range, said FLIT analysis mechanism for indicating an unacceptable insertion loss when said FLIT parameter falls outside said predefined FLIT range; (3) an assimilation mechanism configured to combine said parameters when all of said parameters fall within said ranges to identify said insertion loss.

Claim 24

Dependent Claim 17 words

The medium of claim 19, wherein said assimilation mechanism is implemented with one or more lookup tables.

Claim 25

Dependent Claim 16 words

The medium of claim 19, wherein said assimilation mechanism is implemented with one or more equations.

Annuity Stage	Window Opens	Payment Deadline	Surcharge Period Until	Estimated Fee	Status
3.5 Years (Year 4)	2002-01-18	2002-07-20	2003-01-19	$2000.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8)	2006-01-18	2006-07-20	2007-01-19	$3760.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12)	2010-01-18	2010-07-20	2011-01-19	$7700.00	Window Closed / Lapsed

System and method for contactlessly and automatically determining the insertion loss of an optical fiber connector

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