IP Library Granted Patent US 12680864
Granted Patent B2
US 12680864 · App. 18/066,237 · Granted Jul 14, 2026

Distributed optical fiber sensing (DFOS) system and method of using the same

Inventors: Hemant Shivsagar Prasad (Tokyo, JP); Takashi Matsushita (Tokyo, JP); Daisuke Ikefuji (Tokyo, JP); Tomoyuki Hino (Tokyo, JP)
Assignee: NEC CORPORATION
G01H9/004
View Patent ↗
Loading inventors, assignments & file history…
Monitor This Case
Get email alerts when status or documents change.
Order Certified Copies
Most orders are placed with the USPTO same day — all within 24 business hours.
Order via The Patent Place →
Pre-filled with this patent's details
Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12680864
App. No.
18/066,237
Granted
Jul 14, 2026
Kind
B2
Abstract

A distributed optical fiber sensing (DFOS) system includes a non-transitory computer readable medium configured to store instructions thereon. The DFOS system includes a processor connected to the non-transitory computer readable medium. The processor is configured to receive DFOS data from a sensor connected to an optical fiber, wherein the optical fiber is adjacent a roadway having a bridge. The processor is further configured to filter the DFOS data based on a frequency range. The processor is further configured to generate a plurality of spread features, wherein each spread feature of the plurality of spread features corresponds to a channel of a plurality of channels of the filtered DFOS data. The processor is further configured to perform binarization of the plurality of spread features. The processor is further configured to identify a location of the bridge along the roadway based on results of the binarization of the plurality of spread features.

Claims (57)

1 . A distributed optical fiber sensing (DFOS) system comprising:

an optical fiber adjacent to a roadway having a bridge;

a distributed acoustic sensor connected to the optical fiber;

a non-transitory computer readable medium, wherein the non-transitory computer readable medium is configured to store instructions thereon; and

a processor connected to the non-transitory computer readable medium, wherein the processor is configured to execute the instructions for:

receiving DFOS data from the distributed acoustic sensor;

filtering the DFOS data based on a frequency range;

generating a plurality of spread features, wherein each spread feature of the plurality of spread features corresponds to a channel of a plurality of channels of the filtered DFOS data;

performing binarization of the plurality of spread features;

determining a threshold based on the results of the binarization;

performing a threshold processing of the filtered DFOS data based on the determined threshold; and

identifying a location of the bridge along the roadway based on results of the binarization of the plurality of spread features and a result of the threshold processing.

2 . The DFOS system according to claim 1 , wherein each of the plurality of spread features indicates a variation in vibration intensity within a corresponding channel of the plurality of channels, and a dimension of each of the plurality of channels is based on spatial resolution of the DFOS data.

3 . The DFOS system according to claim 1 , wherein the processor is further configured to execute the instructions for:

receiving the frequency range through an input/output (I/O) or network interface.

4 . The DFOS system according to claim 1 , wherein the processor is further configured to execute the instructions for:

determining the frequency range based on empirical data or using a trained neural network.

5 . The DFOS system according to claim 1 , wherein the processor is further configured to execute the instructions for:

determining a length of the bridge based on the filtered DFOS data.

6 . The DFOS system according to claim 1 , wherein the processor is further configured to execute the instructions for:

identifying an extra fiber portion of the optical fiber based on the DFOS data.

7 . The DFOS system according to claim 6 , wherein the processor is further configured to execute the instructions for:

identifying the extra fiber portion using a trained neural network.

8 . The DFOS system according to claim 6 , wherein the processor is further configured to execute the instructions for:

identifying the extra fiber portion prior to filtering the DFOS data based on the frequency range.

9 . A distributed optical fiber sensing (DFOS) method for controlling a DFOS system including a distributed acoustic sensor connected to an optical fiber adjacent to a roadway having a bridge, the method comprising:

receiving DFOS data from the distributed acoustic sensor;

filtering the DFOS data based on a frequency range;

generating a plurality of spread features, wherein each spread feature of the plurality of spread features corresponds to a channel of a plurality of channels of the filtered DFOS data;

performing binarization of the plurality of spread features;

determining a threshold based on the results of the binarization;

performing a threshold processing of the filtered DFOS data based on the determined threshold; and

identifying a location of the bridge along the roadway based on results of the binarization of the plurality of spread features and a result of the threshold processing.

10 . The DFOS method according to claim 9 , wherein each of the plurality of spread features indicates a variation in vibration intensity within a corresponding channel of the plurality of channels, and a dimension of each of the plurality of channels is based on spatial resolution of the DFOS data.

11 . The DFOS method according to claim 9 , further comprising:

receiving the frequency range through an input/output (I/O) or network interface.

12 . The DFOS method according to claim 9 , further comprising:

determining the frequency range based on empirical data or using a trained neural network.

13 . The DFOS method according to claim 9 , further comprising:

determining a length of the bridge based on the filtered DFOS data.

14 . The DFOS method according to claim 9 , further comprising:

identifying an extra fiber portion of the optical fiber based on the DFOS data.

15 . The DFOS method according to claim 14 , wherein identifying the extra fiber portion comprises using a trained neural network.

16 . The DFOS method according to claim 14 , wherein identifying the extra fiber portion comprises identifying the extra fiber portion prior to filtering the DFOS data based on the frequency range.

17 . A non-transitory computer readable medium storing a program that executes a method for controlling a distributed optical fiber sensing (DFOS) system including a distributed acoustic sensor connected to an optical fiber adjacent to a roadway having a bridge, the method comprising:

receiving DFOS data from the distributed acoustic sensor;

filtering the DFOS data based on a frequency range;

generating a plurality of spread features, wherein each spread feature of the plurality of spread features corresponds to a channel of a plurality of channels of the filtered DFOS data;

performing binarization of the plurality of spread features;

determining a threshold based on the results of the binarization;

performing a threshold processing of the filtered DFOS data based on the determined threshold; and

identifying a location of the bridge along the roadway based on results of the binarization of the plurality of spread features and a result of the threshold processing.

18 . The non-transitory computer readable medium according to claim 17 , wherein each of the plurality of spread features indicates a variation in vibration intensity within a corresponding channel of the plurality of channels, and a dimension of each of the plurality of channels is based on spatial resolution of the DFOS data.

19 . The non-transitory computer readable medium according to claim 17 , wherein the method further comprises:

identifying an extra fiber portion of the optical fiber based on the DFOS data.

20 . The non-transitory computer readable medium according to claim 19 , wherein the method further comprises:

identifying the extra fiber portion prior to filtering the DFOS data based on the frequency range.