Granted Patent B2

US 12,253,721 · App. 17/443,188 · Granted Mar 18, 2025

Inventors: Jay Gregory Brace (Seattle, WA); Kevin Cassady (Monroe, WA); Robert Matthew Adams (Ottawa, CA)

Assignee: VIAVI Solutions Inc.

G02B6/385G01M11/31G02B6/3825G02B6/3863

Abstract

Claims (89)

1. A method, comprising:

receiving, by a microscope, a ferrule of a fiber optic connector via an opening of a connector adapter of the microscope, wherein a body of the fiber optic connector remains outside of the connector adapter when the microscope receives the ferrule of the fiber optic connector within a body of the microscope;

aligning, by the microscope, the ferrule of the fiber optic connector with the opening of the connector adapter of the microscope,

wherein the ferrule includes a ferrule endface;

transmitting, by the microscope, light onto the ferrule endface;

receiving, by the microscope, reflected light, as an image of the ferrule endface, with a camera of the microscope;

determining, by the microscope, intensities of brightness of the image;

creating, by the microscope, a topographical map of the intensities of the brightness of the image;

determining, by the microscope, a radius and an apex of the ferrule endface based on the topographical map;

calculating, by the microscope, an apex offset of the ferrule endface based on the radius and the apex of the ferrule endface; and

performing, by the microscope, one or more actions based on the apex offset of the ferrule endface.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the light includes Köhler illumination.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein performing the one or more actions comprises one or more of:

providing, for display, data identifying the apex offset of the ferrule endface;

causing a technician to modify the ferrule endface based on the apex offset;

causing a modification to a manufacturing process based on the apex offset; or

providing, for display, an indication that the apex offset satisfies an offset value threshold for the ferrule endface.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the ferrule endface includes a spherical or other non-planar surface.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein determining the intensities of the brightness of the image comprises:

determining the intensities of the brightness of the image outward from a mechanical axis of the ferrule.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein determining the radius and the apex of the ferrule endface based on the topographical map comprises:

determining the apex of the ferrule endface as a brightest spot in the topographical map; and

determining the radius of the ferrule endface based on a rate at which the intensities diminish moving away from the apex.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein calculating the apex offset of the ferrule endface based on the radius and the apex of the ferrule endface comprises:

determining a center of the ferrule endface based on an outer diameter of the ferrule; and

calculating, as the apex offset, a difference between the center of the ferrule endface and the apex of the ferrule endface.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein performing the one or more actions comprises:

determining that the apex offset satisfies an offset value threshold; and

providing, for display, an indication that the apex offset satisfies the offset value threshold for the ferrule endface.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein performing the one or more actions comprises:

determining that the apex offset fails to satisfy an offset value threshold; and

causing a technician to modify the ferrule endface based on the apex offset failing to satisfy the offset value threshold.

10. A microscope, comprising:

a connector adapter, within an end of the microscope, configured to align a ferrule of a fiber optic connector with an opening of the connector adapter,

wherein the ferrule includes a ferrule endface, and

wherein a body of the fiber optic connector remains outside of the connector adapter when the connector adapter aligns the ferrule of the fiber optic connector;

a light source configured to transmit light to the ferrule endface;

a camera configured to receive reflected light as an image of the ferrule endface; and

one or more processors configured to:

determine intensities of brightness of the image,

create a topographical map of the intensities of the brightness of the image,

determine a radius and an apex of the ferrule endface based on the topographical map,

calculate an apex offset of the ferrule endface based on the radius and the apex of the ferrule endface, and

perform one or more actions based on the apex offset of the ferrule endface.

11. The microscope of claim 10 , further comprising:

a beam splitter configured to:

receive the light from the light source,

transmit the light onto the ferrule endface,

receive the reflected light from the ferrule endface, and

transmit the reflected light to the camera.

12. The microscope of claim 10 , wherein the one or more processors, to perform the one or more actions, are configured to one or more of:

provide, for display, data identifying the apex offset of the ferrule endface;

cause a technician to modify the ferrule endface based on the apex offset;

cause a modification to a manufacturing process based on the apex offset; or

provide, for display, an indication that the apex offset satisfies an offset value threshold for the ferrule endface.

13. The microscope of claim 10 , wherein the ferrule endface includes a spherical or other non-planar surface.

14. The microscope of claim 10 , wherein the one or more processors, to determine the intensities of the brightness of the image, are configured to:

determine the intensities of the brightness of the image outward from a mechanical axis of the ferrule.

15. The microscope of claim 10 , wherein the one or more processors, to determine the radius and the apex of the ferrule endface based on the topographical map, are configured to:

determine the apex of the ferrule endface as a brightest spot in the topographical map; and

determine the radius of the ferrule endface based on a rate at which the intensities diminish moving away from the apex.

16. The microscope of claim 10 , further comprising:

a lens, provided between the light source and the connector adapter, configured to:

receive the light from the light source,

transmit the light onto the ferrule endface,

receive the reflected light from the ferrule endface, and

transmit the reflected light to the camera.

17. The microscope of claim 10 , wherein the one or more processors, to calculate the apex offset of the ferrule endface based on the radius and the apex of the ferrule endface, are configured to:

determine a center of the ferrule endface based on an outer diameter of the ferrule; and

calculate, as the apex offset, a difference between the center of the ferrule endface and the apex of the ferrule endface.

18. The microscope of claim 10 , wherein the one or more processors, to perform the one or more actions, are configured to:

determine that the apex offset satisfies an offset value threshold; and

provide, for display, an indication that the apex offset satisfies an offset value threshold for the ferrule endface.

19. The microscope of claim 10 , wherein the one or more processors, to perform the one or more actions, are configured to:

determine that the apex offset fails to satisfy an offset value threshold; and

cause a technician to modify the ferrule endface based on the apex offset failing to satisfy the offset value threshold.

20. A system, comprising:

a fiber optic connector comprising a ferrule with a ferrule endface; and

a microscope comprising:

a connector adapter within an end of the microscope, configured to align the ferrule of the fiber optic connector with an opening of the connector adapter,

wherein a body of the fiber optic connector remains outside of the connector adapter when the connector adapter aligns the ferrule of the fiber optic connector in a body of the microscope;

a light source configured to transmit light to the ferrule endface;

a camera configured to receive reflected light as an image of the ferrule endface; and

one or more processors configured to:

determine intensities of brightness of the image,

create a topographical map of the intensities of the brightness of the image,

determine a radius and an apex of the ferrule endface based on the topographical map,

calculate an apex offset of the ferrule endface based on the radius and the apex of the ferrule endface, and

perform one or more actions based on the apex offset of the ferrule endface.

Assignments (4)

Continuity (2)

References Cited (16)

Cited By (1)

US 12,480,839