Method for active sensor signal optimization
View Patent ↗A system and method for optimizing a fiber optic sensor by properly clocking or rotationally orienting a window with a fiber optic focuser. This method may include shining light through the focuser into the window and receiving with a reflectometer a first reflection from a first surface of the window and a second reflection from a second surface of the window. Next, the method may include calculating a delta of intensities between the first and second reflections, and then rotating an orientation of the window to a next rotational orientation. The steps of rotating the orientation of the window, receiving reflections, and calculating their delta may be repeated any plurality of times to solve for a plurality of deltas. Then, the method may include the steps of determining which one of the deltas is the largest and fixing the window to the focuser at a rotational orientation associated therewith.
1. A method of optimizing a fiber optic sensor having a fiber optic focuser and a polymer window, the method comprising:
(a) shining light from the fiber optic focuser into the polymer window, wherein the polymer window has a thickness extending between a first surface and a second surface thereof, wherein the second surface is texturized and is covered with a reflective material;
(b) receiving with a reflectometer a first reflection from the first surface of the polymer window and a second reflection from the second surface of the polymer window via the reflective material;
(c) calculating a delta between a sensed value of the first reflection and a sensed value of the second reflection, as sensed with the reflectometer;
(d) rotating an orientation of the polymer window about an axis extending substantially perpendicular to the first surface or the second surface of the polymer window;
(e) repeating steps (b) through (d) a plurality of times to solve for a plurality of deltas;
(f) determining which one of the plurality of deltas is the largest; and
(g) fixing the polymer window in an orientation associated with a largest one of the plurality of deltas.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein a holding fixture holds the polymer window and is actuatable to rotate the orientation of the polymer window.
3. The method of claim 1 , wherein rotating the orientation of the polymer window is performed in successively smaller increments.
4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising a step of fixing the fiber optic focuser to the window at the orientation associated with the largest one of the plurality of deltas.
5. The method of claim 4 , further comprising a step of removing the holding fixture from the window.
6. The method of claim 4 , wherein the fiber optic focuser is fixed to the polymer window via a housing.
7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the reflectometer measures intensity or compressions of the polymer window based on Doppler effects.
8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the orientation of the polymer window is rotated in a first direction until a calculated delta is less than a previously calculated delta, and then the orientation of the polymer window is rotated in a second direction opposite to the first direction.
9. The method of claim 8 , wherein the orientation of the polymer window is rotated in the first direction at increments of a first angular distance, and the orientation of the polymer window is rotated in the second direction at increments of a second angular distance that is smaller than the first angular distance.
10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the holding fixture comprises the reflective material that covers the second surface of the polymer window.
11. The method of claim 1 , wherein the orientation of the polymer is rotated via an actuator.
12. The method of claim 1 , wherein the shining step (a) comprises shining the light from the fiber optic focuser at an angle that is non-perpendicular relative to the first surface of the polymer window.
13. A method of optimizing a fiber optic sensor having a fiber optic focuser and a polymer window, the method comprising:
(a) shining light from the fiber optic focuser into the polymer window, wherein the polymer window has a thickness extending between a first surface and a second surface thereof, wherein the second surface is texturized and is covered with a reflective material;
(b) receiving with a reflectometer a first reflection from the first surface of the polymer window and a second reflection from the second surface of the polymer window via the reflective material;
(c) calculating a delta between a sensed value of the first reflection and a sensed value of the second reflection, as sensed with the reflectometer;
(d) rotating an orientation of the polymer window about an axis extending substantially perpendicular to the first surface or the second surface of the polymer window;
(e) repeating steps (b) through (d) a plurality of times to solve for a plurality of deltas;
(f) determining which one of the plurality of deltas is the largest; and
(g) fixing the polymer window and the fiber optic focuser together in an orientation associated with a largest one of the plurality of deltas.
14. The method of claim 13 , wherein a holding fixture holds the polymer window and is actuatable to rotate the orientation of the polymer window.
15. The method of claim 13 , wherein rotating the orientation of the polymer window is performed in successively smaller increments.
16. The method of claim 13 , wherein the orientation of the polymer window is rotated in a first direction until a calculated delta is less than a previously calculated delta, and then the orientation of the polymer window is rotated in a second direction opposite to the first direction.
17. The method of claim 16 , wherein the orientation of the polymer window is rotated in the first direction at increments of a first angular distance, and the orientation of the polymer window is rotated in the second direction at increments of a second angular distance that is smaller than the first angular distance.
18. The method of claim 13 , wherein the reflectometer measures intensity or compressions of the polymer window based on Doppler effects.
19. A method of optimizing a fiber optic sensor having a fiber optic focuser and a polymer window, the method comprising:
(a) shining light from the fiber optic focuser into the polymer window attached to a rotatable holding fixture having a surface with reflective material, wherein the polymer window has a thickness extending between a first surface and a second surface adjacent to the surface with reflective material;
(b) receiving with a reflectometer a first reflection from the first surface of the polymer window and a second reflection from the second surface of the polymer window via the reflective material;
(c) calculating a delta between a sensed value of the first reflection and a sensed value of the second reflection, as sensed with the reflectometer;
(d) rotating an orientation of the polymer window in a first direction at increments of a first angular distance about an axis extending substantially perpendicular to the first surface or the second surface of the polymer window and repeating steps (a) through (c) until a first calculated delta is less than a first previously calculated delta;
(e) rotating an orientation of the polymer window in a second direction opposite to the first direction and at increments of a second angular distance smaller than the first angular distance about the axis and repeating steps (a) through (c) until a second calculated delta is less than a second previously calculated delta;
(f) repeating steps (b) through (e) one or more times to solve for a plurality of deltas;
(g) determining which one of the plurality of deltas is the largest; and
(h) fixing the polymer window in an orientation associated with a largest one of the plurality of deltas.
20. The method of claim 19 , further comprising a step of fixing the fiber optic focuser to the window at the orientation associated with the largest one of the plurality of deltas.