IP Library › Granted Patent US 12,270,723
Granted Patent B2
US 12,270,723 · App. 18/501,442 · Granted Apr 8, 2025

Fiber optic cable location system and method

Inventor: Andre Champavere (Saint-Bonnet les Oules, FR)
Assignee: VIAVI SOLUTIONS INC.
G01M11/3145G01D5/35361G01H9/004G01M11/3109G01M11/3154G01V1/226G02B6/562
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,270,723
App. No.
18/501,442
Granted
Apr 8, 2025
Kind
B2
Abstract

In some examples, fiber optic cable location may include transmitting a coherent laser pulse into a device under test (DUT). Based on an analysis of reflected light resulting from the transmitted coherent laser pulse, changes in intensity of the reflected light caused by a plurality of signals directed towards the DUT may be determined. Further, based on the changes in intensity of the reflected light, a location of the DUT may be determined.

Claims (41)

1. A fiber optic cable location system, comprising:

a mobile signal generator configured to:

generate a plurality of vibrational signals directed towards an area where a location of a section of a fiber optic cable is to be determined;

receive an indication of noise variation over time of intensity of reflected light resulting from a coherent laser pulse transmitted into the fiber optic cable and caused by the generated plurality of vibrational signals directed towards the area where the location of the section of the fiber optic cable is to be determined,

wherein the noise variation over time is determined based on a sampling of the reflected light at a sampling frequency, and the sampling frequency depends on a length of the fiber optic cable; and

determine, based on the indication of noise variation over time of intensity of reflected light, the location of the section of the fiber optic cable to be determined.

2. The fiber optic cable location system of claim 1 , wherein the mobile signal generator is further configured to move while performing at least one of the generating a plurality of vibrational signals, the receiving an indication of noise variation over time, the determining the location of the fiber optic cable, or the presenting the visual display.

3. The fiber optic cable location system of claim 1 , wherein the mobile signal generator is further configured to move automatically on a path of the fiber optic cable based on the determining the location of the fiber optic cable.

4. The fiber optic cable location system of claim 1 , wherein the fiber optic cable is disposed under soil, and wherein the mobile signal generator is further configured to change a frequency of the generated plurality of vibrational signals based on one or more soil characteristics of the soil.

5. The fiber optic cable location system of claim 4 , wherein the one or more soil characteristics comprise at least one of soil moisture, soil composition, or type of soil.

6. The fiber optic cable location system of claim 1 , wherein the noise variation over time is coherent noise variation.

7. The fiber optic cable location system of claim 1 , wherein a bandwidth of the sampled reflected light is inversely proportional to the length of the fiber optic cable.

8. The fiber optic cable location system of claim 1 , wherein the mobile signal generator is further configured to present a visual display of a proximity of the determined location.

9. A fiber optic cable location determination method, comprising:

generating a plurality of vibrational signals directed towards an area where a location of a section of a fiber optic cable is to be determined;

receiving an indication of noise variation over time of intensity of reflected light resulting from a coherent laser pulse transmitted into the fiber optic cable and caused by the generated plurality of vibrational signals directed towards the area where the location of the section of the fiber optic cable is to be determined,

wherein the noise variation over time is determined based on a sampling of the reflected light at a sampling frequency and the sampling frequency depends on a length of the fiber optic cable; and

determining, based on the indication of noise variation over time of intensity of reflected light, the location of the section of the fiber optic cable to be determined.

10. The fiber optic cable location determination method of claim 9 , further comprising:

moving automatically on a path of the fiber optic cable based on the determining the location of the fiber optic cable.

11. The fiber optic cable location determination method of claim 9 , further comprising:

changing a frequency of the generated plurality of vibrational signals based on one or more soil characteristics of a soil under which the fiber optic cable is disposed.

12. The fiber optic cable location determination method of claim 11 , wherein the one or more soil characteristics comprise at least one of soil moisture, soil composition, or type of soil.

13. The fiber optic cable location determination method of claim 9 , wherein the fiber optic cable is buried underground, the method further comprising:

changing a frequency of the generated plurality of vibrational signals based on a configuration of buried fiber optic cable.

14. The fiber optic cable location determination method of claim 9 , wherein a bandwidth of the sampled reflected light is inversely proportional to the length of the fiber optic cable.

15. A system, comprising:

a signal analyzer configured to:

transmit a coherent laser pulse into a device under test (DUT) disposed under soil;

receive, from the DUT, reflected light resulting from the transmitted coherent laser pulse;

determine, based on an analysis of the reflected light, changes in intensity of reflected light caused by a plurality of vibrational signals directed towards an area where a location of a section of the DUT is to be determined; and

transmit the determined changes in intensity of reflected light; and

a mobile signal generator configured to:

generate the plurality of vibrational signals directed towards the area where the location of the section of the DUT is to be determined, wherein the mobile signal generator changes a frequency of the generated plurality of vibrational signals based on one or more soil characteristics of the soil;

receive the determined changes in intensity of reflected light from the signal analyzer; and

determine, based on the received determined changes in intensity of reflected light, the location of the section of the DUT.

16. The system of claim 15 , wherein the signal analyzer comprises a distributed acoustic or vibration signal measurement (DAVSM) device.

17. The system of claim 15 , wherein the mobile signal generator is further configured to present a visual display indicating a proximity of the determined location of the section of the DUT.

18. The system of claim 15 , wherein the DUT includes a fiber optic cable.

19. The system of claim 15 , wherein the mobile signal generator is further configured to move automatically on a path of the DUT based on the determining the location of the DUT.

20. The system of claim 15 , wherein the one or more soil characteristics comprise at least one of soil moisture, soil composition, or type of soil.

Assignments (4)
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST AT REEL/FRAME 73189/0873 Recorded May 28, 2026
From: WELLS FARGO BANK, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, AS ADMINISTRATIVE AGENT
To: INERTIAL LABS, INC.; VIAVI SOLUTIONS INC.; VIAVI SOLUTIONS LICENSING LLC
Reel/Frame 075642/0381 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Nov 14, 2025
From: VIAVI SOLUTIONS INC.; VIAVI SOLUTIONS LICENSING LLC; INERTIAL LABS, INC.
To: WELLS FARGO BANK, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, AS AGENT
Reel/Frame 073571/0137 →
SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Oct 21, 2025
From: INERTIAL LABS, INC.; VIAVI SOLUTIONS INC.; VIAVI SOLUTIONS LICENSING LLC
To: WELLS FARGO BANK, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, AS ADMINISTRATIVE AGENT
Reel/Frame 073189/0873 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Nov 3, 2023
From: CHAMPAVERE, ANDRE
To: VIAVI SOLUTIONS FRANCE SAS
Reel/Frame 065451/0722 →
Priority Claims (1)
EP 19305402 · Mar 28, 2019 · regional
Continuity (3)
Continuation 17513649 · Oct 28, 2021
Continuation 16388536 · Apr 18, 2019
Related Publication 20240060852A1 · Feb 22, 2024
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