Optical waveguides – Miscellaneous
Reexamination Certificate
1998-10-08
2001-01-23
Font, Frank G. (Department: 2877)
Optical waveguides
Miscellaneous
C385S133000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06178285
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is directed to a vision system which allows inspection of interconnections of optical cards or modules mounted in a rack. More particularly, the present invention is directed to forming such a vision system on a mount which is itself mounted in the rack and which can be used for inspection of fibers in a backplane of the rack while so mounted.
2. Description of Related Art
More and more fiber optics are being used to carry data. To transmit electronic data over an optical fiber, the electronic data is converted into light and sent along the fiber until it reaches its destination where the light is converted back into electronic signals. The optical fiber usually is connected to a fiber in a module or optical card through a bulkhead. The module may be purely optical or electro-optical. The module may perform various functions such as reamplifying the light signals, filtering the light signals, converting the light signals, etc.
Complex systems composed of a plurality of modules are mounted in a rack to facilitate interconnections therebetween. The interconnections are provided by fiber optics in a back plane of the rack. The fiber optics must be inspected and cleaned during, e.g., set up, installation, reconfiguration, and troubleshooting, in order to insure good performance or to determine where a problem in the system is arising. Such an inspection includes determining if there are any defects, such as cracks, scratches, chips, dirt, etc. on the end surface of the optical fiber. Inspection of a fiber optic for defects requires high magnification and high depth perception. A desired magnification for inspection is on the order of approximately 400×-800×. Optics providing high magnification require bright light.
Recently, inspection of an end of a fiber optic with a bulkhead connected thereto was disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,724,127 to Csipkes et al. entitled “A System and Method for Inspecting an End of a Fiber Optic”, the entire contents of which are incorporated by reference. However, the spacing of the cards in the rack, typically on the order of 1 inch or less, prohibits such an inspection system, or any commercially available microscope, from being inserted therebetween. Removal of adjoining modules in the shelves is not an acceptable answer, since such removal would disrupt the testing sequence. Also, there is a risk of damaging the module connectors when removing the modules. The problem is further compounded with the requirement of high magnification. Finally, using an unguided probe microscope presents both magnification/resolution problems as well as risk of optical interface damage due to an unstable linkage to a rigid body.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention is therefore directed to a vision card for inspecting connections between optical cards in a rack which substantially overcomes one or more of the problems due to the limitations and disadvantages of the related art.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a vision system which allows viewing of the end of an optical fiber in a fiber connector in a backplane of the rack without requiring removal of the fiber connector or of adjacent modules in the rack.
These and other objects may be realized by providing an apparatus for inspecting an end surface of an optical fiber in a bulkhead containing an end surface of an optical fiber to be inspected on a backplane of a rack including: a vision system containing an adapter for connecting the vision system to the bulkhead, a light generator generating light to be delivered to the end surface, and an image capturer receiving an image of the end surface illuminated by the light and a mount on which the vision system is mounted, the mount being configured to be received by the rack.
The mount may be a panel having a height of a module to be inserted into the rack. A vertical rail system may be provided on the panel for moving the vision system vertically on the panel.
The apparatus may include a hollow tube containing a magnifying lens, the adapter being connected to an end of the tube, the tube delivering light to the end surface and delivering an image to the image capturer. The hollow tube may include a relay lens for relaying an image from the magnifying lens to the image capturer. A focus knob for adjusting a focus position of the magnifying lens may be included.
A housing containing the light source and the image capturer, may be mounted adjacent the tube at an end opposite the adapter. The housing may serve as a handle for pressing the tube into contact with the bulkhead.
The tube may be mounted on a panel having a height of a module to be inserted into the rack. The tube may be fixedly mounted on the panel. A vertical movement assembly may be provided on the panel for permitting continuous adjustment of a vertical position of the tube along the height of the panel. A holding plate may be mounted in the rack, wherein the tube includes spring mounted flanges for removably mounting the tube in the holding plate. Guide slots may be used for locking the tube into position. The guide slots may be configured in predetermined locations in accordance with a particular module to be inserted in the rack. The guide slots may be removably provided on a panel on which the tube is movably mounted.
A display may be provided for displaying at least one of an image of the fiber in the bulkhead and results from an automated inspection of the fiber in the bulkhead. The display may be mounted on a telescoping mount. The display may be mounted on a support removably attached to the rack.
These and other objects may also be realized by providing a method of inspecting an end surface of an optical fiber on a backplane of a rack, including: providing a vision system containing an adapter for connecting the vision system to a connector connected to the end surface of the optical fiber on the backplane of the rack, a light generator generating light to be delivered to the end surface, and an image capturer receiving an image of the end surface illuminated by the light generator on a mount configured to be received by the rack; mounting the mount containing the vision system in the rack; and mating the adapter to the connector.
After the mounting, the adapter may be moved relative to the end surface. The adapter may be moved via a control mounted on a front face of the mount containing the vision system. An image processor may be provided on one of the mount and another module configured to be received by the rack in the rack and used to automatically inspect the fiber. The image output by the vision system may be displayed.
These and other objects of the present invention will become more readily apparent from the detailed description given hereinafter. However, it should be understood that the detailed description and specific examples, while indicating the preferred embodiments of the invention, are given by way of illustration only, since various changes and modifications within the spirit and scope of the invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art from this detailed description.
REFERENCES:
patent: 5724127 (1998-03-01), Csipkes et al.
Csipkes Andrei
Dar Iqbal M.
Porter Glen D.
Zhan Qiong
Ciena Corporation
Daisak Daniel N.
Font Frank G.
Ratliff Reginald
Soltz David L.
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