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EP-4180848-B1 - PASSIVE OPTICAL COUPLERS HAVING PASSIVE OPTICAL ACTIVITY INDICATORS AND METHODS OF OPERATING THE SAME

EP4180848B1EP 4180848 B1EP4180848 B1EP 4180848B1EP-4180848-B1

Inventors

  • VALDEZ, JOHN
  • SMITH, STEVEN
  • WARDOJO, ERWIN

Dates

Publication Date
20260506
Application Date
20221111

Claims (15)

  1. A passive optical coupler (120A, 120B, 200) for passively coupling first and second optical fibers, the passive optical coupler comprising: a housing (205) including: a first port (210) on a first end, wherein the first port (210) is configured to receive a first connector holding an end of a first optical fiber inserted from a first direction, and to substantially align the first end of the first optical fiber with an optical axis of the passive optical coupler when the first connector is received in the first port (210), a second port (215) on a second opposite end, wherein the second port (215) is configured to receive a second connector holding an end of a second optical fiber inserted from a second direction opposite the first direction, and to substantially align the end of the second optical fiber with the optical axis when the second connector is received in the second port (215), and an opening (225) facing the first direction; and a passive optical activity indicator (124) comprising a flat pane of optical material (220) positioned within the housing (205) such that a first face and a second face of the flat pane of optical material (220) are substantially perpendicular to the optical axis in two directions, and a first portion of the first face is exposed through the opening, wherein the housing (205) is configured to (i) optically couple the end of the first optical fiber with a second portion of the first face when the first connector is received in the first port (210), and (ii) optically couple the end of the second optical fiber with a portion of the second face when the second connector is received in the second port (215), and wherein the passive optical activity indicator (124) is configured to (a) passively optically couple the first and second optical fibers, (b) passively illuminate in response to (i) first light propagating in the first optical fiber when the end of the first optical fiber is received in the first port (210), and (ii) second light propagating in the second optical fiber when the end of the second optical fiber is received in the second port (215), and (c) passively emit light through the opening (225) in response to the passive illumination.
  2. The passive optical coupler (120A, 120B, 200) of claim 1, wherein the passive optical activity indicator is positioned at a midpoint of the passive optical coupler (120A, 120B, 200) between the first port (210) and the second port (215).
  3. The passive optical coupler (120A, 120B, 200) of any preceding claim, wherein the first port (210) and the second port (215) are configured to receive SC fiber optic connectors.
  4. The passive optical coupler (120A, 120B, 200) of any preceding claim, wherein the passive optical coupler (120A, 120B, 200) is a portion of a bulkhead (118) of a fiber distribution hub (116, 400).
  5. A method comprising: inserting a first connector of a first optical fiber into a first port of a passive optical coupler (120A, 120B, 200) of any one of claims 1 to 4: configuring a light source (325) at an optical terminal (106A) to transmit light into an optical fiber; detecting light externally exposed by the first portion of the passive optical activity indicator (124); and determining whether the optical terminal (106A) is optically coupled to the passive optical coupler (120A, 120B, 200) based on the detected light.
  6. The method of claim 5, wherein determining whether the optical terminal (106A) is optically coupled to the passive optical coupler (120A, 120B, 200) based on the detected light includes determining whether the detected light changes according to a changing pattern of light associated with the light source (325).
  7. The method of any of claims 5 or 6, wherein configuring the light source (325) to transmit light includes configuring the light source to encode a unique identifier in the transmitted light.
  8. The method of any of claims 5 to 7, further comprising, when the optical terminal (106A) is determined to be optically coupled to the passive optical coupler (120A, 120B, 200) based on the detected light, inserting the second connector of the second optical fiber associated with a second optical terminal (106B) that is to be coupled to the passive optical coupler (120A, 120B, 200) into the second port, and, optionally, further comprising: configuring a second light source at the second optical terminal (106B) to transmit light; detecting further light externally exposed by the passive optical activity indicator (124); and confirming the second optical terminal (106B) is optically coupled to the passive optical coupler (120A, 120B, 200) based on the further detected light.
  9. The method of claim 8, wherein confirming the second optical terminal (106B) is optically coupled to the passive optical coupler (120A, 120B, 200) based on the further detected light includes determining whether the detected further light changes according to a second changing pattern of light associated with the second light source.
  10. The method of any of claims 5 to 7, further comprising: inserting the second connector of the second optical fiber into the second port (215); configuring a second light source at a second optical terminal (106B) to transmit light into an optical fiber; detecting further light externally exposed by the passive optical activity indicator (124); and determining whether the second optical terminal (106B) is optically coupled to the passive optical coupler (120A, 120B, 200) based on the further detected light, and, optionally, wherein configuring the light source (325) to transmit light includes configuring the light source (325) to change its transmitted light according to a first pattern, and wherein configuring the second light source to transmit light includes configuring the second light source to change its transmitted light according to a second pattern.
  11. The method of claim 10, further comprising selecting the first pattern and the second pattern such that an illumination of the passive optical activity indicator (124) is substantially steady when the light source (325) is coupled to the first optical fiber and the second light source is coupled to the second optical fiber.
  12. The method of any of claims 10 to 11, further comprising selecting the first pattern and the second pattern such that an illumination of the passive optical activity indicator (124) blinks when only one of the light source (325) and the second light source is coupled to their respective optical fiber.
  13. The method of any of claims 5 to 12, wherein configuring the light source (325) to transmit light comprises configuring the light source (325) to multiplex first light having a first wavelength associated with providing a communication service with second light having a different second wavelength.
  14. The method of any of claims 5 to 13, wherein detecting light externally exposed by the first portion of the passive optical activity indicator (124) comprises at least one of detecting light visually, or detecting light using a meter.
  15. The passive optical coupler (120A, 120B, 200) of any of claims 1 to 4, wherein the housing (205) is configured such that the end of the first optical fiber is in contact with the passive optical activity indicator (124) when the first connector is received in the first port (210), and (ii) the end of the second optical fiber is in contact with the passive optical activity indicator (124) when the second connector is received in the second port (215), and/or, wherein the passive optical activity indicator (124) further comprises an angled surface to direct the emitted light through the opening (225), and/or, wherein the first face and the second face are positioned at an angle of between 89 degrees and 91 degrees relative to the optical axis in the two directions, and/or, wherein the passive optical activity indicator (124) is configured to pass at least 99 percent of the first light and the second light between the first and second optical fibers, and/or, wherein the passive optical coupler (120A, 120B, 200) is configured to mount to a bulkhead (118) of a fiber distribution hub (116) such that (i) the first port faces forward from the bulkhead (118), (ii) the second port faces backward from the bulkhead (118), and (iii) the opening (225) faces frontward from the bulkhead (118).

Description

FIELD OF THE DISCLOSURE This disclosure relates generally to passive optical couplers, and, more particularly, to passive optical couplers having passive optical activity indicators and methods of operating the same. BACKGROUND A conventional passive optical network (PON) includes one or more optical line terminals (OLTs) at a central location connecting to one or more optical network terminals (ONTs) at respective customer premises. A PON is typically implemented using a point-to-multipoint topology in which a feeder optical fiber from an OLT serves multiple ONTs via respective distribution optical fibers. Typically, the feeder optical fiber is optically coupled to distribution optical fibers for respective ones of the ONTs in a fiber distribution hub (FDH) using an optical splitter and a bulkhead having a plurality of optical couplers. Over time, as distribution optical fibers are connected, disconnected, reconnected via different ports, etc. to a bulkhead, it may become increasingly difficult for a service technician to know which ports of a bulkhead are active, connected, provisioned, available for use, etc. Today, a service technician must disconnect, unplug, etc. an optical fiber and connect it to a light meter to determine whether the optical fiber is carrying an optical signal. Such a process may be time-consuming and may reduce technician efficiencies. Further, service technicians may erroneously attempt to repair a service by placing the optical fiber of a customer experiencing service disruptions into a working optical coupler, which was unknowingly providing service to a different customer. This may result in service disruptions. Accordingly, there is a need for passive optical couplers that can provide an indication of the status of their ports. Moreover, there is a need for systems and methods for collecting information regarding optical connections in a PON. Furthermore, there is a need for systems and methods for mapping optical connections in a PON. US 2019/0052357 A1 discloses a system for monitoring a signal on an optical fiber which includes a fiber optic connector having a housing couplable to a receptacle. SUMMARY In a first aspect of the invention, there is provided a passive optical coupler according to claim 1. In a second aspect of the invention, a method according to claim 5 is provided. In an example, a bulkhead for a fiber distribution hub of a passive optical network includes a plurality of optical couplers. Each of the plurality of optical couplers including: a respective first port adapted to receive an end of a respective first optical fiber; a respective second port adapted receive an end of a respective second optical fiber; and a respective passive optical activity indicator constructed from a passive light transmissive material, wherein the passive optical activity indicator is configured to illuminate in response to (i) first light propagating in the first optical fiber when the end of the first optical fiber is received in the first port, and (ii) second light propagating in the second optical fiber when the end of the second optical fiber is received in the second port. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The accompanying figures, where like reference numerals refer to identical or functionally similar elements throughout the separate views, together with the detailed description below, are incorporated in and form part of the specification, and serve to further illustrate examples of concepts that include the claimed invention, and explain various principles and advantages of those examples. FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of an example system having an example passive optical network (PON) constructed in accordance with the disclosure.FIG. 2A is a perspective view of an example passive optical coupler that may be used to implement the example passive optical couplers of FIG. 1, in accordance with the disclosure.FIG. 2B is another perspective view of the example passive optical coupler of FIG. 2A, in accordance with the disclosure.FIG. 2C is an end view of a first end the example passive optical coupler of FIG. 2A, in accordance with the disclosure.FIG. 2D is a side view of the example passive optical coupler of FIG. 2A, in accordance with the disclosure.FIG. 2E is a top view of the example passive optical coupler of FIG. 2A, in accordance with the disclosure.FIG. 2F is a side cross-section view of the example passive optical coupler of FIG. 2A, in accordance with the disclosure.FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram of an example optical terminal that may be used to implement the example optical line terminal and/or optical network terminals of FIG. 1, in accordance with the disclosure.FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram of an example fiber distribution hub (FDH) that may be used to implement the example FDH of FIG. 1.FIG. 5 is a flowchart representative of an example method for verifying an optical connection, in accordance with the disclosure.FIG. 6 is a flowchart representative of