US 12,206,449 B1
Hybrid telecommunication and sensing systems and methods
Luis Alberto Campos, Superior, CO (US); Zhensheng Jia, Superior, CO (US); Haipeng Zhang, Broomfield, CO (US); Mu Xu, Broomfield, CO (US); and Junwen Zhang, Broomfield, CO (US)
Assigned to Cable Television Laboratories, Inc., Louisville, CO (US)
Filed by Cable Television Laboratories, Inc., Louisville, CO (US)
Filed on Oct. 18, 2021, as Appl. No. 17/503,567.
Claims priority of provisional application 63/092,764, filed on Oct. 16, 2020.
Int. Cl. H04B 10/08 (2006.01); H04B 10/077 (2013.01)
CPC H04B 10/0773 (2013.01) [H04B 10/0775 (2013.01)] 21 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A method of using a telecommunication fiber-optic network as a probe, the method comprising the steps of:
transmitting at least one coherent telecommunication signal over a first fiber optic strand of the fiber optic network;
transmitting at least one direct detection probe signal concurrently with the at least one coherent transmission signal, such that the at least one coherent transmission signal and the at least one direct detection probe signal coexist on the first fiber optic strand of the fiber-optic network;
receiving scattered energy from the at least one direct detection probe signal at a detector;
analyzing data representing the scattered energy to monitor a first condition affecting the fiber-optic network; and
determining, a posteriori based on the analyzed data, at least one event associated with the monitored first condition affecting the fiber-optic network,
wherein the at least one direct detection probe signal is pulsed at a shorter duration and higher power density than the at least one coherent transmission signal.