US 12,359,964 B2
Monitoring optical fibers using two dissimilar algorithms on a single monitoring system
Cary R. Murphy, Hickory, NC (US); Daniel M. Goertzen, Winnipeg (CA); and Mark K. Bridges, Hickory, NC (US)
Assigned to Network Integrity Systems, Inc., Hickory, NC (US)
Filed by Network Integrity Systems, Inc., Hickory, NC (US)
Filed on Oct. 14, 2022, as Appl. No. 17/966,115.
Prior Publication US 2024/0125641 A1, Apr. 18, 2024
Int. Cl. G01H 9/00 (2006.01); G01D 5/353 (2006.01); G08B 13/186 (2006.01)
CPC G01H 9/004 (2013.01) [G01D 5/35361 (2013.01); G08B 13/186 (2013.01)] 18 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A method for monitoring an optical cable containing at least one optical fiber for disturbance events of the optical cable comprising:
introducing a monitoring optical signal into said at least one optical fiber;
receiving optical signals from said at least one optical fiber which are modified by disturbance events on said at least one optical fiber;
wherein the optical signals are divided into a plurality of data streams, where each data stream is associated with a specific respective portion of said at least one optical fiber with the portions divided along the length of said at least one optical fiber so that each data stream is indicative of a disturbance event of a plurality of disturbances in the respective portion and therefore of the disturbance event in said at least one optical cable at the respective portion;
wherein each data stream comprises a series of data values representative of the plurality of disturbances over time in the respective portion;
passing the data streams to a first processing path running a first detection algorithm;
passing the data streams to a second processing path running a second detection algorithm;
where the data streams passed to the first and second processing paths are identical;
where the second detection algorithm is different from the first detection algorithm;
applying the first detection algorithm to the data streams and using the first detection algorithm applied to the data streams to generate a first output indicative of the disturbance event;
applying the second detection algorithm to the data streams and using the second detection algorithm applied to the data streams to generate a second output indicative of the disturbance event;
and in a control system using information from the first and second outputs to determine if an alarm should be issued.