British Telecommunications Public Limited Company

Edmund S Sikora

Peter Healey

David J T Heatley

The present invention relates to a method of and apparatus for evaluating the position of a time-varying disturbance on an optical waveguide. The steps include: transmitting sensing signals onto the optical waveguide, which sensing signals have imposed thereon a modulation which is dependent, at least in part, on their time of transmission; receiving returned sensing signals, which signals have been exposed to the disturbance; and, from the previously imposed modulation on the returned sensing signals, evaluating the position of the disturbance. Because the sensing signals have a modulation that is dependent at least in part on their transmission time, the round-trip time for the signals to travel to and from a disturbance can be inferred. From this round trip time, or a value related thereto, it is possible to directly or indirectly evaluate the position of the disturbance.

Evaluating the position of an optical fiber disturbance

The present invention relates to the modulation of light traveling along a waveguide, in particular to the acoustic modulation of the light. There is provide a modulator arrangement for acoustically modulating optical radiation. The modulator arrangement has: a waveguide portion formed from a flexible material; a vibrator element for generating acoustic vibrations; and, a coupling arrangement for releasably coupling the vibrating element to the waveguide portion, the coupling arrangement including a first coupling member secured to the waveguide portion, and a second coupling member secured to the vibrator element. The second coupling member is removable from the first coupling member, and the first coupling member has a substantially rigid portion for retaining the shape of the waveguide when the second coupling member is removed from the first coupling member.

Growing community of inventors

Ipswich, United Kingdom

Edmund S Sikora