1. An apparatus for measuring the characteristics of an optical fiber, the apparatus comprising:
an optical pulse generator that generates a series of first and second optical pulses from a coherent light, the first and second optical pulses having a time interval between them, the time interval being equal to or shorter than a life time of an acoustic wave in the optical fiber, the optical pulse generator emitting the series of first and second optical pulses toward the optical fiber;
a detector that couples the coherent light with a Brillouin backscattered light which includes first and second Brillouin backscattered lights belonging to the first and second optical pulses respectively, thereby generating an optical signal, the detector converting the optical signal into an electrical signal;
a signal processor that takes the sum of the electrical signal and a delay electrical signal which is delayed from the electrical signal by a delay time corresponding to the time interval, thereby generating an interference signal, the signal processor finding the characteristics of the optical fiber based on the interference signal; and
a frequency-varying device that allows the signal processor to obtain a Brillouin spectrum from the electrical signal.
2. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:
a polarization state varying device that varies at least one of a polarization state of the coherent light and a polarization state of the Brillouin backscattered light.
3. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:
a remover that removes unnecessary component from the series of the first and second optical pulses that are to be transmitted to the optical fiber.
4. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:
a signal generator that generates a mixing signal having a frequency that generally corresponds to Brillouin frequency shift of the optical fiber.
5. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the life time is a time period from appearance of the power peak of the acoustic wave until the power of the acoustic wave is decayed to not more than 5% of the peak power.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
1. An optical communication system, comprising:
a first optical device comprising a transmission optical switch and a controller coupled to the transmission optical switch; and
a second optical device coupled to the first optical device via each of a first fiber and a second fiber, wherein the transmission optical switch is configured to operate in one of a first mode associated with the first fiber and a second mode associated with the second fiber based on control signals generated by the controller, wherein the controller is configured:
(a) to transmit a first control signal to the transmission optical switch that prompts the transmission optical switch to operate in the first mode;
(b) to determine whether a predetermined condition is satisfied with respect to the first fiber;
(c) if the predetermined condition is satisfied with respect to the first fiber in step (b), to return to step (b); and
(d) if the predetermined condition is not satisfied with respect to the first fiber in step (b), to transmit a second control signal to the transmission optical switch that prompts the transmission optical switch to transition from the first mode to the second mode.
2.-8. (canceled)
9. A method of operating an optical communication system, wherein the optical communication system comprises a first optical device comprising a transmission optical switch and a controller coupled to the transmission optical switch; and a second optical device coupled to the first optical device via each of a first fiber and a second fiber, wherein the transmission optical switch is configured to operate in one of a first mode associated with the first fiber and a second mode associated with the second fiber based on control signals generated by the controller, wherein the method comprises:
(a) transmitting a first control signal to the transmission optical switch that prompts the transmission optical switch to operate in the first mode;
(b) determining whether a predetermined condition is satisfied with respect to the first fiber;
(c) if the predetermined condition is satisfied with respect to the first fiber in step (b), returning to step (b); and
(d) if the predetermined condition is not satisfied with respect to the first fiber in step (b), transmitting a second control signal to the transmission optical switch that prompts the transmission optical switch to transition from the first mode to the second mode.
10.-78. (canceled)