Patents Assigned to Exfo Inc.
  • Patent number: 11726002
    Abstract: An optical test instrument, in combination with a removable connector cartridge is provided. A method of replacing a damaged or worn optic fiber interface is also provided. The optical test instrument has casing having a cartridge receiving cavity therein with an inner end provided with a test instrument optical port; and an outer end provided with a cartridge receiving opening. The connector cartridge is sized and configured to be inserted in the cartridge receiving cavity. The connector cartridge has a cartridge inner end for facing the test instrument optical port when in use, and a cartridge outer end for receiving an optic fiber from a device under test (DUT). The connector cartridge houses a fiber optic cable extending between the cartridge inner end and the cartridge outer end. The connector cartridge is removably connectable to the instrument casing to allow replacement of the connector cartridge when the cartridge outer end is worn or damaged.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 27, 2021
    Date of Patent: August 15, 2023
    Assignee: EXFO INC.
    Inventors: Michael Simard, Kristine Palanjyan, Stephane Perron
  • Patent number: 11650128
    Abstract: There are provided methods and systems that enable the use of the backscattering pattern produced by an optical fiber in an OTDR trace as a signature (also referred to herein as the “RBS fingerprint”) to recognize an optical fiber. It was found that it may be difficult to obtain repeatable signatures as those are sensitive to the wavelength of the OTDR laser source and the temperature of the fiber. OTDR methods and systems that are adapted to compare the backscattering pattern in a more repeatable manner are therefore provided. Once the repeatability issue is overcome, such signature can be used for identification purposes and enable new applications.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 28, 2021
    Date of Patent: May 16, 2023
    Assignee: EXFO Inc.
    Inventors: Michel Leclerc, Pascal Gosselin-Badaroudine, Stephane Perron
  • Patent number: 11644625
    Abstract: There is provided an adapter tip to be employed with an optical-fiber connector endface inspection microscope and an optical-fiber connector endface inspection microscope system suitable for imaging the optical-fiber endface of an angled-polished optical-fiber connector deeply recessed within a connector adapter. The adapter tip or microscope system comprises a relay optical system comprising a Rhomboid prism. The Rhomboid prism being disposed so as to receive light reflected from said optical-fiber endface during inspection and laterally shift the light beam reflected from the angled-polished optical-fiber endface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 27, 2021
    Date of Patent: May 9, 2023
    Assignee: EXFO Inc.
    Inventors: Jean Filion, Olivier Cote
  • Patent number: 11624680
    Abstract: There are provided an optical-fiber connector endface inspection microscope system and a method for inspecting an endface of an optical-fiber connector. The inspection microscope device is releasably connectable to an adapter tip configured to interface with the optical-fiber connector to inspect the endface thereof. The adapter tip is one among a plurality of adapter tip types adapted to inspect respective types of optical-fiber connectors. The optical-fiber connector endface inspection microscope system comprises a tip detection system adapted to recognize the type of the adapter tip among the plurality of adapter tip types; and is configured to analyze inspection images to produce an inspection result for the endface, at least partly based on a fiber type corresponding to the recognized adapter tip and/or other information read by the tip detection system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 30, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 11, 2023
    Assignee: EXFO Inc.
    Inventors: Mario L'Heureux, Guillaume Lavallee, Robert Baribault
  • Patent number: 11595125
    Abstract: There is herein provided a method for measuring the GOSNR that can be implemented using commercial-grade transceivers and which accounts for linear optical impairments (e.g. PMD, PDL and CD) and transceiver intrinsic impairments. The method may be implemented using an Optical Spectrum Analyzer (OSA) and either the system transceivers or other commercial-grade transceivers. The proposed measurement method is based on mixed optical and electronic technologies, using an OSA and a transceiver pair. By measuring a signal quality metric Qm and the OSNR under varied power and ASE noise conditions, a constant value RBW that relates the GOSNR to the signal quality metric Qm is derived. The GOSNR is then obtained from these results.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 24, 2021
    Date of Patent: February 28, 2023
    Assignee: EXFO Inc.
    Inventors: Gang He, Daniel Gariepy
  • Patent number: 11540234
    Abstract: A method comprising obtaining, via a test system, data from one or more tests of a mobile network having at least one antenna, wherein the data includes a stream of RF samples captured over-the-air or from a Common Public Radio Interface (CPRI) or enhanced CPRI (eCPRI) link; processing the data to detect peaks; performing an analysis of any detected peaks to identify any issues on the mobile network, the analysis including determining a relative power of the detected peaks; and causing display of a user interface that includes a reporting of any the relative power. Determining a relative power includes obtaining a baseline of a subset of the data and comparing an absolute power of the peak to the baseline.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 1, 2020
    Date of Patent: December 27, 2022
    Assignee: EXFO Inc.
    Inventors: Marco Di Pietro, Martin Levesque
  • Patent number: 11519782
    Abstract: There is provided an optical power measurement method, an offset calibration method and an optical power meter that is adapted to apply the offset calibration method. The optical power measurement method, the offset calibration method and the optical power meter are characterized in that two temperature sensors are used for more accurate predictions of the optical power offset. A first temperature sensor is positioned to read a temperature of the photodiode and a second temperature sensor is positioned to read a temperature of the PCB ground plane.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 26, 2020
    Date of Patent: December 6, 2022
    Assignee: EXFO Inc.
    Inventor: Nelu Radu
  • Patent number: 11522939
    Abstract: A method for Over-The-Top (OTT) media service monitoring and testing including deploying multiple test agents throughout the network and orchestrating them together to create a single OTT media service delivery path with coherent measurement points. The method includes selecting and configuring all test agents forming an OTT media service delivery path in a network, wherein the test agents are deployed on devices in the network with pairs of agents in a client-server relationship; for each selected test agent, simulating a Hyper Text Transport Protocol (HTTP) Adaptive Streaming (HAS) media playback using a pair test agent as a HAS server; for each selected test agent, monitoring the HAS media playback via a Quality of Experience (QoE) model to collect metrics, influence factors, and QoE scores; and reporting collected metrics, influence factors and QoE scores, wherein the QoE scores are compared to isolate any performance degradation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 18, 2021
    Date of Patent: December 6, 2022
    Assignee: EXFO Inc.
    Inventors: Sylvain Nadeau, Kevin Corre
  • Patent number: 11514651
    Abstract: Systems and methods for utilizing Augmented Reality (AR) processes to track cables among a tangled bundle of cables are provided. An AR method, according to one implementation, includes a step of obtaining an initial captured image showing a bundle of cables. The AR method also includes the step of processing the initial captured image to distinguish a selected cable from other cables of the bundle of cables. Also, the AR method includes displaying the initial captured image on a display screen while visually augmenting an image of the selected cable to highlight the selected cable with respect to the other cables.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 3, 2021
    Date of Patent: November 29, 2022
    Assignee: EXFO Inc.
    Inventors: Jean Fontaine, Vinay Mandy
  • Patent number: 11480496
    Abstract: There is provided a test method and system for characterizing an optical fiber link. At least one OTDR acquisition or at least one OLTS acquisition is performed on the optical fiber link. From the acquisition, a value of an excess insertion loss and/or an excess optical return loss associated with the optical fiber link under test is derived, i.e. in excess of a nominal value associated with a hypothetical optical fiber link having a length corresponding to the total length of the optical fiber link under test. A rating value (e.g., as a five-star rating) or a binary pass/fail value associated with the optical fiber link under test can then be derived and displayed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 11, 2021
    Date of Patent: October 25, 2022
    Assignee: EXFO Inc.
    Inventors: Stephane Perron, Eric Thomassin
  • Patent number: 11405101
    Abstract: There is provided an OTDR receive device and an OTDR system comprising an OTDR receive device wherein the OTDR unit and the OTDR receive device are to be connected at opposite ends of an optical fiber link under test. The OTDR receive device comprises means for the OTDR system to detect an established connectivity between the OTDR unit and the OTDR receive device via the optical fiber link under test and a status indicator to notify a user of the receive device of the connectivity status and optionally an OTDR measurement status. Connectivity detection allows to check for continuity between the OTDR unit and the OTDR receive device before launching an OTDR measurement. A user of the OTDR unit does not need to communicate with the user of the OTDR receive device to know when to start the acquisition.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 3, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 2, 2022
    Assignee: EXFO Inc.
    Inventors: Mario L'Heureux, Stephane Perron
  • Patent number: 11340137
    Abstract: There are provided techniques for characterizing and testing a cable routing connection configuration connection arrangement comprising a plurality of optical fiber links connected between at least a first connection device at a first end and a second multi-fiber connection device at a second end. Test light is injected into one or more of the optical fiber links via corresponding optical fiber ports of the first connection device. At least one image of the second multi-fiber connection device is captured. Test light exiting the optical fiber link(s) through optical fiber port(s) of the second multi-fiber connection device is imaged as light spot(s) in the captured image. Positions on the second multi-fiber connection device that corresponds to the optical fiber port(s) are determined based on a pattern of the light spot(s) in the captured image. In some implementations, the provided techniques allow detection or verification of cable routing connection configurations at multi-fiber distribution panels.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 20, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 24, 2022
    Assignee: EXFO Inc.
    Inventors: Michel Leclerc, Mario L'Heureux, Stephane Perron
  • Patent number: 11271641
    Abstract: There is therefore provided an OTDR method for characterizing an optical fiber link, wherein a receive device comprising a reflective optical signature and a receive fiber is connected at a remote end of the optical fiber link under test. The reflective optical signature is detected using an OTDR acquisition and link continuity is verified. Because detection of the reflective optical signature rely on high-intensity reflective peaks of the reflective optical signature and not on RBS level, dynamic range constraints are relaxed and so is the averaging time. Advantageously, the method may be employed to detect the reflective optical signature, verify link continuity, measure total link length, measure total insertion loss and/or determine a polarity of a multi-fiber array cable link.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 13, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 8, 2022
    Assignee: EXFO Inc.
    Inventor: Stephane Perron
  • Patent number: 11181440
    Abstract: There is provided an OTDR method and device for characterizing an optical fiber link. At least a first OTDR acquisition is performed toward the optical fiber link. From the at least one first OTDR acquisition, one or more events are identified along the optical fiber link and a value of at least one characteristic associated with each event is estimated. A second OTDR acquisition is performed toward the optical fiber link in order to target a specific event among the identified events. Values of one or more OTDR acquisition parameters for the second OTDR acquisition are determined such that the OTDR acquisition parameters comprise a second pulse width different from the first pulse width used in the first OTDR acquisition.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 1, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 23, 2021
    Assignee: EXFO Inc.
    Inventor: Stephane Perron
  • Patent number: 11134496
    Abstract: A device and method for providing a mapping of antenna data into antenna containers within a common public radio interface (CPRI) signal exchanged between a radio equipment controller (REC) and at least one radio equipment (RE) are described. The method comprises finding a location of activity within the multiple CPRI basic frames; extracting a candidate antenna signal from the multiple CPRI basic frames starting from the location using a set of mapping parameters used in a standard antenna signal; comparing a candidate frequency content of the candidate antenna signal to a standard frequency content of the standard antenna signal to derive a validity score; associating the set of mapping parameters of the standard antenna signal to the observed mapping if the validity score meets predetermined conditions; and causing a report of the observed mapping.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 19, 2019
    Date of Patent: September 28, 2021
    Assignee: EXFO INC.
    Inventors: Martin Levesque, Robert Matesevac, Eric Carignan
  • Patent number: 11125648
    Abstract: There is provided a method, system and computer program for detecting duplicate OTDR measurements performed on a same fiber. It is determined whether OTDR traces are likely to have been acquired over the same optical fiber link by comparing the backscattering pattern associated with a given fiber span along the OTDR traces, which corresponds to a continuous optical fiber section.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 4, 2020
    Date of Patent: September 21, 2021
    Assignee: EXFO Inc.
    Inventor: Stephane Perron
  • Patent number: 11121785
    Abstract: An interference detection method and system and for providing information about at least one interference in I/Q data obtained over-the-air or detected on a link between a radio equipment controller (REC) and at least one radio equipment (RE). The method includes noise filtering a set of the FFTs into an averaged FFT, filtering the averaged FFT with a high-pass filter to remove low frequency components, applying a power threshold on the high-pass filtered FFT to select at least one candidate peak having a power greater than the power threshold; outputting information about the at least one candidate peak, which is a potential interference. The interference detection method further includes multi-lane processing and power shift compensation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 9, 2020
    Date of Patent: September 14, 2021
    Assignee: EXFO Inc.
    Inventor: Martin Levesque
  • Publication number: 20210273722
    Abstract: There is herein provided a method for measuring the GOSNR that can be implemented using commercial-grade transceivers and which accounts for linear optical impairments (e.g. PMD, PDL and CD) and transceiver intrinsic impairments. The method may be implemented using an Optical Spectrum Analyzer (OSA) and either the system transceivers or other commercial-grade transceivers. The proposed measurement method is based on mixed optical and electronic technologies, using an OSA and a transceiver pair. By measuring a signal quality metric Qm and the OSNR under varied power and ASE noise conditions, a constant value RBW that relates the GOSNR to the signal quality metric Qm is derived. The GOSNR is then obtained from these results.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 24, 2021
    Publication date: September 2, 2021
    Applicant: EXFO Inc.
    Inventors: Gang HE, Daniel GARIEPY
  • Patent number: D955419
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 29, 2020
    Date of Patent: June 21, 2022
    Assignee: EXFO INC.
    Inventors: Alexandre Drapeau, Michel Leclerc
  • Patent number: D989645
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 14, 2021
    Date of Patent: June 20, 2023
    Assignee: EXFO INC.
    Inventor: Olivier Patry