Optical cable route inventory system, method, device, and storage medium

Abstract

The application discloses a kind of optical cable route inspection system, method, equipment and storage medium, its method includes the following steps: device connection and initialization;Vibration signal excitation and collection;Multi-dimensional data synchronous acquisition;Data fusion and intelligent analysis;Data synchronization and archiving.Its system includes: data acquisition unit, data transmission unit, data processing and analysis unit and data application unit.Its equipment includes processor and memory, and the storage medium stores computer program.The application can realize nondestructive operation without opening well and pulling cable, and through data fusion, physical route identification and key node accurate positioning are completed synchronously, and the inspection efficiency, data accuracy and automation level are comprehensively improved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of optical cable resource operation and maintenance and inventory technology, specifically to an optical cable route inventory system, method, equipment and storage medium based on vibration sensing and high-precision OTDR data fusion without the need for well drilling and cable removal. Background Technology

[0002] With the advancement of 5G infrastructure construction and the development of digital twin cities, optical fiber, as a core transmission carrier, is experiencing a rapidly expanding network scale, with the total length of optical fiber nationwide exceeding 50 million kilometers. However, current optical fiber route investigation faces numerous challenges: traditional investigation methods require opening manholes to pull cables, relying on tag markings and manual experience, which is not only labor-intensive and inefficient but also prone to damaging optical cables; optical fiber lines are frequently adjusted (up to 30% in six months), and traditional methods cannot synchronize route data in a timely manner, resulting in a data accuracy rate of less than 50% for the management platform; the location of key nodes such as junction boxes and fiber distribution points relies on manual investigation, which is prone to errors and time-consuming, seriously affecting the efficiency of line design, fault diagnosis, and asset management.

[0003] In existing technologies, standalone OTDR testing can only obtain fiber core length and loss data, and cannot accurately correlate with physical routes; simple vibration detection technology lacks distance calibration capabilities, making it difficult to locate nodes. Therefore, there is an urgent need for a non-destructive inspection technology that can identify routes and locate nodes without damaging facilities, solving the problems of low efficiency, inaccurate data, and easy damage to cables caused by traditional methods. Summary of the Invention

[0004] To address the shortcomings of existing optical cable route investigation technologies, this invention provides an optical cable route investigation system, method, equipment, and storage medium to achieve non-destructive operations without the need for well drilling and cable extraction. Through data fusion, it synchronously completes physical route identification and precise location of key nodes, and comprehensively improves investigation efficiency, data accuracy, and automation level.

[0005] To solve the above-mentioned technical problems, the present invention adopts the following technical solution:

[0006] First, this invention provides a method for investigating optical cable routes, which includes the following steps:

[0007] S1: Equipment Connection and Initialization. Select a spare fiber core from the target optical cable in the ODF rack of the equipment room, and connect the line tracing analyzer to the fiber core via a fiber optic patch cord to complete the equipment initialization. This line tracing analyzer integrates an OTDR module and a vibration signal receiving module.

[0008] S2: Vibration Signal Excitation and Acquisition. Inspectors, carrying tapping tools, move along the suspected fiber optic cable route. At each manhole (manhole or handhole) along the route, they tap the manhole cover to generate a vibration signal at a specific frequency. This vibration signal is transmitted to the fiber optic cable through the ground, pipe walls, and other media, and then propagates back along the fiber core within the cable.

[0009] S3: Multi-dimensional data synchronous acquisition. The line-following analyzer synchronously performs the following operations: acquires the backscattered signal of the current fiber core through its OTDR module to obtain OTDR curve data containing length, loss, and event point information; and acquires the vibration waveform data transmitted back along the fiber core generated by the tapping in step S2 through its vibration signal receiving module. The above data is uploaded to the cloud platform in real time or near real time.

[0010] S4: Data Fusion and Intelligent Analysis. The cloud platform receives the OTDR curve data and vibration waveform data, and performs fusion analysis:

[0011] S41: Route Identification. The cloud platform analyzes the vibration waveform response corresponding to each manhole impact point. If a valid vibration response waveform is collected at a certain impact point, it is determined that the target optical cable passes through that manhole; if there is no valid response, it is determined that the optical cable does not pass through that manhole. Based on the geographical location information of all response points, a precise physical route for the optical cable is formed.

[0012] S42: Location of key nodes (junction boxes, fiber splitting points). The cloud platform analyzes the OTDR curve, identifies loss step points on the curve, and these points correspond to events such as fusion splices, junction boxes, or fiber splitting points on the optical fiber, obtaining their precise distances from the test end. Simultaneously, combining the geographical location of the vibration response point (well) closest to these events obtained in step S41, the logical distance measured by the OTDR is correlated and calibrated with the physical location on the ground, thereby accurately locating the specific well where the junction box or fiber splitting point is located.

[0013] S5: Data Synchronization and Archiving. The physical routing information, key node location information, and associated test data obtained from step S4 are automatically synchronized to the optical cable resource management system to form a queryable and traceable digital routing archive.

[0014] Secondly, this invention discloses an optical cable route investigation system for implementing the above method, the system comprising:

[0015] The data acquisition unit includes:

[0016] The line-following analyzer has a built-in OTDR module and vibration signal receiving module, which are used to connect to the fiber core of the target optical cable to synchronously acquire OTDR curve data and vibration waveform data.

[0017] A percussion tool used to generate a standardized vibration excitation signal at the wellhead;

[0018] The mobile terminal, equipped with a dedicated application (APP), is used to obtain the geolocation information of the well, control the data acquisition process, and display preliminary results.

[0019] The data transmission unit is used to upload the OTDR curve data, vibration waveform data and geographical location information collected by the data acquisition unit to the cloud. It includes a wireless communication module integrated in the line-following analyzer and the mobile terminal.

[0020] The data processing and analysis unit, deployed on a cloud platform, includes:

[0021] The route identification module is used to determine whether the optical cable passes through a specific manhole based on vibration waveform data, and to generate the physical route of the optical cable based on the geographical location information of all manholes that are determined to have "passed through".

[0022] The node positioning module is used to analyze OTDR curve data to identify the logical distance of key event points, and to fuse and match it with the physical route generated by the route identification module to determine the physical well location corresponding to the key event point.

[0023] The data application unit interfaces with the existing optical cable resource management system to import and store the digital routing files generated by the data processing and analysis unit.

[0024] Furthermore, the vibration signal receiving module is used to filter out environmental noise not generated by knocking and to extract the amplitude, frequency and timing characteristics of the vibration waveform.

[0025] Furthermore, the node positioning module is used to calculate the difference between the logical distance of the OTDR event point and the logical distance of each vibration response well (estimated by vibration propagation speed and time difference), and to determine the well with the smallest difference as the physical location of the event point.

[0026] Furthermore, the present invention also provides an optical cable route investigation device, including a processor and a memory, wherein the memory stores a computer program, and the processor executes the computer program to implement the steps of any of the methods described above.

[0027] Finally, the present invention also provides a computer-readable storage medium having a computer program stored thereon, which, when executed by a processor, implements the steps of any of the methods described above.

[0028] Compared with the prior art, the technical solution provided by the present invention has the following significant advantages:

[0029] 1. Non-destructive and efficient: It completely avoids the well-opening and cable-pulling operations required by traditional methods, achieving a completely non-destructive inspection. This not only protects the safety of the optical cable, but also improves the inspection efficiency of a single optical cable route compared to traditional methods.

[0030] 2. Precise and reliable: By deeply integrating vibration sensing and OTDR data, the limitations of single technology are overcome. It can not only identify physical routes with high precision, but also control the position error of junction boxes and fiber distribution points within 5 meters, greatly improving data accuracy.

[0031] 3. Intelligent and Convenient: The standardized operation process, guided by a mobile app, lowers the barrier to entry and reduces reliance on personnel experience. Data collection, analysis, and storage are fully automated, ensuring the real-time performance and accuracy of the resource management system's data.

[0032] 4. Strong compatibility: The system output can be directly connected to the operator's existing resource management system, realizing the efficient digitization and updating of old data, and providing a high-quality data foundation for intelligent operation and maintenance and the construction of digital twin networks. Attached Figure Description

[0033] Figure 1 This is a flowchart illustrating the optical cable route investigation method of the present invention.

[0034] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the architecture of the optical cable route investigation system of the present invention. Detailed Implementation

[0035] The present invention will now be described in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. The specific embodiments described herein are for illustrative and explanatory purposes only and are not intended to limit the present invention. Various modifications and improvements to the technical solutions of the present invention made by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit of the present invention should fall within the protection scope of the present invention.

[0036] Example 1

[0037] This embodiment details the execution process of the optical cable route investigation method.

[0038] Step S1, Equipment Connection and Initialization. Select an unused fiber core in the ODF rack of the central office equipment room and connect it to the test port of a GPX190G line inspection analyzer (its OTDR module has a range of 0-160km and a vibration sampling rate of 100Hz) using an SC / PC interface fiber optic patch cord. Start the equipment and complete the initialization settings, such as setting the OTDR test pulse width to 50ns.

[0039] Step S2, Vibration Signal Excitation and Acquisition. A field worker, carrying an Android phone with a dedicated app installed and a standard rubber hammer, proceeds along the suspected route of the fiber optic cable indicated on the design drawings. Upon reaching the first hand manhole (numbered JS01), the worker records the GPS coordinates of the manhole using the app. Subsequently, the worker strikes the center of the manhole cover vertically three times with the rubber hammer, each strike lasting 1 second, with a 2-second interval between each strike.

[0040] Step S3: Multi-dimensional data synchronous acquisition. The line inspection analyzer in the equipment room simultaneously starts a test: it acquires the backscattered signal of the current fiber core through its OTDR module to obtain OTDR curve data containing length, loss, and event point information; it also acquires the vibration waveform data transmitted back along the fiber core by the tapping in step S2 through its vibration signal receiving module. The data is automatically uploaded to the cloud platform via the 4G network. Steps S2 and S3 are repeated to traverse all 23 suspected manholes (JS01-JS23) along this optical cable route.

[0041] Step S4, Data Fusion and Intelligent Analysis. The cloud platform receives the OTDR curve data and vibration waveform data, and performs fusion analysis:

[0042] a) Route Identification: Vibration data from 23 locations were analyzed. Clear vibration peaks corresponding to the timing of the impacts were found at 18 locations (JS01, JS03, JS05…JS19, JS23), indicating that the optical cable passes through these 18 wells. Five locations (JS02, JS04, etc.) showed no effective vibration response, indicating that the optical cable does not pass through these wells and were excluded from the route.

[0043] b) Node Location: Analysis of the OTDR curves revealed significant loss steps (Fresnel reflection peaks) at distances of 800m, 2400m, and 3800m from the test end, identifying three junction boxes. Significant loss steps (no reflection peaks) were observed at 1600m and 3200m, identifying two fiber splitting points. The logical distances of each event point and the logical distances to the wells with vibration responses were calculated (estimated based on the vibration propagation velocity of 2.0 × 10^8 m / s and the transmission time difference). For example, the junction box at 800m was closest to the JS05 well, with an estimated logical distance of 798m, with an error of 2m, less than the threshold (e.g., 5m). Therefore, the junction box was located within the JS05 well.

[0044] Step S5: Data Synchronization and Archiving. The cloud platform generates a structured archive containing "optical cable ID, route sequence (JS01, JS03, ...), key node location (junction box @JS05, JSxx, ...), test time, and test data", and automatically synchronizes it to the mobile asset management system via API interface.

[0045] Example 2

[0046] This embodiment details the structure of the optical cable route investigation system that implements the above method.

[0047] The line-following analyzer in the data acquisition unit is an integrated device that combines an OTDR module and a vibration signal receiving module. The vibration signal receiving module includes a high-sensitivity accelerometer sensor and a bandpass filter circuit, which is used to effectively acquire impact vibration signals in the 50-150Hz range and suppress noise such as power frequency interference.

[0048] The mobile app integrates a map engine and can load preset route maps to guide field staff to each manhole.

[0049] The data transmission unit consists of a 4G / 5G communication module integrated in the line-following analyzer and the mobile terminal, as well as an access gateway for the cloud platform. It is used to encrypt and upload the OTDR curve data, vibration waveform data, and geographical location information collected by the data acquisition unit to the cloud platform.

[0050] The data processing and analysis unit is deployed on an Alibaba Cloud server. The routing identification module uses a short-time energy zero-crossing rate algorithm to identify valid impact events from vibration signals. The node localization module uses a nearest neighbor matching algorithm to match OTDR event points to the logically nearest wellbore with a vibration response.

[0051] The data application unit is a standard data middleware that supports data integration with asset management systems of mainstream manufacturers such as Huawei and ZTE, enabling automatic updates of routing data.

[0052] Example 3

[0053] This embodiment provides an optical cable route investigation device. The device includes a processor and a memory. The memory stores a computer program, and the processor executes the computer program to implement the steps of the optical cable route investigation method described in Embodiment 1. This device can be a dedicated line-following analyzer, a general-purpose computer, or an embedded system, which performs data acquisition, analysis, and display functions by running appropriate software.

[0054] Example 4

[0055] This embodiment provides a computer-readable storage medium, such as an optical disc, USB flash drive, hard disk, or cloud storage space, on which a computer program is stored. When executed by a processor, this computer program can implement the steps of the optical cable route investigation method described in Embodiment 1. This storage medium can be used to distribute or update the optical cable investigation software.

[0056] The implementation effect of this invention is as follows: the optical cable route investigation takes 2 hours, which is 75% more efficient than the traditional method (which takes 8 hours); the accuracy of the route data has been improved from 45% to 98%; the positioning error of the 3 junction boxes and 2 fiber distribution points is ≤3 meters, and no damage to the optical cable has been caused.

[0057] This invention can be widely applied to optical cable surveys, route verification, and node location for operators such as China Telecom, China Mobile, and China Unicom, and is also suitable for the operation and maintenance of dedicated optical cables in industries such as power and petroleum.

Claims

1. A method for investigating optical cable routes, characterized in that, Includes the following steps: S1: At the central office, the line inspection analyzer, which integrates an OTDR module and a vibration signal receiving module, is connected to the fiber core of the optical cable to be inspected. S2: Apply mechanical vibration at multiple ground manhole locations along the suspected route of the optical cable; S3: The line-following analyzer synchronously collects vibration waveform data transmitted back along the fiber core due to the mechanical vibration, and collects OTDR curve data of the fiber core through the OTDR module; S4: Based on the analysis of the vibration waveform data, determine whether the target optical cable actually passes through one or more manholes to determine its physical route; Based on the OTDR curve data analysis, key event points on the optical cable and their logical distances are identified; S5: Combine the physical routing information and the logical distance information of the key event point to determine the physical well location corresponding to the key event point.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, In step S2, the mechanical vibration is applied by striking the manhole cover.

3. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, In step S4, the specific process of determining whether the target optical cable actually passes through one or more manholes includes: if a vibration waveform with specific time and frequency domain characteristics is collected after applying mechanical vibration at a certain manhole location, then the optical cable is determined to pass through that manhole; otherwise, it is determined not to pass through.

4. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, In step S4, the key event points include junction boxes and fiber splitting points; the OTDR curve data includes loss step points and Fresnel reflection peak information, which are used to identify the key event points.

5. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, In step S5, the method for determining the specific physical well location through fusion is as follows: calculate the difference between the logical distance of the key event point and the logical distance of each well determined to be a path, and determine the well with the smallest difference as the physical location of the key event point; wherein, the logical distance of the well is estimated by the propagation speed of the vibration signal in the optical cable and the vibration transmission time difference.

6. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The method further includes step S6: synchronously updating the determined physical routing information, key event points and their physical location information to the optical cable resource management system.

7. A fiber optic cable route investigation system for implementing the method of any one of claims 1-6, characterized in that, include: The data acquisition unit includes a percussion tool for generating mechanical vibration, a line-following analyzer for synchronously acquiring vibration waveform data and OTDR curve data, and a mobile terminal for acquiring and recording well location information. A data transmission unit is used to upload the data collected by the data acquisition unit. A data processing and analysis unit, communicatively connected to the data transmission unit, includes: The route identification module is used to determine the manholes through which the optical cable passes based on the vibration waveform data and generate physical route information; The node positioning module is used to analyze the OTDR curve data to identify key event points and fuse them with the physical routing information to locate the physical location of the key event points. The data application unit is used to output and store the physical routing information and the physical location information of key event points.

8. The system according to claim 7, characterized in that, The line inspection analyzer integrates an OTDR testing module and a vibration sensing module; the mobile terminal is equipped with a dedicated application for controlling the data acquisition of the line inspection analyzer, receiving the location information of the well, and displaying the data processing results; the data application unit interfaces with an external optical cable resource management system to achieve automatic data synchronization; the data transmission unit includes a wireless communication module integrated in the line inspection analyzer and the mobile terminal.

9. An optical cable route investigation device, comprising a processor and a memory, wherein the memory stores a computer program, and the processor executes the computer program to implement the steps of the method according to any one of claims 1-6.

10. A computer-readable storage medium having a computer program stored thereon, which, when executed by a processor, implements the steps of the method according to any one of claims 1-6.

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