A mobile device for checking the coverage of an optical fiber link

Abstract

Disclosed is a device for checking the optical fiber link coverage of an optical fiber network, where this link connects a device at the central office of a telecommunications service provider to a terminal device within the network. This device comprises a processing device, a positioning device, a modem device, and a connection enabling device. The modem device is configured to be connected to the optical fiber link at the terminal device and read data indicating that the optical fiber link is established. The positioning device is configured to provide the geographical coordinates of the device. The processing device is configured to provide encrypted data by encrypting the data indicating that the optical fiber link is established and the geographical coordinates. The connection enabling device is configured to transmit the encrypted data to other devices arranged in the vicinity of the device.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the field of optical fiber networks. In particular, the present invention relates to the field of checking the coverage (transmittable and receivable range) of optical fiber links in optical fiber networks, particularly Fiber-To-The-Home (FTTH) networks.

Background Art

[0002] As is known, in a Fiber-To-The-Home (FTTH) network, an optical fiber link is provided between the central office of a telecommunications service provider (simply referred to as the service provider) where an Optical Line Termination (OLT) device is housed and the customer's facility where an Optical Network Terminal (ONT) device is arranged.

[0003] In point-to-point technology, the connection between the OLT and the ONT is composed of a dedicated optical fiber link. In point-to-multipoint technology, a Passive Optical Network (PON), particularly a Gigabit-capable Passive Optical Network (GPON), is generally used to deploy an optical fiber in the form of a tree architecture with an optical splitter (optical signal distributor), so that an optical signal is carried from the OLT to a plurality of ONTs. Such an optical network is usually referred to as an Optical Distribution Network (ODN). The OLT generally has a large number of ports, and each of these ports realizes an operating optical tree when in an active state, and a large number of users are connected to the end of this optical tree.

[0004] When deploying an FTTH network, an optical termination box (OTB: Optical Termination Box), where the distribution network terminates, is generally installed, for example, inside a building where a customer's facility is located. The OTB provides connectivity to the customer, and the customer's device is generally connected to the OTB using a drop cable (service lead-in cable).

[0005] At the end of the OTB deployment process, it is necessary to check the coverage of the optical fiber link between the OLT and the OTB (i.e., test whether the optical fiber link properly reaches the OTBs considered from the OLT) to verify that the installation is functioning properly. The prior art provides for testing the optical fiber link using an optical time-domain reflectometer (OTDR: Optical Time-Domain Reflectometry) installed within the central office of the service provider. Instead, an operator with a portable OTDR device can perform the test at the OTB location.

[0006] Examples of prior art techniques and equipment will be briefly recognized later in this specification.

[0007] U.S. Patent No. 8,588,571 (Patent Document 1) discloses a technique for installing an optical fiber network, which includes providing a physical location for installing a feeder cable and a plurality of access stub lines along a plurality of customer facilities, and these access stub lines are connected to the feeder cable to obtain communication services. Each of the access stub lines extends from the feeder cable towards the customer's facility and each ends at a different initial termination point. There is a one-to-one correspondence between the customer's facility and the access stub lines extending from the feeder cable. A boundary device is attached to the end of each of the access stub lines at each of the initial termination points. The boundary device includes an optical reflector that reflects a test optical signal for testing the integrity of the relevant ones of the feeder cable and the access stub lines.

[0008] International Publication No. 2014 / 070511 (Patent Document 2) discloses an optical splitter assembly that includes a splitter housing, a passive optical power splitter disposed within the splitter housing, and a plurality of splitter output pigtails extending outwardly from the splitter housing. Each of the splitter output pigtails includes an optical fiber structure having a first end optically coupled to the passive optical power splitter and a second end to which an optical fiber connector is attached. Each of the splitter output pigtails has different test characteristics, thereby enabling individual identification of the splitter output pigtails during testing of an optical network.

[0009] U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2013 / 0022350 (Patent Document 3) discloses an optical fiber network (OFN) radio frequency identification (RFID) method for deploying and / or providing services within and / or finding fault locations in an OFN. The method includes providing at least one RFID tag on at least one of a plurality of OFN components that make up the OFN, and writing OFN component data regarding at least one characteristic of the OFN component associated with the FDID tag to the at least one RFID tag. The RFID tag data is written to and read from the RFID tag using one or more mobile RFID readers. The OFN component data is recorded and stored in an OFN database section. A plurality of OFN components are deployed and the operation of the OFN is provided using the OFN component data. The method can also include finding fault locations in the OFN using the OFN component data and a plurality of positions on a spatial map.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0010] [Patent Document 1] U.S. Patent No. 8,588,571 [Patent Document 2] International Publication No. WO 2014 / 070511 [Patent Document 3] U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2013 / 0022350 [Summary of the Invention] [Problems to be Solved by the Invention]

[0011] The inventors have noticed that checking the coverage of the optical fiber link between an OLT and an OTB by testing the optical fiber link at the OLT is burdensome (also from the perspective of the cost for the test equipment) and may not be highly reliable. In fact, the FTTH network is a passive network, and the identification of the OTB is generally performed by an operator who has to measure the reflected signal on the layout image of the reflectivity measurement. This technique can result in a poor correlation between the estimated position of the OTB determined by the operator based on the data provided by the provided test equipment and the actual location of the building where the OTB is installed.

[0012] Dispatching an operator together with a portable OTDR device to the location where the OTB is installed in a building is equally burdensome because this is costly and requires specialized capabilities.

[0013] In view of the above, the applicant has addressed the problem of providing a device for checking the coverage of an optical fiber link that overcomes the aforementioned drawbacks. In particular, the applicant has addressed the problem of providing a device and system for checking the coverage of an optical fiber link that enables the optical fiber link to be tested in a more simplified and reliable manner compared to the techniques of the prior art. As will become apparent from the following description, the present invention also enables the optical fiber link to be tested in a safe manner.

Means for Solving the Problem

[0014] In the following description and in the claims, the expression "checking an optical fiber link" refers to the following, where the optical fiber link is deployed between a device (e.g., OLT) at the central office of a telecommunications service provider and a terminal device (e.g., OTB or ONT) at an expected location within the optical fiber network: · Checking whether an optical fiber link is established between the central office device and a possible terminal device (this includes checking whether the identifier of the device used to check the coverage of the optical fiber link at the possible terminal device is actually included in the list of identifiers of the terminal devices connected to the active (effective) ports of the central office device, and / or checking whether a specific set of coverage check codes at the possible terminal device corresponds to the corresponding codes available at the central office device); and · Checking the position of the terminal device of the optical fiber link, which means confirming that the actual position of the terminal device of the optical fiber link is its expected position.

[0015] Furthermore, in the following description and in the claims, when the distance between two devices is less than 1 meter, preferably less than 2 - 3 centimeters (e.g., 1 centimeter), the two devices are said to be "proximate to each other".

[0016] According to a first aspect, the present invention provides a device for checking the coverage of an optical fiber link in an optical fiber network, where the optical fiber link connects a device at the central office of a telecommunications service provider and a terminal device within the optical fiber network, and this device includes: · A processing device; · A positioning device; · A modem device; ·Comprising a connection enabling device (activation device), The modem device is configured to read data indicating that an optical fiber link is established when connected to the optical fiber link in the terminal device. The positioning device is configured to provide the geographical coordinates of the device.

[0017] Preferably, the processing device is configured to provide encrypted data by encrypting the data indicating that the optical fiber link is established and the geographical coordinates.

[0018] Preferably, the connection enabling device comprises a short-range transceiver such as an RFID tag. Optionally, instead of or in addition to the short-range transceiver, the connection enabling device can comprise a cable connector or a cable interface.

[0019] Preferably, the connection enabling device is configured to transmit the encrypted data to other devices disposed in the vicinity of the device. More preferably, the connection enabling device is further configured to transmit the identifier of the modem device to other devices.

[0020] Preferably, the short-range transceiver comprises an antenna configured to transmit the encrypted data to other devices disposed in the vicinity of the device.

[0021] Preferably, the positioning device is a satellite positioning device, and more preferably, it is a Global Positioning System (GPS) device.

[0022] Preferably, the processing device is configured to encrypt the data indicating that the optical fiber link is established and the geographical coordinates by using 64-bit encryption technology.

[0023] The processing device is preferably configured to read information indicating the date and time of the day when the geographical coordinates are provided, and to encrypt the information indicating the date and time of the above day, together with the data indicating that the optical fiber link is established and the above geographical coordinates.

[0024] It is preferable that the above device further includes a rechargeable battery for supplying power to the processing device, the positioning device, the modem device, and the connection enable.

[0025] It is preferable that the above device further includes a LAN (Local Area Network) interface connected to the modem device and the processing device. The LAN interface is configured to make the electrical signal generated by the conversion of the optical signal received by the modem device from the optical fiber link available to the processing device.

[0026] It is preferable that the above device further includes a visual signal transmission device configured to indicate the data indicating that the optical fiber link is established and / or the above geographical coordinates to the operator operating the device.

[0027] According to one preferred example of the present invention, the processing device is configured to provide a machine-readable optical label including the above encrypted data. The visual signal transmission device is configured to display the machine-readable optical label so as to be read by other devices. The machine-readable optical label preferably also includes an identifier of the modem device.

[0028] It is preferable that the above device is portable.

[0029] According to a preferred example of the present invention, when the positioning device provides the above geographical coordinates, the processing device is configured to start a timer, and the timer is a timer having a predetermined duration of 1 minute to 10 minutes.

[0030] The modem device is preferably further configured to read the received power indicating the power with which the modem device receives an optical signal from the optical fiber link, and the transmission power indicating the power with which the modem device transmits an optical signal onto the optical fiber link.

[0031] It is preferable that the above device further includes a container, and that a processing device, a positioning device, a modem device, and a connection enabler are enclosed in the container in an inseparable manner.

[0032] According to a second aspect, the present invention provides a system, which includes the first device described above, and a second device connected to the first device and configured to receive the encrypted data from the first device. According to a preferred example of the present invention, the second device is configured to receive the encrypted data from the connection enabler of the first device. Instead of, or in addition to, that, the second device is configured to receive the encrypted data by reading a machine-readable optical label including the encrypted data, and the machine-readable optical label is displayed on the visual signal transmission device of the first device.

[0033] Preferably, the second device is also configured to receive an identifier of the modem device from the first device.

[0034] Preferably, the second device includes coverage check application software, and the coverage check application software is configured to decrypt the encrypted data, read out the geographical coordinates, and compare these geographical coordinates with the expected geographical coordinates of the terminal device stored in a network inventory (list) managed by a service provider. According to a preferred example of the present invention, the coverage check application is configured to read out an encryption key uniquely associated with the first device using the identifier of the modem device and decrypt the encrypted data.

[0035] Preferably, the coverage check application is further configured to check whether an identifier of the modem device of the first device is included in a list of identifiers of terminal devices connected to an active port of the device in the main office.

[0036] The present invention will become even more apparent from the following detailed description to be read with reference to the accompanying drawings, which are given by way of example and not limitation.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0037]

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3

Figure 4

Modes for Carrying Out the Invention

[0038] Detailed Description of Preferred Embodiments of the Present Invention FIG. 1 schematically shows an optical fiber network, particularly a typical FTTH network, which is considered a non-limiting example of an optical fiber network to which the present invention can be applied. Among them, in particular, the typical optical fiber network schematically shown in FIG. 1 is a passive optical network.

[0039] The representative optical fiber network 1 shown in FIG. 1 is a point-to-multipoint optical fiber network. This is not a limitation, because the present invention can be similarly applied to other types of networks such as, for example, a point-to-point network. The optical fiber network of FIG. 1 includes an optical line terminal (OLT) 11, and the OLT 11 is arranged at the central office 12 of the service provider. As is known, the OLT is connected on one side to the core network of the service provider (not shown in the drawing) and on the other side to the distribution network via a plurality of ports (one of which is shown in FIG. 1). From each port, an optical fiber cable of the distribution network is connected to the OLT to each splitter 13, and from the splitter 13, a plurality of additional optical fiber cables of the distribution network extend, and each of these optical fiber cables reaches one or more user nodes 14, and the user nodes 14 are generally referred to as optical network units (ONUs) or optical network terminals (ONTs), and these are installed in the user's facility. The ports of the OLT are shown as "active" when they are set to be connected to one or more ONTs through respective optical fiber links. FIG. 1 schematically shows a single ONT 14 arranged in the user's facility within the building 15. An end-to-end link consisting of a plurality of spans of optical fiber cables connects the OLT 11 and the ONT in the user's facility. The representative optical fiber network 1 of FIG. 1 also includes an optical terminal box (OTB) 16 arranged outside or inside the building 15 (for example, on a wall surface or underground). A drop cable is generally used to reach the user's facility from the OTB 16.

[0040] As is known, a telecommunications service provider that provides its services over a fiber optic network generally maintains a server, hereinafter referred to as an "inventory server" in this specification. The inventory server has a network database or network inventory that contains data for identifying network elements (i.e., in the passive optical network described above, OLT, splitter, OTB, etc.) deployed within the fiber optic network. These data can include, for each network element, an identifier (e.g., a serial number) associated with the network element and geographical coordinates (latitude and longitude) of the location of the network element.

[0041] The following description relates to checking the coverage of a fiber optic link starting from OLT 11 and terminating at OTB 16, which is shown as fiber optic link 17. In any case, this is not limiting, because the devices described below in this specification can be used to check the coverage of any fiber optic link (e.g., in a passive optical network, fiber optic links connecting OLT and OTB, OLT and ONT, OLT and splitter, etc.) that connects an OLT located within the fiber optic network and a terminal device of the fiber optic link.

[0042] The present invention relates to a device and a system for checking the coverage of a fiber optic link. The device of the present invention is configured to be operated by an operator to check the coverage of a fiber optic link of a fiber optic network to be considered. Therefore, this device is a portable device. This device is also referred to as a "checking device".

[0043] FIG. 2 shows a block diagram exemplifying the building (configuration) blocks of a portable device 2 (or simply a checking device) for checking the coverage of a fiber optic link according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0044] The confirmation device 2 schematically shown in FIG. 2 preferably comprises the following: · A processing device 21; · A battery 22; · A positioning device 23; · A connection enabling device 24; · A modem device 25; · A local area network (LAN) interface 26, and · Optionally, a visual signal transmission device 27 such as a display.

[0045] The components shown above are preferably provided in a container and enclosed within the container in a non-removable manner. For example, these components are sealed within the container by embedding these components in the container using, for example, resin, to prevent unauthorized opening and avoid any operation of the confirmation device 2.

[0046] The battery 22 is connected to the other components of the confirmation device 2. In FIG. 2, these connections are represented by dashed lines. The processing device 21 is connected to the satellite positioning device 23, the connection enabling device 24, the LAN interface 26, and the optical display 27. The LAN interface 26 is connected to the modem device 25.

[0047] The processing device 21 can be a microcontroller and is configured to control the operation of the confirmation device 2. The processing device 21 can be, for example, an Atmel (registered trademark) ATmega328P microcontroller manufactured by Atmel (registered trademark) Corporation.

[0048] The positioning device 23 is configured to provide the geographical coordinates (latitude and longitude) of the confirmation device position. The positioning device 23 is preferably a satellite positioning device, and more preferably a GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System) device. The satellite positioning device 23 is even more preferably a GPS (Global Positioning System) receiver. As an alternative, the positioning device 23 can be, for example, a mobile network-based or mobile network-assisted device compliant with 3GPP (Third Generation Partnership Project) specifications TS36 305 or TS38 305.

[0049] The connection enabler is preferably provided with a short-distance connection function in that it is connected to the nearby transmission device 3, and the transmission device 3 is preferably a stand-alone device outside the confirmation device 2. According to an embodiment of the present invention, the confirmation device 2 and the transmission device 3 are configured to exchange data via the connection enabler 24.

[0050] In particular, according to this embodiment of the present invention, the connection enabler 24 includes a short-distance transceiver. Optionally, instead of or in addition to the short-distance transceiver, the connection enabler 24 can include a connector or interface for a cable to enable a short-distance cable connection (e.g., with a length of 1 to 5 m) to the nearby transmission device 3.

[0051] Furthermore, the connection enabler 24 preferably includes a non-volatile memory, which is configured to store an identifier (e.g., a serial number) related to the modem device 25 of the confirmation device 2 and other data related to link connectivity provided by the confirmation device 2, which will be described later in this specification.

[0052] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the short - range transceiver provided in the connection enabler 24 is a wireless transceiver having a wireless coverage range from several centimeters (e.g., 1 centimeter) to 1 meter (e.g., the wireless coverage can be about 10 centimeters). The short - range transceiver includes an antenna used to transmit the data stored in the memory to the transmitting device 3. The short - range wireless transceiver is preferably an RFID transceiver or an RFID tag. It is more preferable that the short - range transceiver is a passive RFID tag and the above - mentioned memory is the memory of the RFID tag. Instead, the short - range transceiver can be, for example, a Bluetooth (registered trademark) transceiver, a ZigBee (registered trademark) transceiver, or a Wi - Fi (registered trademark) transceiver. It should be noted that using an RFID tag increases security, because in order to read the data stored in the memory, the operator needs to bring the transmitting device 3 close to the verification device 2 (e.g., within a range of 2 - 3 centimeters). This is advantageous in preventing the data from being maliciously read by other devices near the verification device 2.

[0053] The transmitting device 3 is preferably a device configured to provide a wireless connection (such as a 3G+(third generation+), 4G (fourth generation), or 5G (fifth generation) connection) through a mobile communication network managed by any service provider, for example, a wireless connection to the Internet. The transmitting device 3 can be a smartphone having a SIM (Subscriber Identification Nodule) card, as schematically represented in FIG. 1. The transmitting device 3 can be equipped with an RFID reader (reader), and / or a Bluetooth (registered trademark) transceiver, and / or a ZigBee (registered trademark) transceiver, and / or a Wi-Fi (registered trademark) transceiver. Advantageously, the transmitting device 3 is configured to read a machine-readable optical label or barcode such as a QR (Quick Response) code (registered trademark). The transmitting device 3 includes a client component of application software (hereinafter simply referred to as an application or app), and this client component is configured to process data provided to the transmitting device 3 via a connection enabler by the confirmation device 2, which will be described in detail later in this specification. This application is preferably a web application, and the web application utilizes the processing capabilities inherent in an application server managed by a service provider. In particular, the application server can connect to the service provider's inventory server, exchange data with the inventory server, and process data provided to the transmitting device 3 via the connection enabler 24 by the confirmation device 2, which will be described later in this specification. This application is referred to as a "coverage check application", and the application server is the "coverage check server" already described above.

[0054] The modem device 25 includes a modem configured to be connected to an optical fiber network. The modem device 25 is preferably associated with an identifier (e.g., a serial number). The modem can be a commercially available modem. In particular, the modem device 25 can be a GPON ONT SFT (Small Form Factor Pluggable) module. The operation of the modem is known and will not be described in more detail. In the representative optical fiber network of FIG. 1, the modem device 25 is an ONT provided with an optical fiber connector (not shown in the drawing) for connecting an optical fiber cable. In fact, in the representative optical fiber network of FIG. 1, the modem device 25 is connected to the OTB16 using an optical fiber cable having a length of several meters, e.g., 5 meters, and is configured to receive an optical signal carried from the OTB16 through the optical fiber link 17 under test.

[0055] The LAN interface 26 includes a port (e.g., an Ethernet (registered trademark) port), through which the LAN interface 26 is connected to the modem device 25. The LAN interface 26 connects the modem device 25 to the processing device 21. In particular, the LAN interface 26 makes an electrical signal generated by conversion of the optical signal received by the modem device 25 available to the processing device 21.

[0056] The battery 22 is provided with a connector for connecting a power cable (not shown in the drawing). The battery 22 is preferably a rechargeable battery. The battery 22 can be a 12V, 6Ah rechargeable lithium battery.

[0057] Any visual signal transmission device 27 can be, for example, an LCD (Liquid Crystal Display). The visual signal transmission device 27 is configured to provide a visual display to the operator operating the verification device 2. Further, the visual signal transmission device 27 is configured to display a machine-readable optical label or barcode (e.g., QR code (registered trademark)) provided by the processing device 21, which will be described in more detail herein. Instead of, or in addition to, this, the verification device 2 can include an acoustic signal transmission device such as a buzzer or a pocket bell for providing an acoustic instruction to the operator, and such acoustic instructions can replace the visual display provided by the visual signal transmission device 27 or be integrated with such visual display.

[0058] According to the present invention, the operation of checking the coverage of the optical fiber link 17 includes connecting the verification device 2 to the OTB 16 and the following: (i) checking that an optical fiber link 17 is established between the OLT 11 and the modem device 25 of the verification device 2 connected to the OTB 16; (ii) checking that the position of the OTB 16 corresponds to the expected position stored in the network inventory; and (iii) checking that the identifier (e.g., serial number) of the modem device 25 of the verification device 2 is included in the list of identifiers of the ONTs actually connected to the active ports of the OLT 11.

[0059] According to the modification example, instead of or in addition to the operation of checking the coverage of the optical fiber link 17 in the OTB16, when the confirmation device 2 is operating to check the coverage in the OTB16 with respect to the above item (iii), when a link is established between the OLT 11 and the modem device 25, it includes checking that the setting information related to the modem device 25 corresponds to the setting information stored in the OLT 11 as being related to the modem device 25, which will be described in more detail later in this specification. The setting information can be the content of the "password" field set in the modem device 25 via the LAN interface 26 by the processing device 21. Each time the coverage of each optical fiber link is checked using the confirmation device 2, it is advantageous that the processing device 21 can set different values of this setting information in the modem device. In this specification, hereinafter the "setting information" will be referred to as the "coverage check code". Therefore, the coverage check code is uniquely related to the modem device 25 and uniquely related to the coverage check operation in a specific OTB16, and can be used to safely check that the OLT 11 is connected to the confirmation device 2 when the coverage check at the position of the OTB16 is executed. In fact, using the serial number of the modem device 25 in the above item (iii) has potential drawbacks. In fact, the serial number of the modem device 25 may be copied to other ONTs that may be located at a remote position from the OTB16, and an incorrect coverage check may be performed using this serial number. Using the coverage check code defined above is advantageously possible to overcome this potential drawback.

[0060] The operation of the confirmation device 2 for checking the coverage of the optical fiber link 17, schematically represented in FIG. 2, will be described below in this specification with reference to the flowcharts shown in FIGS. 3 and 4.

[0061] Assume that the operator who operates the verification device 2 reaches the position of the OTB16 and checks the coverage of the optical fiber link 17 that terminates within the OTB16.

[0062] When the verification device 2 is switched on at the position of the OTB, it is preferable that the processing device 21 operates the positioning device 23 so as to provide the geographical coordinates of the verification device 2, that is, the latitude and longitude (step 301). These geographical coordinates approximately correspond to the geographical coordinates of the OTB16. Once the geographical coordinates are determined, if the visual signal transmission device 27 exists, it is preferable that the processing device 21 operates the visual signal transmission device 27 to show the geographical coordinates to the operator. During that time, the processing device 21 can start a timer for a predetermined duration, and the predetermined duration can be changed between 1 minute and 10 minutes (for example, set to 4 minutes). The timer sets the time interval of the above-mentioned predetermined duration, and within this time interval, the operator is supposed to complete the procedure of connecting the verification device 2 to the OTB and checking the coverage of the optical fiber link 17, and this will be described below in this specification with reference to the flowchart of FIG. 4. If the timer runs out before the operator completes the procedure, the coverage check is considered invalid.

[0063] It is understood by those skilled in the art that the use of the timer makes it possible to increase the safety of the coverage check, because the use of the timer makes it possible to avoid any mismatch between the actual position of the OTB16 and the position where the operator is currently collecting geographical coordinates. In fact, this reduces the risk of improper behavior by the operator who physically connects the verification device 2 to the OTB16 to collect geographical coordinates at a position that does not correspond to the actual position of the OTB16 and then leaves this position and moves to the actual position of the OTB16 to perform other operations necessary to complete the coverage check.

[0064] In step 302, it is preferable that the verification device 2 is connected to the OTB16 using an optical fiber cable. One end of the optical fiber cable is inserted into the optical fiber connector of the modem device 25 of the verification device 2, and the other end is inserted into the corresponding connector included in the OTB16. At this point, it is preferable for the operator to wait until the modem device 25 is aligned with the port of the OLT11 that is active at the home station node 12. In other words, the operator waits for a connection to be set up between one of the available ports on the OLT11 and the modem device 25 of the test device 2. The modem alignment procedure is known and will not be described in further detail herein. Once aligned, the modem device 25 begins to receive optical signals from the optical fiber link 17 and then begins to transmit optical signals onto the optical fiber link 17. The modem device 25 preferably converts the received optical signal into an electrical signal, and this electrical signal is transferred to the processing device 21 via the LAN interface 26.

[0065] Next, the processing device 21 preferably processes the received electrical signal to read the following data, which are referred to as link connectivity data: · Link status information indicating that the optical fiber link 17 is established; · Information indicating the actual alignment port of the OLT11, i.e., the OLT active port to which the modem device 25 is connected (i.e., the port identifier); · Received power (or RX power) indicating the power at which the modem device 25 receives optical signals from the optical fiber link 17. In current commercially available modems, this type of information is generally indicated as "RX level"; and · Transmitted power (or TX power) indicating the power at which the modem device 25 transmits optical signals onto the optical fiber link 17. In current commercially available modems, this type of information is generally indicated as "TX level".

[0066] Once the optical fiber link 17 is established and link connectivity data is received, if the visual signal transmission device 27 exists, the processing device 21 preferably operates the visual signal transmission device 27 to indicate the link connectivity data to the operator.

[0067] For example, when the optical fiber link 17 is established between the OLT 11 and the OTB 16, the link status information indicates the presence of an optical signal on the optical fiber link 17. In this case, the visual signal transmission device 27 can indicate the link status information represented by a message such as "Link status OK". Further, the received power and transmitted power information can be processed (either automatically by the device or by the operator) to check whether the RX power is too low and thus too low to detect a possible fault or degradation within the optical fiber link 17. Further, the operator can also process the port identifier of the OLT active port read by the verification device 2 to detect a possible OLT port inversion, which can cause problems as is known.

[0068] The processing device 21 also restores the identifier of the modem device 25.

[0069] According to the advantageous variant already described above, when the verification device 2 is switched on at the OTB position, the processing device 21 generates a pseudo-random number (for example, a 10-digit number) and sets a coverage check code including the generated pseudo-random number in the modem device 25 via the LAN interface 26. In particular, for example, the processing device 21 can set the content of the "password" field of the modem device 25 to the coverage check code. When the optical fiber link 17 is established between the OLT 11 and the OTB 16, the OLT 11 preferably reads the coverage check code from the modem device 25 and stores it for future checks, which will be described below in this specification.

[0070] In step 303, the processing device 21 associates the link connectivity data and, according to the above-described modification example, the coverage check code, with the geographical coordinates detected by the positioning device 23 and the information indicating the date and time of the day when the link connectivity data was determined. This date and time of the day corresponds to the date and time of the day when the coverage check of the optical fiber link 17 was executed. A set of data including the link connectivity data, the geographical coordinates, and the information indicating the date and time of the above day is referred to as "verification data". According to the above-described modification example, the verification data also includes the coverage check code. In step 303, it is preferable that the processing device 21 encrypts the verification data. For example, a known DES (Data Encryption Standard) protocol can be used, for example, with a 64-bit encryption technique.

[0071] It is preferable that the processing device 21 uses an encryption key, and the encryption key is uniquely associated with the verification device 2. In this way, it is preferable that different encryption keys are provided for different verification devices. As a result, when one encryption key is unfortunately made public, by not using a single verification device associated with the made-public key, the malicious use of the key can be easily avoided. According to an embodiment of the present invention, the encryption key of the verification device can be stored in a key table (key list), and the key table is set and maintained in the coverage check server by the service provider. Each encryption key is preferably stored in the key table as being uniquely associated with the identifier of the modem device of each verification device.

[0072] In step 304, it is preferable that the processing device 21 transfers the encrypted verification data and the identifier of the modem device 25 to the connection enabler 24, and the connection enabler 24 stores the encrypted verification data and the identifier of the modem device 25 in the memory.

[0073] Alternatively, or in addition, in step 304, the processing device 21 provides a machine-readable optical label or barcode (e.g., a QR code (registered trademark)) that includes the encrypted confirmation data and an identifier of the modem device 25. Next, the machine-readable optical label is displayed by the visual signaling device 27 so as to be read by the transmitting device 3.

[0074] FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing operations that can be performed (e.g., by an operator) when checking the coverage of the optical fiber link 17 using the confirmation device 2 described above in cooperation with the transmitting device 3. For simplicity, according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, it is assumed that the positioning device 23 is a GPS receiver and the connection enabling device 24 of the confirmation device 2 includes a short-range transceiver, particularly an RFID tag. Further, it is assumed that the OTB 16 includes an additional RFID tag and the additional RFID tag includes an identifier (e.g., a serial number) associated with the OTB 16. Alternatively, or in addition, the identifier associated with the OTB 16 can be included in a barcode (e.g., a QR code (registered trademark)) affixed to the OTB 16. Finally, it is assumed that the transmitting device 3 is a smartphone.

[0075] When the operator reaches the location of the OTB 16, the confirmation device 2 operates to execute the steps of the method shown above while referring to the flowchart of FIG. 3, and these steps are represented by step 401 in the flowchart of FIG. 4.

[0076] In particular, when the verification device 2 is switched on at the position of the OTB16, it is preferable that the verification device 2 searches for geographical coordinates using its GPS receiver 23. Next, the operator connects the OTB16 and the verification device 2 using an optical fiber cable. One end of the optical fiber cable is inserted into the optical fiber connector of the modem device 25 of the verification device 2, and the other end is inserted into the corresponding connector included in the OTB16. The operator waits for the connection between one of the available ports in the OLT11 and the modem device 25 of the verification device 2 to be set up. If the modem device 25 fails to align with the active port of the OLT11, the coverage check of the optical fiber link 17 fails, and the verification device 2 can return a warning message to the operator, for example, through the visual signal transmission device 27. When the connection is set up, the verification device 2 reads out the link connectivity data. Further, according to the above-described modification, the processing device 21 sets the coverage check code generated for this specific coverage check operation in the modem device 25. When the connection is set up, next, the coverage check code is read out by the OLT11.

[0077] Next, it is preferable that the verification device 2 encrypts the verification data including the link connectivity data, the geographical coordinates, and the date and time information of the above-mentioned day. According to the above-described modification, the verification data also includes the coverage check code. It is preferable that the processing device 21 stores the encrypted verification data and the identifier of the modem device 25 in the RFID tag 24. Instead of, or in addition to, this, the encrypted verification data and the identifier of the modem device 25 are processed by the processing device 21 to provide a machine-readable optical label such as a QR code (registered trademark) including the encrypted verification data and the identifier of the modem device 25, and such an optical label can be displayed on the visual signal transmission device 27 of the verification device 2.

[0078] At this point, the operator can execute a coverage check operation by running a coverage check application installed on the smartphone 3 as follows. When the coverage check application is running on the smartphone 3, the smartphone 3 preferably operates to connect to the application server and utilize the processing power of the application server to execute the operations described below in this specification.

[0079] In step 402, the operator uses the RFID transceiver of the smartphone 3 to read the encrypted confirmation data and the identifier of the modem device 25 stored in the memory of the RFID tag 24 of the confirmation device 2. Alternatively, according to the above-described modification, the operator can operate the smartphone 3 to read a machine-readable optical label including the encrypted confirmation data and the identifier of the modem device 25, and this optical label can be displayed on the visual signal transmission device 27 of the confirmation device 2. Next, the coverage check application operates the smartphone 3 to transmit the encrypted confirmation data and the identifier of the modem device 25 to the application server. Once the data is decrypted, these data are used for the checks described later in this specification, and the service provider stores these data and records the coverage check for the optical fiber link to be considered.

[0080] In step 403, the operator uses the RFID transceiver of the smartphone 3 to read the identifier related to the OTB16 stored in the RFID tag related to the OTB16. Alternatively, the operator can use the smartphone 3 to read a machine-readable optical label including the identifier related to the OTB16 and attached to the OTB16.

[0081] In step 404, it is preferable that the coverage check application decrypts the encrypted confirmation data. The decryption is preferably performed in the coverage check server by reading a key table including an encryption key using the identifier of the modem device 25 and searching for an encryption key uniquely associated with the confirmation device 2. Next, the coverage check server decrypts the encrypted confirmation data using this encryption key.

[0082] Next, it is preferable that the coverage check application checks the geographical coordinates measured by the GPS receiver 23 of the confirmation device 2. In particular, the coverage check application operates the smartphone 3 to transmit the identifier of the OTB 16 to the application server, and the application server uses the identifier of the OTB 16 to query the inventory server and reads the GPS coordinates of the OTB 16 stored in the network inventory as those associated with the identifier of the OTB 16. These GPS coordinates are actually the GPS coordinates of the expected position of the OTB 16. Next, the coverage check application compares the GPS coordinates measured by the confirmation device 2 with the GPS coordinates of the OTB 16 stored in the network inventory of the inventory server. Specifically, the position corresponding to the GPS coordinates measured by the confirmation device 2 is compared with the position corresponding to the GPS coordinates of the OTB 16 stored in the network inventory. If the distance between the measured position and the stored position is less than a predetermined allowable error distance of, for example, 30 m, the coverage check application determines that the measured position coincides with the stored (expected) position.

[0083] If the distance between the measured position and the stored position is greater than a predetermined allowable error distance, the coverage check application operates the smartphone 3 to provide the operator with a warning message indicating that the coverage check of the optical fiber link 17 has failed (which may be a visual message shown on the display of the smartphone 3 or an acoustic message reproduced by the speaker of the smartphone 3). In this case, the GPS coordinates of the OTB 16 stored in the network inventory can be overwritten with the GPS coordinates measured by the verification device 2 and transmitted to the application server.

[0084] In step 405, it is preferable that the coverage check application contacts the application server, queries the OLT 11 at the central office of the service provider, and requests a list including the identifiers (e.g., serial numbers) of the ONTs 14 actually connected to the active ports of the OLT 11. Once the list is read from the OLT 11, it is preferable that the coverage check application checks whether the identifier related to the modem device 25 of the verification device 2 is included in the list collected from the OLT 11. If the identifier related to the modem device 25 of the verification device 2 is included in the list collected from the OLT 11, it is preferable that the coverage check application determines that the modem device 25 is actually connected to the active port of the OLT 11 and preferably provides the corresponding verification message to the operator on the display of the smartphone 3. Otherwise, if the identifier related to the modem device 25 of the verification device 2 is not included in the list collected from the OLT 11, the coverage check application provides a warning message to the operator on the display of the smartphone 3 to indicate failure.

[0085] According to the above-described modification example, in addition to or instead of the above-described check regarding the identifier of the modem device 25, the coverage check application requests the application server to check whether the coverage check code included in the confirmation data corresponds to the coverage check code read by the OLT 11 when the connection is set up. When the coverage check code included in the confirmation data provided by the confirmation device 2 corresponds to the coverage check code available in the OLT 11, the coverage check application preferably determines that the OLT 11 is actually connected to the modem device 25 of the confirmation device 2 at the position of the OTB 16 (and is not connected to, for example, a copy of the ONT), and provides the corresponding confirmation message to the operator on the display of the smartphone 3. Otherwise, when the coverage check code included in the confirmation data does not correspond to the coverage check code available in the OLT, the coverage check application provides a warning message to the operator on the display of the smartphone 3, indicating failure.

[0086] If all of the possible checks performed as described above return positive results, the coverage check application provides the operator with a final confirmation message on the display of the smartphone 3, indicating that the coverage check of the optical fiber link 17 was successful.

[0087] The above-described device advantageously enables the coverage of an optical fiber link in an effective and reliable manner. In fact, the above device is a portable device that can be easily handled by an operator, can be taken to the location where the coverage of the optical fiber link should be checked, and can confirm that the link is established and operating properly. The above confirmation device has a simple architecture and can be operated in a simple manner. Furthermore, the above device provides highly reliable and secure information. In particular, the above device provides the geographical coordinates of the location where the coverage check is performed in a highly reliable and secure manner. These coordinates are highly reliable because they are provided by a satellite (or, alternatively, a network-based or network-assisted) positioning device of the confirmation device connected in such a way as to avoid any manipulation (for example, the processing device sets a timer, and the timer prevents the operator from moving during the coverage check procedure and detecting coordinates at different locations). Furthermore, according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the components of the confirmation device are enclosed in a container and cannot be operated. This means that the device provides a very reliable correlation between, for example, the measured position of the OTB and the actual address of the building where the OTB is located. This also ensures that data such as the identifier of the modem device or geographical coordinates cannot be maliciously modified for coverage check purposes. Once the coverage check operation is started, the described usage of a specific coverage check code that randomly occurs in the confirmation device makes it possible to further improve the reliability of the operation. The security of the data is also enhanced by encrypting the data obtained by the confirmation device before transferring the data to the transmission device used by the operator to execute the coverage check application.

Claims

1. A device (2) for checking the coverage of an optical fiber link (17) of an optical fiber network (1), wherein the optical fiber link (17) is a device (2) that connects a device (11) located at the main station (12) of a telecommunications service provider to a terminal device (16) located within the optical fiber network (1), and the device (2) is Processing device (21) and Positioning device (23), Modem device (25) and Equipped with a connection enabler, The modem device (25) is connected to the optical fiber link (17) at the terminal device (16) and is configured to read data indicating that the optical fiber link (17) has been established. The positioning device (23) is configured to provide the geographic coordinates of the instrument (2), The processing device (21) is configured to provide encrypted data by encrypting the data indicating that the optical fiber link (17) has been established and the geographic coordinates. The connection enabler (24) is a device configured to transmit the encrypted data to another device (3) located in close proximity to the device (2).

2. The apparatus (2) according to claim 1, wherein the positioning device (23) is a global positioning satellite system device.

3. The apparatus (2) according to claim 1, wherein the connection enabler (24) is equipped with an RFID tag.

4. The apparatus (2) according to claim 1, wherein the processing device (21) is configured to encrypt the data indicating that the optical fiber link (17) has been established and the geographic coordinates by using 64-bit encryption technology.

5. The apparatus (2) according to claim 1, wherein the processing device (21) is configured to read out information indicating the date and time of the day on which the geographic coordinates were provided, and to encrypt the information indicating the date and time of the day together with the data indicating that the optical fiber link (17) has been established and the geographic coordinates.

6. The apparatus (2) according to claim 1, further comprising a rechargeable battery for supplying power to the processing device (21), the positioning device (23), the modem device (25), and the connection enabler (24).

7. The apparatus (2) according to claim 1, further comprising a LAN interface (26) connected to the modem device (25) and the processing device (21), wherein the LAN interface (26) is configured to make available to the processing device (21) the electrical signals generated by the conversion of optical signals received by the modem device (25) from the optical fiber link (17).

8. The apparatus (2) according to claim 1, wherein the processing device (21) is configured to provide a machine-readable optical label containing the encrypted data, and the apparatus (2) further comprises a visual signal transmission device (27) configured to display the machine-readable optical label for reading by the other apparatus.

9. The device (2) according to claim 1, wherein the device (2) is portable.

10. The apparatus (2) according to claim 1, wherein when the positioning device (23) provides the geographic coordinates, the processing device (21) is configured to start a timer, the timer being a timer with a duration of 1 to 10 minutes.

11. The device (2) according to claim 1, wherein the modem device (25) is further configured to read out received power, which indicates the power at which the modem device (25) receives an optical signal from the optical fiber link (17), and transmitted power, which indicates the power at which the modem device (25) transmits an optical signal onto the optical fiber link (17).

12. The device (2) according to claim 1, wherein the device (2) further comprises a container, the processing device (21), the positioning device (23), the modem device (25), and the connection enabler (24) are enclosed within the container in a manner that prevents them from being released.

13. A system comprising a first device (2) which is the device described in any of claims 1 to 12, and a second device (3) which is connected to the first device (2) and configured to receive the encrypted data from the first device (2).

14. The system according to claim 13, wherein the second device (3) comprises coverage check application software, the coverage check application software is configured to decrypt the encrypted data, read the geographic coordinates, and compare the geographic coordinates with the expected geographic coordinates of the terminal device (16) stored in a network inventory managed by the service provider.

15. The system according to claim 14, wherein the coverage check application is further configured to check whether the identifier of the modem device (25) of the first device (2) is included in the list of identifiers of the terminal device connected to the active port of the device (11) located at the main station.

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