Sensing system, sensing device, and sensing method

Abstract

A sensing system according to the present disclosure comprises: a plurality of optical fibers (10); a communication unit (21) to which at least one optical fiber (10) of the plurality of optical fibers (10) is connected, and which transmits pulsed light to the at least one optical fiber (10) connected thereto and receives an optical signal from the at least one optical fiber (10); and a determination unit (22) that determines, on the basis of a vibration pattern indicating a predetermined vibration included in the optical signal received from the at least one optical fiber (10), whether or not the predetermined vibration has occurred in the at least one optical fiber (10).

Description

Sensing system, sensing device, and sensing method

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a sensing system, a sensing device, and a sensing method.

[0002] In offices and the like, in order to connect devices such as servers and computers with optical fibers, connection devices such as patch panels are placed between these devices.

[0003] Furthermore, when equipment is removed from an office or other location, the optical fiber used to connect that equipment is also removed. Since the optical fiber connected to the equipment is the one to be removed, it is easy to identify the optical fiber to be removed. However, in situations where the distance between the equipment to be removed and the connected equipment is long, the connected equipment cannot correctly identify the optical fiber to be removed. As a result, the connected equipment may accidentally disconnect an optical fiber that is currently in operation. This can result in an accidental disconnection of communications during operation.

[0004] Related techniques for solving the above-described problems include those described in Patent Documents 1 and 2, for example. In the technique described in Patent Document 1, an optical unit is connected to one optical fiber in an optical cable to be identified among multiple optical cables, and sends two optical signals with a phase difference and a time difference to the one optical fiber. The optical unit then detects the phase difference, etc., of the two optical signals reflected by external scattering caused by a remote worker striking an optical fiber, converts the detected optical signal into sound, and transmits it to a second communication device of the remote worker via a first communication device. If the sounds heard via the first communication device and the second communication device are identical, the remote worker identifies the optical cable selected by the remote worker as correct.

[0005] In the technology described in Patent Document 2, an observer performs an optical pulse test on multiple optical fiber cores in advance to obtain a test waveform. The operator selects one of the multiple optical fiber cores, applies a bending loss as a disturbance to the selected core, and notifies the observer that a bend has been applied. In response, the observer performs an optical pulse test again with the optical fiber bent to obtain a waveform and compares it with the test waveform. When a bending loss is applied to an optical fiber core, reflection from the far end disappears or is attenuated, and the reflection peak disappears from the waveform. This is used to determine whether the optical fiber core is in use or not.

[0006] JP-T-2010-522896 A JP-A-2008-309958

[0007] However, the technology described in Patent Document 1 requires transmitting two optical signals with a phase difference and a time difference to an optical fiber, and also requires detecting the phase difference between the two optical signals reflected by external scattering and converting the detected optical signal into sound.

[0008] Furthermore, the technology described in Patent Document 2 requires that an optical pulse test be performed on multiple optical fiber cores in advance to determine the positions and number of reflection peaks. Therefore, a simpler method for preventing erroneous removal of optical fibers is desired.

[0009] In view of the above-mentioned problems, an object of the present disclosure is to provide a sensing system, sensing device, and sensing method that can more simply prevent the erroneous removal of optical fibers.

[0010] A sensing system according to one embodiment comprises: a plurality of optical fibers; a communication unit to which at least one of the plurality of optical fibers is connected, which transmits pulsed light to the at least one connected optical fiber and receives an optical signal from the at least one optical fiber; and a determination unit which determines whether a predetermined vibration has occurred in the at least one optical fiber based on a vibration pattern indicating the predetermined vibration contained in the optical signal received from the at least one optical fiber.

[0011] A sensing device according to one embodiment includes: a communication unit to which at least one optical fiber among a plurality of optical fibers is connected, which transmits pulsed light to the at least one connected optical fiber and receives an optical signal from the at least one optical fiber; and a determination unit which determines whether or not a predetermined vibration has occurred in the at least one optical fiber based on a vibration pattern indicating the predetermined vibration contained in the optical signal received from the at least one optical fiber.

[0012] A sensing method according to one aspect is a sensing method using a sensing device, wherein at least one optical fiber among a plurality of optical fibers is connected to the sensing device, and the sensing method includes: a communication step of transmitting pulsed light to the at least one connected optical fiber and receiving an optical signal from the at least one optical fiber; and a determination step of determining whether or not a predetermined vibration has occurred in the at least one optical fiber based on a vibration pattern indicating a predetermined vibration contained in the optical signal received from the at least one optical fiber.

[0013] According to the above-described aspects, it is possible to provide a sensing system, a sensing device, and a sensing method that can prevent erroneous removal of an optical fiber in a simpler manner.

[0014] FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an example of the configuration of a sensing system according to a first embodiment. FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of a vibration pattern of vibrations artificially generated in an optical fiber. FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating an example of an operation of the sensing device according to the first embodiment, in which a user applies pressure to a plurality of optical fibers one by one in sequence on the patch panel side. FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating an example of an operation of the sensing device according to the first embodiment, in which a user applies pressure to a plurality of optical fibers two by two in sequence on the patch panel side. FIG. 5 is a flow diagram illustrating an example of a schematic operation flow of the sensing device according to the first embodiment. FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating an example of a configuration of a sensing system according to a second embodiment. FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating an example of a configuration of a sensing system according to a third embodiment. FIG. 8 is a diagram illustrating an example of a GUI screen displayed on a display device by a notification unit according to the third embodiment. FIG. 9 is a flow diagram illustrating an example of a schematic operation flow of the sensing device according to the third embodiment. FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of a configuration of a sensing system according to another embodiment. FIG. 11 is a block diagram illustrating an example of the hardware configuration of a computer that realizes the sensing device according to the embodiments.

[0015] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings. Note that the following description and drawings have been omitted and simplified as appropriate for clarity of explanation. In addition, in the following drawings, the same elements are given the same reference numerals, and duplicate explanations are omitted as necessary.

[0016] First Embodiment First, with reference to FIG. 1, a configuration example of a sensing system according to a first embodiment will be described.

[0017] 1, the sensing system according to the first embodiment includes a plurality of optical fibers 10-1 to 10-7 and a sensing device 20. Hereinafter, when it is not necessary to specify which of the optical fibers 10-1 to 10-7 is being referred to, they will be simply referred to as "optical fibers 10." Note that while the number of optical fibers 10 in FIG. 1 is seven, this is just an example, and the number of optical fibers 10 may be any number.

[0018] One end of each of the optical fibers 10 is connected to each port of the patch panel 30. The patch panel 30 is an example of a connection device. The optical fibers 10 may be connected to the sensing device 20 and the patch panel 30 in the form of an optical fiber cable formed by covering the optical fibers 10, for example.

[0019] In the first embodiment, it is assumed that the optical fiber 10 connected to the device to be removed is to be removed among the plurality of optical fibers 10. It is also assumed that the device to be removed is far from the patch panel 30, and it is therefore impossible to determine which of the plurality of optical fibers 10 is to be removed, as viewed from the patch panel 30 side.

[0020] In the first embodiment, under the circumstances described above, the optical fiber 10 to be removed can be determined on the patch panel 30 side. To this end, in the first embodiment, the other end of one optical fiber 10 to be removed is connected to the sensing device 20 (more specifically, the communication unit 21 described later). However, this is just one example, and as will be described in the second embodiment described later, two or more optical fibers 10 to be removed may be connected to the sensing device 20. In other words, the number of optical fibers 10 to be removed connected to the sensing device 20 needs to be at least one.

[0021] The sensing device 20 includes a communication unit 21 and a determination unit 22. However, the determination unit 22 may be provided in a device separate from the sensing device 20, or may be provided on the cloud. The sensing device 20 is realized by, for example, a distributed vibration sensing (DVS) device or a distributed acoustic sensing (DAS) device.

[0022] As described above, one optical fiber 10 to be removed is connected to the communication unit 21. The communication unit 21 transmits pulsed light to the connected optical fiber 10. Then, backscattered light is generated as the pulsed light is transmitted through the optical fiber 10. The communication unit 21 receives the backscattered light from the connected optical fiber 10 as an optical signal.

[0023] In the first embodiment, a user applies pressure to the plurality of optical fibers 10 in turn on the patch panel 30 side by hitting them with a stick, etc. This pressure generates artificial vibrations in the optical fibers 10.

[0024] When artificial vibrations are generated in the optical fiber 10 by compression, the characteristics (e.g., wavelength) of the optical signal transmitted through the optical fiber 10 change. Therefore, the optical fiber 10 can detect the artificial vibrations generated by compression, and the optical signal transmitted through the optical fiber 10 contains a unique vibration pattern with different vibration strengths, vibration positions, etc. depending on the artificial vibrations.

[0025] Therefore, the determination unit 22 determines whether or not artificial vibrations (predetermined vibrations) have occurred in the connected optical fiber 10 based on a vibration pattern that indicates artificial vibrations due to compression and is contained in the optical signal received by the communication unit 21.

[0026] Here, an example of a vibration pattern of vibration artificially generated in the optical fiber 10 will be described with reference to Fig. 2. As described above, when vibration occurs in the optical fiber 10, the characteristics of the optical signal change. Therefore, the determination unit 22 can obtain vibration data such as that shown in Fig. 2 by analyzing the optical signal received by the communication unit 21 from the optical fiber 10 connected to the communication unit 21. Fig. 2 shows vibration data of vibration generated in the optical fiber 10, with the horizontal axis representing time and the vertical axis representing vibration intensity.

[0027] 2, when vibration is artificially generated in the optical fiber 10 by compression, a vibration pattern appears in the vibration data in which the vibration intensity fluctuates greatly in response to the artificial vibration. Therefore, if a vibration pattern such as that shown in FIG. 2 appears, the determination unit 22 can determine that artificial vibration has occurred in the connected optical fiber 10.

[0028] When the judgment unit 22 judges that artificial vibration due to pressure has occurred in the connected optical fiber 10, the user on the patch panel 30 side can determine that the optical fiber 10 that was applying pressure at that time should be removed.

[0029] Here, the operation of the sensing device 20 will be described in more detail. First, with reference to Fig. 3, an example of the operation of the sensing device 20 will be described in which a user applies pressure to multiple optical fibers 10 one by one in order on the patch panel 30 side. In Fig. 3, the optical fiber 10 to be removed is optical fiber 10-2.

[0030] 3, the optical fiber 10-2 to be removed is connected to the communication unit 21. The communication unit 21 transmits pulsed light to the optical fiber 10-2. The communication unit 21 also receives, as an optical signal, backscattered light generated as the pulsed light is transmitted through the optical fiber 10-2 from the optical fiber 10-2.

[0031] While the communication unit 21 is performing the above-described operation, the user on the patch panel 30 side applies pressure to the multiple optical fibers 10 one by one in order. Then, each time pressure is applied, the determination unit 22 determines whether or not artificial vibration due to pressure has occurred in the connected optical fiber 10-2. Specifically, this determination is made based on a vibration pattern that indicates artificial vibration due to pressure and is included in the optical signal received by the communication unit 21.

[0032] As a result, when the user on the patch panel 30 side applies pressure to the optical fiber 10-2, the determination unit 22 determines that artificial vibration due to pressure has occurred in the connected optical fiber 10-2. Therefore, the user on the patch panel 30 side can determine that the optical fiber 10-2 to which pressure was applied at that time should be removed.

[0033] 4, an example of the operation of the sensing device 20 will be described in which a user applies pressure to a plurality of optical fibers 10, two at a time, in order, on the patch panel 30 side. Note that in FIG. 4 as well, the optical fiber 10 to be removed is the optical fiber 10-2.

[0034] As shown in FIG. 4, the communication unit 21 is connected to the optical fiber 10-2 to be removed, as in FIG. 3, and transmits pulsed light to the optical fiber 10-2 and receives optical signals from the optical fiber 10-2.

[0035] While the communication unit 21 is performing the above-described operation, the user on the patch panel 30 side applies pressure to the plurality of optical fibers 10, two at a time, in order. Then, each time pressure is applied, the determination unit 22 determines whether or not artificial vibration due to the pressure has occurred in the connected optical fiber 10-2.

[0036] As a result, when the user on the patch panel 30 side applies pressure to the two optical fibers 10-1 and 10-2, the determination unit 22 determines that artificial vibration due to the pressure has occurred in the connected optical fiber 10-2. Therefore, although the user on the patch panel 30 side can determine that either of the two optical fibers 10-1 and 10-2 to which pressure is being applied at that time is the optical fiber 10 to be removed, he or she cannot identify the optical fiber 10 to be removed.

[0037] Therefore, the user on the patch panel 30 side applies pressure to only the two optical fibers 10-1 and 10-2 for the second time. At this time, the user on the patch panel 30 side applies pressure to the two optical fibers 10-1 and 10-2 one by one in order.

[0038] As a result, when the user on the patch panel 30 side applies pressure to the optical fiber 10-2, the determination unit 22 determines that artificial vibration due to pressure has occurred in the connected optical fiber 10-2. Therefore, the user on the patch panel 30 side can determine that the optical fiber 10-2 to which pressure was applied at that time should be removed.

[0039] In the example of Fig. 3, it is assumed that compression is applied to all of the multiple optical fibers 10 and whether artificial vibration due to compression has occurred in the connected optical fiber 10-2 is determined, but this is not limited to this. For example, if it is determined that artificial vibration due to compression has occurred in the connected optical fiber 10-2, the determination operation may be terminated at that time even if there are optical fibers 10 that have not been compressed. The same applies to the example of Fig. 4. For example, if it is determined that artificial vibration due to compression has occurred in the optical fiber 10-2 during the second compression, the determination operation may be terminated at that time even if the optical fiber 10-1 is not compressed.

[0040] 3 and 4, the user on the patch panel 30 side applies pressure to one or two optical fibers 10, but the number of optical fibers 10 to which pressure is applied simultaneously is not limited to one or two, and may be three or more. That is, the number of optical fibers 10 to which pressure is applied simultaneously may be a predetermined number. When applying pressure to three or more optical fibers 10, the optical fibers 10 to be removed may be gradually narrowed down, as in the example of FIG. 4.

[0041] Next, an example of a schematic operation flow of the sensing device 20 according to the first embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 5. In Fig. 5, if it is determined that artificial vibration due to pressure has occurred in the connected optical fiber 10, the determination operation is terminated at that point. In addition, in the determination operation, the user on the patch panel 30 side applies pressure to the multiple optical fibers 10 one by one in order, as shown in Fig. 3.

[0042] 5, one optical fiber 10 to be removed is connected to the communication unit 21 (step S11). The communication unit 21 transmits pulsed light to the connected optical fiber 10 (step S12), and receives backscattered light corresponding to the pulsed light as an optical signal from the connected optical fiber 10 (step S13).

[0043] While the communication unit 21 is performing the above-described operation, the user on the patch panel 30 side applies pressure to each of the optical fibers 10 in turn. Each time pressure is applied, the determination unit 22 determines whether or not artificial vibration due to pressure has occurred in the connected optical fiber 10, based on a vibration pattern that indicates artificial vibration due to pressure and that is included in the optical signal received by the communication unit 21 (step S14).

[0044] The operation of step S14 is repeated until the determination unit 22 determines that artificial vibration due to compression has occurred in the connected optical fiber 10, and when it determines that such vibration has occurred (Yes in step S14), the operation of Figure 5 ends.

[0045] If there are a plurality of optical fibers 10 to be removed, the operation of FIG. 5 may be performed for each of the optical fibers 10 to be removed, one by one, in order.

[0046] As described above, according to the first embodiment, the communication unit 21 is connected to one of the optical fibers 10 that is to be removed, transmits pulsed light to the connected optical fiber 10, and receives backscattered light corresponding to the pulsed light as an optical signal from the connected optical fiber 10. The determination unit 22 determines whether or not artificial vibration has occurred in the connected optical fiber 10, based on a vibration pattern that indicates artificial vibration due to compression and that is included in the optical signal received by the communication unit 21.

[0047] Therefore, when the judgment unit 22 judges that artificial vibration due to pressure has occurred in the connected optical fiber 10, the user on the patch panel 30 side can correctly judge that the optical fiber 10 that was applying pressure at that time should be removed.

[0048] At this time, unlike the technology described in Patent Document 1, there is no need to transmit two optical signals with a phase difference or a time difference to the optical fiber 10, nor is there any need to convert the optical signal received from the optical fiber 10 into sound. Moreover, unlike the technology described in Patent Document 2, there is no need to perform an optical pulse test on a plurality of optical fibers 10 in advance to grasp the positions and number of reflection peaks.

[0049] Therefore, according to the first embodiment, it is possible to more simply prevent the erroneous removal of the optical fiber 10 and prevent the erroneous disconnection of communication during operation. Furthermore, the user on the patch panel 30 side can correctly determine the optical fiber 10 to be removed, and therefore can quickly perform the removal work of the optical fiber 10.

[0050] <Embodiment 2> In the above-described embodiment 1, only one optical fiber 10 to be removed can be connected to the sensing device 20. In contrast, in embodiment 2, two or more optical fibers 10 to be removed can be connected to the sensing device 20.

[0051] First, a configuration example of a sensing system according to the second embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 6. As shown in Fig. 6, the sensing system according to the second embodiment differs from the configuration of the first embodiment shown in Fig. 1 in that a coupler 40 is added.

[0052] The coupler 40 is disposed between the sensing device 20 and the patch panel 30. Two or more of the multiple optical fibers 10 can be connected to the communication unit 21 of the sensing device 20 via the coupler 40.

[0053] Therefore, in the second embodiment, two or more optical fibers 10 to be removed can be connected to the communication unit 21 via the coupler 40. In the example of Fig. 6, two optical fibers 10-2 and 10-7 are connected to the communication unit 21.

[0054] The basic operation of the sensing device 20 according to the second embodiment is the same as that of the sensing device 20 according to the first embodiment. In other words, in the example of Fig. 6, the communication unit 21 transmits pulsed light to the optical fiber 10-2 and receives an optical signal from the optical fiber 10-2, and transmits pulsed light to the optical fiber 10-7 and receives an optical signal from the optical fiber 10-7. The determination unit 22 determines whether or not artificial vibrations have occurred in each of the optical fibers 10-2 and 10-7, based on vibration patterns that indicate artificial vibrations due to compression and are included in the optical signals received by the communication unit 21 from each of the optical fibers 10-2 and 10-7.

[0055] As a result, for example, if the determination unit 22 determines that artificial vibration due to pressure has occurred in the optical fiber 10-2, the user on the patch panel 30 side can determine that the optical fiber 10-2 to which pressure was being applied at that time should be removed. Also, if the determination unit 22 determines that artificial vibration due to pressure has occurred in the optical fiber 10-7, the user on the patch panel 30 side can determine that the optical fiber 10-7 to which pressure was being applied at that time should be removed. Therefore, a detailed description of the operation of the sensing device 20 according to the second embodiment will be omitted.

[0056] As described above, according to the second embodiment, the communication unit 21 is connected to two or more optical fibers 10 to be removed via the coupler 40, transmits pulsed light to each of the two or more connected optical fibers 10, and receives backscattered light corresponding to the pulsed light as an optical signal from each of the two or more connected optical fibers 10. The determination unit 22 determines whether or not artificial vibration has occurred in each of the two or more connected optical fibers 10, based on a vibration pattern that indicates artificial vibration due to compression and that is included in the optical signal received by the communication unit 21 from each of the two or more optical fibers 10.

[0057] Therefore, even when there are two or more optical fibers 10 to be removed, the two or more optical fibers 10 can be connected together to the communication unit 21, and it can be determined whether or not artificial vibrations have occurred in each of the two or more optical fibers 10. As a result, compared to the first embodiment described above, when there are two or more optical fibers 10 to be removed, it is possible to eliminate the need to connect the optical fibers 10 to the communication unit 21 one by one in order. Other effects are the same as those of the first embodiment described above.

[0058] <Embodiment 3> In the above-described embodiment 1, the determination of the optical fiber 10 to be removed on the patch panel 30 side is manually performed by a user based on the determination result of the determination unit 22. In contrast, in embodiment 3, the determination of the optical fiber 10 to be removed on the patch panel 30 side is performed on the sensing device 20 (determination unit 22) side.

[0059] First, a configuration example of a sensing system according to the third embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 7. As shown in Fig. 7, the sensing system according to the third embodiment differs from the configuration of the first embodiment shown in Fig. 1 in that a notification unit 23 is added to the sensing device 20 and the function of the determination unit 22 is expanded.

[0060] When the determination unit 22 determines that artificial vibration due to pressure has occurred in a specific optical fiber 10 among the optical fibers 10 to be removed that are connected to the communication unit 21, the determination unit 22 determines that the specific optical fiber 10 is the same as the optical fiber 10 that is applying pressure on the patch panel 30 side.

[0061] When the determination unit 22 determines that the specific optical fiber 10 is the same as the optical fiber 10 to which pressure is being applied on the patch panel 30 side, the notification unit 23 notifies a predetermined notification destination of this fact. For example, the notification unit 23 displays a GUI (Graphical User Interface) screen indicating that the specific optical fiber 10 is the same as the optical fiber 10 to which pressure is being applied on the patch panel 30 side on a display device such as a monitor of the predetermined notification destination. The display device of the predetermined notification destination is, for example, a display device on the patch panel 30 side. Fig. 8 shows an example of a GUI screen.

[0062] Next, an example of a schematic operation flow of the sensing device 20 according to the third embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 9. As shown in Fig. 9, first, the processes of steps S21 to S24 are performed, which are similar to steps S11 to S14 of Fig. 5 in the first embodiment described above.

[0063] In step S24, if the judgment unit 22 determines that artificial vibration due to pressure has occurred in a specific optical fiber 10 among the optical fibers 10 to be removed that are connected to the communication unit 21 (Yes in step S24), it further determines that the specific optical fiber 10 is the same as the optical fiber 10 that is applying pressure on the patch panel 30 side (step S25).

[0064] Thereafter, the notification unit 23 notifies a predetermined notification destination that the specific optical fiber 10 is the same as the optical fiber 10 to which pressure is being applied on the patch panel 30 side (step S26). This notification may be performed, for example, by displaying a GUI screen such as that shown in Fig. 8 on the display device of the predetermined notification destination.

[0065] As described above, according to the third embodiment, when the determination unit 22 determines that artificial vibration due to pressure has occurred in a specific optical fiber 10 among the optical fibers 10 to be removed that are connected to the communication unit 21, the determination unit 22 further determines that the specific optical fiber 10 is the same as the optical fiber 10 to which pressure is being applied on the patch panel 30 side, and the notification unit 23 notifies a predetermined notification destination of this fact. This makes it possible to notify, for example, a user on the patch panel 30 side, that the optical fiber 10 to be removed and the optical fiber 10 to which pressure is being applied on the patch panel 30 side are the same. Other effects are the same as those of the first embodiment described above.

[0066] <Other Embodiments> In the first embodiment described above, the communication unit 21 and the determination unit 22 are provided inside the sensing device 20, but this is not limiting. The determination unit 22 may be provided in a device separate from the sensing device 20, or may be provided on the cloud. Fig. 10 shows an example configuration of a sensing system in which the determination unit 22 is provided outside the sensing device 20. Note that in the sensing system shown in Fig. 10, the notification unit 23 may be provided inside or outside the sensing device 20, as in the third embodiment described above.

[0067] <Hardware Configuration of Sensing Device According to the Embodiments> Next, with reference to FIG. 11, an example of the hardware configuration of a computer 50 that realizes the sensing device 20 according to each of the above-described embodiments will be described.

[0068] 11, the computer 50 includes a processor 51, a memory 52, a storage 53, an input / output interface (input / output I / F) 54, and a communication interface (communication I / F) 55. The processor 51, the memory 52, the storage 53, the input / output interface 54, and the communication interface 55 are connected by a data transmission path for transmitting and receiving data to and from each other.

[0069] The processor 51 is, for example, a central processing unit (CPU) or a graphics processing unit (GPU). The memory 52 is, for example, a random access memory (RAM) or a read-only memory (ROM). The storage 53 is, for example, a storage device such as a hard disk drive (HDD), a solid state drive (SSD), or a memory card. The storage 53 may also be a memory such as a RAM or a ROM.

[0070] A program is stored in the storage 53. When the program is loaded into a computer, it includes a set of instructions (or software code) that causes the computer 50 to perform one or more functions of the sensing device 20 described above. The components of the sensing device 20 described above may be realized by the processor 51 reading and executing a program stored in the storage 53. Furthermore, the storage function of the sensing device 20 described above may be realized by the memory 52 or the storage 53.

[0071] The above-described programs may also be stored on non-transitory computer-readable media or tangible storage media. By way of example and not limitation, computer-readable media or tangible storage media include RAM, ROM, flash memory, SSD or other memory technologies, CD (Compact Disc)-ROM, DVD (Digital Versatile Disc), Blu-ray® disk or other optical disk storage, magnetic cassette, magnetic tape, magnetic disk storage or other magnetic storage devices. The programs may also be transmitted on a transitory computer-readable medium or communication medium. By way of example and not limitation, transitory computer-readable media or communication media include electrical, optical, acoustic, or other forms of propagated signals.

[0072] The input / output interface 54 is connected to a display device 541, an input device 542, a sound output device 543, etc. The display device 541 is a device that displays a screen corresponding to drawing data processed by the processor 51, such as an LCD (Liquid Crystal Display), a CRT (Cathode Ray Tube) display, or a monitor. The input device 542 is a device that accepts operation inputs from an operator, such as a keyboard, a mouse, or a touch sensor. The display device 541 and the input device 542 may be integrated and realized as a touch panel. The sound output device 543 is a device that outputs sound corresponding to the sound data processed by the processor 51, such as a speaker.

[0073] The communication interface 55 transmits and receives data to and from an external device. For example, the communication interface 55 communicates with the external device via a wired communication path or a wireless communication path.

[0074] Although the present disclosure has been described above with reference to the embodiments, the present disclosure is not limited to the above-described embodiments. Various modifications that can be understood by those skilled in the art can be made to the configuration and details of the present disclosure within the scope of the present disclosure. For example, some or all of the above-described embodiments may be used in combination with each other.

[0075] Furthermore, some or all of the above-described embodiments can be described as, but are not limited to, the following supplementary notes. (Supplementary Note 1) A sensing system comprising: a plurality of optical fibers; a communication unit to which at least one of the plurality of optical fibers is connected, the communication unit transmitting pulsed light to the at least one connected optical fiber and receiving an optical signal from the at least one optical fiber; and a determination unit determining whether a predetermined vibration has occurred in the at least one optical fiber based on a vibration pattern indicating the predetermined vibration contained in the optical signal received from the at least one optical fiber. (Supplementary Note 2) The sensing system according to Supplementary Note 1, wherein one end of each of the plurality of optical fibers is connected to a connection device, and the other end of the at least one optical fiber of the plurality of optical fibers is connected to the communication unit, and the predetermined vibration is an artificial vibration artificially generated in the plurality of optical fibers in sequence, a predetermined number at a time, on the connection device side. (Supplementary Note 3) The sensing system according to Supplementary Note 2, wherein, when the determination unit determines that the predetermined vibration has occurred in a specific optical fiber of the at least one optical fiber, the determination unit determines that the specific optical fiber is the same as the optical fiber that caused the artificial vibration on the connected device side. (Supplementary Note 4) The sensing system according to Supplementary Note 3, further comprising a notification unit that, when the determination unit determines that the specific optical fiber is the same as the optical fiber that caused the artificial vibration on the connected device side, notifies a predetermined notification destination of this fact. (Supplementary Note 5) The sensing system according to Supplementary Note 4, wherein the notification unit displays a screen on a display device of the predetermined notification destination indicating that the determination unit has determined that the specific optical fiber is the same as the optical fiber that caused the artificial vibration on the connected device side.(Supplementary Note 6) A sensing device comprising: a communication unit to which at least one optical fiber of a plurality of optical fibers is connected, the communication unit transmitting pulsed light to the at least one connected optical fiber and receiving an optical signal from the at least one optical fiber; and a determination unit determining whether the predetermined vibration has occurred in the at least one optical fiber based on a vibration pattern indicating the predetermined vibration included in the optical signal received from the at least one optical fiber. (Supplementary Note 7) The sensing device according to Supplementary Note 6, wherein one end of the plurality of optical fibers is connected to a connection device, and the other end of at least one optical fiber of the plurality of optical fibers is connected to the communication unit, and the predetermined vibration is artificial vibration artificially generated in the plurality of optical fibers in sequence on the connection device side, a predetermined number at a time. (Supplementary Note 8) The sensing device according to Supplementary Note 7, wherein, when the determination unit determines that the predetermined vibration has occurred in a specific optical fiber of the at least one optical fiber, the determination unit determines that the specific optical fiber is the same as the optical fiber that generated the artificial vibration on the connection device side. (Supplementary Note 9) The sensing device according to Supplementary Note 8, further comprising a notification unit that, when the determination unit determines that the specific optical fiber and the optical fiber that generated the artificial vibration on the connected device side are the same, notifies a predetermined notification destination of that fact. (Supplementary Note 10) The sensing device according to Supplementary Note 9, wherein the notification unit displays a screen on a display device of the predetermined notification destination indicating that the determination unit has determined that the specific optical fiber and the optical fiber that generated the artificial vibration on the connected device side are the same.(Supplementary Note 11) A sensing method using a sensing device, wherein at least one optical fiber out of a plurality of optical fibers is connected to the sensing device, the sensing method comprising: a communication step of transmitting pulsed light to the at least one connected optical fiber and receiving an optical signal from the at least one optical fiber, and a determination step of determining whether or not a predetermined vibration has occurred in the at least one optical fiber based on a vibration pattern indicating a predetermined vibration contained in the optical signal received from the at least one optical fiber. (Supplementary Note 12) The sensing method according to Supplementary Note 11, wherein one ends of the plurality of optical fibers are connected to a connection device, and the other end of the at least one optical fiber out of the plurality of optical fibers is connected to the sensing device, and the predetermined vibration is an artificial vibration artificially generated in the plurality of optical fibers in sequence, a predetermined number at a time, on the connection device side. (Supplementary Note 13) The sensing method according to Supplementary Note 12, wherein, in the determining step, if it is determined that the predetermined vibration has occurred in a specific optical fiber of the at least one optical fiber, it is determined that the specific optical fiber is the same as the optical fiber that caused the artificial vibration on the connected device side. (Supplementary Note 14) The sensing method according to Supplementary Note 13, further comprising a notifying step of, if it is determined in the determining step that the specific optical fiber is the same as the optical fiber that caused the artificial vibration on the connected device side, notifying this to a predetermined notifying destination. (Supplementary Note 15) The sensing method according to Supplementary Note 14, wherein, in the notifying step, a screen indicating that it has been determined in the determining step that the specific optical fiber is the same as the optical fiber that caused the artificial vibration on the connected device side is the same is displayed on a display device of the predetermined notifying destination.

[0076] 10-1 to 10-7 Optical fiber 20 Sensing device 21 Communication unit 22 Determination unit 23 Notification unit 30 Patch panel 40 Coupler 50 Computer 51 Processor 52 Memory 53 Storage 54 Input / output interface 541 Display device 542 Input device 543 Sound output device 55 Communication interface

Claims

1. A plurality of optical fibers; a communication unit to which at least one optical fiber of the plurality of optical fibers is connected, the communication unit transmitting pulsed light to the at least one optical fiber connected thereto and receiving an optical signal from the at least one optical fiber; a determination unit that determines whether or not a predetermined vibration has occurred in the at least one optical fiber based on a vibration pattern indicating a predetermined vibration included in an optical signal received from the at least one optical fiber; A sensing system comprising:

2. One end of each of the optical fibers is connected to a connection device, the other end of the at least one optical fiber among the plurality of optical fibers is connected to the communication unit, The predetermined vibration is an artificial vibration that is artificially generated in a predetermined number of the optical fibers in sequence on the connection device side. The sensing system of claim 1 .

3. when it is determined that the predetermined vibration has occurred in a specific optical fiber among the at least one optical fiber, the determination unit determines that the specific optical fiber is the same as the optical fiber that has generated the artificial vibration on the connection device side. The sensing system of claim 2 .

4. and a notification unit that notifies a predetermined notification destination of the determination unit that the specific optical fiber and the optical fiber that generates the artificial vibration on the connection device side are the same. The sensing system according to claim 3 .

5. a communication unit to which at least one optical fiber among the plurality of optical fibers is connected, the communication unit transmitting pulsed light to the at least one optical fiber connected thereto and receiving an optical signal from the at least one optical fiber; a determination unit that determines whether or not a predetermined vibration has occurred in the at least one optical fiber based on a vibration pattern indicating a predetermined vibration included in an optical signal received from the at least one optical fiber; A sensing device comprising:

6. One end of each of the optical fibers is connected to a connection device, the other end of the at least one optical fiber among the plurality of optical fibers is connected to the communication unit, The predetermined vibration is an artificial vibration that is artificially generated in a predetermined number of the optical fibers in sequence on the connection device side. The sensing device according to claim 5 .

7. when it is determined that the predetermined vibration has occurred in a specific optical fiber among the at least one optical fiber, the determination unit determines that the specific optical fiber is the same as the optical fiber that has generated the artificial vibration on the connection device side. The sensing device according to claim 6 .

8. and a notification unit that notifies a predetermined notification destination of the determination unit that the specific optical fiber and the optical fiber that generates the artificial vibration on the connection device side are the same. The sensing device according to claim 7 .

9. The notification unit displays a screen on the display device of the predetermined notification destination, the screen indicating that the determination unit has determined that the specific optical fiber is the same as the optical fiber that generates the artificial vibration on the connection device side. The sensing device according to claim 8 .

10. A sensing method using a sensing device, comprising: At least one optical fiber among a plurality of optical fibers is connected to the sensing device; The sensing method includes: a communication step of transmitting pulsed light to the at least one connected optical fiber and receiving an optical signal from the at least one optical fiber; a determining step of determining whether or not the predetermined vibration has occurred in the at least one optical fiber based on a vibration pattern indicating a predetermined vibration included in an optical signal received from the at least one optical fiber; A sensing method comprising: