Nec corporation (20240102851). POSITION EVALUATION APPARATUS, POSITION EVALUATION METHOD, AND NON-TRANSITORY COMPUTER READABLE MEDIUM simplified abstract

POSITION EVALUATION APPARATUS, POSITION EVALUATION METHOD, AND NON-TRANSITORY COMPUTER READABLE MEDIUM

Organization Name

nec corporation

Inventor(s)

Wataru Kohno of Tokyo (JP)

Tomoyuki Hino of Tokyo (JP)

Sakiko Mishima of Tokyo (JP)

Takashi Matsushita of Tokyo (JP)

POSITION EVALUATION APPARATUS, POSITION EVALUATION METHOD, AND NON-TRANSITORY COMPUTER READABLE MEDIUM - A simplified explanation of the abstract

This abstract first appeared for US patent application 20240102851 titled 'POSITION EVALUATION APPARATUS, POSITION EVALUATION METHOD, AND NON-TRANSITORY COMPUTER READABLE MEDIUM

Simplified Explanation

The apparatus described in the abstract is designed to estimate the position of an optical fiber being aerially laid over a pole by analyzing the characteristic vibrations occurring at each position of the fiber. Here is a simplified explanation of the abstract:

• Input signal from a sensor indicating characteristic vibrations of the optical fiber.
• Estimate the aerial section where the optical fiber is present based on the input signal.
• Calculate sensing data indicating vibration characteristics of the optical fiber in the aerial section.
• Calculate the difference degree of sensing data between neighboring points of the optical fiber.
• Temporally integrate the difference degree and calculate a time average.
• Estimate the position of the pole and an extra length section of the optical fiber based on the time average value of the difference degree.
• Output an estimation result of the positions of the pole and the extra length section.

1. 1. 1. Potential Applications of this Technology:

- Structural health monitoring of poles and optical fiber networks. - Detection of unauthorized tampering with optical fiber installations.

1. 1. 1. Problems Solved by this Technology:

- Efficient monitoring and maintenance of optical fiber networks. - Quick identification of potential issues in aerially laid optical fiber systems.

1. 1. 1. Benefits of this Technology:

- Cost-effective monitoring solution for optical fiber infrastructure. - Improved reliability and longevity of optical fiber networks.

1. 1. 1. Potential Commercial Applications of this Technology:
         1. Optimizing Optical Fiber Network Maintenance with Vibration Analysis

1. 1. 1. Possible Prior Art:

There may be prior art related to using vibration analysis for monitoring infrastructure elements like poles and cables, but specific applications to estimating the position of poles and extra length sections of optical fiber may be novel.

1. 1. 1. 1. Unanswered Questions:
         2. How does the apparatus differentiate between vibrations caused by external factors and those related to the structural integrity of the optical fiber network?

The apparatus likely uses algorithms to analyze the vibration characteristics and distinguish between normal environmental vibrations and those indicating potential issues with the optical fiber network.

1. 1. 1. 1. What is the accuracy of the estimation results provided by the apparatus in determining the positions of poles and extra length sections of the optical fiber?

The accuracy of the estimation results would depend on the sensitivity of the sensor, the algorithms used for analysis, and the calibration of the system. Further testing and validation would be needed to determine the precise accuracy levels.

Original Abstract Submitted

an apparatus includes memory and processor configured to: input, from a sensor, a signal indicating a characteristic vibration occurring at each position of an optical fiber, and estimate, based on the input signal, an aerial section in which the optical fiber being aerially laid over a pole is present; calculate, based on the input signal, sensing data indicating a vibration characteristic of each position of the optical fiber being present in the aerial section, and calculate a difference degree of the sensing data between two neighboring points of the optical fiber; and temporally integrate the difference degree, calculate a time average of the difference degree, estimate, based on a time average value of the difference degree, a position of the pole and a position of an extra length section of the optical fiber, and output an estimation result of positions of the pole and the extra length section.