Patent ID: 9366691
Filing Date: 2016-06-14
CPC Classification: G01D,G01H,G01P

Claim Text:
1. A distributed system for measuring physical parameters, comprising: a source of high-power broadband pulsed light having a generally flat output wavelength spectrum; at least one input optical fiber coupled to the source of broadband light; a plurality of sensors coupled to the input optical fiber at spaced locations along the fiber, at least some of the sensors each including a plurality of Fabry-Perot cavities for measuring a plurality of respective physical parameters at the location of the sensor, the plurality of Fabry-Perot cavities producing, within a plurality of respective data channels occupying a plurality of respective wavelength bands, output optical signals comprising respective narrow transmission bands whose peak wavelengths shift in response to the respective physical parameters; at least one output optical fiber coupled to the plurality of sensors and configured to receive and communicate the sensor output optical signals; and an interrogation module coupled to the at least one output optical fiber, the interrogation module being configured to separate the output optical signals from different ones of the sensors by time division demultiplexing and to separate the output optical signals from different ones of the Fabry-Perot cavities within each sensor by coarse wavelength demultiplexing and further configured to convert the output optical signals to electrical output signals.