Abstract:
A fiber color detector is presented. A magnifying glass and a receptacle are formed in a housing. In addition, a platform including a first side facing the magnifying glass and a second oppositely disposed side is located within the housing. A light source located within the housing is positioned relative to the second side of the platform and radiates light, which emanates through the platform. A fiber is inserted into the receptacle and is positioned between the first side of the platform and the magnifying glass. As such, when the light source generates light, which emanates through the platform, the color of the fiber is contrasted against the color of the platform, when viewed through the magnifying glass. As such, an operator may view and detect the color of the fiber through the magnifying glass.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
   1. Field of the Invention 
   This invention relates to cable maintenance. Specifically, the present invention relates to fiber detection. 
   2. Description of the Prior Art 
   In modern utility companies personnel is assigned to design and maintain the utility infrastructure. The personnel is typically referred to as operations personnel. For example, in power utility companies or in communication utility companies operations personnel typically maintain the utility system. 
   Most utility infrastructure utilizes cables. For example, both power companies and communication companies use cables to communicate the resources that they provide to customers. The cabling may be copper cabling, fiber-optic cabling or coaxial cabling. 
   Most of the cabling is buried so that the cabling will not be disturbed. For example, in communication systems, fiber-optic cabling is typically buried so that the cabling is not disrupted or disturbed. The cabling is typically buried in a subterranean area where the lighting is very poor. Therefore, when operations personnel attempt to gain access and troubleshoot the cabling, it is typically hard to distinguish or see the cabling. To compound matters, several fibers within the cable are typically bundled together. Therefore, since the lighting in the area is poor, it is hard to distinguish a single fiber from the many fibers that are collocated within the cable of interest. In addition, fibers have a very small diameter, which further exacerbates the problem of identifying a single fiber. 
   Fibers are identified by color code in binder groups within the fiber cable. Various standards have been developed to identify individual fibers. For example, blue=1, orange=2, green=3, brown=4, slate=5, white=6, red=7, black=8, yellow=9, violet=10, aqua=11 and rose=12 are standardized color codes within the communication industry. Using the color code an operator knows which fibers to reconnect after splicing the fibers for maintenance. However, when there is poor lighting, it becomes difficult for an operator to distinguish the fiber color. As a result, when an operator attempts to work on a cable in an area with poor lighting, there is a high risk of reconnecting the wrong fibers. Reconnecting the wrong fibers results in connection of the wrong endpoints, which may ultimately result in extended service outage. 
   Thus, there is a need for a method and apparatus for identifying fibers in areas with poor lighting. There is a need for a method and apparatus to distinguish a fiber given the size of fibers. There is a need for a method and apparatus for distinguishing a single fiber from the other fibers that are collocated within the cable of interest. 
   SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
   A fiber color detector is presented. The fiber color detector comprises a housing including a magnifying glass and a receptacle; a platform located within the housing includes a first side and an oppositely disposed second side, wherein the platform is positioned such that a fiber inserted in the receptacle will be positioned between the magnifying glass and the first side of the platform; and a light source generating light, wherein the light source is positioned within the housing and relative to the second side of the platform such that the light emanating from the light source will pass through the platform and illuminate the fiber inserted in the receptacle with the platform as a background, when viewed through the magnifying glass. 
   A method of detecting a fiber color comprises the steps of inserting a fiber including a color in a detector unit, the detector unit comprising a housing including a magnifying glass and a receptacle; a platform located within the housing and including a first side and an oppositely disposed second side, the platform is positioned such that the fiber inserted in the receptacle will be positioned between the magnifying glass and the first side of the platform; and a light source generating light, the light source is positioned relative to the second side of the platform such that the light emanating from the light source will illuminate the fiber inserted in the receptacle against the platform; and detecting the fiber color through the magnifying glass. 
   A method of detecting a fiber color comprising the steps of inserting a fiber including a color in a housing including a platform and a magnifying glass; viewing the fiber against the platform through the magnifying glass; replacing the platform with a new fiber; and detecting the color of the fiber by viewing the fiber against the new platform, through the magnifying glass. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       FIG. 1  displays a diagram of one embodiment of the present invention. 
   

   DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
   While the present invention is described herein with reference to illustrative embodiments for particular applications, it should be understood that the invention is not limited thereto. Those having ordinary skill in the art and access to the teachings provided herein will recognize additional modifications, applications, and embodiments within the scope thereof and additional fields in which the present invention would be of significant utility. 
   A method and apparatus for detecting the color of a fiber is presented.  FIG. 1  displays one embodiment of the present invention. A fiber color detector  100  is shown. The fiber color detector  100  is connected to a power supply  120  through a power cord  110 . 
   The fiber color detector  100  includes a housing  130  for retaining the components of the fiber color detector  100 . The housing  130  includes a magnifying glass  140  and a receptacle opening  150 . A platform  170  and light source  180  are also shown. 
   In one embodiment of the fiber color detector  100 , the housing  130  may take a rectangular form. However, other forms such as a trapezoidal form, spherical form, etc. are also contemplated and within the scope of the present invention. The housing  130  may be compact enough to be held in the palm of a human hand or the housing  130  may be larger such that it has to be placed on a support. The housing  130  may be made of a variety of materials including light weight metal, plastic or another durable composite material. Lastly, the housing  130  may include a hinge and latching mechanisms (not shown), so that components in the housing  130  may be easily removed and exchanged. 
   A magnifying glass  140  is positioned in the top of the housing  130 . The magnifying glass  140  may take a variety of shapes, such as a rectangular shape, a circular shape, etc. The magnifying glass  140  may be fused into the body of the housing  130  or the magnifying glass  140  may be a removable piece so that magnifying glasses of varying strength may be inserted in the housing  130 . 
   A receptacle opening  150  is formed in the housing  130 . The receptacle opening  150  is formed as a circular opening to match the form of a fiber  160  that will be inserted in the receptacle opening  150 . In one embodiment of the present invention, the receptacle opening  150  may be positioned at a 90-degree angle to the magnifying glass  140  in a different wall of the housing  130 . However, it should be appreciated that the receptacle opening  150  may be positioned at various angels to the magnifying glass  140 . In another embodiment of the present invention, the receptacle opening  150  may be positioned in the same wall of the housing  130  as the magnifying glass  140  or on a different wall of the housing  130 . The receptacle opening  150  is positioned so that when a fiber  160  is inserted into the housing  130 , the fiber  160  will align with the magnifying glass  140  as shown by  165  (e.g., inserted fiber). It should be appreciated that the receptacle opening  150  may be of varying shapes and sizes and still remain within the scope of the present invention. 
   A platform  170  is enclosed in the housing  130 . In one embodiment of the present invention, the platform  170  is positioned so that the platform  170  is aligned with the magnifying glass  140 . As such, when an inserted fiber  165  is positioned in the housing  130  through the receptacle opening  150 , the platform  170 , the inserted fiber  165  and the magnifying glass  140  all align so that the platform  170  provides a background for the inserted fiber  165  when viewing the inserted fiber  165  through the magnifying glass  140 . The platform  170  may be made of a lightweight, transparent or nearly transparent material. In addition, in one embodiment of the present invention, the platform  170  is colored to contrast the color of the inserted fiber  165 . For example, the platform  170  colors, are selected to provide a contrasting background, when placed against the standard color fibers implemented in the communications industry (e.g., blue=1, orange=2, green=3, brown=4, slate=5, white=6, red=7, black=8, yellow=9, violet=10, aqua=11 and rose=12). As such, the color of the inserted fiber  165  may be easily distinguished by the human eye or some other color detecting mechanism, when observed through the magnifying glass  140 . In another embodiment of the present invention, the platform  170  may be removed and replaced to provide an appropriately colored platform, which allows an operator to easily distinguish the inserted fiber  165  against the platform  170 . 
   A light source  180  is positioned within the housing  130  on an oppositely disposed side of the platform  170  from the inserted fiber  165 . The light source  180  is positioned to radiate light upward through and around the platform  170  so that the inserted fiber  165  may be easily distinguished when viewed through the magnifying glass  140 . In one embodiment of the present invention, the light source  180  may be a halogen lamp or some other type of light source. In another embodiment of the present invention, the light source  180  may include any type of light source  180  that generates white light, so that the color of the fibers  160  can be detected. In addition, the inside of the housing  190  may be coated with a reflective material so that as light emanates from the light source  180 , the light is further reflected within the body of the housing  130  and up to the magnifying glass  140 . Additional formations such as different angular formations, cylindrical or cone shaped formations may be used inside of the housing  130  to further enhance the reflection of the light. Therefore, in one embodiment of the present invention, the housing  130  may take a rectangular or square form and the inside of the housing  190  may take a cylindrical form, which enhances the reflection of the light emanating from the light source  180 . It should be appreciated that the external shape of the housing  130  and the inside of the housing  190  may be shaped differently. It should also be appreciated that the external shape of the housing  130  and the inside of the housing  190  may be shaped relative to each other so that the light emanating from the light source  180  is maximized and the inserted fiber  165  may be more clearly distinguished when viewed through the magnifying glass  140 . 
   A power supply  120  is connected to the housing  130  through a power cord  110 . In one embodiment of the present invention, the power supply  120  is used to provide power to the light source  180 . However, it should be appreciated that the light source  180  may be powered by electricity or powered by the power supply  120 . 
   During operation of the fiber color detector of  FIG. 1 , an operator initially identifies a cable for analysis. The operator may splice the cable and a fiber within the cable to expose the fiber for further analysis. The spliced fiber is inserted in the fiber color detector  100  through the receptacle opening  150 . The inserted fiber  165  is input into the housing  130  and positioned to rest on the platform  170 . The light source  180  may be turned on prior to placing the inserted fiber  165  in the housing  130  or after placing the inserted fiber  165  in the housing  130 . The light source  180  generates light, which emanates through the platform  170  and in the inside of the housing  190 . The light illuminates the area around the inserted fiber  165 . In addition, since the color of the platform  170  is chosen to highlight the fiber color, the contrast of the inserted fiber  165  will be visible against the platform  170 , which serves as a background for the inserted fiber  165 . As such, an operator may look through the magnifying glass  140  and detect the color of the inserted fiber  165 , which will be in contrast to the color of the platform  170  and illuminated by the light source  180 . Since the inserted fiber  165  has a small diameter, the magnifying ability of the magnifying glass  140  will further enable detection of the color of the inserted fiber  165  against the background of the platform&#39;s color. In addition, the magnifying glass  140  serves to magnify the light emanating from the light source  180 , which enhances color detection. 
   In another embodiment of the present invention, several platforms will be used to detect the color of the fiber  160 . Using a trial and error approach, a platform  170  will be inserted to provide a background and to enable an operator to distinguish the color of the inserted fiber  165 . If the operator is unable to distinguish the color of the inserted fiber  165 , the platform  170  will be exchanged with a new platform  170  of a different color. This process will continue until a platform  170  is inserted that enables an operator to distinguish the color of the inserted fiber  165 . 
   While the present invention is described herein with reference to illustrative embodiments for particular applications, it should be understood that the invention is not limited thereto. Those having ordinary skill in the art and access to the teachings provided herein will recognize additional modifications, applications and embodiments within the scope thereof and additional fields in which the present invention would be of significant utility. 
   It is, therefore, intended by the appended claims to cover any and all such applications, modifications and embodiments within the scope of the present invention.