Patent ID: 7139069

Claim:
A method for determining a faulty component location along an optical path through an optical fiber in an optical network, the optical fiber carrying a plurality of individual wavelengths, the method comprising the steps of: (a) measuring a total power of the optical fiber at a plurality of local detection points along the optical path; (b) measuring a total wavelength power of said individual wavelengths at each of said local detection points; (c) if a discrepancy between the total power of the optical fiber in step (a) and the total wavelength power in step (b) exceeding an accuracy of measurements is detected at a local detection point, determining that a faulty detection point or a component may exist along the optical path; (d) measuring a loss of a total wavelength power between a local detection point and a detection point adjacent to said local detection point; and (e) for each pair of the local and adjacent detection points, if the loss of the total wavelength power in step (d) is greater than a reference loss value for the respective pair, determining one or more of the following: a fault occurs at the local detection point, a fault occurs at the adjacent detection point, and a faulty component is located between the local detection point and the adjacent detection point to said local detection point.