Patent ID: 8369660

Claim:
An optical fibre sensor assembly comprising: a source of a plurality of different frequency substantially monochromatic signals; a modulator connected to the output of the source to produce a train of pulses of the monochromatic signals, and to output said train of pulses to an optic fibre; a plurality of optical drop multiplexers (ODMs), said ODMs arranged along said optic fibre and adapted to successively separate monochromatic signal pulses of each different frequency; a plurality of sensor arrays, each array comprising a plurality of sensor elements and adapted to receive respective monochromatic signal pulses of a single frequency, each of said sensor arrays including optical delays such that each sensor element in the array produces a different time delayed signal at its output with each signal being modulated by the respective sensor element; a plurality of optical add multiplexers (OAMs) arranged successively to combine modulated, time-delayed sensor signal pulses output from said plurality of sensor arrays; and an interrogation system, having a plurality of inputs connected such that each input receives the output signal from a respective sensor array, the interrogation system and associated sensor arrays being arranged such that the data from each sensor element can be resolved.