Patent ID: 7140786

Claim:
An optical fiber fusion splicer comprising (a) position detection means for detecting core positions and fiber positions at an abutting point of optical fibers that are to be spliced, and obtaining a fiber offset that is caused when said optical fibers are in core alignment; (b) alignment means for aligning said optical fibers; (c) heating means for heating and fusing said optical fibers; (d) melted condition value detection means for inspecting and measuring the melted condition value; (e) self-alignment value calculation means for obtaining a self-alignment ratio that corresponds to a preferred melted condition value, based on a predetermined expression for a relationship between melted condition value and self-alignment ratio, and for calculating the self-alignment prediction value from said self-alignment ratio and said fiber offset; (f) control means for determining an intentional offset that is based on said self-alignment prediction value and causes a prescribed splicing loss and controlling said alignment means; (g) estimated loss calculation means for predicting a core offset at the time of fusion based on said self-alignment prediction value, and estimating a predicted loss value based on a formula expressing a relationship between splicing loss and core offset; and (h) intentional offset compensation execution determination means for comparing the specified loss value and the predicted loss value estimated by said estimated loss calculation means, and determining whether an intentional offset compensation is necessary.