Patent ID: 7095493

Claim:
A method comprising: providing a light conduit, the light conduit being comprised of at least one fiber optic cable, the fiber optic cable having at least one damaged portion; providing a sample-and-hold device, the sample-and-hold device being adapted and configured to store information indicative of light intensity reaching a sampling point; providing a storage device, the storage device being operatively connected to the sample-and-hold device in a manner such that information stored by the sample-and-hold device can be transmitted to and stored by the storage device; iteratively performing the following steps a) through c) N number of times, wherein N is greater than two and X is a number that is adjusted after each iteration; a) transmitting a laser pulse in a first direction along the light conduit in manner such that at least a portion of the laser pulse is reflected by the damaged portion of the fiber optic cable back along the light conduit in a direction opposite the first direction and eventually reaches the sampling point; b) storing a block of information indicative of light intensity reaching the sampling point throughout a period of time via the sample-and-hold device, the storing of the block of information commencing the sum of a first period of time and a second period of time from when the portion of the laser pulse is reflected by the damaged portion of the fiber optic cable, the second period of time being equal to the product of X and an incremental time interval; c) storing the block of information via the storage device; determining an approximate location of the damaged portion of the fiber optic cable along the light conduit via the information stored by the storage device.