METHOD FOR IDENTIFYING AN OPTICAL FIBER USING A PATTERN OF REFLECTED LIGHT

摘要

A method for easily identifying optical lines without error irrespective of the lengths of the lines. A plurality of reflective parts are provided as an identification mark on each optical line. The combination of the correlative positions of the plural reflective parts of an optical line is different from others. The correlative positions of the reflective parts of a line are determined on the basis of the reflected light of the inspecting light incident upon the optical line. According to the results of the determination, the optical line is identified. More specifically, when inspecting light is incident on the end of an optical line, the light is reflected by the plural reflective parts which function as an identification mark, and is caused to return to the incident end. Since the combinations of the correlative positions of the reflective parts are different from each other, the correlative positions of the plural reflective parts of an optical line are found by measuring the differences between the lengths of the optical paths of the optical lines from the reflective parts by use of an interferometer or by measuring the differences in the times for the reflected light to return from the reflective parts. The optical lines can be identified on the basis of the results of such measurement.