JP3145695B2 - Optical fiber tape, method of displaying identification code thereof, and method of automatically identifying optical fiber tape - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to an optical fiber tape suitable for use in a high-density optical transmission line, a method of displaying an identification code thereof, and a method of automatically identifying an optical fiber tape.

[Background Art] In recent years, large-capacity optical communication cables in which optical fiber ribbons formed by arranging optical fibers in a band shape are housed at a high density have become widespread. Then, when using the optical fiber ribbon in this optical communication cable, it is necessary to first confirm whether or not the tape has a unique number and the required number of cores. In order to clarify the core number, it is necessary to be able to identify the front and back of the optical fiber tape and the direction of the tape (upper and lower). In a conventional optical fiber tape, a color code is attached to identify such information.

"Problems to be Solved by the Invention" By the way, the color codes attached to the conventional optical fiber tapes were limited to about 11 colors so that they could be quickly identified with the naked eye. Therefore, the amount of information that can be displayed by this color classification is extremely small, and if the cable is made dense and the optical fiber tape is diversified, the display becomes difficult. Further, in the case where the color classification is automatically identified by a discriminating device or the like, it is necessary to discriminate about 11 colors, and there is a disadvantage that this discriminating device is expensive.

The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances,
It is a first object of the present invention to provide an optical fiber tape capable of displaying a large amount of data and configuring a discriminating device at extremely low cost, and a method of displaying an identification code thereof. Also,
It is a second object to provide a suitable automatic identification method using this optical fiber tape.

Means for Solving the Problems In order to solve the above problems, according to the invention described in claim 1, an outer sheath having a predetermined first color, and an optical fiber tape extending in a longitudinal direction of the outer sheath Data display means which converts the data including the number of cores into a barcode optically scanned by the discriminating device and prints the data, and the data display means extends along the longitudinal direction of the outer skin, The bar portion of the bar code is printed in a second color with a space in a predetermined format, and the bar code displays a flag portion indicating a starting point of the bar code and an error correction code. And a data section for displaying data relating to the optical fiber tape. Further, a margin is provided at the beginning and end of the CRC section, and the data is repeatedly connected along the longitudinal direction of the optical fiber tape. It is characterized by being formed continuously.

In the invention according to claim 2, there is provided a method for displaying an identification code of an optical fiber tape, wherein an outer coating step of coating the optical fiber tape with an outer coating having a predetermined first color; A data printing process of converting the data including the number of cores of the optical fiber tape into a barcode that is optically scanned by a discriminating device and printing the barcode in the direction, wherein the data printing process is performed on the outer cover. Printing a bar portion of the bar code in a second color along a longitudinal direction with a space in a predetermined format, wherein the bar code includes a flag portion indicating a starting point of the bar code, and an error portion. It consists of a CRC part that displays the correction code, and a data part that displays the data related to the optical fiber tape. It is characterized by being repeatedly continuously formed along the longitudinal direction.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, there is provided the method for identifying an optical fiber tape according to the first aspect, wherein the bar code displayed by the data display means is arranged along the longitudinal direction of the optical fiber tape. Optical scanning first
And a second step of displaying data including the number of cores of the optical fiber tape based on the read barcode on the optical fiber tape.

[Operation] In the invention according to the first and second aspects, the outer skin has the first color and the data display means is printed in the second color. The optical fiber tape can be identified by a discriminating device capable of discriminating the optical fiber tape. In other words, along the longitudinal direction of the outer skin of the first color, the bar portion of the bar code is provided with the bar code printed in the second color with a predetermined space therebetween. In the above, the data represented by the bar code 6 is read by recognizing the second color portion as a bar code bar and the first color portion as a space, and recognizing the bar code as a bar code. . According to the third aspect of the present invention, since predetermined data including the number of cores of the optical fiber tape is displayed based on the data on the optical fiber tape read in the first process, Can know various data on the optical fiber tape.

Next, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a plan view of an optical fiber tape 20 according to one embodiment of the present invention. In the figure, reference numerals 1 to 4 denote core wires of the optical fiber tape 20, which are arranged in parallel along a plane. Reference numeral 5 denotes a flat outer skin of a first color (for example, white) provided so as to cover the cords 1 to 4, and on one side thereof,
As a data display means, a bar code 6 in which a bar portion of a bar code is printed in a second color (for example, black) with a predetermined space provided along the longitudinal direction. Here, the barcode 6 is formed by repeatedly and continuously printing a unit barcode block 6a having a predetermined data length and displaying the same data. The unit barcode block 6a has a margin (quiet zone) at the beginning and end thereof, and further includes a flag section 6b, a CRC section 6c, and a data section 6d. Here, the flag section 6b
Indicates the starting point of the block 6a, and the data section 6d displays data such as the number of cores of the optical fiber tape 20. At least three data of the type, front and back, and direction are recorded. The CRC unit 6c displays an error correction code. In addition, the form of the barcode 6 can be appropriately changed as needed, and variously colored barcodes may be used.

Next, FIG. 2 shows a block diagram of the discriminating device 7 for reading the barcode 6.

In the figure, reference numerals 8 and 9 denote optical readers provided at a predetermined distance, and when the optical fiber tape 20 is inserted between them, the optical readers 8 and 9 optically scan the optical fiber tape 20. As a result, the second color portion is recognized as a bar code bar and the first color portion is recognized as a space in the bar code 6 via one of the optical readers 8 and 9. , Is recognized as a bar code, so that the data indicated by the bar code 6 is read. Reference numerals 10 to 13 denote LED lamps, and reference numeral 14 denotes an LED display capable of displaying numbers and the like.

Next, reference numeral 15 denotes a control device, which controls each of the LED lamps 10 to 1 based on the result of reading the bar code 6 by the optical readers 8 and 9.
3 is turned on or off, and the display 14 displays necessary data. That is, the control device 15
Turns on the LED lamp 10 when the barcode 6 is read via the optical reader 8 and turns on the LED lamp 11 when the barcode 6 is read via the optical reader 9. Also,
The control unit 15 determines that the block 6a is from left to right in FIG. 1 (that is, the flag unit 6b, the CRC unit 6c, the data unit 6).
When reading is performed (in the order of d), the LED 12 is turned on, and when reading is performed in the reverse order, the LED 13 is turned on. Further, the control device 15 is configured to display the data indicated in the data section 6d, that is, the line type such as the unique number of the optical fiber tape 20 and the number of core wires on the display 14.

According to the above configuration, the optical fiber tape 20 is
When the discriminating device 7 or the optical fiber tape 20 is moved in the longitudinal direction of the optical fiber tape 20,
The bar code 6 is read through the optical reader 8 or 9, and the number of cores of the optical fiber tape 20 and the like are displayed on the display 14. Furthermore, depending on the blinking state of LED lamps 10-13,
The front and back of the optical fiber tape 20 and the direction of the tape are displayed.

As described above, in the present embodiment, the number of cores and the like are displayed using the barcode 6, so that the amount of information that can be displayed on the optical fiber tape 20 can be increased, and at the same time, the barcode for inexpensive barcode can be used. The discriminating device 7 can be used.
Further, the discrimination device 7 can display the front and back of the optical fiber tape 20 and the direction of the tape in addition to various information such as the number of cores recorded in the data section, so that wiring and maintenance can be performed. Can improve work efficiency.

In addition, even if a tape outer skin is a transparent body, it is included in the embodiment of the present invention.

[Effects of the Invention] As described above, in the inventions according to Claims 1 and 2, the bar portions of the bar code are separated from each other by a predetermined space along the longitudinal direction of the outer skin of the first color. Since the bar code printed in the second color is attached, in the bar code portion, the second color portion is recognized in the bar code bar, and the first color portion is recognized in the space. By being recognized as a barcode, the data displayed in the barcode is read. Thus, the number of cores and the like can be known simply by reading a bar code by a discriminating device capable of discriminating two colors, so that this discriminating device can be configured at extremely low cost.

According to the third aspect of the present invention, since the scanning direction is displayed together with the number of read core wires, it is easy to determine the core number and the like, and the work efficiency in wiring or maintenance is improved. Can be extremely high.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a plan view of an optical fiber tape according to one embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a block diagram of an optical fiber tape discriminating apparatus. 5 ... outer skin, 6 ... barcode (means for displaying identification code of optical fiber tape), 6a ... unit barcode block, 6b
... Flag part, 6c ... CRC part, 6d ... Data part, 20 ...
Optical fiber tape.

────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continuation of the front page (56) References JP-A-1-138520 (JP, A) JP-A-1-80918 (JP, A) JP-A-60-92205 (JP, U) (58) Field (Int.Cl. ⁷ , DB name) G02B 6/08

Claims (3)

(57) [Claims] 1. A data processing system comprising: a cover having a predetermined first color; and data including the number of cores of an optical fiber tape in a longitudinal direction of the cover. And a data display means for printing the bar portion of the bar code in a second color along a longitudinal direction of the outer skin in a predetermined format with a space therebetween. And
The barcode is composed of a flag section indicating the start point of the barcode, a CRC section indicating an error correction code, and a data section indicating data related to the optical fiber tape. And an optical fiber tape formed repeatedly and continuously along the longitudinal direction of the optical fiber tape. 2. A method of displaying an identification code of an optical fiber tape, comprising: an outer coating step of coating an outer coating having a predetermined first color on the optical fiber tape; Converting the data including the number of cores of the tape into a barcode that is optically scanned by a discriminating device and printing the data.The data printing process is performed along the longitudinal direction of the outer cover. The bar portion of the barcode is placed in a predetermined format with a space
In the process of printing in the color of the bar code, the bar code is composed of a flag portion indicating the starting point of the bar code, a CRC portion displaying an error correction code, and a data portion displaying data on the optical fiber tape. A method of displaying an identification code for an optical fiber tape, wherein a margin is provided at each of a leading end and a trailing end, and the blank is repeatedly formed continuously along the longitudinal direction of the optical fiber tape. 3. A method for identifying an optical fiber tape according to claim 1, wherein a first step of optically scanning a bar code displayed by the data display means along a longitudinal direction of the optical fiber tape. A second step of displaying data including the number of cores of the optical fiber tape based on the read barcode on the optical fiber tape.