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A technique includes providing an optical source signal to an optical fiber to produce a backscatter signal. A receiver is provided to detect the backscatter signal. During an acquisition period in which the backscatter signal is present, a sensitivity of the receiver is varied with respect to time

A technique includes providing an optical source signal to an optical fiber to produce a backscatter signal. A receiver is provided to detect the backscatter signal. During an acquisition period in which the backscatter signal is present, a sensitivity of the receiver is varied with respect to time to regulate an input signal range of an amplifier of the receiver.

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What is claimed is: 1. A method comprising: providing an optical source signal to an optical fiber to produce a backscatter signal; providing a receiver to detect the backscatter signal; estimating a characteristic of the backscatter signal prior to the backscatter signal being produced; and during

What is claimed is: 1. A method comprising: providing an optical source signal to an optical fiber to produce a backscatter signal; providing a receiver to detect the backscatter signal; estimating a characteristic of the backscatter signal prior to the backscatter signal being produced; and during an acquisition period in which the backscatter signal is present, varying a sensitivity of the receiver with respect to time to regulate an input signal range of an amplifier of the receiver based at least in part on the estimated characteristic of the backscatter signal, wherein the act of varying the sensitivity of the receiver comprises varying the sensitivity based at least in part on an estimation of relatively slowly varying components of the backscatter signal. 2. The method of claim 1, wherein the act of varying comprises varying the sensitivity of the receiver to reduce an input signal range of a preamplifier of the receiver. 3. The method of claim 2, wherein the preamplifier comprises the first preamplifier of the receiver to process the backscatter signal. 4. The method of claim 1, wherein the act of varying comprises: intercepting the backscatter signal with a variable transmission element; and controlling the variable transmission element to have a transmission that is approximately inversely proportional to a strength of the backscatter signal. 5. The method of claim 4, wherein the variable transmission element comprises one of the following: an electro-optic modulator, an acouso-opto modulator, a magneto-optic modulator, a mechanical attenuator and an optical amplifier. 6. The method of claim 1, wherein the act of providing the receiver comprises providing an optical-to-electrical conversion device, and the act of varying comprises varying a gain of the optical-to-electrical conversion device to be approximately inversely proportional to a strength of the backscatter signal. 7. The method of claim 6, wherein the optical-to-electrical conversion device comprises an avalanche photodiode. 8. The method of claim 6, wherein the optical-to-electrical conversion device comprises a photomultiplier. 9. The method of claim 1, further comprising: mixing the backscatter signal with a local oscillator signal to generate a mixed backscatter signal that is provided to the receiver, wherein the act of varying comprises varying a power of the local oscillator signal approximately inversely proportional to a strength of the backscatter signal. 10. A system comprising: an optical source to provide an optical source signal to an optical fiber line to produce a backscatter signal; a receiver coupled to the optical fiber to detect the backscatter signal, the receiver comprising an amplifier; and a circuit to, during an acquisition period in which the backscatter signal is present, vary a sensitivity of the receiver with respect to time to regulate an input signal range of the amplifier based at least in part on a predicted characteristic of the backscatter signal which was estimated prior to the backscatter signal being produced, wherein the circuit is adapted to vary the sensitivity of the receiver based at least in part on an estimation of relatively slowly varying components of the backscatter signal. 11. The system of claim 10, wherein the receiver comprises a pre-amplifier. 12. The system of claim 11, wherein the pre-amplifier comprises the first pre-amplifier of the receiver. 13. The system of claim 10, wherein the circuit comprises: a variable transmission element to receive the backscatter signal and provide an output signal indicative of the backscatter signal; and a function generator to control the variable transmission element to have a transmission that is approximately inversely proportional to a strength of the backscatter signal. 14. The system of claim 13, wherein the variable transmission element comprises one of the following: an electro-optic modulator, an acousto-opto modulator, a magneto-optic modulator, a mechanical attenuator and an optical amplifier. 15. The system of claim 10, wherein the receiver comprises an optical-to-electrical conversion device, and the circuit comprises a function generator to vary a gain of the optical-to-electrical conversion device to be approximately inversely proportional to a strength of the backscatter signal. 16. The system of claim 15, wherein the optical-to-electrical conversion device comprises an avalanche photodiode. 17. The system of claim 15, wherein the optical-to-electrical conversion device comprises a photomultiplier. 18. The system of claim 10, further comprising: an optical coupler to mix the backscatter signal with a local oscillator signal to generate a mixed backscatter signal; and a function generator to vary a power of the local oscillator signal approximately inversely proportional to a strength of the backscatter signal. 19. The system of claim 10, wherein the optical source comprises a coherent source. 20. The method of claim 1, wherein the act estimating comprises: estimating the characteristic of the backscatter signal based on a fiber attenuation coefficient. 21. The method of claim 1, wherein the act estimating comprises: estimating the characteristic of the backscatter signal based on another previously received backscatter signal. 22. The system of claim 10, wherein the receiver comprises an optical time domain reflectometry receiver.