Intelligent patching systems and methods using color identification tags and related equipment

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9924241-B2
Application number	US-201615218969-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 25, 2016
Priority date	Jul 30, 2015
Publication date	Mar 20, 2018
Grant date	Mar 20, 2018

Abstract

In one embodiment, a patch cord comprises: a communications cable that includes a first conductor and a second conductor that form a first differential pair, a third conductor and a fourth conductor that form a second differential pair; a fifth conductor and a sixth conductor that form a third differential pair, a seventh conductor and an eighth conductor that form a fourth differential pair; and a plug that is attached to a first end of the communications cable, the plug comprising: a plug housing that receives the communications cable; first through eighth plug contacts that each are at least partially within the housing and that are electrically connected to the respective first through eighth conductors; and a color identification tag that has a first color pattern that is a unique identifier for the patch cord.

First claim

I claim:

1. An intelligent patching system, comprising:
a first patching device that includes a first plurality of connector ports and a first color sensing module that includes a first plurality of color sensing devices mounted above or below the first plurality of connector ports;
a second patching device that includes a second plurality of connector ports and a second color sensing module that includes a second plurality of color sensing devices mounted above or below the second plurality of connector ports; and
wherein each port of the first plurality of connector ports and the second plurality of connector ports are configured to receive a patch cord comprising a communications cable that includes at least one communication path, a first connector that is attached to a first end of the communications cable that includes a first color identification tag that has a first color pattern, and a second connector that is attached to a second end of the communications cable that includes a second color identification tag that has the first color pattern that has a plurality of predefined regions, each region colored one of a plurality of pre-selected colors, wherein the first color pattern is not included on a color identification tag of a connector of any other patch cord of the intelligent patching system;
wherein the first color sensing module comprises a first controller coupled to the first plurality of color sensing devices, and a data connection to an external intelligent patching controller, wherein information regarding color patterns detected by the first color sensing module is transmitted to the external intelligent patching controller;
wherein the second color sensing module comprises a second controller coupled to the second plurality of color sensing devices, and a data connection to the external intelligent patching controller, wherein information regarding color patterns detected by the second color sensing module is transmitted to the external intelligent patching controller;
wherein the external intelligent patching controller is configured to log a patching connection of the patch cord between the first plurality of connector ports and the second plurality of connector ports in a connectivity database in response to detecting the first color pattern at a first connector port of the first plurality of connector ports and at a second connector port of the second plurality of connector ports.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the communications cable comprises four twisted pairs of insulated conductors enclosed in a cable jacket.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the communications cable comprises at least one optical fiber.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the regions are arranged in a one-dimensional array.

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein the first color sensing module further comprises a printed circuit board, and the plurality of color sensing devices comprise a plurality of charge-coupled device-based color sensing elements.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein the first patching device comprises a patch panel and the second patching device comprises a network switch.

7. The system of claim 1 , wherein the second color sensing module further comprises a controller on a printed circuit board, the printed circuit board further comprising an external power connection that is powered by a separate device.

8. The system of claim 1 , wherein the first patching device comprises a patch panel and the second patching device comprises a patch panel.

9. The system of claim 1 , wherein the first color sensing module further comprises a printed circuit board, and the plurality of color sensing devices comprise a plurality of contact image sensors.

10. The system of claim 9 , wherein the first color sensing module further comprises a prism or mirror, and the printed circuit board is mounted parallel to a front face of the first patching device.

11. A method of automatically tracking a patching connection within an intelligent patching system between a first connector port of a first patching device and a second connector port of a second patching device, the method comprising:
using a first color sensing device of a first color sensing module that is mounted on the first patching device to read a first color identification tag of a first connector of a patch cord that has a first color pattern that is plugged into the first connector port, wherein the patch cord comprises a communications cable that includes at least one communication path, wherein the first connector is attached to a first end of the communications cable that includes the first color identification tag, wherein the patch cord further comprises a second connector that is attached to a second end of the communications cable that includes a second color identification tag that has the first color pattern, wherein the first color pattern is not included on a color identification tag of a connector of any other patch cord of the intelligent patching system;
transmitting information regarding a color pattern of the first color identification tag to an external patching controller;
using a second color sensing device of a second color sensing module that is mounted on the second patching device to read the second color pattern that is on the second color identification tag of the second connector of the patch cord that is plugged into the second connector port;
transmitting information regarding a color pattern of the second color identification tag to the external patching controller; and
logging a patching connection between the first connector port and the second connector port in a connectivity database, by the external patching controller in response to detecting the first color pattern at the first connector port and at the second connector port.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein the first patching device comprises a network switch, a network router, a network server, a mainframe computer, a network storage device, or a blade server.

13. The method of claim 11 , wherein logging the patching connection between the first connector port and the second connector port comprises logging a connection of a patch cord comprising:
a communications cable that includes a first conductor and a second conductor that form a first differential pair, a third conductor and a fourth conductor that form a second differential pair; a fifth conductor and a sixth conductor that form a third differential pair, a seventh conductor and an eighth conductor that form a fourth differential pair; and
a plug that is attached to a first end of the communications cable, the plug comprising:
a plug housing that receives the communications cable;
first through eighth plug contacts that each are at least partially within the housing and that are electrically connected to the respective first through eighth conductors; and
a color identification tag that has a first color pattern that is a unique identifier for the patch cord.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein the color identification tag comprises a label that is mounted on the plug housing.

15. The method of claim 13 , wherein the color identification tag is mounted within the plug housing and is visible through the plug housing.

16. The method of claim 13 , wherein the plug housing includes a plug latch on a bottom side thereof, and wherein the color identification tag is mounted on or within a top side of the housing.

17. The method of claim 16 , wherein the plug housing includes first through eighth longitudinal slots that expose the respective first through eight plug

Assignees

• Commscope Inc North Carolina

Inventors

• Shih Yi-Teh

Classifications

• H04Q1/136 Primary

  having patch field management or physical layer management arrangements · CPC title

• H01R13/465

  Identification means, e.g. labels, tags, markings (H01R9/2475, H01R9/2683 take precedence) · CPC title

• H04Q1/138

  using RFID · CPC title

• H01R24/64

  for high frequency, e.g. RJ 45 · CPC title