System and method to reconcile cabling test results with cabling test configurations

• US 10,361,945 B2
• Filed: 10/08/2015
• Issued: 07/23/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 10/08/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Fluke Corporation (Fortive Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Fluke Corporation (Fortive Corp.)
• Inventors: Bezold, David E., Wooton, Clinton J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Biagini, Christopher
• Application Number:
  US14/878,860
• Publication Number:
  US 20170104664A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,384 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0813 characterised by the conditions triggering a change of settings
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0816 the condition being an adaptation, e.g. in response to network events
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0856 by backing up or archiving configuration information
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0866 Checking the configuration
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0811 by checking connectivity
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/50 Testing arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/10 in which an application is distributed across nodes in the network software deployment G06F8/60; multiprogramming arrangements G06F9/46

Abstract

A cable testing system and method including at least one testing device configured to perform cabling testing pursuant to a cabling testing configuration and a cloud-based server device configured to couple, via the Internet, to the at least one testing device. The server device includes a database configured to store one or more cabling testing configurations and a processor configured to send one or more cabling testing configurations from the database to the at least one testing device such that the at least one testing device performs a cabling test pursuant to the cabling test configuration received from the server device.

Claims

1. A cable testing system, comprising:

at least one testing device that performs cabling testing pursuant to a cabling testing configuration that defines testing routines to be executed by the at least one testing device to perform a cabling test; and

a cloud-based server device that is in communication, via the Internet, with the at least one testing device, the server device including;

a database that stores a first cabling testing configuration;

a processor that executes computer instructions to;

send the first cabling testing configuration from the database to the at least one testing device to cause the at least one testing device to use the first cabling testing configuration to configure the at least one testing device to execute the testing routines for the cabling test;

receive cabling test results from the at least one testing device in response to the at least one testing device generating test signals pursuant to the testing routines being executed by the at least one testing device;

determine that the received cabling test results are non-compliant results by determining if there is a difference between the first cabling testing configuration sent to the at least one testing device and a second cabling testing configuration used by the at least one testing device to perform the cabling test; and

provide, to a remote user, access to the received cabling test results.

2. The system as recited in claim 1, wherein the cabling test performed by the at least one testing device includes performing at least one of a cabling certification, qualification, and verification of a cable.

3. The system as recited in claim 1, wherein the processor executes further computer instructions to associate the received cabling test results with a designated work project.

4. The system as recited in claim 3, wherein the processor executes further computer instructions to determine that the second cabling testing configuration used to obtain the received cabling test results is associated for implementation with the designated work project.

5. The system as recited in claim 1, wherein the processor executes further computer instructions to determine that the second cabling testing configuration used to obtain the received cabling test results is a same cabling testing configuration as the first cabling testing configuration sent to the at least one testing device.

6. The system as recited in claim 1, wherein the processor executes further computer instructions to determine if the first cabling testing configuration sent to the at least one testing device was altered in the at least one testing device to result in the second cabling testing configuration used to obtain the received cabling test results.

7. The system as recited in claim 1, wherein the processor executes further computer instructions to determine if the received cabling test results were obtained with at least one of:

incorrect cabling test configurations, incorrect test limits and incorrect cable type parameters.

8. The system as recited in claim 1, wherein the processor executes further computer instructions to enable the remote user to add one or more cabling testing configurations to the database.

9. A cloud-based computer server, comprising:

a memory that stores instructions;

a database that stores one or more cabling test configurations that define testing routines to be executed by a cable testing device to perform cabling tests;

a processor disposed in communication with said memory and database, wherein said processor upon execution of the instructions performs actions to;

send a first cabling test configuration of the one or more cabling test configurations, via the Internet, from the database to the cable testing device to cause the cable testing device to use the first cabling test configuration to enable the cable testing device to execute the testing routines for a cabling test;

receive cable test results from the cable testing device in response to the cable testing device generating test signals pursuant to the testing routines being executed by the cable testing device;

determine whether the cable test results are compliant with the first cabling test configuration based on a comparison between the first cabling test configuration sent to the cable testing device and a second cabling test configuration used by the cable testing device to perform the cabling test; and

provide, to a remote user, access to the cable test results.

10. The cloud-based computer server as recited in claim 9, wherein the cabling test includes performing at least one of a cabling certification, qualification, and verification of a cable.

11. The cloud-based computer server as recited in claim 10, wherein the processor upon execution of the instructions performs further actions to associate the cable test results with a designated work project.

12. The cloud-based computer server as recited in claim 11, wherein the processor upon execution of the instructions performs further actions to determine that the second cabling test configuration used to obtain the received test results is associated for implementation with the designated work project.

13. The cloud-based computer server as recited in claim 10, wherein the processor upon execution of the instructions performs further actions to determine that the second cabling test configuration used to obtain the received cable test results is a same test configuration as the first cabling test configuration sent to the at least one testing device.