Guided cable plugging in a network

• US 10,581,199 B2
• Filed: 06/17/2019
• Issued: 03/03/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 05/01/2018
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Werner, John S., Notohardjono, Budy D., Mullady, Robert K., Singer, Noah, Tsfasman, Arkadiy O., Kearney, Daniel J., Cocchini, Matteo
• Primary Examiner(s): Craddock, Robert J
• Application Number:
  US16/442,678
• Publication Number:
  US 20190341723A1
• Time in Patent Office: 260 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10297 arrangements for handling protocols designed for non-contact record carriers such as RFIDs NFCs, e.g. ISO/IEC 14443 and 18092 cryptographic protocols H04L9/00; network security protocols H04L63/00; real-time communication protocols in data switching networks H04L65/00; network protocols for data switching network services H04L67/00
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 19/006 Mixed reality object pose determination, tracking or camera calibration for mixed reality G06T7/00
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/20 in augmented reality scenes
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/465 Identification means, e.g. labels, tags, markings H01R9/2475, H01R9/2683 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/631 for engagement only
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/02 Terminal devices

Abstract

Methods, systems and computer program products are provided for facilitating cable plugging in a network by wirelessly reading, by a hand-held mobile device, connector identifying information directly from a tag associated with a cable connector at one end of a cable to be plugged in the network. The hand-held mobile device uses the connector identifying information to ascertain guidance for where to properly plug the cable connector in the network, and based on ascertaining the guidance, an action is performed to assist in properly plugging the cable connector in the network.

Claims

1. A method of facilitating cable plugging in a network, the method comprising:

absent plugging a cable connector in the network, wirelessly reading, using a hand-held mobile device, connector identifying information directly from a tag associated with the cable connector at one end of a cable to be plugged in the network, the connector identifying information comprising identifying information specific to the cable connector at the one end of the cable;

displaying, by the hand-held mobile device, the connector identifying information wirelessly read from the tag associated with the cable connector at the one end of the cable;

using, by the hand-held mobile device, the connector identifying information to ascertain guidance for where to properly plug the cable connector in the network; and

based on ascertaining the guidance, performing an action to assist in properly plugging the cable connector in the network.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the performing comprises obtaining, by the hand-held mobile device, an image of at least a portion of the network and superimposing the guidance on the image to assist in plugging the cable connector in the network.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein superimposing the guidance comprises providing in augmented reality the guidance on the image.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising bringing, by a user, the hand-held mobile device in wireless communication proximity to the tag associated with the cable connector at the one end of the cable to be plugged in the network.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the using comprises using, by the hand-held mobile device, the connector identifying information to obtain from a database containing applicable cable rules the guidance for where to properly plug the cable connector in the network.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising ascertaining the applicable cable rules by imaging, using the hand-held mobile device, at least a portion of the network and determining, via image recognition, details about the network to identify the applicable cable rules.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein the applicable cable rules are stored on the hand-held mobile device.

8. The method of claim 5, wherein the applicable cable rules reside remote from the hand-held mobile device and remote from the network.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising imaging where the cable connector is subsequently plugged into the network, and maintaining a log identifying, based at least in part on the imaging, which cable connectors are plugged into which plug locations of the network.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the guidance comprises identifying multiple acceptable plug locations for the cable connector in the network.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the performing comprises providing the guidance on a device separate from the hand-held mobile device, the device comprising smart glasses worn by an operator plugging the cable connector in the network.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

storing an indication of where the cable connector is subsequently plugged into the network;

wirelessly reading, by the hand-held mobile device, connector identifying information from another tag associated with another cable connector at another end of the cable to be plugged in the network;

using, by the hand-held mobile device, the stored indication of where the cable connector is plugged into the network, and the connector identifying information from the another tag associated with the another cable connector at the another end of the cable, to ascertain further guidance for where to properly plug the another cable connector in the network; and

based on ascertaining the further guidance, performing a further action to assist in properly plugging the another cable connector at the another end of the cable in the network.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the performing comprises obtaining, by the hand-held mobile device, an image of at least a portion of the network and superimposing in augmented reality the guidance on the image.

14. A system of facilitating cable plugging in a network, the system comprising:

a memory; and

a processor communicatively coupled to the memory, wherein the system performs a method comprising;

absent plugging a cable connector in the network, receiving, by a hand-held mobile device, wirelessly read connector identifying information directly from a tag associated with the cable connector at one end of a cable to be plugged in the network, the connector identifying information comprising identifying information specific to the cable connector at the one end of the cable;

displaying, by the hand-held mobile device, the connector identifying information wirelessly read from the tag associated with the cable connector at the one end of the cable;

using, by the hand-held mobile device, the connector identifying information to ascertain guidance for where to properly plug the cable connector in the network; and

based on ascertaining the guidance, performing an action to assist in properly plugging the cable connector in the network.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the performing comprises obtaining, by the hand-held mobile device, an image of at least a portion of the network and superimposing the guidance on the image to assist in plugging the cable connector in the network wherein superimposing the guidance comprises providing in augmented reality the guidance on the image.

16. The system of claim 14, wherein the using comprises using, by the hand-held mobile device, the connector identifying information to obtain from a database containing applicable cable rules the guidance for where to properly plug the cable connector in the network.

17. The system of claim 16, further comprising ascertaining the applicable cable rules by imaging, using the hand-held mobile device, at least a portion of the network and determining, via image recognition, details about the network to identify the applicable cable rules.

18. The system of claim 14, further comprising:

storing an indication of where the cable connector is subsequently plugged into the network;

wirelessly reading, by the hand-held mobile device, connector identifying information from another tag associated with another cable connector at another end of the cable to be plugged in the network;

using, by the hand-held mobile device, the stored indication of where the cable connector is plugged into the network, and the connector identifying information from the another tag associated with the another cable connector at the another end of the cable, to ascertain further guidance for where to properly plug the another cable connector in the network; and

based on ascertaining the further guidance, performing a further action to assist in properly plugging the another cable connector at the another end of the cable in the network.

19. A computer program product for facilitating cable plugging in a network, the computer program product comprising:

a computer readable storage medium having program instructions embodied therewith, the program instructions being executable by a processor to cause the processor to;

absent plugging a cable connector in the network, receive, via a hand-held mobile device, wirelessly read connector identifying information directly from a tag associated with a cable connector at one end of the cable to be plugged in the network, the connector identifying information comprising identifying information specific to the cable connector at the one end of the cable;

display, by the hand-held mobile device, the connector identifying information wirelessly read from the tag associated with the cable connector at the one end of the cable;

use, by the hand-held mobile device, the connector identifying information to ascertain guidance for where to properly plug the cable connector in the network; and

based on ascertaining the guidance, performing an action to assist in properly plugging the cable connector in the network.

20. The computer program product of claim 19, wherein the performing comprises obtaining, by the hand-held mobile device, an image of at least a portion of the network and superimposing in augmented reality the guidance on the image.