SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR CABLING

• US 20070293236A1
• Filed: 05/25/2006
• Published: 12/20/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 05/25/2006
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Molander, Mark E., Swingler, Teresa S., Loewus-Deitch, Daniel, Cox, Aaron R., Van Buskirk, Ronald E.
• Application Number:
  US11/420,315
• Publication Number:
  US 20070293236A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/456.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 1/03 Power distribution arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 1/06 Cable ducts or mountings specially adapted for exchange installations
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/00 Supervisory, monitoring or testing arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/00 Services specially adapted for wireless communication networks; Facilities therefor
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 64/00 Locating users or terminals or network equipment for network management purposes, e.g. mobility management
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/06 Airborne or Satellite Networks space-based or airborne stations H04B7/185

Abstract

Disclosed is a system for cabling including a component network comprising a server that includes a server wireless detector and at least one server LED associated with at least one server port, and at least one satellite device, each of the at least one satellite devices including a satellite wireless detector that is detectable by the server wireless detector and at least one device LED associated with at least one device port, a relative position coordinator associated with the server and each of the at least one satellite devices, and an interactive map generation tool associated with the server, the map directing a user through a cabling path process via an information link between the server and at least one satellite device and a physical location map.

Claims

1. A system for cabling comprising:

a component network comprising a server that includes a server wireless detector and at least one server LED associated with at least one server port, and at least one satellite device, each of said at least one satellite devices including a satellite wireless detector that is detectable by said server wireless detector and at least one device LED associated with at least one device port;

a relative position coordinator associated with said server and each of said at least one satellite devices; and

an interactive map generation tool associated with said server, said interactive map generating tool being capable of;

acquiring information about each of said at least one satellite devices via an information link between said server wireless detector and said satellite wireless detectors,

generating an interactive physical location map of said at least one satellite device and said server via said relative position coordinators, and directing a user along a cabling path process by systematically flashing icons associated with each of said at least one server ports and each of said at least one device ports on said physical location map, while flashing said device LEDs and said server LEDs that are associated with each of said at least one server ports and each of said at least one device ports that correspond with said flashing icons.

2. A system according to claim 1, wherein said relative position coordinator is at least one of a GPS chip and a wireless signal triangulation device.

3. A method for cabling comprising:

powering a server wireless detector disposed in a server a component network, said server including at least one server port;

powering a satellite wireless detector disposed in at least one satellite device of said component network, each of said satellite devices including at least one device port;

detecting said at least one satellite device via an information link between said server wireless detector and said satellite wireless detectors;

acquiring information about said at least one satellite device via said information link between said server wireless detector and said satellite wireless detectors;

generating an interactive physical location map of said at least one satellite device and said server via said information link, an interactive map generating tool, and a relative position coordinator disposed in said server and each of said at least one satellite devices;

generating a cabling path process via said map generating tool; and

indicating cable-ability along said cabling path process and within said component network by;

systematically flashing icons associated with each of said at least one server ports and each of said at least one device ports on said physical location map,

systematically flashing a device LED associated with each of said at least one device ports corresponding with said flashing icons and a server LED associated with each of said at least one server ports corresponding with said flashing icons, and

directing a user along said cabling path process via said indicating.

4. A method according to claim 3, further including flashing a connected icon on said physical location map via said map generating tool when at least one of said at least one server port and said at least one device port is properly cabled with one of said at least one device ports.

5. A method according to claim 3, further including flashing an error icon on said physical location map via said map generating tool when at least one of said at least one server port and said at least one device port is improperly cabled with one of said at least one device ports.

6. A method according to claim 3, further including solidly lighting server LEDs that are associated with server ports that are properly cabled, and solidly lighting device LEDs that are associated with properly cabled device ports.

7. A method according to claim 3, further including rapidly flashing server LEDs that are associated with server ports that are improperly cabled, and rapidly flashing device LEDs that are associated with improperly cabled device ports.

8. A method according to claim 3, further including said user designing at least a portion of said cabling path process.

9. A method according to claim 3, further including disabling said cabling path process, and allowing said component network to assume normal functionality.

10. A method according to claim 9, further including enabling said cabling path process after said disabling has occurred.

11. A method according to claim 3, further including generating a de-cabling indicators for any of at least one devices ports and said at least one server ports that should no longer be cabled within said component network.