IDENTIFYING A CABLE WITH A CONNECTION LOCATION

• US 20080133047A1
• Filed: 11/30/2006
• Published: 06/05/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 11/30/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Klein, Craig Anthony, Girouard, Janice Marie, Best, Steven Francis, Eggers, Robert James
• Granted Patent: US 7,526,582 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 700/215
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/465 Identification means, e.g. labels, tags, markings H01R9/2475, H01R9/2683 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 9/2475 Means facilitating correct wiring, e.g. marking plates, identification tags
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49194 Assembling elongated conductors, e.g., splicing, etc.

Abstract

The illustrative embodiments provide a cable management system, a computer program product, a cable, a method for manufacturing a cable, and a method for guiding a user in identifying a connection location for a cable of interest. A processor, in a data processing system, receives a cable identification from the cable of interest. The processor then matches at least one connection location with the cable of interest based on the cable identification. Responsive to matching the at least one connection location with the cable of interest, the processor activates an indicator that identifies the at least one connection location for connecting the cable of interest.

Claims

1. A method for identifying a connection location for a cable of interest, the method comprising:

receiving, by a processor in a data processing system, a cable identification for the cable of interest;

matching at least one connection location with the cable of interest based on the cable identification; and

responsive to matching the cable of interest with the at least one connection location, activating an indicator that identifies the at least one connection location for connecting the cable of interest.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

responsive to the cable of interest being connected to the at least one connection location, identifying the at least one connection location as a last known good connection location; and

saving the last known good connection location with the cable identification in a storage device.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

receiving a signal that the cable of interest is connected to another connection location; and

responsive to the cable of interest being connected to the another connection location, identifying the another connection location as the last known good connection location.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the at least one connection location is a plurality of connection locations, and wherein each connection location in the plurality of connection locations corresponds to an indicator, and wherein the method further comprises:

activating intermittently an indicator for the last known good connection location.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one connection location is stored in a first storage device, and wherein the data processing system is a first data processing system, and wherein the method further comprises:

transferring the at least one connection location to a second storage device, wherein the second storage device uses the at least one connection location to identify a corresponding connection location in a second data processing system, and wherein the corresponding connection location is a connection location similar to the at least one connection location.

6. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

transmitting, by the cable of interest, a radio frequency signal to the data processing system, wherein the radio frequency signal communicates the cable identification for the cable of interest.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the radio frequency signal is transmitted by one of a passive transponder or an active transponder that is coupled to the cable of interest.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the cable identification comprises a device identification, wherein the device identification associates the cable of interest with a device, and wherein only the device recognizes the cable identification from the cable of interest.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the cable identification comprises an identification of the type of cable.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the cable of interest comprises a plurality of connectors, and wherein each connector in the plurality of connectors transmits a corresponding cable identification, and wherein the processor activates a corresponding indicator for the each connector, and wherein the corresponding indicator identifies the connection location for the each connector.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the indicator is a light emitting diode.

12. A cable management system comprising:

a processor, in a data processing system, that receives a cable identification for a cable of interest;

a storage device coupled to the processor, wherein the storage device lists a plurality of cable identifications and at least one connection location for each cable identification in the plurality of cable identifications; and

an indicator coupled to the processor, wherein the processor activates the indicator in response to the processor matching the at least one connection location with the cable of interest using data in the storage device, and wherein the indicator identifies the at least one connection location for connecting the cable of interest.

13. The cable management system of claim 12, wherein the processor identifies the at least one connection location as a last known good connection location in response to the cable of interest being connected to the at least one connection location, and wherein the processor saves the last known good connection location with the cable identification in the storage device.

14. The cable management system of claim 13, wherein the processor receives a signal that the cable of interest is connected to another connection location, and wherein the processor identifies the another connection location as a last known good connection location in response to the cable of interest being connected to the another connection location.

15. The cable management system of claim 13, wherein the at least one connection location is a plurality of connection locations, and wherein each connection location in the plurality of connection locations corresponds to an indicator, and wherein an indicator for the last known good connection location activates intermittently.

16. The cable management system of claim 12, wherein the storage device is a first storage device, and wherein the data processing system is a first data processing system, and wherein the cable management system further comprises:

a second storage device in a second data processing system, wherein the first storage device transfers the at least one connection location to the second storage device, and wherein the second storage device identifies a corresponding connection location in the second data processing system using the at least one connection location, and wherein the corresponding connection location is a connection location similar to the at least one connection location.

17. The cable management system of claim 12 further comprising:

the cable of interest which transmits a signal to the data processing system, wherein the signal communicates the cable identification for the cable of interest.

18. The cable management system of claim 17, wherein the signal is a radio frequency signal, and wherein the cable management system further comprises:

a reader coupled to the processor, wherein the reader detects the radio frequency signal transmitted by the cable of interest; and

a transponder coupled to the cable of interest, wherein the transponder stores the cable identification for the cable of interest, and wherein the transponder generates the radio frequency signal to transmit the radio frequency signal to the reader.

19. The cable management system of claim 18, wherein the transponder is one of a passive transponder or an active transponder.

20. The cable management system of claim 12, wherein the data processing system is at least one of a computer, a system of computers, a network of computers, an audio-visual device, an audio-visual system, and a medical device.

21. A computer program product comprising a computer usable medium including computer usable program code for guiding a user in identifying a connection location for a cable of interest, the computer program product comprising:

computer usable program code for receiving, by a processor in a data processing system, a cable identification for the cable of interest;

computer usable program code for matching at least one connection location with the cable of interest based on the cable identification; and

responsive to matching the cable of interest with the at least one connection location, computer usable program code for activating an indicator that identifies the at least one connection location for connecting the cable of interest.

22. The computer program product of claim 21, further comprising:

responsive to the cable of interest being connected to the at least one connection location, computer usable program code for identifying the at least one connection location as a last known good connection location; and

computer usable program code for saving the last known good connection location with the cable identification in a storage device.

23. The computer program product of claim 22, further comprising:

computer usable program code for receiving a signal that the cable of interest is connected to another connection location; and

responsive to the cable of interest being connected to the another connection location, computer usable program code for identifying the another connection location as a last known good connection location.

24. The computer program product of claim 22, wherein the at least one connection location is a plurality of connection locations, and wherein each connection location in the plurality of connection locations corresponds to an indicator, and wherein the computer program product further comprises:

computer usable program code for activating intermittently a corresponding indicator for the last known good connection location.

25. The computer program product of claim 21, wherein the at least one connection location is stored in a first storage device, and wherein the data processing system is a first data processing system, and wherein the computer program product further comprises:

computer usable program code for transferring the at least one connection location to a second storage device, wherein the second storage device uses the at least one connection location to identify a corresponding connection location in a second data processing system, and wherein the corresponding connection location is a connection location similar to the at least one connection location.

26. The computer program product of claim 21 further comprising:

computer usable program code for transmitting, by the cable of interest, a radio frequency signal to the data processing system, wherein the radio frequency signal communicates the cable identification for the cable of interest.

27. The computer program product of claim 26, wherein the radio frequency signal is transmitted by one of a passive transducer or an active transducer that is coupled to the cable of interest.

28. The computer program product of claim 21, wherein the cable identification comprises a device identification, wherein the device identification associates the cable of interest with a device, and wherein only the device recognizes the cable identification from the cable of interest.

29. The computer program product of claim 21, wherein the cable identification comprises an identification of the type of cable.

30. The computer program product of claim 21, wherein the cable of interest comprises a plurality of connectors, and wherein each connector in the plurality of connectors transmits a corresponding cable identification, and wherein the processor activates a corresponding indicator for the each connector, and wherein the corresponding indicator identifies the connection location for the each connector.

31. A cable comprising:

a connector designed to mate with a connection location on a data processing system; and

a transponder coupled to the connector, wherein the transponder stores the cable identification for the cable, and wherein the transponder transmits the cable identification to the data processing system, and wherein the data processing system activates at least one indicator based on the cable identification, and wherein the at least one indicator identifies the at least one connection location for connecting the cable of interest.

32. The cable of claim 31, wherein the transponder comprises:

an integrated chip that stores the cable identification for the cable; and

an antenna coupled to the integrated chip, wherein the antenna transmits a radio frequency signal to the data processing system, and wherein the radio frequency signal includes the cable identification for the cable.

33. The cable of claim 31, wherein the transponder is a label, and wherein the cable identification is printed onto the transponder in the form of a barcode and in human-readable form.

34. A method of manufacturing a cable, the method comprising:

providing a connector to mate the cable with at least one connection location on a data processing system;

selecting a transponder that stores a cable identification for the cable, wherein the step of selecting forms a selected transponder; and

connecting the selected transponder to the connector.

35. The method of claim 34, wherein the step of connecting the selected transponder to the connector comprises one of affixing the transponder externally to the connector or embedding the transponder internally within the connector.