RFID-based systems and methods for collecting telecommunications network information

• US 20100052863A1
• Filed: 08/28/2008
• Published: 03/04/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 08/28/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Fiber Mountain, Inc. (Green Lambda Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Corning Optical Communications LLC (Corning Incorporated)
• Inventors: Webb, Dale A., Downie, John D., Sutherland, James S., Wagner, Richard E., Whiting, Matthew S., Renfro, James G. JR.
• Granted Patent: US 8,731,405 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/10.400
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/3878 comprising a plurality of ferrules, branching and break-out means
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/3895 identification of connection, e.g. right plug to the right socket or full engagement of the mating parts keying element on the plug or adapter G02B6/3831; keying element on the ferrule G02B6/3851; keying element for electrical connection H01R13/64
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/4246 Bidirectionally operating package structures
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/4284 of optical modules with disconnectable electrical connectors latching arms for electrical connectors H01R13/627
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/4292 the light guide being disconnectable from the opto-electronic element, e.g. mutually self aligning arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10366 the interrogation device being adapted for miscellaneous applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/22 comprising specially adapted graphical user interfaces [GUI]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0823 Errors, e.g. transmission errors
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0829 Packet loss

Abstract

Radio-frequency identification—(RFID)-based systems and methods for collecting telecommunications information is disclosed. The methods include storing transceiver information in a transceiver and connector information in an optical fiber connector, and then operably connecting the connector to the transceiver. The connection results in an electrical connection that allows the transceiver information to be communicated to the connector. The connector has a RFID tag that generates a connector RFID-tag signal that includes the connector information and the transceiver information. When electronics equipment are connected to the transceiver, electronics-equipment information is passed through the transceiver to the connector so that the electronics-equipment information can be included in the connector RFID-tag signal. The transceiver may also include a transceiver RFID tag that can receive connector information and electronics-equipment information and generate a transceiver RFID-tag signal that includes connector, transceiver and/or electronics-equipment information. A Portable test device is also used to connect to the transceiver or the electronics equipment to effectuate the transfer of transceiver and/or electronics-equipment information.

Claims

1. A radio-frequency identification (RFID)-based system for collecting information from a telecommunications network, comprising:

an optical transceiver having transceiver circuitry configured to perform at least one of storing, receiving and communicating information;

an optical fiber connector having a connector RFID tag configured to store information and communicate with the transceiver circuitry when electrically connected to the transceiver, wherein the connector RFID tag is adapted to generate a connector RFID-tag signal that contains information stored in the connector; and

a RF reader adapted to produce a reader signal that elicits said connector RFID-tag signal and that is configured to store information contained in the connector RFID-tag signal.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the connector-stored information includes connector identity information.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the connector-stored information includes information stored in the transceiver and communicated to an RFID integrated circuit chip.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the transceiver-stored information includes information about the transceiver.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the transceiver information includes at least one of transceiver identity information and transceiver diagnostic information.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the transceiver circuitry includes a diagnostic unit adapted to obtain said transceiver diagnostic information from one or more transceiver components.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the transceiver includes a transceiver RFID tag adapted to generate a transceiver RFID-tag signal that includes transceiver information and/or connector information.

8. The system of claim 7, further including electronics equipment electrically connected to the transceiver and that contains electronics-equipment information, and wherein the transceiver circuitry is adapted to obtain the electronics-equipment information and include said electronics-equipment information in the transceiver RFID-tag signal.

9. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

electronics equipment electrically connected to the transceiver and that contains electronics-equipment information; and

wherein the transceiver circuitry is adapted to obtain the electronics-equipment information and communicate it to the connector RFID tag so that the electronics-equipment information is included in the connector RFID-tag signal.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the electronics equipment includes one or more ports, and wherein the electronics-equipment information includes port information pertaining to the one or more ports.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the port information includes at least one of a MAC address and an IP address.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein:

the connector-stored information includes connector information;

the transceiver-stored information includes transceiver information; and

the RF reader is operably connected to an information processing system that includes network management software configured to map port information to at least one of the connector information and the transceiver information.

13. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

electronics equipment electrically connected to the transceiver and that contains electronics-equipment information, the electronics equipment including a first processor configured with software to process information and operably coupled to the transceiver circuitry, the first processor being adapted to receive transceiver-stored information and/or RFID integrated circuit chip-stored information via the transceiver.

14. The system of claim 13, further including

a database unit operably coupled to the RF reader and containing a second processor operably coupled to the first processor of the electronics equipment, the first and second processors being configured to communicate with each other and to process information.

15. A radio-frequency identification (RFID)-based system for collecting information from a telecommunications network, comprising:

an optical transceiver having a transceiver circuitry configured to perform at least one of storing, receiving and communicating information, including transceiver information;

electronics equipment that contains electronics-equipment information and that operably connected to the transceiver so as to communicate the electronics-equipment information to the transceiver;

a transceiver RFID tag operably supported by the transceiver and adapted to generate a transceiver RFID-tag signal that includes the transceiver information and/or the electronics-equipment information; and

a RF reader adapted to generate a reader signal that elicits said transceiver RFID-tag signal and that is configured to store information contained in the transceiver RFID-tag signal.

16. The system of claim 15, further comprising:

an optical fiber connector configured to store connector information and to communicate the connector information to the transceiver circuitry when the optical fiber connector are placed in electrical contact; and

wherein the transceiver RFID-tag signal includes said connector information.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the transceiver RFID-tag signal includes the connector information, the transceiver information and the electronics-equipment information.

18. An information-collection system for collecting information from a telecommunications network, comprising:

an optical transceiver having a transceiver circuitry configured to perform at least one of storing, receiving and communicating information, including transceiver information;

electronics equipment operably connected to the transceiver and that contains electronics-equipment information and a first processor that operably supports information processing software, the electronics equipment and transceiver configured to communicate the transceiver information and the electronic information to the first processor; and

a database having a second processor in operable communication with the first processor that that operably supports said information processing software.

19. The system of claim 18, further including:

an optical fiber connector optically and electrically connected to the transceiver and that contains connector information that is communicated to the transceiver when electrical contact is established between the optical fiber connector and the transceiver; and

wherein the connector information is communicated to the first processor via the transceiver and to the second processor via the first processor.

20. The system of claim 18, further comprising:

an optical fiber connector having a connector RFID tag with an RFID integrated circuit chip configured to store connector information, the RFID integrated circuit chip is adapted to communicate with the transceiver circuitry when the RFID integrated circuit chip and transceiver circuitry are placed in electrical communication via electrical contact between the connector and the transceiver, wherein the connector RFID tag is adapted to generate a connector RFID-tag signal that contains at least one of the connector information and the transceiver information.

21. A radio-frequency identification-based system for collecting information from a telecommunications network, comprising:

a transceiver having a socket configured to connect to an optical fiber connector, the transceiver including transceiver circuitry configured to store information

a portable test device having a memory unit and a RF reader attached to the memory unit and configured to engage with the transceiver socket to form an electrical connection between the transceiver circuitry and the memory unit; and

wherein the memory unit and transceiver circuitry are configured to transfer the transceiver-stored information from the memory chip to the memory unit and then to the RF reader.

22. The system of claim 21, further comprising electronics equipment electrically connected to the transceiver and that includes a memory chip configured to store electronics-equipment information, wherein the memory chip is electrically connected to the transceiver circuitry so as to transfer the electronics-equipment information from the memory chip to the memory unit via the transceiver circuitry.

23. A radio-frequency identification-based system for collecting information from electronics equipment of a telecommunications system, comprising:

at least one transceiver port in the electronics equipment;

a memory chip in the electronics equipment that is configured to store electronics-equipment information;

a portable test device having a memory unit and a RF reader attached to the memory unit, the portable test device configured to engage with the transceiver port to form an electrical connection between the memory chip and the memory unit; and

wherein the memory unit and memory chip are configured to transfer the electronics-equipment information from the memory chip to the memory unit and then to the RF reader.

24. The system of claim 23, wherein the electronics-equipment information includes port identifier information about one or more ports in the electronics equipment.

25. A method of collecting information from a telecommunications network that includes an optical fiber connector and a transceiver, the method comprising:

storing transceiver information in the transceiver;

communicating the transceiver information to the optical fiber connector when the transceiver and optical fiber connector are operably coupled; and

using a RFID tag in the optical fiber connector, communicating to a RF reader a connector RFID-tag signal that includes the transceiver information.

26. The method of claim 25, wherein the optical fiber connector includes connector-stored information, and including communicating the connector-stored information in the connector RFID-tag signal.

27. The method of claim 26, further comprising:

connecting electronics equipment that contains electronics-equipment information to the transceiver;

communicating the electronics-equipment information to the optical fiber connector via the transceiver; and

including the electronics-equipment information in the connector RFID-tag signal.

28. The method of claim 26, wherein the electronics-equipment information includes port identification information.

29. A method of collecting information from a telecommunications network that includes a transceiver, the method comprising:

storing transceiver information in the transceiver;

using a RFID tag in the transceiver, transmitting to a RF reader a transceiver RFID-tag signal that includes the transceiver information.

30. The method of claim 29, further comprising:

connecting an optical fiber connector that contains connector information to the transceiver and communicating the connector information to the transceiver; and

including the connector information in the transceiver RFID-tag signal.

31. The method of claim 29, further comprising:

connecting electronics equipment that contains electronics-equipment information to the transceiver;

communicating the electronics-equipment information to the transceiver; and

including the electronics-equipment information in the transceiver RFID-tag signal.

32. The method of claim 29, wherein the electronics-equipment information includes port identifier information.

33. The method of claim 32, further comprising:

connecting an optical fiber connector that contains connector information to the transceiver;

communicating the connector information to the transceiver; and

including the connector information in the transceiver RFID-tag signal.

34. A method of collecting information from a telecommunications network that includes a transceiver having a port that connects to an optical fiber connector, the method comprising:

storing transceiver information in transceiver circuitry within the transceiver;

connecting a portable test device having a memory unit and a RF reader attached to the memory unit to form an electrical connection with the transceiver circuitry; and

communicating the transceiver information from the transceiver circuitry to the memory unit and then to the RF reader.

35. The method of claim 34, wherein the optical fiber connector includes a RFID tag that includes connector information, the method further comprising:

communicating the connector information from the RFID tag to the RFID reader of the portable test device.

36. The method of claim 34, wherein the transceiver is connected to electronics equipment that includes stored electronics-equipment information, the method further comprising:

communicating the electronics-equipment information from the electronics equipment to the transceiver circuitry; and

communicating the electronics-equipment information from the transceiver circuitry to the RF reader in the portable test device.

38. The method of claim 34, wherein the electronics-equipment information includes port identifier information about one or more ports in the electronics equipment.

39. The method of claim 34, wherein the portable test device includes a connector, the electronics equipment includes at least one port, and further comprising electrically connecting the portable test device to the electronics equipment via said connector and at least one port.

37. A method of collecting electronics-equipment information stored in a memory chip of electronics equipment of a telecommunications network, comprising:

connecting a portable test device having a memory unit and a RF reader attached to the memory unit to form an electrical connection with the memory chip; and

communicating the electronics-equipment information from the memory chip to the memory unit and then to the RF reader.

40. A method of collecting information from a telecommunications network that includes a transceiver having a port that connects to an optical fiber connector, the method comprising:

storing transceiver information in transceiver circuitry within the transceiver;

communicating the transceiver information to electronics equipment that includes stored electronics-equipment information and a first processor;

communicating the transceiver information and the electronics-equipment information to the first processor to form first processed information;

communicating the first processed information from the first processor to a second processor in a database unit.

41. The method of claim 40, further comprising:

connecting the optical fiber connector to the transceiver port, the optical fiber connector having stored therein connector-stored information

communicating the connector-stored information to the first processor via the transceiver; and

communicating the connector-stored information from the first processor to the second processor.

42. The method of claim 40, further comprising:

connecting the optical fiber connector to the transceiver port, the optical fiber connector having stored therein connector-stored information

communicating the connector-stored information via a RFID tag signal from the connector RFID tag to a RF reader; and

communicating the connector-stored information from the RF reader to the second processor.