Systems for Automatically Tracking Patching Connections to Network Devices Using a Separate Control Channel and Related Patching Equipment and Methods

• US 20110043333A1
• Filed: 08/21/2009
• Published: 02/24/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 08/21/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: CommScope Inc. (CommScope Holding Company, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: CommScope Inc. (CommScope Holding Company, Inc.)
• Inventors: German, Michael
• Granted Patent: US 8,994,547 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/10.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 1/136 having patch field management or physical layer management arrangements

Abstract

Methods of automatically tracking a patching connection between a first connector port of a patch panel and a second connector port of a network device are provided in which a sensor is used to detect that a first end of a patch cord has been inserted into the second connector port. The patch cord has at least one data communications channel and a separate control channel. A first conductor of the control channel of the patch cord is biased to power an integrated circuit chip on the network device. In response to the detection by the sensor, a first signal is transmitted over the separate control channel of the patch cord to the network device. A second signal is received over the control channel of the patch cord in response to the first signal. The second signal includes a unique identifier that is associated with the second connector port.

Claims

1. A method of automatically tracking a patching connection between a first connector port of a patch panel and a second connector port of a network device, the method comprising:

detecting, via a sensor, that a first end of a patch cord has been inserted into the first connector port, the patch cord having at least one data communications channel and a separate control channel;

biasing a first conductor of the control channel of the patch cord to power an integrated circuit chip on the network device;

transmitting a first signal over the control channel of the patch cord to the second connector port of the network device in response to detecting that the first end of the patch cord has been inserted into the first connector port;

receiving a second signal from the integrated circuit chip over the control channel of the patch cord in response to the first signal, the second signal including a unique identifier that is associated with the second connector port on the network device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the control channel further comprises a second conductor, wherein the first conductor comprises a signal carrying conductor and the second conductor comprises a ground conductor.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the first signal is transmitted over the control channel of the patch cord to a serial ID chip that is mounted on the network device, the serial ID chip being associated with the second connector port, and wherein the second signal is transmitted from the serial ID chip over the control channel of the patch cord to the patch panel.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the serial ID chip is mounted on a printed circuit board that is part of a passive label that is attached to the network device.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining that a pair of contacts that are provided on the second end of the patch cord are not short-circuited prior to transmitting the first signal over the control channel of the patch cord to the network device.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the network device comprises a network switch, a network router, a network server, a mainframe computer, a network storage device, a blade server, an uninterruptable power supply, a managed power distribution unit or a private branch exchange.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one data communications channel of the patch cord comprises at least one optical fiber or at least one differential pair of insulated conductors, and wherein the control channel comprises a pair of conductors.

8. A passive electronically readable label that is configured to be installed on a network device that includes a connector port, the label comprising:

a printed circuit board;

an integrated circuit chip mounted on the printed circuit board, wherein a unique identifier that is associated with the connector port is stored within the integrated circuit chip;

a pair of contacts mounted on the printed circuit board adjacent to the connector port;

wherein at least a first contact of the pair of contacts is electrically connected to the integrated circuit chip via a conductive path on the printed circuit board;

wherein the printed circuit board is electrically isolated from the network device.

9. The passive electronically readable label of claim 8, wherein the integrated circuit chip comprises a serial ID chip.

10. The passive electronically readable label of claim 9, wherein a second contact of the pair of contacts is electrically connected to a grounded conductor on the printed circuit board.

11. The passive electronically readable label of claim 9, wherein the printed circuit board comprises a double-sided printed circuit board, and wherein the pair of contacts are mounted on a front side of the printed circuit board and the serial ID chip is mounted on the back side of the printed circuit board.

12. The passive electronically readable label of claim 9, further comprising an adhesive layer on the back side of the printed circuit board, wherein the adhesive layer includes an opening that receives the serial ID chip.

13. The passive electronically readable label of claim 10, wherein the first contact comprises a first contact pad on the printed circuit board and the second contact comprises a second contact pad on the printed circuit board.

14. The passive electronically readable label of claim 9, wherein the network device comprises a network switch having a plurality of additional connector ports, wherein a plurality of additional pairs of contacts are mounted on the printed circuit board adjacent to respective ones of the plurality of additional connector ports, wherein a plurality of additional serial ID chips, each having a unique identifier, are mounted on the printed circuit board and associated with respective ones of the plurality of additional connector ports, and wherein a first contact of each of the plurality of additional pairs of contacts are electrically connected to respective ones of the plurality of additional serial ID chips.

15. The passive electronically readable label of claim 14, further comprising a plurality of light emitting diodes on the printed circuit board, where each light emitting diode is associated with a respective one of the plurality of additional connector ports.

16. The passive electronically readable label of claim 15, wherein each light emitting diode is configured to be turned on in response to activation of a respective trace button.

17. The passive electronically readable label of claim 9, wherein the serial ID chip is powered by a voltage received through the first contact.

18. A system for automatically tracking patch cord connectivity in a communications patching system, comprising:

a patch panel having a local connector port and a local printed circuit board that includes a local pair of contacts mounted adjacent the local connector port;

a passive electronically readable label that includes a remote integrated circuit chip having a unique identifier that is mounted on a remote printed circuit board, the passive electronically readable label configured to be mounted adjacent to a remote connector port on a network device, the remote printed circuit having a remote pair of contacts mounted thereon adjacent the remote connector port;

a patch cord having a data communications channel for carrying network communications and a separate control channel that comprises first and second insulated conductors, wherein the local pair of contacts electrically connect the first and second insulated conductors to the local printed circuit board when a local end of the patch cord is inserted into the local connector port, and wherein the remote pair of contacts electrically connect the first and second insulated conductors to the remote printed circuit board when a remote end of the patch cord is inserted into the remote connector port;

wherein the patch panel further includes a sensor that is configured to detect when an end of the patch cord is inserted into the connector port and to forward a signal to the remote integrated circuit chip in response to sensing that the end of the patch cord was inserted into the connector port.

19. The system for automatically tracking patch cord connectivity in a communications patching system of claim 18, wherein the remote integrated circuit chip comprises a remote serial ID chip, the system further comprising a local integrated circuit chip that is in communication with the local pair of contacts, the local integrated circuit chip configured to transmit a first signal through the local pair of contacts, over the control channel on the patch cord, through the remote pair of contacts to the remote serial ID chip.

20. The system for automatically tracking patch cord connectivity in a communications patching system of claim 19, wherein the first signal is configured to cause the serial ID chip to send a responsive second signal that includes the unique identifier of the serial ID chip to the local integrated circuit chip.

21. The system for automatically tracking patch cord connectivity in a communications patching system of claim 20, wherein the serial ID chip is configured to draw its operating voltage from the patch cord.

22. A patch cord, comprising:

a communications cable that includes at least one data communications channel and first and second insulated conductors that form a control channel disposed within a jacket;

a first connector that is attached to a first end of the communications cable, the first connector comprising;

a first dielectric housing having a forward portion that is configured to mate with a connector port and a rear portion the receives the communications cable;

a first contact that is electrically connected to the first insulated conductor of the control channel;

a second contact that is electrically connected to the second insulated conductor of the control channel;

wherein the first and second contacts are mounted to extend forwardly from the rear portion of the housing so as to extend above the forward portion of the housing.

23. The patch cord of claim 22, wherein a first raised portion of the housing encloses the first contact and a second raised portion of the housing encloses the second contact, and wherein the first and second raised portions of the housing are separated by a gap having a width that is at least equal to the width of the first raised portion of the housing.

24. The patch cord of claim 23, wherein the first and second contacts each comprise a spring loaded pin.

25. The patch cord of claim 23, wherein the data communications channel comprises at least one optical fiber.

26. The patch cord of claim 22, wherein the first connector includes a light emitting diode.

27. The patch cord of claim 22, wherein the first dielectric housing includes a tracing button that is electrically connected to a light emitting diode that is included in a second connector that is attached to a second end of the communications cable.

28. A method of automatically tracking a patching connection created by plugging a first end of a patch cord into a first connector port of a patch panel and plugging the second end of the patch cord into a second connector port of a network device, where the patch cord includes at least one data communications channel and a separate control channel, the method comprising:

biasing a first conductor of the control channel of the patch cord to power an integrated circuit chip on the network device; and

then

transmitting a first signal over the control channel of the patch cord to the second connector port of the network device;

receiving a second signal from the integrated circuit chip over the control channel of the patch cord in response to the first signal, the second signal including a unique identifier that is associated with the second connector port on the network device.

29. The method of claim 28, wherein the method is performed in response to detecting, via a sensor, that the first end of the patch cord has been inserted into the first connector port.

30. The method of claim 28, wherein the method is performed in response to activation of a trace button on either the patch panel or the patch cord.

31. The method of claim 28, wherein the method is automatically performed as part of an electronic work order process that instructed an operator to make the patching connection between the first connector port and the second connector port in order to verify that the patching connection was made correctly.

32. The method of claim 28, wherein the method is performed periodically and/or on a user defined schedule.