PHYSICAL LAYER MANAGEMENT (PLM) SYSTEM FOR USE WITH AN OPTICAL DISTRIBUTION FRAME HAVING TRAYS WITH SELECTABLE PATCH SIDE

• US 20130205579A1
• Filed: 02/13/2013
• Published: 08/15/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 02/14/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: CommScope Connectivity UK Limited (TE Connectivity Limited)
• Original Assignee: Tyco Electronics Raychem BVBA (CommScope Holding Company, Inc.), Tyco Electronics UK Limited (TE Connectivity Limited)
• Inventors: Mather, David, Standish, Ian Miles, Jeuris, Kristof Johan, Lambourn, Stephen, Baston, Peter, Atkinson, David Nicolas, Hulse, John Michael
• Granted Patent: US 9,805,332 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 29/593
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/4452 Distribution frames
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/44524 with frame parts or auxiliary devices mounted on the frame and collectively not covering a whole width of the frame or rack cassettes G02B6/4453
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/44528 Patch-cords; Connector arrangements in the system or in the box routing arrangements H04Q1/00
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/4453 Cassettes
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/4455 characterised by the way of extraction or insertion of the cassette in the distribution frame, e.g. pivoting, sliding, rotating or gliding
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 1/138 using RFID
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 1/155 characterised by connection features
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 5/0286 Receptacles therefor, e.g. card slots, module sockets, card groundings
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 7/1488 Cabinets therefor, e.g. chassis or racks or mechanical interfaces between blades and support structures
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 7/1491 having cable management arrangements management of optical cables G02B6/444; in telecommunication cabinets H04Q1/06
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49004 including measuring or testing of device or component part

Abstract

One embodiment is directed to a tray for use in a subrack of a rack. The tray comprises a printed circuit board configured so that a plurality of connections can be made at a plurality of positions on the printed circuit board, each of the plurality of connections involving at least one connector positioned on a patch side of the plurality of positions and the least one connector having a device associated therewith in which information is stored. The tray is configured so that either side of the positions can be used as the patch side. The tray is configured so that the devices associated with the connectors involved in making the connections at the patch side can be read via the tray. The devices associated with the connections can be implemented, for example, using RFID tags or connection point identifier (CPID) storage devices (such as EEPROMs).

Claims

1. A tray for use in a subrack of a rack, the tray comprising:

a printed circuit board configured so that a plurality of connections can be made at a plurality of positions on the printed circuit board, each of the plurality of connections involving at least one connector positioned on a patch side of the plurality of positions and the least one connector having a device associated therewith in which information is stored;

wherein the tray is configured so that either side of the positions can be used as the patch side; and

wherein the tray is configured so that the devices associated with the connectors involved in making the connections at the patch side can be read via the tray.

2. The tray of claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of connections involves at least one connector having an RFID tag associated therewith;

and

wherein the tray further comprises a plurality of pairs of RFID antennas, each pair of RFID antennas being associated with a respective one of the positions, wherein a respective one of each pair of RFID antennas is associated with each side;

wherein the tray is configured so that the RFID antennas associated with the side used as the patch side are used to read the RFID tags associated with the connectors involved in making the connections.

3. The tray of claim 2, wherein each of the plurality of RFID antennas can be selectively coupled to an RFID reader in order to read the RFID tags associated with the connectors involved in making the connections.

4. The tray of claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of connections involves at least one connector having a connection point identifier (CPID) storage device associated therewith, the CPID storage device comprising one or more contacts used for reading the CPID storage device;

and

wherein the tray further comprises a plurality of pairs of contacts, each pair of contacts being associated with a respective one of the positions;

wherein the tray is configured so that contacts of the tray associated with the side used as the patch side are used to read the CPID storage devices associated with the connectors involved in making the connections.

5. The tray of claim 1, further comprising a plurality of pairs of visual indicators each pair of visual indicators being associated with a respective one of the positions, wherein a respective one of the pair of visual indicators is associated with a respective side of the positions.

6. The tray of claim 5, wherein at least some of the visual indicators comprise a light emitting diode.

7. The tray of claim 1, wherein the printed circuit board is configured so that a plurality of fiber optic adapters can be attached to the printed circuit board, each of the plurality of fiber optic adapters associated with a respective one of the positions.

8. The tray of claim 7, wherein a plurality of clips are attached to the printed circuit board so that each of the plurality of fiber optic adapters can be removably attached to the printed circuit board.

9. The tray of claim 1, further comprising:

a tray controller;

at least two communication ports each of which is coupled to the tray controller, wherein the tray is configured so that the tray controller can be coupled to a controller external to the tray via one or more of the communication ports.

10. The tray of claim 9, wherein the communication ports are angled.

11. The tray of claim 1, wherein the each of the plurality of connections is made using at least one of optical cabling and metallic cabling.

12. The tray of claim 1, wherein the tray includes pockets formed in the tray to accommodate components.

13. A method of using a tray, the tray comprising a printed circuit board configured so that a plurality of connections can be made at a plurality of positions on the printed circuit board, each of the positions having at least two sides, wherein the method comprises:

selecting one of the sides as a patch side;

making the plurality of connections using the tray, each of the plurality of connections involving at least one connector having a device associated therewith in which information is stored and wherein the selected patch side is used as the patch side for each of the plurality of connections; and

reading, via the tray, information stored in the devices associated with the connectors involved in making the connections.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein each of the plurality of connections involves at least one connector having an RFID tag associated therewith;

and

wherein the tray further comprises a plurality of pairs of RFID antennas, each pair of RFID antennas being associated with a respective one of the positions, wherein a respective one of the pair of RFID antennas is associated with a respective side of the positions; and

wherein reading, via the tray, information stored in the devices associated with the connectors involved in making the connections comprises;

reading the RFID tags associated with the connectors involved in making the connections using the RFID antennas associated with the selected patch side.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising selectively coupling each of the plurality of RFID antennas to an RFID reader in order to read any RFID tag associated with the connector involved in making the associated connection.

16. The method of claim 13, wherein each of the plurality of connections involves at least one connector having a connection point identifier (CPID) storage device associated therewith, the CPID storage device comprising one or more contacts used for reading the CPID storage device;

and

wherein the tray further comprises a plurality of pairs of contacts, each pair of contacts being associated with a respective one of the positions; and

wherein reading, via the tray, information stored in the devices associated with the connectors involved in making the connections comprises;

reading the CPID storage devices associated with the connectors involved in making the connections using the contacts of the tray associated with the selected patch side.

17. The method of claim 13, wherein the tray further comprises a plurality of pairs of visual indicators, each pair of visual indicators being associated with a respective one of the positions, wherein a respective one of the pair of visual indicators is associated with a respective side of the positions;

and

wherein the method further comprises providing visual indications using the visual indicators using the visual indicators associated with the selected patch side.

18. The method of claim 13, wherein the printed circuit board is configured so that a plurality of fiber optic adapters can be attached to the printed circuit board, each of the plurality of fiber optic adapters associated with a respective one of the positions.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising removably attaching each of the plurality of fiber optic adapters to the tray.