Method and apparatus for identifying and tracking connections of communication lines
First Claim
1. An apparatus for monitoring a connection between a communications line connector and an adapter, the apparatus comprising:
- first identification means, disposed proximate to the communications connector, for use in communicating connection information regarding the connection between the communications connector and the adapter; and
second identification means, mountable proximate to the adapter, for use in communicating the connection information regarding said connection;
wherein the connection information is communicated between a controller and one of the first and second identification means so as to allow for monitoring of the connection.
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0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A communication line identification apparatus and method which automates the identification of communication line is engaged with a particular adapter within a communications system. A communication transducer (140) is mounted on a connector (122) of the communication line (118). The communication transducer (140) contains identification information for the communication line (118). Mounted near the adapter (114) which engages the connector (122), is an adapter transducer (138) which receives the identification information from the communications transducer (140). This identification information is transmitted to a system controller which provides the communication systems operator with the information about which communication line is connected to which adapter.
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Citations
51 Claims
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1. An apparatus for monitoring a connection between a communications line connector and an adapter, the apparatus comprising:
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first identification means, disposed proximate to the communications connector, for use in communicating connection information regarding the connection between the communications connector and the adapter; and second identification means, mountable proximate to the adapter, for use in communicating the connection information regarding said connection; wherein the connection information is communicated between a controller and one of the first and second identification means so as to allow for monitoring of the connection. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11)
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12. An apparatus for monitoring connections in a communications system comprising:
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at least one communication line with at least one connector attached thereto, where an identification transducer is included in the at least one connector and the identification transducer contains identification information for the at least one communication line; at least one adapter which receives the at least one connector and establishes a connection for the communications signals; and an adapter transducer mountable proximate to the adapter which receives the identification information from the identification means and transmits the identification information to a controller. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25)
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26. A communications system comprising:
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a plurality of communication lines; an identification transducer mountable on each of said plurality of communication lines, where each of said identification transducers contains identification information for the communication line upon which said identification transducer is mounted; a communications bulkhead with a plurality of adapters mounted thereon, each of said adapters receives one of the plurality of communications lines; an adapter transducer mountable proximate to each of said adapter means, said adapter transducer receives the identification information from the identification transducer; and a controller which receives the identification information from the adapter transducers and provides connection status information for each of the plurality communications lines and adapters. - View Dependent Claims (27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37)
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38. A method for monitoring connections in communications system, comprising:
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mounting an identification transducer on each of a number of communications lines within the communication system; mounting an adapter transducer device on each of a number of adapters which receive the communications lines; transferring identification information between one of the identification transducers and one of the adapter transducers, where the identification information identifies a connection between one of the communications lines and one of the transducers; and transmitting the identification information between a controller, which monitors connections between the communications lines and the adapters, and one of said one identification transducer and said one adapter transducer. - View Dependent Claims (39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46)
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47. An apparatus for use in monitoring connections in a communications system, said system including adapters for receiving communications lines so as to make said connections and further including detectors, associated with said adapters, for use in detecting a line connection and reporting the line connection to a controller for storing information regarding the line connection so as to allow for monitoring said connections in said communications system, said apparatus comprising:
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communications line means for use in transmitting communications signals, said line means including a section of a communications line and at least one end portion for coupling to one of said adapters of said communications system; and identification means, associated with said communications line, for identifiing said communications line, said identification means including means for providing a unique identifier for said communications line means and means for communicating with a detector of said one adapter so as to provide identification information relative to said unique identifier to said detector of said one adapter when said end portion of said communication line means and said adapter are engaged; wherein said identification information can be reported to said controller by said detector so as to allow for enhanced monitoring of said connections in said communications system. - View Dependent Claims (48, 49, 50, 51)
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Specification