Shelf detection system for a fiber distribution frame

• US 6,556,761 B1
• Filed: 09/29/2000
• Issued: 04/29/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 09/29/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Furukawa Electric North America Incorporated (Furukawa Electric Company Limited)
• Original Assignee: Fitel USA Corporation (Furukawa Electric Company Limited)
• Inventors: Leone, Frank S., Jennings, Mark R., Pimpinella, Richard
• Primary Examiner(s): PATEL, TULSIDAS C
• Application Number:
  US09/676,177
• Time in Patent Office: 942 Days
• Field of Search: 385/134, 385/39, 385/47, 439/488, 439/489, 439/490, 439/491
• US Class Current: 385/134
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/4452 Distribution frames
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/44526 Panels or rackmounts covering a whole width of the frame or rack
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 33/125 the apparatus comprising a plurality of recording/reproducing devices, e.g. modular arrangements, arrays of disc drives

Abstract

The location and type of equipment shelf installed in an optical fiber distribution frame is detected and transmitted to a software management system automatically. A plurality of photo transceivers, arrayed on the frame, detects encoded indicia on each shelf. The coded information is inventoried into a database and displayed in a virtual graphical representation of the frame.

Claims

1. A shelf detection system for a fiber distribution frame comprising:

an upright support member extending between upper and lower ends;

at least one shelf releasably mounted on the upright support member at a selected location;

a plurality of detectors spaced apart along the upright support member, the detectors being operatively linked with a controller associated with the fiber distribution frame; and

a medium detectable by ones of the detectors disposed on the shelf and arranged to be within a detection field of a proximately located detector when the shelf is mounted on the upright support member;

wherein a detection of the detectable medium by the proximally located detector is communicated to the controller and translated thereby to a location in the fiber distribution frame for the shelf.

2. The shelf detection system of claim 1, wherein the detectors are implemented as photo transceivers and the detectable medium is implemented as an optically reflective surface, and wherein the optically reflective surface disposed on a shelf is brought into optical alignment with a proximately located photo transceiver when the shelf is mounted on the upright support member.

3. The shelf detection system of claim 1, wherein the detectable medium further comprises encoded indicia detectable by the detectors, the encoded indicia including encoded specifications of the shelf upon which the detectable medium is disposed, so that upon mounting the shelf on the upright support member, one of the detectors will detect the shelf and transmit the specifications of the shelf to the controller.

4. The shelf detection system of claim 3, wherein the encoded indicia include a bar code.

5. The shelf detection system of claim 2, wherein the photo transceivers include light-emitting diode transceivers.

6. The shelf detection system of claim 2, wherein the photo transceivers include infrared light transceivers.

7. The shelf detection system of claim 2, wherein the photo transceivers include laser transceivers.

8. A shelf detection system for a fiber distribution frame comprising:

an upright support member extending between upper and lower ends;

at least one shelf releasably mounted on the upright support member at a selected location;

a plurality of detectors spaced apart along the upright support member, the detectors being operatively linked with a controller associated with the fiber distribution frame; and

a medium detectable by ones of the detectors disposed on the shelf and arranged to be within a detection field of a proximately located detector when the shelf is mounted on the upright support member;

wherein the detectable medium includes encoded specification of the shelf upon which the detectable medium is disposed and a detection of the detectable medium by the proximally located detector is communicated to the controller and translated thereby to a location of the shelf in the fiber distribution frame and a specification for the shelf.

9. The shelf detection system of claim 8, wherein the encoded indicia include a bar code.

10. The shelf detection system of claim 8, wherein the detectors are implemented as photo transceivers and the detectable medium is implemented as an optically reflective surface, and wherein the optically reflective surface disposed on a shelf is brought into optical alignment with a proximately located photo transceiver when the shelf is mounted on the upright support member.

11. The shelf detection system of claim 10, wherein the photo transceivers include light-emitting diode transceivers.

12. The shelf detection system of claim 10, wherein the photo transceivers include infrared light transceivers.

13. The shelf detection system of claim 10, wherein the photo transceivers include laser transceivers.

14. A method of shelf detection for a fiber distribution frame, for use in connection with a controller, the method comprising the steps of:

extending an upright support member between upper and lower ends;

mounting at least one shelf releasably in a selected location on the upright support member;

mounting a plurality of detectors on the upright support member;

spacing the detectors apart along the upright support member;

connecting the detectors to the controller;

mounting a detectable medium on the shelf;

causing the detectable medium to be aligned with a proximately located detector when the shelf is mounted on the upright support member;

in response to a detection of the detectable medium by the proximally located detector, communicating that detection to the controller and causing the controller to translate the detection to a location in the fiber distribution frame for the shelf.

15. The shelf detection method of claim 14, further comprising the steps of:

providing encoded indicia on the detection medium

providing, within the encoded indicia, encoded specifications of the shelf upon which the detection medium is disposed;

detecting the encoded indicia by the detector; and

transmitting the detected indicia from the detector to the controller.

16. The shelf detection method of claim 15, further comprising the step of providing a bar code as the encoded indicia.

17. The shelf detection method of claim 14, wherein the detectors are implemented as photo transceivers and the detectable medium is implemented as an optically reflective surface, and wherein the optically reflective surface disposed on a shelf is brought into optical alignment with a proximately located photo transceiver when the shelf is mounted on the upright support member.

18. The shelf detection method of claim 17, further comprising the step of providing light-emitting diode transceivers as the photo transceivers.

19. The shelf detection method of claim 17, further comprising the step of providing infrared light transceivers as the photo transceivers.

20. The shelf detection method of claim 17, further comprising the step of providing laser transceivers as the photo transceivers.