Cable management system

• US 6,721,414 B1
• Filed: 08/17/1999
• Issued: 04/13/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 08/17/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: NEC Corporation of America (NEC Corporation)
• Original Assignee: NEC America (NEC Corporation)
• Inventors: Rojas, Michael J., Corbett, Timothy F., Dasgupta, Amlan
• Primary Examiner(s): TIEU, BENNY QUOC
• Application Number:
  US09/375,740
• Time in Patent Office: 1,701 Days
• Field of Search: 379/221-1-2, 379/219, 379/220.01, 379/229, 379/230, 370/231, 370/235, 370/236, 370/237, 370/238, 370/245, 370/248, 370/406-408, 709/239, 709/241, 709/242
• US Class Current: 379/221.01
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/229 Wire identification arrangements; Number assignment determination
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42314 in private branch exchanges
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 715/969 Network layout and operation interface

Abstract

An article of manufacture is provided including a computer usable medium having a computer readable program code device embodied therein for graphically representing and managing a telecommunications cable system. Managing includes tracking all hardware components contained in the telecommunications cable system and the capacity of each hardware component. Preferably, the cable system includes a PBX switch and master database, and at least one adjunct system and database. The computer readable program code device interacts with the master database, which contains a copy of information contained in each PBX, adjunct system and each adjunct system and respective database, and provides a user with an ability to track all telecommunications system cabling and hardware components by unique identification number stored in a cable manager database by type. The cable manager database may be accessed by type such that connections of all communication cables, termination hardware components and cross-connects may be accessed to realize available circuit pathways, document existing circuits and adding new circuits, including selecting a shortest or most efficient path between jack and switch for the new circuit. The cable manager database identifies available system components for existing or new circuits, and generates reports which disclose which cables and components which make up the particular existing or new circuit are currently in use.

Claims

1. An article of manufacture comprising:

a computer usable medium having computer readable program code means embodied therein for managing a telecommunications cable system including tracking all hardware components contained in the telecommunications cable system, tracking the capacity of each hardware component, and for selecting a shortest path between said hardware components, the telecommunications cable system comprising a PBX switch and master database, and at least one adjunct system and database, the computer readable program code means comprising;

computer readable program code means for interacting with said master database, said master database containing a copy of information contained in each PBX, adjunct system and each adjunct system'"'"'s respective database;

computer readable program code means for tracking all telecommunications cabling and hardware components by unique identification number and storing each number in said master database by type based on each unique identification number;

computer readable program code means for accessing said master database by type and generating a graphical representation based upon the unique identification numbers stored in the master database for all communication cables, termination hardware components and cross-connects comprising the telecommunications system to realize available circuit pathways within the telecommunications cable system;

computer readable program code means for accessing said master database by type, for documenting existing circuits and for adding new circuits to the telecommunications cable system, said adding including updating the graphical representation to reflect the added new circuits; and

computer readable program code means for selecting a shortest or most efficient path between jack and switch for said new circuit by applying a mathematical algorithm to the updated graphical representation.

2. The article of manufacture of claim 1, further comprising computer readable program code means for graphically connecting database records of said cables and components contained in said master database to generate a graphical view of any of rooms, floors and buildings which may comprise the telecommunications cable system.

3. The article of manufacture of claim 1, further comprising computer readable program code means for accessing said master database including identifying available components for one of an existing and a new circuit, and for generating reports which disclose which cables and components comprising the particular existing or new circuit are currently in use.

4. The article of manufacture of claim 1 wherein the computer readable program code means for tracking further includes means for defining spaces, termination positions, any telecommunications cable components, pathways, locations, termination hardware and assets.

5. The article of manufacture of claim 1, wherein the computer readable program code means depicts the telecommunications cable system as a series of termination-cable-termination segments.

6. The article of manufacture of claim 1, wherein the computer readable program code means provides for a user'"'"'s ability to create and organize the telecommunications system components with multiple levels of views.

7. The article of manufacture of claim 1, wherein the computer readable program code means provides for the shortest path using DIJKSTRA'"'"'s algorithm.

8. A program storage device readable by a machine, tangibly embodying a program of instructions executable by the machine to perform method steps for organizing and tracking an internal cable structure of a telecommunications system, comprising the steps of:

labeling each space, termination hardware, termination position, cable and pathway comprising the telecommunications system by type;

entering each said space, termination hardware, termination position, cable and pathway into a master database by type;

connecting all spaces, termination hardware, termination hardware with cross-connects, termination positions, cables and pathways comprising said telecommunications system to generate a graphical representation of the system; and

tracking all hardware components contained in the telecommunications system, including selecting a shortest path between components.

9. The program storage device of claim 8, wherein said step of tracking includes documenting existing circuits and adding new circuits to the telecommunications cable system, including updating the graphical representation to reflect the added new circuits.

10. The program storage device of claim 8, wherein said method steps include documenting circuits currently identified as being part of the telecommunications system, and adding new circuits.

11. The program storage device of claim 10, wherein said step of documenting includes performing rule-based searching for identifying new circuits.

12. The program storage device of claim 10, wherein said step of documenting includes defining new search rules and performing searching thereby.

13. The program storage device of claim 8, wherein said method steps include graphically connecting database resident components by creating views of the system'"'"'s organizational structure.

14. The program storage device of claim 8, wherein said method steps allow a user to view the components comprising an existing circuit within the telecommunications system.

15. The program storage device of claim 8, wherein said method steps include a step for preparing printed reports of information stored in said database.

16. The program storage device of claim 8, wherein said method steps include a step of importing category, subcategory and cable information into the master database.

17. The program storage device of claim 16, wherein said information is imported from one of other systems, another database program and a text file.

18. The program storage device of claim 8, wherein said information is exported from same master database.