Patch field documentation and revision systems

• US 7,234,944 B2
• Filed: 08/25/2006
• Issued: 06/26/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 08/26/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Panduit Corporation
• Original Assignee: Panduit Corporation
• Inventors: Nordin, Ronald A., Caveney, Jack E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Patel; Tulsidas C.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Imas; Vladimir
• Application Number:
  US11/467,330
• Publication Number:
  US 20070049127A1
• Time in Patent Office: 305 Days
• Field of Search: 439/49, 439/955, 439/489, 439/490, 439/700
• US Class Current: 439/49
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 1/136 having patch field management or physical layer management arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 439/955 including electronic identifier or coding means

Abstract

A communication network device and corresponding patch field system are disclosed. The device includes a port module, ports, and an appliqué attached to a face of the port module. The appliqué includes a printed circuit board (PCB) with conductive pads. A patch cord connects the device with an intelligent patch panel. The patch cord contains at least one system wire. The patch panel is adapted to measure a resistance associated with each port via the system wire. An open circuit indicates that no patch cord is attached to the port, a resistance within a first range indicates that the patch cord is attached only to the port of the intelligent patch panel, and a resistance within a second range less than the first range indicates that the patch cord connects the intelligent patch panel and the device.

Claims

1. A patch field system comprising:

a communication network device having a communication network device port module, a plurality of ports, and an appliqué

attached to a face of the communication network device port module, the appliqué

including a printed circuit board (PCB) with a plurality of conductive pads;

an intelligent patch panel having a plurality of ports and a plurality of conductive pads; and

a patch cord adapted to connect one of the ports of the communication network device with one of the ports of the intelligent patch panel, each end of the patch cord including a plug, the patch cord including signal pairs that terminate at plug contacts of each plug, and a system wire that terminates at a probe of each plug, the system wire enabling communication between the intelligent patch panel and the PCB via contact between the probes of opposing plugs and the conductive pads of the intelligent patch panel and the communication network device,

wherein the intelligent patch panel is adapted to measure a resistance associated with each port via the system wire, an open circuit measurement indicating that no patch cord is attached to the port, a measurement within a first resistance range indicating that the patch cord is attached only to the port of the intelligent patch panel, a measurement within a second resistance range less than the first resistance range indicating that the patch cord connects the intelligent patch panel and the communication network device.

2. The patch field system of claim 1, wherein:

the appliqué

further comprises a conductive frame having mounting tabs and a cover,

the PCB comprises an LED module containing different color LEDs, the LED module adjacent to one of the ports of the communication network device; and

the PCB and cover are retained by the mounting tabs such that the PCB is disposed between the cover and the frame.

3. The patch field system of claim 2, wherein:

the PCB comprises adjacent LED modules,

the frame comprises reflectors disposed between the adjacent LED modules, and

the PCB has reflector apertures to accommodate the reflectors passing therethrough.

4. The patch field system of claim 1, wherein associated with each port in the communication network device is:

a port signature resistor having a resistance dependent on the port, and

a panel signature resistor having a resistance dependent on at least one of the communication network device or a group of ports to which the port belongs, the group of ports containing fewer than all of the ports of the communication network device.

5. The patch field system of claim 4, wherein the port and panel signature resistors are disposed such that, of the port and panel signature resistors, only the port signature resistor is measurable when a first voltage is applied to the conductive pad of the appliqué

and only the panel signature resistor is measurable when a second voltage of opposite polarity than the first voltage is applied to the conductive pad of the appliqué

.

6. The patch field system of claim 5, wherein:

the PCB further comprises a port identification circuit that contains different color LEDs, and

the port identification circuit is configured such that a series combination of the port signature resistor and an LED of a first color is connected in parallel with a series combination of the panel signature resistor and an LED of a second color.

7. The patch field system of claim 1, wherein:

the probe comprises a pogo pin,

the patch cord comprises a system pair of system wires that contains the system wire, each system wire of the system pair terminating at a different pogo pin, and

the pogo pins are provided in a pogo pin module.

8. The patch field system of claim 7, wherein:

at least one of the communication network device or the intelligent patch panel has first and second ports adjacent in a first direction, and

the pogo pin module is asymmetrically positioned with respect to a center of the plug and is offset in a second direction orthogonal to the first direction such that the pogo pin modules of patch cords inserted into the first and second ports overlap each other in the second direction.

9. A communication network device comprising:

a port module containing a plurality of ports, each port configured to accept a patch cord plug; and

an appliqué

attached to a face of the port module between sets of adjacent ports, the appliqué

containing a printed circuit board (PCB) that includes, associated with each port in the sets of adjacent ports;

a conductive pad,

an LED module, and

a port identification circuit, the port identification circuit including;

a port signature resistor having a resistance dependent on the port, and

a panel signature resistor having a resistance dependent on at least one of the communication network device or a group of ports to which the port belongs, the group of ports containing fewer than all of the ports of the communication network device.

10. The device of claim 9, wherein:

the appliqué

further comprises a conductive frame having mounting tabs and a cover,

each LED module contains a plurality of different color LEDs and is adjacent to one of the ports; and

the PCB and cover are retained by the mounting tabs such that the PCB is disposed between the cover and the frame.

11. The device of claim 10, wherein:

the frame comprises reflectors disposed between adjacent LED modules, and

the PCB has reflector apertures to accommodate the reflectors passing therethrough.

12. The device of claim 10, wherein the port identification circuit is configured such that a series combination of the port signature resistor and an LED of a first color is connected in parallel with a series combination of the panel signature resistor and an LED of a second color.

13. The device of claim 9, wherein the port and panel signature resistors are disposed such that, of the port and panel signature resistors, only the port signature resistor is measurable when a first voltage is applied to one of the conductive pads and only the panel signature resistor is measurable when a second voltage of opposite polarity than the first voltage is applied to the one of the conductive pads.

14. The device of claim 9, wherein:

a plurality of conductive pads are associated with each port of at least a set of the ports, and

the conductive pads associated with a particular port in the set of ports are asymmetrically positioned with respect to a center of the particular port.

15. The device of claim 14, wherein:

the set of the ports contains ports that are adjacent in a first direction, and

the conductive pads associated with the adjacent ports overlap in a second direction orthogonal to the first direction.

16. A communication network device comprising:

a port module;

a plurality of ports configured to accept a patch cord plug;

a printed circuit board (PCB) containing a port identification circuit associated with one of the ports, the port identification circuit including;

a port signature resistor having a resistance dependent on the port and that is measurable when a first voltage is applied to the port identification circuit but not when a second voltage of opposite polarity than the first voltage is applied to the port identification circuit, and

a panel signature resistor having a resistance dependent on at least one of the communication network device or a group of ports to which the port belongs and that is measurable when the second voltage is applied to the port identification circuit but not when the first voltage is applied to the port identification circuit, the group of ports containing fewer than all of the ports of the communication network device.

17. The device of claim 16, wherein:

the PCB further comprises a plurality of LED modules, each LED module containing a plurality of different color LEDs and associated with a different port;

reflectors are disposed between adjacent LED modules, and

the PCB has reflector apertures to accommodate the reflectors passing therethrough.

18. The device of claim 17, wherein the port identification circuit is configured such that a series combination of the port signature resistor and an LED of a first color is connected in parallel with a series combination of the panel signature resistor and an LED of a second color.

19. The device of claim 16, wherein:

a plurality of conductive pads are associated with each port of at least a set of the ports, and

the conductive pads associated with a particular port in the set of ports are asymmetrically positioned with respect to a center of the particular port.

20. The device of claim 19, wherein:

the set of the ports contains ports that are adjacent in a first direction, and

the conductive pads associated with the adjacent ports overlap in a second direction orthogonal to the first direction.