System and method for detecting the connection state of a network cable connector

• US 7,352,289 B1
• Filed: 09/11/2003
• Issued: 04/01/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 09/11/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Oracle America, Inc. (Oracle Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Sun Microsystems Incorporated (Oracle Corporation)
• Inventors: Harris, Jeremy
• Primary Examiner(s): Hofsass; Jeffery
• Assistant Examiner(s): Yacob; Sisay
• Application Number:
  US10/662,017
• Time in Patent Office: 1,664 Days
• Field of Search: 340/870.07, 340/652, 340/656, 340/654, 340/682, 340/687, 340/310.11, 600/365, 128/903, 345/211, 324/500, 324/66
• US Class Current: 340/870.07
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2209/40 using a wireless architecture
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2209/75 by polling or interrogating the sub-stations
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 9/00 Arrangements in telecontrol or telemetry systems for selectively calling a substation from a main station, in which substation desired apparatus is selected for applying a control signal thereto or for obtaining measured values therefrom

Abstract

A method for detecting a network cable connection state is disclosed. The method includes detecting a change of connection state of a connector using a sensor that resides in the connector and generating cable connection state information from the information supplied by the sensor. Cable connection state information is communicated to a connection state monitoring utility for facilitating network fault detection. The cable plug or socket may also contain an embedded processor, memory and unique identification.

Claims

1. A method for detecting an information technology (IT) network cable disconnection, said method comprising:

detecting a change of connection state of a network cable connector using a sensor that resides in said network cable connector, wherein the network cable connector is defined to enable connection of an IT network cable to an IT network connected device such that IT network signals can be transmitted between the IT network connected device and the IT network cable through the network cable connector;

transmitting a change of connection state signal from the sensor to a processor within the network cable connector;

operating the processor within the network cable connector to generate connection state information from the change of connection state signal; and

operating the processor within the network cable connector to communicate said connection state information to a connection state monitoring utility within the IT network.

2. The method as described in claim 1, wherein said network cable connector is a cable plug.

3. The method as described in claim 1, wherein said network cable connector is a socket.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein said sensor includes a switch selected from the group that includes mechanical, electrical, resistive, optical and capacitive switches.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein said network cable connector further comprises a memory.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

operating the processor within the network cable connector to use a communication protocol selected from the group that includes IPv6 (Internet Protocol Version

     6), TCP (Transmission Control Protocol), finger, and SNMP (Simple Network Management Protocol).

7. The method of claim 2, wherein said cable plug is attached to an endpoint of said network cable.

8. The method of claim 5, wherein said network cable connector receives a communication from the connection state monitoring utility within the IT network that interrogates said sensor regarding the connection state of said network cable connector.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein said connection state information is transmitted wirelessly to said connection state monitoring utility.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein a unique identification is mapped to said network cable connector.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising communicating said unique identification with said connection state information.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising detecting, generating and communicating information related to power status, fuse status, carrier signal status and temperature.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein electrical power for detecting said network cable disconnection is obtained from the network.

14. A method for detecting an information technology (IT) network cable connection state, said method comprising:

detecting a state change of a network cable connector within an IT network using a contact sensor that resides in said network cable connector;

transmitting a change of connection state signal from the sensor to a processor within the network cable connector;

operating the processor within the network cable connector to generate connection state information from the change of connection state signal;

receiving an interrogation signal at the processor within the network cable connector from a connection state monitoring utility within the IT network; and

operating the processor within the network cable connector to communicate said connection state information from the network cable connector through the IT network to said connection monitoring utility using a network communication protocol in response to receiving the interrogation signal.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein said contact sensor includes a switch selected from the group that includes mechanical, electrical, resistive, optical and capacitive.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein said network cable connector includes a memory.

17. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

operating the processor within the network cable connector to use a communication protocol selected from the group that includes IPv6, TCP, finger, and SNMP.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein a cable plug is attached to an endpoint of said network cable.

19. The method of claim 14, wherein said connection state information is transmitted wirelessly.

20. The method of claim 16, wherein a unique identification is mapped to said memory of said network cable connector.

21. The method of claim 14, further comprising reading the time that said network cable connector disconnected.

22. The method of claim 14, further comprising detecting, generating and communicating information related to power status, fuse status, carrier signal status and temperature.

23. The method of claim 14, wherein electrical power for detecting said network cable connection state is obtained from the network.

24. A information technology (IT) network cable connector, comprising:

a sensor disposed within the IT network cable connector, the sensor defined to sense a connection state of the IT network cable connector and to generate a connection state change signal; and

a processor disposed within the IT network cable connector, the processor coupled to said sensor, the processor defined to respond to generation of the connection state change signal by transmitting connection state information over a communication network to indicate a connection state of said IT network cable connector,

wherein the IT network cable connector is defined to enable connection of an IT network cable to an IT network connected device such that IT network signals can be transmitted between the IT network connected device and the IT network cable through the IT network cable connector.

25. The connector of claim 24, wherein said network cable connector further comprises a memory coupled to said processor.

26. The connector of claim 24, wherein said communication network communicates using a protocol selected from the group that includes IPv6, TCP, finger and SNMP.

27. The connector of claim 24, wherein said sensor is a contact sensor.

28. The connector of claim 24, wherein said processor operates in response to an interrogation signal to ascertain connection state information.

29. The connector of claim 24, wherein said processor operates in response to said connection state change signal.

30. The connector of claim 24, wherein said connection state information is transmitted wirelessly.

31. The connector of claim 24, wherein said sensor is selected from the group that includes mechanical, electrical, resistive, optical, and capacitive.

32. The connector of claim 24, wherein said network cable connector comprises an RJ45 twisted pair connector.

33. The connector of claim 25, wherein a unique connector identification is mapped to said memory.

34. The connector of claim 25, wherein said memory records the time that a network cable connector change in state occurs.

35. The connector as described in claim 24, wherein said network cable connector is a plug.

36. The connector as described in claim 24, wherein said network cable connector is a cable socket.

37. The connector as described in claim 24, wherein said network cable connector is a power connector.

38. The connector of claim 26, wherein said network cable connector detects, generates and communicates information related to power status, fuse status, carrier signal status and temperature.

39. The connector of claim 26, wherein electrical power for detecting said network cable connection state is obtained from the network.