Radio frequency identification transponder for communicating condition of a component

• US 8,421,626 B2
• Filed: 10/31/2006
• Issued: 04/16/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 10/31/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Corning Optical Communications LLC (Corning Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Corning Cable Systems LLC (Corning Incorporated)
• Inventors: Downie, John D., Nederlof, Leo, Wagner, Richard E., Whiting, Matthew S., Sutherland, James S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Mehmood, Jennifer
• Assistant Examiner(s): SHERWIN, RYAN W
• Application Number:
  US11/590,377
• Publication Number:
  US 20080100440A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,359 Days
• Field of Search: 3405721-5729, 340/584, 340/687, 340/686.4, 34087016-87017, 3405681-5684, 340/505, 340/539.1, 34053926-53929, 340/540, 340/601, 340/602, 340635-656, 340/686.1, 340 101- 106, 385/100, 385/134, 385/147, 385 88- 94, 235375-385
• US Class Current: 340/572.1
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/00 Record carriers for use with machines and with at least a part designed to carry digital markings
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/0717 the sensor being capable of sensing environmental conditions such as temperature history or pressure
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/07749 the record carrier being capable of non-contact communication, e.g. constructional details of the antenna of a non-contact smart card
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/465 Identification means, e.g. labels, tags, markings H01R9/2475, H01R9/2683 take precedence

Abstract

There is provided a passive RFID transponder assembly that includes a condition responsive device adapted to read a condition relating to the component that is associated with the RFID transponder assembly. The condition that is read by the condition responsive device relates to physical contact with a field technician or a mating component, relates to electrical connection between an integrated circuit chip and an antenna, relates to one or more environmental conditions, or the like. The components with which the RFID transponder assemblies are associated include components of telecommunications equipment, such as fiber optic connectors, fiber optic adapters, fiber optic patch panels, copper connectors, and copper adapters to list some non-limiting examples.

Claims

1. A passive RFID transponder assembly associated with at least one communications component, the RFID transponder assembly comprising:

an integrated circuit chip;

an antenna adapted for electrical connection with the integrated circuit chip; and

at least one selective physical contact condition responsive device electrically connected to the integrated circuit chip, wherein the integrated circuit chip is adapted to read a selective physical contact condition relating to the at least one communications component detected by the at least one selective physical contact condition responsive device;

wherein the passive RFID transponder assembly is configured to communicate a radio-frequency (RF) signal including the selective physical contact condition relating to the at least one communications component to an RFID reader whenever the selective physical contact condition is requested by the RFID reader and regardless of the selective physical contact condition detected by the at least one condition responsive device.

2. A transponder assembly according to claim 1, wherein the selective physical contact condition detected by the at least one selective physical contact condition responsive device comprises selective physical contact of the at least one communications component.

3. A transponder assembly according to claim 1, wherein the selective physical contact condition detected by the at least one selective physical contact condition responsive device comprises selective physical contact of the at least one communications component with a mating component.

4. A transponder assembly according to claim 1, further comprising at least one environmental condition responsive device electrically connected to the integrated circuit chip, wherein the integrated circuit chip is further adapted to read an environmental condition relating to the at least one communications component detected by the at least one environmental condition responsive device;

wherein the passive RFID transponder assembly is further configured to communicate a radio-frequency (RF) signal including the environmental condition relating to the at least one communications component to the RFID reader whenever the environmental condition is requested by the RFID reader and regardless of the environmental condition detected by the at least one environmental condition responsive device.

5. The transponder assembly according to claim 4, wherein the environmental condition detected by the at least one environmental condition responsive device relates to a sensed attribute relating to the at least one communications component.

6. A transponder assembly according to claim 4, wherein the environmental condition comprises at least one of the group of temperature, pressure, humidity, and light exposure.

7. A transponder assembly according to claim 1, wherein the at least one selective physical contact condition responsive device is physically included within the integrated circuit chip.

8. A transponder assembly according to claim 1, wherein the antenna of the RFID transponder assembly is associated within a mating component of communications equipment, such that an electrical contact between the integrated circuit chip and the antenna defines the selective physical contact condition detected by the at least one selective physical contact condition responsive device.

9. A transponder assembly according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the integrated circuit chip and the antenna is associated with the at least one communications component comprised from the group consisting of:

a fiber optic connector, a fiber optic adapter, a fiber optic patch panel, and a fiber optic equipment rack.

10. A transponder assembly according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the integrated circuit chip and the antenna is associated with the at least one communications component comprised from the group consisting of:

a copper connector, a copper adapter, and a copper cable.

11. A transponder assembly according to claim 1, wherein the integrated circuit chip is powered by an external power source.

12. A transponder assembly according to claim 1, wherein the transponder assembly is further configured to selectively communicate identification information along with the selective physical contact condition relating to the at least one communications component.

13. A transponder assembly according to claim 1, wherein the selective physical contact condition detected by the at least one selective physical contact condition responsive device further comprises selective physical contact of the at least one communications component by a technician.

14. The transponder assembly according to claim 1, wherein the integrated circuit chip is associated with the at least one communications component comprised from the group consisting of a fiber optic connector, a fiber optic adapter, a fiber optic patch panel, and a fiber optic equipment rack.

15. The transponder assembly according to claim 1, wherein the transponder assembly is associated with the at least one communications component comprised from the group consisting of:

a fiber optic connector, a fiber optic adapter, a fiber optic patch panel, and a fiber optic equipment rack.

16. The transponder assembly according to claim 1, further comprising at least one operational condition responsive device electrically connected to the integrated circuit chip, wherein the integrated circuit chip is further adapted to read an operational condition relating to the at least one communications component detected by the at least one operational condition responsive device;

wherein the passive RFID transponder assembly is further configured to communicate a radio-frequency (RF) signal including the operational condition relating to the at least one communications component to the RFID reader whenever the operational condition is requested by the RFID reader and regardless of the operational condition detected by the at least one operational condition responsive device.

17. The transponder assembly according to claim 16, wherein the operational condition is comprised from the group consisting of a connection status of the at least one communications component, a performance of the at least one communications component, an impedance of the at least one communications component, a contact closure of the at least one communications component, and a touching of the at least one communications component by a technician.

18. A passive RFID transponder assembly associated with a component of communications equipment, the RFID transponder assembly comprising:

an integrated circuit chip;

an antenna adapted for electrical connection with the integrated circuit chip; and

at least one selective physical contact condition responsive device in selective electrical connection with the integrated circuit chip, wherein the integrated circuit chip is adapted to read a selective physical contact condition relating to the component of communications equipment detected by the at least one selective physical contact condition responsive device;

wherein the passive RFID transponder assembly is configured to communicate a radio-frequency (RF) signal including the selective physical contact condition relating to the component of communications equipment to an RFID reader whenever the selective physical contact condition is requested by the RFID reader and when the at least one selective physical contact condition responsive device is in electrical contact with the integrated circuit chip, regardless of the selective physical contact condition detected by the at least one selective physical contact condition responsive device.

19. A transponder assembly according to claim 18, wherein the at least one selective physical contact condition responsive device comprises a switch adapted for selective physical contact to selectively electrically connect the at least one selective physical contact condition responsive device to or disconnect the at least one selective physical contact condition responsive device from the integrated circuit chip.

20. A transponder assembly according to claim 19, wherein the switch is comprised of a push button switch adapted for selective physical contact by a technician.

21. A transponder assembly according to claim 18, wherein the at least one selective physical contact condition responsive device comprises a switch adapted for selective physical contact to selectively adjust a capacitance of the at least one selective physical contact condition responsive device.

22. A transponder assembly according to claim 18, wherein the at least one selective physical contact condition responsive device comprises a switch adapted for selective physical contact by at least one of a technician and a mating component.

23. A transponder assembly according to claim 18, wherein the selective physical contact condition detected by the at least one selective physical contact condition responsive device comprises selective physical contact of the component of communications equipment with a mating component of communications equipment.

24. A transponder assembly according to claim 23, wherein the component of communications equipment comprises a plug and the mating component of telecommunications equipment comprises a socket, and wherein the selective physical contact condition detected by the at least one selective physical contact condition responsive device comprises the selective insertion of the plug into the socket.

25. A transponder assembly according to claim 18, wherein the integrated circuit chip defines an identity and wherein the RFID transponder assembly is configured to selectively communicate the identity of the integrated circuit chip.

26. A passive RFID transponder assembly associated with at least one communications component comprising:

an integrated circuit chip;

an antenna adapted for electrical connection with the integrated circuit chip; and

at least one selective physical contact condition responsive device in selective electrical connection with the integrated circuit chip, wherein the integrated circuit chip is adapted to read a selective physical contact condition relating to the at least one communications component detected by the at least one selective physical contact condition responsive device;

wherein the selective physical contact condition detected by the at least one selective physical contact condition responsive device comprises actuation of the at least one selective physical contact condition responsive device by a fitted component.

27. A transponder assembly according to claim 26, wherein the at least one selective physical contact condition responsive device comprises a push button switch adapted for selective physical contact to selectively electrically connect the antenna to or disconnect the antenna from the integrated circuit chip.

28. A transponder assembly according to claim 26, wherein the at least one selective physical contact condition responsive device comprises a switch adapted for selective physical contact by the fitted component.

29. A transponder assembly according to claim 26, further comprising at least one environmental condition responsive device electrically connected to the integrated circuit chip, wherein the integrated circuit chip is further adapted to read an environmental condition relating to the at least one communications component detected by the at least one environmental condition responsive device;

wherein the passive RFID transponder assembly is further configured to communicate a radio-frequency (RF) signal including the environmental condition relating to the at least one communications component to the RFID reader whenever the environmental condition is requested by the RFID reader and regardless of the environmental condition detected by the at least one environmental condition responsive device.

30. A transponder assembly according to claim 29, wherein the at least one environmental condition responsive device comprises a variable impedance element either in series or parallel with the antenna.

31. A transponder assembly according to claim 29, wherein the at least one environmental condition responsive device further comprises a variable impedance element, wherein the environmental condition responsive device varies the impedance by changing at least one of the group of resistance, inductance, and capacitance of the environmental condition responsive device.

32. A transponder assembly according to claim 26, wherein at least one of the integrated circuit chip and the antenna is associated with the at least one communications component comprised from the group consisting of:

a fiber optic connector, a fiber optic adapter, a fiber optic patch panel, and a fiber optic equipment rack.

33. A transponder assembly according to claim 26, wherein at least one of the integrated circuit chip and the antenna is associated with the at least one communications component comprised from the group consisting of:

a copper connector, a copper adapter, and a copper adapter, and a copper cable.

34. The transponder assembly of claim 26, configured to communicate a radio-frequency (RF) signal including the selective physical contact condition relating to the fitted component to an RFID reader whenever the selective physical contact condition is requested by the RFID reader.