Cable identification using data traffic activity information

• US 8,606,972 B2
• Filed: 11/30/2011
• Issued: 12/10/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 11/30/2011
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Abuelsaad, Tamer E., Moore, John E. Jr., Singi, Rajeshkumar N., Wentworth, Robert R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Nam, Hyun
• Application Number:
  US13/307,337
• Publication Number:
  US 20130138839A1
• Time in Patent Office: 741 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 710/16
• CPC Class Codes: G09F 3/04 to be fastened or secured by the material of the label itself, e.g. by thermo-adhesion by a separate adhesive layer G09F3/10
• CPC Class Codes: G09F 3/205 specially adapted for electric cables, pipes or the like
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/465 Identification means, e.g. labels, tags, markings H01R9/2475, H01R9/2683 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 24/64 for high frequency, e.g. RJ 45
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 31/065 with built-in electric apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: H02G 2200/20 Identification of installed cables
• CPC Class Codes: H02G 3/0481 with a circular cross-section H02G3/0468, H02G3/0475 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 1/136 having patch field management or physical layer management arrangements

Abstract

A cable identification system is provided. The cable identification system includes a cable having a plurality of conductors with an electrical connector on at least one end of the cable. The electrical connector is adapted to connect all conductors in the cable to a mating connector. The cable identification system further includes a signal generator connectable between the electrical connector and the mating connector on a network device. The signal generator includes a controller configured to measure and analyze parameters indicative of data traffic in the cable. The cable identification system further includes a cable sleeve adapted to receive the cable therein and coupled to the electrical connector. The cable sleeve has one or more segments which are electrically activatable to change an appearance based on a signal sent by the electrical connector in response to the measurements of the parameters indicative of traffic in the cable.

Claims

1. A cable identification system capable of visually identifying a cable based on activity in the cable, comprising:

a cable having a plurality of conductors and having an electrical connector secured to at least one end, wherein the electrical connector is configured to connect the plurality of conductors to a mating connector;

a signal generator configured to connect the electrical connector to the mating connector, the signal generator having a controller configured to measure at least one parameter indicative of a plurality of activity levels in the cable, the signal generator configured to generate a signal corresponding to the measured activity level of the plurality of activity levels; and

a cable sleeve configured to receive the cable therein and coupled to the electrical connector, the cable sleeve having one or more segments configured to change an appearance based on the signal generated by the electrical connector in response to the measured activity level of the plurality of activity levels.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one parameter comprises an average data flow rate in the cable.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the one or more segments comprise at least one layer of electrochromic material.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the one or more segments are arranged in at least one strip along the length of the cable.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the signal generator is configured to measure the at least one parameter over at least one predetermined period of time.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one parameter comprises a plurality of predetermined parameters, wherein the one or more segments are arranged in a plurality of strips along the length of the cable, and wherein each strip of the plurality of strips corresponds to at least one of the plurality of predetermined parameters.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the signal generator is configured to read configuration data from electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM) therein.

8. A method for identifying cables based on activity, comprising:

providing a cable having a plurality of conductors therein and having an electrical connector secured to at least one end, wherein the electrical connector is configured to connect the plurality of conductors to a mating connector;

configuring a signal generator having a controller to measure at least one parameter indicative of a plurality of activity levels in the cable and to generate a signal corresponding to the measured activity level of the plurality of activity levels;

inserting the cable inside a cable sleeve and coupling the cable sleeve to the electrical connector, the cable sleeve having one or more segments configured to change an appearance based on the signal generated by the signal generator in response to the measured activity level of the plurality of activity levels;

connecting the signal generator between the electrical connector and the mating connector electrically coupled to a network device at at least one end of the cable; and

identifying the cable based on a change in appearance of the one or more segments of the cable sleeve, the change in appearance indicative of the plurality of activity levels in the cable.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the at least one parameter comprises an average data flow rate in the cable.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the one or more segments comprise at least one layer of electrochromic material.

11. The method of claim 8, further comprising arranging the one or more segments of the cable sleeve in at least one strip along the length of the cable.

12. The method of claim 8, wherein configuring the signal generator comprises configuring the electrical connector to measure the at least one parameter over at least one predetermined period of time.

13. The method of claim 8, wherein configuring the signal generator comprises configuring the signal generator to read configuration data from electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM) therein.

14. The method of claim 8, wherein the signal generated by the signal generator in response to the measured activity level of the plurality of activity levels in the cable comprises a multi-bit code signal.

15. The method of claim 8, wherein the signal generator includes a sensor for measuring the at least one parameter indicative of the measured activity level of the plurality of activity levels in the cable.