Method and arrangement for identifying at least one object

• US 8,897,637 B2
• Filed: 04/22/2009
• Issued: 11/25/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 04/22/2009
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: CommScope Technologies, LLC (CommScope Holding Company, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: ADC GmbH (TE Connectivity Ltd. (United Kingdom))
• Inventors: Feltgen, Reinhard
• Primary Examiner(s): CURS, NATHAN M
• Application Number:
  US13/265,247
• Publication Number:
  US 20120039600A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,043 Days
• US Class Current: 398/25
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10861 sensing of data fields affixed to objects or articles, e.g. coded labels postal sorting B07C3/14, conveying articles B65G47/48

Abstract

The invention relates to a method and an arrangement for identifying at least one object, wherein the object has a connection unit that can be connected to a receptacle unit of a receptacle arrangement, wherein contactless information transfer takes place between the connection unit and the receptacle unit if the connection unit is connected to the receptacle unit, wherein the contactless information transfer is realized as optical information transfer, wherein an optical signal having predetermined optical properties is generated and transmitted by at least one transmitting unit, is transferred via at least one optical transfer path and is received by at least one receiving unit, wherein an evaluation and control unit (14) connected to the receiving unit evaluates the optical properties and/or propagation time properties of the received optical signal and carries out an identification of the object by means of a comparison with stored optical properties and/or by means of a comparison with stored propagation times, wherein the transmitting unit is arranged on the connection unit side or on the receptacle unit side and the receiving unit is arranged on the connection unit side or on the receptacle unit side.

Claims

1. A method for identifying at least one object having a connection unit that can be connected to a receptacle unit of a receptacle arrangement, wherein contactless, optical information transfer takes place between the connection unit and the receptacle unit if the connection unit is connected to the receptacle unit, the method comprising:

generating and transmitting an optical signal having predetermined optical properties using at least one transmitting unit, the predetermined optical properties including a predetermined polarization value;

transferring the optical signal via at least one optical transfer path;

receiving the optical signal with at least one receiving unit;

evaluating properties of the received optical signal with an evaluation and control unit connected to the receiving unit, the evaluated properties including a polarization value; and

identifying the object by comparing the polarization value with the predetermined polarization value;

wherein the transmitting unit is arranged on a connection unit side or on a receptacle unit side and the receiving unit is arranged on the connection unit side or on the receptacle unit side.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein an optical transfer path influences a propagation time of the optical signal in a predetermined manner.

3. The method as claimed in claim 2, wherein at least one transmitting unit and at least one receiving unit are arranged on the receptacle unit side and the connection unit comprises an identification unit, wherein the optical signal is transferred via a transmission path from the transmitting unit to the identification unit and via a reception path from the identification unit to the receiving unit, wherein at least the identification unit influences the optical properties and/or the propagation time of the optical signal.

4. The method as claimed in claim 3, wherein the receptacle unit comprises an identifying unit, wherein the optical signal is transferred via a first partial transmission path from the transmitting unit to the identifying unit, via a second partial transmission path from the identifying unit to the identification unit, via a first partial reception path from the identification unit to the identifying unit and via a second partial reception path from the identifying unit to the receiving unit.

5. The method as claimed in claim 2, wherein the transmitting unit is arranged on the connection unit side and the receiving unit is arranged on the receptacle unit side, wherein the connection unit comprises an identification unit and/or the receptacle unit comprises an identifying unit, wherein the identification unit and/or the identifying unit influence the optical properties and/or the propagation time of the optical signal.

6. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the object is embodied as a patch cable, the connection unit is embodied as a patch plug, the receptacle arrangement is embodied as a patch panel and the receptacle unit is embodied as a patch socket.

7. An arrangement for identifying at least one object, comprising:

a receptacle arrangement including at least one receptacle unit;

an object including a connection unit that can be connected to the receptacle unit;

an identification arrangement including at least one transmitting unit, at least one receiving unit, and at least one optical transfer path along which an optical signal is propagated from the transmitting unit to the receiving unit, the at least one optical path influencing propagation time properties of the optical signal in a predetermined manner; and

an evaluation and control unit connected to the identification arrangement to evaluate propagation time properties of the optical signal received at the receiving unit and to carry out an identification of the object by a comparison of the propagation times of the received optical signal with stored propagation times,

wherein the transmitting unit is arranged on the connection unit side or on the receptacle unit side and the receiving unit is arranged on the connection unit side or on the receptacle unit side.

8. The arrangement as claimed in claim 7, wherein the at least one optical transfer path influences the optical properties of the optical signal in a predetermined manner, wherein an influencing of the optical properties comprises the influencing of the intensity and/or the polarization and/or the spectral properties of the optical signal.

9. The arrangement as claimed in claim 8, wherein at least one transmitting unit and at least one receiving unit are arranged on the receptacle unit side and the optical transfer path includes an identification unit disposed on the connection unit, wherein the optical signal is transferred via a transmission path from the transmitting unit to the identification unit and via a reception path from the identification unit to the receiving unit, wherein at least the identification unit influences the optical properties and/or propagation time properties of the optical signal.

10. The arrangement as claimed in claim 9, wherein the receptacle unit comprises an identifying unit, wherein the optical signal is transferred via a first partial transmission path from the transmitting unit to the identifying unit, via a second partial transmission path from the identifying unit to the identification unit, via a first partial reception path from the identification unit to the identifying unit and via a second partial reception path from the identifying unit to the receiving unit.

11. The arrangement as claimed in claim 10, wherein the first partial transmission path is embodied as a first optical waveguide, which is embodied as an optical fiber or a plastic fiber or a glass fiber, and wherein the second partial reception path is embodied as a second optical waveguide, which is embodied as an optical fiber or a plastic fiber or a glass fiber, wherein the first and second optical waveguides are embodied as a common optical waveguide or as two separate optical waveguides.

12. The arrangement as claimed in claim 9, wherein the identification unit is embodied as a film or comprises a film which at least partly reflects the optical signal, wherein the film, by means of its arrangement and/or its properties, influences the propagation time and/or the optical properties of the optical signal.

13. The arrangement as claimed in claim 8, wherein the transmitting unit is arranged on the connection unit side and the receiving unit is arranged on the receptacle unit side, wherein the connection unit comprises an identification unit and/or the receptacle unit comprises an identifying unit, wherein the identification unit and/or the identifying unit influence the optical properties and/or propagation time properties of the optical signal.

14. The arrangement as claimed in claim 7, wherein the object is embodied as a patch cable, the connection unit is embodied as a patch plug, the receptacle arrangement is embodied as a patch panel and the receptacle unit is embodied as a patch socket.

15. A method for identifying at least one object having a connection unit that can be connected to a receptacle unit of a receptacle arrangement, wherein contactless, optical information transfer takes place between the connection unit and the receptacle unit if the connection unit is connected to the receptacle unit, the method comprising:

generating and transmitting an optical signal having predetermined optical properties using at least one transmitting unit, the predetermined optical properties including a predetermined wavelength value;

transferring the optical signal via at least one optical transfer path;

receiving the optical signal with at least one receiving unit,

evaluating properties of the received optical signal with an evaluation and control unit connected to the receiving unit, the evaluated properties including a wavelength value; and

identifying the object by comparing the wavelength value with the predetermined wavelength value.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the at least one optical transfer path includes an identifying unit disposed on a plug connector.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the identifying unit includes a film or glass plate disposed on the plug connector.

18. The method of claim 15, wherein the evaluation and control unit also determine a propagation time for the optical signal along the optical transfer path.

19. The method of claim 15, wherein the evaluation and control unit also determine an intensity of the optical signal at the receiving unit.

20. The method of claim 15, wherein the evaluation and control unit also determine a polarization of the optical signal at the receiving unit.