Locating a physical connector module

• US 9,614,614 B2
• Filed: 03/06/2014
• Issued: 04/04/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 11/03/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Keysight Technologies Singapore (Holdings) Pte. Limited. (Keysight Technologies, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Ixia (Keysight Technologies, Inc.)
• Inventors: Bergeron, Matthew R.
• Primary Examiner(s): POPE, DARYL C
• Application Number:
  US14/199,502
• Publication Number:
  US 20150125144A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,125 Days
• Field of Search: 3405391, 34053911, 34053913, 3405681, 3405731
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 10/0773 Network aspects, e.g. central monitoring of transmission parameters
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 7/1498 Resource management, Optimisation arrangements, e.g. configuration, identification, tracking, physical location thermal management H05K7/20836

Abstract

Methods, systems, and computer readable media for locating a physical connector module are disclosed. According to one aspect, the subject matter described herein a method that includes selecting, via a locator beacon activation control function, a physical connector module to be located. The method further includes communicating, from the locator beacon activation control function, a locator beacon activation signal to a locator beacon activation client function included in the selected physical connector module and, in response to receiving the locator beacon activation signal at the locator beacon activation client function, triggering a transmission of a locator beacon from the selected physical connector module.

Claims

1. A method for locating a physical connector module associated with a system, the method comprising:

selecting, via a locator beacon activation control function, a physical connector module to be located;

communicating, from the locator beacon activation control function, a locator beacon activation signal to a locator beacon activation client function included in the selected physical connector module; and

in response to receiving the locator beacon activation signal at the locator beacon activation client function, triggering a transmission of a locator beacon from the selected physical connector module, wherein the transmission includes either a visible light transmission or an infrared (IR) transmission, wherein the physical connector module is associated with a device under test (DUT) located in a test system.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the transmission of the locator beacon is wirelessly detected by a wireless handheld detection device.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein the wireless handheld detection device is configured to directionally determine a point of origin associated with the transmission of the locator beacon.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the locator beacon activation control function is included in a user console.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the physical connector module is associated with a network monitoring device located in a live network system.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein selecting the physical connector module further includes accessing a database to obtain a unique identifier associated with the selected physical connector module and utilizing the unique identifier to communicate the locator beacon activation signal to the selected physical connector module.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the transmission of the locator beacon is generated by a transmitter integrated within the physical connector module.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the transmission of the locator beacon includes a pulse train signal transmission or a single continuous pulse signal transmission.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein the locator beacon includes at least one of a MAC address or a serial number associated with the physical connector module.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein the physical connector module further includes a testing module.

11. A method for locating a physical connector module associated with a system, the method comprising:

selecting, via a locator beacon activation control function, a physical connector module to be located;

communicating, from the locator beacon activation control function, a locator beacon activation signal to a locator beacon activation client function included in the selected physical connector module; and

in response to receiving the locator beacon activation signal at the locator beacon activation client function, triggering a transmission of a locator beacon from the selected physical connector module, wherein the transmission includes either a visible light transmission or an infrared (IR) transmission, wherein the physical connector module is either an optics module or a plug unit.

12. A method for locating a physical connector module associated with a system, the method comprising:

selecting, via a locator beacon activation control function, a physical connector module to be located;

communicating, from the locator beacon activation control function, a locator beacon activation signal to a locator beacon activation client function included in the selected physical connector module; and

in response to receiving the locator beacon activation signal at the locator beacon activation client function, triggering a transmission of a locator beacon from the selected physical connector module, wherein the transmission includes either a visible light transmission or an infrared (IR) transmission, wherein the physical connector module is associated with a device under test (DUT) port or a DUT jack.

13. A system for locating a physical connector module, the system comprising:

a physical connector module configured to receive a locator beacon activation signal and, in response to receiving the locator beacon activation signal at a locator beacon activation client function included in the physical connector module, to trigger a transmission of a locator beacon, wherein the transmission includes a visible light transmission or an infrared (IR) transmission, wherein the physical connector module is associated with a device under test (DUT) located in a test system; and

a user console configured to utilize a locator beacon activation control function to select the physical connector module as a module to be located and to communicate the locator beacon activation signal to the physical connector module.

14. The system of claim 13 wherein the transmission of the locator beacon is wirelessly detected by a wireless handheld detection device.

15. The system of claim 14 wherein the wireless handheld detection device is configured to directionally determine a point of origin associated with the transmission of the locator beacon.

16. The system of claim 13 wherein the locator beacon activation control function is included in the user console.

17. The system of claim 13 wherein the physical connector module is associated with a network monitoring device located in a live network system.

18. The system of claim 13 wherein the user console is further configured to access a database to obtain a unique identifier associated with the selected physical connector module and utilizing the unique identifier to communicate the locator beacon activation signal to the selected physical connector module.

19. The system of claim 13 wherein the transmission of the locator beacon is generated by a transmitter integrated within the physical connector module.

20. The system of claim 13 wherein the transmission of the locator beacon includes a pulse train signal transmission or a single continuous pulse signal transmission.

21. The system of claim 13 wherein the locator beacon includes at least one of a MAC address or a serial number associated with the physical connector module.

22. The system of claim 13 wherein the physical connector module further includes a testing module.

23. A system for locating a physical connector module, the system comprising:

a physical connector module configured to receive a locator beacon activation signal and, in response to receiving the locator beacon activation signal at a locator beacon activation client function included in the physical connector module, to trigger a transmission of a locator beacon, wherein the transmission includes a visible light transmission or an infrared (IR) transmission; and

a user console configured to utilize a locator beacon activation control function to select the physical connector module as a module to be located and to communicate the locator beacon activation signal to the physical connector module, wherein the physical connector module is either an optics module or a plug unit.

24. A system for locating a physical connector module, the system comprising:

a physical connector module configured to receive a locator beacon activation signal and, in response to receiving the locator beacon activation signal at a locator beacon activation client function included in the physical connector module, to trigger a transmission of a locator beacon, wherein the transmission includes a visible light transmission or an infrared (IR) transmission; and

a user console configured to utilize a locator beacon activation control function to select the physical connector module as a module to be located and to communicate the locator beacon activation signal to the physical connector module, wherein the physical connector module is associated with a device under test (DUT) port or a DUT jack.

25. A non-transitory computer readable medium having stored thereon executable instructions that when executed by the processor of a computer control the computer to perform steps comprising:

selecting, via a locator beacon activation control function, a physical connector module to be located;

communicating, from the locator beacon activation control function, a locator beacon activation signal to a locator beacon activation client function included in the selected physical connector module; and

in response to receiving the locator beacon activation signal at the locator beacon activation client function, triggering a transmission of a locator beacon from the selected physical connector module, wherein the transmission includes either a visible light transmission or an infrared (IR) transmission, wherein the physical connector module is associated with a device under test (DUT) located in a test system.