Method and apparatus for the automatic determination of network cable connections using RFID tags and an antenna grid
First Claim
1. An apparatus adapted to determine connectivity between one or more device ports thereof and one or more cable ends having corresponding RFID tags attached thereto, the apparatus comprising:
- a plurality of device ports each adapted to have a cable end connected thereto; and
a plurality of RFID antennas, one or more of said plurality of RFID antennas being in close physical proximity to each of two or more of said plurality of device ports, such that said one or more of said plurality of RFID antennas is able to detect a connection between one of said two or more of said plurality of device ports and a cable end having a corresponding RFID tag attached thereto by sensing said corresponding attached RFID tag.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) tags and an antenna grid are used for automatic determination of cable connections. An RF antenna grid is advantageously employed on a device having a plurality of device ports (e.g., cable connection points) which may, for example, be physically organized in a two-dimensional arrangement. Then, when RFID tags are fixed to one or more cable ends, it can advantageously be determined which of the one or more cables are connected to which of the ports on the device. The RF antenna grid may comprise a plurality of individual antennas which are advantageously multiplexed such that a single RFID reader can handle the sensing for all antennas. Also, opposing ends of a given cable may be advantageously provided with RFID tags having related ID codes such that connections which exist between two connected ports of the device may be easily and efficiently determined.
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Citations
22 Claims
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1. An apparatus adapted to determine connectivity between one or more device ports thereof and one or more cable ends having corresponding RFID tags attached thereto, the apparatus comprising:
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a plurality of device ports each adapted to have a cable end connected thereto; and
a plurality of RFID antennas, one or more of said plurality of RFID antennas being in close physical proximity to each of two or more of said plurality of device ports, such that said one or more of said plurality of RFID antennas is able to detect a connection between one of said two or more of said plurality of device ports and a cable end having a corresponding RFID tag attached thereto by sensing said corresponding attached RFID tag. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. A method for determining connectivity between one or more of a plurality of device ports and one or more cable ends having corresponding RFID tags attached thereto, the method comprising the steps of:
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sensing, with use of a first one of a plurality of RFID antennas, said first RFID antenna being in close physical proximity to each of two or more of said plurality of device ports, whether one or more of said RFID tags attached to said cable ends is in close physical proximity to said first RFID antenna; and
detecting a connection between one of said plurality of device ports which is in close physical proximity to said first RFID antenna and a cable end having a corresponding RFID tag attached thereto based on said step of sensing with use of said first RFID antenna having determined that said corresponding RFID tag attached to said cable end is in close physical proximity to said first RFID antenna. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22)
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Specification