Telephonic communications – Diagnostic testing – malfunction indication – or electrical... – Testing of subscriber loop or terminal
Reexamination Certificate
1999-09-23
2001-04-24
Kuntz, Curtis A. (Department: 2643)
Telephonic communications
Diagnostic testing, malfunction indication, or electrical...
Testing of subscriber loop or terminal
C379S025000, C379S156000, C379S327000, C340S870030, C348S552000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06222908
ABSTRACT:
RELATED APPLICATIONS
This application is related to the following co-pending applications, the disclosures of which are incorporated into this specification by reference.
U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/247,613, entitled SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR ADDRESSING AND TRACING PATCH CORDS IN A DEDICATED TELECOMMUNICATIONS SYSTEM (German 15-12-6-6);
U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/247,614, entitled SYSTEM AND METHOD OF OPERATION FOR A TELECOMMUNICATIONS PATCH SYSTEM (Bartolutti 3-13-19-10-8);
U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/247,269, entitled TRACING INTERFACE MODULE FOR PATCH CORDS IN A TELECOMMUNICATIONS PATCH SYSTEM (Ensz 10-1-14-5);
U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/247,385, entitled DISPLAY PANEL OVERLAY STRUCTURE AND METHOD FOR TRACING INTERFACE MODULES IN A TELECOMMUNICATIONS PATCH SYSTEM (Bloch 3-12-12-18-9);
U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/247,237, entitled METHOD AND DEVICE FOR DETECTING THE PRESENCE OF A PATCH CORD CONNECTOR IN A TELECOMMUNICATIONS PATCHING SYSTEM USING PASSIVE DETECTION SENSORS (Bartolutti 1-10-11-16-7-7); and
U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/247,270, entitled METHOD AND DEVICE FOR DETECTING THE PRESENCE OF A PATCH CORD CONNECTOR IN A TELECOMMUNICATIONS PATCH SYSTEM (Bartolutti 2-11-17-8).
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
In general, the present invention relates to telecommunications patching systems that are used to selectively interconnect different telecommunications lines to one another using patch cords. More particularly, the present invention relates to telecommunication patching systems that embody patch cord identification capabilities that help a technician identify a specific patch cord within the system.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Many businesses have dedicated telecommunication systems that enable computers, telephones, facsimile machines and the like to communicate with each other, through a private network, and with remote locations via a telecommunications service provider. In most buildings, the dedicated telecommunications system is hard wired using telecommunication cables that contain conductive wire. In such hard wired systems, dedicated wires are coupled to individual service ports throughout the building. The wires from the dedicated service ports extend through the walls of the building to a telecommunications closet or closets. The telecommunications lines from the interface hub of a main frame computer and the telecommunication lines from external telecommunication service providers are also terminated within the telecommunications closets.
A patching system is used to interconnect the various telecommunication lines within the telecommunications closet. In a telecommunications patching system, all of the telecommunication lines are terminated within the telecommunications closet in an organized manner. The organized terminations of the various lines are provided via the structure of the telecommunications closet. Within the telecommunications closet is typically located a mounting frame. On the mounting frame is connected a plurality of racks. The telecommunications lines terminate on the racks, as is explained below.
Referring to
FIG. 1
, a typical prior art rack
10
is shown. The rack
10
retains a plurality of patch panels
12
that are mounted to the rack
10
. On each of the patch panels
12
are located port assemblies
14
. The port assemblies
14
each contain six RJ-45 telecommunication connector ports
16
.
Each of the different telecommunication connector ports
16
is hard wired to one of the system's telecommunications lines. Accordingly, each telecommunications line is terminated on a patch panel
12
in an organized manner. In small patch systems, all telecommunications lines may terminate on the patch panels of the same rack. In larger patch systems, multiple racks are used, wherein different telecommunications lines terminate on different racks.
In the shown embodiment of
FIG. 1
, the interconnections between the various telecommunications lines are made using patch cords
20
. Both ends of each patch cord
20
are terminated with connectors
22
, such as an RJ-45 telecommunication connector or an RJ-11 telecommunications connector. One end of the patch cord
20
is connected to the connector port
16
of a first telecommunications line and the opposite end of the cord is connected to the connector port
16
of a second telecommunications line. By selectively connecting the various lines with the patch cords
20
, any combination of telecommunications lines can be interconnected.
In many businesses, employees are assigned their own computer network access number exchange so that the employee can interface with the company's main frame computer or computer network. When an employee moves offices, it is not desirable to provide that employee with newly addressed telecommunication connection ports. Rather, to preserve consistency in communications, it is preferred that the exchanges of the telecommunication connection ports in the employee's old office be transferred to the telecommunications ports in the employee's new office. To accomplish this task, the patch cords in the telecommunication closet are rearranged so that the employee's old exchanges are now received in his/her new office.
As employees move, change positions, add lines and subtract lines, the patch cords in a typical telecommunications closet are rearranged quite often. The interconnections of the various patch cords in a telecommunications closet are often logged in either paper or a computer based log. However, technicians often neglect to update the log each and every time a change is made. Inevitably, the log is less than 100% accurate and a technician has no way of reading where each of the patch cords begins and ends. Accordingly, each time a technician needs to change a patch cord, that technician manually traces that patch cord between two connector ports. To perform a manual trace, the technician locates one end of a patch cord. The technician then manually follows the patch cord until he/she finds the opposite end of that patch cord. Once the two ends of the patch cord are located, the patch cord can be positively identified.
It takes a significant amount of time for a technician to manually trace a particular patch cord. Furthermore, manual tracing is not completely accurate and technicians often accidently go from one patch cord to another during a manual trace. Such errors result in misconnected telecommunication lines which must be later identified and corrected.
In order to improve existing patch cord tracing systems, a need exists for an automated system that will identify a patch cord as that patch cord is removed from, or added to, a rack in the telecommunications closet. By identifying the patch cord, the system can tell if the opposite ends of the same patch cord are being properly selected by a technician.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention is part of a patch cord identification and tracing system used to identify and trace patch cords that are used in a telecommunications patching closet. The system includes a plurality of patch cords, wherein each of the patch cord is terminated with patch cord connectors. Each of the patch cord connectors, in turn, contains a unique identifier that can be used to distinguish one patch cord from among the many patch cords in the system.
Within the telecommunications closet is at least one rack structure. A plurality of connector ports are disposed on the rack structure. Each of the connector ports is adapted to receive a patch cord connector. Additionally, each of the connector ports has a sensor that reads the unique identifier of any of the patch cord connectors as a patch cord connector is either inserted into, or removed from, a connector port. As the identifier on each patch cord connector is read, the overall system can automatically keep track of which specific patch cords are being added and removed from the system.
REFERENCES:
patent: 3573792 (1971-04-01), Reed
patent: 4018997 (1977-04-01), Hoover et
Bartolutti Steven Craig
Choudhury Golam Mabud
Ensz Lyndon Dee
German Michael Gregory
Macauley Daniel Warren
Avaya Technology Corp.
Gibbons Del Deo Dolan Griffinger & Vecchione
Kuntz Curtis A.
Tieu Binh K.
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