Electrical connectors – Combined with nonelectrical feature
Reexamination Certificate
2002-08-22
2004-07-06
Reichard, Dean A. (Department: 2831)
Electrical connectors
Combined with nonelectrical feature
C439S246000, C385S139000, C385S092000, C385S094000, C385S088000, C385S049000, C385S076000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06758693
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to an optical active connector plug for local area network (hereinafter, it is referred as “LAN”) and its connector port. Particularly, the present invention relates to an optical active connector plug in a type of a modular plug having eight wires and eight wires/contacts (hereinafter, it is referred as “having eight wires/contacts”) and its connector port, and specified ones of the four pairs of plug contacts, wherein an optical signal can be transmitted between LAN devices without converting electric interface of the modular plug having eight contacts of the LAN device and means for converting electric signals and optical signals is provided in an inside of a connector case.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
It has been well known Ethernet type interconnects at speeds of up to 10 Mb/s and Fast Ethernet type interconnects at speeds of up to 100 Mb/s as a signal standard for transmitting signals between LAN devices, that is, between a respective terminal and a respective hub and between a respective patch panel and a hub, in a workstation and a personal computer in a LAN system.
In the LAN system satisfying the above standard, a high speed data transmission cable typically comprising four circuits defined by eight wires arranged in four twisted pairs or coaxial cable are connected between LAN device.
FIG. 2
shows an example of a conventional connection between LAN devices constituting a LAN system.
FIG. 2
shows a condition how a terminal of a personal computer (herein after, it is referred as “terminal”) is connected to a corresponding hub.
At both ends of the connection, a terminal
201
and a hub
202
are connected by an electric cable of which the both ends has modular plug type electric connectors
203
and
204
having eight wires, respectively, wherein the modular plug type electric connector
203
having eight wires is connected to an electric connector port
271
of the terminal
201
and the modular plug type electric connector
204
having eight wires is connected to an electric connector port (not shown) of the hub
202
.
It is necessary for the hub
202
to be supplied from a battery source. Therefore, a power source cord
235
is provided.
Under the condition, electric signals can be transmitted between the terminal and the hub.
However, in the structure as shown in
FIG. 2
, it is difficult to transmit a signal for a long distance in accordance with characteristics of its electric cable. The maximum transmitting distance would be about 100 m.
For example, in the case of providing a LAN system in an office building, there would be some problems in view of providing a cable arrangement freely if the maximum transmitting distance should be designed within 100 m.
As one of the methods to resolve the above described subject, there is a method for employing an electric signal amplifier called as a repeater at a portion between a terminal and a hub as shown in FIG.
3
.
That is, a terminal
301
and a repeater
313
are connected by an electric cable
307
of which each end has modular plug type electric connectors
303
and
305
having eight wires/contacts, respectively. The modular plug type electric connector
303
having eight wires/contacts is inserted into an electric connector port (not shown) of the terminal
301
and the modular plug type electric connector
305
having eight wires/contacts is inserted into an electric connector port (not shown) of the repeater
313
.
Likewise, a hub
302
and repeater
313
are connected by an electric cable
308
of which each end has modular plug type electric connectors
304
and
306
having eight wires/contacts, respectively. The modular plug type electric connector
304
having eight wires/contacts is inserted into an electric connector port
372
of the hub
302
and the modular plug type electric connector
306
having eight wires/contacts is inserted into an electric connector port
373
of the repeater
313
.
With respect to the hub
302
and the repeater
313
, it is necessary to provide an external power source. Therefore, power source cords
335
,
330
are provided for the hub
302
and the repeater
313
, respectively.
Further, if a signal transmitting distance is long, a repeater is inserted every 100 m in the case of the fast Ethernet signal. In such a case, the repeater is connected in such a manner as described above.
In the structure as shown in
FIG. 3
, it is necessary to provide a space for an additional repeater. It is a demerit in view of constructing a free-design LAN system.
In the structures as shown in FIG.
2
and
FIG. 3
, electromagnetic noise occurred in areas such as a factory and other places is apt to be baneful and be influential to an electric cable such that signals cannot be transmitted stably.
On the other hand, in an area such as a hospital, where electromagnetic noise should be shut, noise caused by an electric cable would cause malfunction of medical devices.
To resolve the problem in the LAN system as shown in FIG.
2
and
FIG. 3
, instead of the repeater (s), a pair of media converters for converting an electric signal and an optical signal are provided between a terminal and a hub. By connecting an optical fiber cable between the pair of the media converters, a signal transmitting distance is remarkably improved.
FIG. 4
shows a LAN connecting condition between a terminal and a hub employing the media converters.
A terminal
401
and a media converter
410
are connected by an electric cable
407
of which each end has modular plug type electric connectors
403
and
405
having eight wires/contacts, respectively. The modular plug type electric connector
403
having eight wires/contacts is inserted into an electric connector port (not shown) of the terminal
401
and the modular plug type electric connector
405
having eight wires/contacts is inserted into an electric connector port
473
of the media converter.
Likewise, a hub
402
and a media converter
411
are connected by an electric cable
408
of which each end has modular plug type electric connectors
404
and
406
having eight wires/contacts, respectively. The modular plug type electric connector
404
having eight wires/contacts is inserted into an electric connector port
472
of the hub
402
and the modular plug type electric connector
406
having eight wires/contacts is inserted in to an electric connector port
474
of the media converter
411
.
With respect to the hub
402
and the media converters
410
and
411
, it is necessary to provide an external power source. Therefore, battery source cords
435
,
436
, and
437
are provided for the hub
402
and the media converters
410
and
411
, respectively.
The media converters
410
and
411
are connected by an optical fiber cable
412
of which each end has optical connectors
420
and
421
, respectively. The optical connector
420
is inserted into the optical connector port
477
of the media converter
410
and the optical connector
421
is inserted into the optical connector port
478
of the media converter
411
.
Under the foregoing structure, an electric signal is transmitted between a terminal and the media converter, an optical signal is transmitted between the two media converters and an electric signal is transmitted between the media converter and the hub. If the length of the electric cable is very short, a signal transmitting distance can be remarkably extended by an optical fiber cable for a long distance.
However, in the structure as shown in
FIG. 4
, it is necessary to provide a space for an additional media converter. It is a demerit in view of providing a free-designed LAN system.
Regarding a power source, it is necessary to provide a special power source cord for each media converter.
Further, even if the length of an electric cable is very short, a problem caused by electromagnetic noise cannot be resolved.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
To accomplish the above object, the present invention provides a modular plug type optical active connector plug having eight wires/contacts and its
Ando Yasuhiro
Inagaki Shuichiro
Ishimine Nobuo
Iwasaki Noboru
Kaizu Katsumi
Birch & Stewart Kolasch & Birch, LLP
Harris Anton B
NTT Advanced Technology Corporation
Reichard Dean A.
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