Electrical connectors – With indicating or identifying provision – Distinct indicia bearing member
Reexamination Certificate
1999-02-10
2001-05-22
Donovan, Lincoln (Department: 2839)
Electrical connectors
With indicating or identifying provision
Distinct indicia bearing member
C439S049000, C439S490000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06234830
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to the structure and method of operations of dedicated telecommunications patching systems where various telecommunications lines are selectively interconnected using patch cords. More particularly, the present invention relates to telecommunication patching systems that embody patch cord tracing capabilities that help a technician locate the opposite ends of a specific patch cord within the system. The present invention also relates to systems that enable a technician to transmit and receive data with a telecommunications system from a remote location.
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 a 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 telecommunication 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 companies main frame computer or computer network. When an employee changes office locations, it is not desirable to provide that employee with newly adressed telecommunications 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 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 different connector ports. To preform 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.
The key to a tracing system is the ability to identify the different connection ports in the telecommunication closet that are joined by opposite ends of the same patch cord. Accordingly, in order to create an effective tracing system, some sort of indicator must be positioned near each of the connection ports that are present in the telecommunications closet. There are many thousands of telecommunication patch systems in place throughout the world. Replacing these existing patch systems with new systems is not cost effective or practical. Accordingly, trace indicators must be retroactively attachable to existing patch panels in the small amount of area that is available on patch panels. Yet the indicators that are provided must not obstruct or limit access to the connector ports of which they identify.
A need therefore exists for a module that can be used in a patch cord tracing system that can be retroactively connected to existing patch panels so that the modules provide tracing indicators to the various connector ports on the patching panels. A need also exists for such a module that fits within the space limitations of existing patching panels yet does not obstruct access to the connector ports on those patch panels.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention is a tracing interface module for use in a patch cord tracing system, wherein the patch cord tracing system traces patch cords in a telecommunications patching system. The tracing interface module attaches to the face of the patch panels in a telecommunications closet. The tracing interface modules provide a means of detecting when patch cords have been removed from, or added to, the connector ports on the patch panels. The tracing interface modules also have the ability to provide a technician with some type of indication as to the location of a specific patch cord during a patch cord tracing procedure.
The tracing interface module has three primary components. The first component is a support plate that attaches to the patch panel. The second component is a printed circuit board that is supported by the support plate. The support plate is manufactured with voids that correspond in position to surface mounted components on the printed circuit board. Consequently, the components on the printed circuit board pass into the support plate, thereby creating a highly space efficient assembly.
The third major component of the tracing interface module is a graphics overlay that protects the printed circuit board and helps identify the visual manifestations of the various
Ensz Lyndon D.
Frick Harold B.
German Michael Gregory
Macauley Daniel Warren
Avaya Technology Corp.
Donovan Lincoln
Gibbons Del Deo Dolan Griffinger & Vecchione
Webb Brian S.
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