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US 10,852,361 B2Granted
Traceable and linkable networking cable
AssigneeMertek Industries, LLC
InventorsJon Sholtis, Christopher B. Scherer, Braon Mosely
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Disclosed are traceable (e.g., networking) cables and cable components (e.g., telltales, switches, and controllers). The disclosed networking cables may be (e.g., indirectly) connected such that signals may be communicated from one cable to another cable. For example, some such cables are configured such that when a switch of one cable is actuated, a controller connected to the switch sends signals to other controllers of the same cable and controllers of other connected cables to activate, inactivate, and/or change the operating mode of telltale(s) of the same cable and/or of other connected cables.
Claims20
A cable comprising:
- a first end and a second end, and two or more conductors in a flexible sheath between the first and the second end;
- a first connector hood on the first end;
- a second connector hood on the second end;
- an electrically activated telltale incorporated into at least one of the connector hoods;
- a manually operated switch incorporated into at least one of the connector hoods;
- where the cable is configured to electrically connect to an additional cable comprising an additional electrically activated telltale;
- where the switch is configured to activate the telltale and the additional telltale of the additional cable by initiating communications between an electric power source, at least one of the two or more conductors, and the telltale;
- and
- where the cable is configured to receive an electric signal from the additional cable, the telltale of the cable configured to be activated based on receiving the electric signal from the additional cable.
6 more elements
A system comprising:
- an electric power source;
- a first cable comprising:
- a first end and a second end, and two or more conductors in a flexible sheath between the first and the second end,
- a first connector hood on the first end,
- a second connector hood on the second end,
- an electrically activated telltale incorporated into at least one of the connector hoods, and
- a manually operated switch incorporated into at least one of the connector hoods;
- a second cable comprising a second electrically activated telltale;
- a controller incorporated into at least one of the connector hoods of the first cable;
- where the first cable is configured to electrically connect to the second cable;
- where the switch of the first cable is configured to activate the telltale of the first cable and the second telltale of the second cable by initiating communications between the electric power source, at least one of the two or more conductors, and the telltales;
- and
- where the controller is configured to operate in a first mode when the first cable receives a signal from the second cable, the electrically activated telltale of the first cable configured to activate based on the controller being in the first mode.
10 more elements
A cable comprising:
- a first end and a second end, and two or more conductors in a flexible sheath between the first and the second end;
- a first connector hood on the first end;
- a second connector hood on the second end;
- an electrically activated telltale incorporated into at least one of the connector hoods;
- a manually operated switch incorporated into at least one of the connector hoods and configured to activate the telltale by initiating communications between an external electric power source, at least one of the two or more conductors, and the telltale;
- a circuit incorporated into at least one of the connector hoods and configured to maintain a power connection between the external electric power source and the telltale after the telltale is activated, where the circuit comprises at least a resistor and a transistor;
- a communication circuit configured to send an electric signal to a second cable responsive to the manually operated switch being operated, a second telltale of the second cable configured to activate based on receiving the electric signal;
- and
- where the communication circuit is configured to receive a second electric signal from the second cable, the telltale of the cable configured to be activated based receiving the second electric signal.
6 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.