# US 11,115,296 B2 · Control unit for displaying a load of a networking cable > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 11,115,296 B2 - Document ID: US11115296B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 16/053,046 - Filed: 2018-08-02 - Published: 2020-02-06 - Granted: 2021-09-07 - Earliest claimed: 2018-08-02 - Assignees: International Business Machines Corporation - Applicants: International Business Machines Corporation - Inventors: Mamie B. Aldridge; Lokesh N. Gopu; Dawn Grosse Huelsewiesche; Jody B. Hasten, IV; Moazzam Khan; Lynn E. Lowrie; Stuart McDonald; Edward A. Romero - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11115296B2 ## CPC - H04L 43/04: Processing captured monitoring data, e.g. for logfile generation - G06T 7/90: Determination of colour characteristics - H04L 41/22: comprising specially adapted graphical user interfaces [GUI] - H04L 43/045: for graphical visualisation of monitoring data - H04L 43/0876: Network utilisation, e.g. volume of load or congestion level - H04L: TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION (arrangements common to telegraphic and telephonic communication H04M) - G06T: IMAGE DATA PROCESSING OR GENERATION, IN GENERAL ## Abstract Provided is a control unit for displaying a network load sustained on a networking cable. The control unit requests a current network load of the networking cable from a monitoring circuit. The control unit receives the current network load from the monitoring circuit. The control unit instructs a visual indicator to display the current network load of the networking cable. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A device for displaying a network load of a networking cable, the device comprising: a microcontroller operably connected to a networking cable, wherein the microcontroller is configured to perform a method comprising: requesting the network load of the networking cable from a monitoring circuit; receiving the network load of the networking cable from the monitoring circuit; and instructing a visual indicator to display the network load of the networking cable, wherein the visual indicator is an RGB LED that includes an optical fiber embedded beneath a transparent panel of an outer sheath that runs along a length of the networking cable. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The device of claim 1, wherein instructing the visual indicator to display the network load of the networking cable includes: generating a prompt instructing the visual indicator to display a color selected from a group consisting of a first color corresponding to a first network load, a second color corresponding to a second network load, and a third color corresponding a third network load. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The device of claim 2, wherein the first network load indicates a high network load, the second network load indicates a medium network load, and the third network load indicates a low network load. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The device of claim 1, further comprising the networking cable. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The device of claim 1, further comprising the monitoring circuit, wherein the monitoring circuit is configured to determine the network load of the networking cable. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The device of claim 5, wherein the monitoring circuit and the microcontroller are part of a control unit disposed on the networking cable, and wherein the monitoring circuit is communicatively coupled to the microcontroller using a data bus. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The device of claim 1, wherein the network load is received via the networking cable. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The device of claim 1, wherein the networking cable is an Ethernet cable and the monitoring circuit is communicatively coupled to a modified RJ45 connector of the Ethernet cable, wherein the modified RJ45 connector is configured to monitor the network load. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The device of claim 1, wherein the transparent panel includes a width that is a quarter of a length of a circumference of the outer sheath. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The device of claim 1, wherein the device is powered using Power over Ethernet. ### Claim 11 A method for determining a network load of a networking cable, the method comprising: requesting, by a microcontroller operably connected to a networking cable, a network load of the networking cable from a monitoring circuit; receiving, by the microcontroller, the network load of the networking cable from the monitoring circuit; and instructing, by the microcontroller, a visual indicator to display a color corresponding to the network load of the networking cable, wherein the visual indicator is an RGB LED that includes an optical fiber embedded beneath a transparent panel of an outer sheath that runs along a length of the networking cable. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The method of claim 11, wherein instructing the visual indicator to display the network load of the networking cable includes: generating, by the microcontroller, a prompt instructing the visual indicator to display a color selected from a group consisting of a first color corresponding to a first network load, a second color corresponding to a second network load, and a third color corresponding a third network load. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The method of claim 12, wherein the first network load indicates a high network load, the second network load indicates a medium network load, and the third network load indicates a low network load. ### Claim 14 (depends on 11) The method of claim 11, wherein the method further comprises: receiving, by the microcontroller, a request via an actuator to blink the visual indicator; and instructing, by the microcontroller and in response to the request, the visual indicator to blink. ### Claim 15 (depends on 11) The method of claim 11, wherein the networking cable is an Ethernet cable. ### Claim 16 A computer program product comprising a computer readable storage medium having program instructions embodied therewith, the program instructions executable by a processor operably connected to a networking cable to cause the processor to perform a method comprising: requesting a network load of the networking cable from a monitoring circuit; receiving the network load of the networking cable from the monitoring circuit; and instructing a visual indicator to display the network load of the networking cable, wherein the visual indicator is an RGB LED that includes an optical fiber embedded beneath a transparent panel of an outer sheath that runs along a length of the networking cable. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The computer program product of claim 16, wherein instructing the visual indicator to display the network load of the networking cable includes: generating a prompt instructing the visual indicator to display a color selected from a group consisting of a first color corresponding to a first network load, a second color corresponding to a second network load, and a third color corresponding a third network load. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The computer program product of claim 17, wherein the first network load indicates a high network load, the second network load indicates a medium network load, and the third network load indicates a low network load. ### Claim 19 (depends on 16) The computer program product of claim 16, wherein the method performed by the processor further comprises: receiving a request to blink the visual indicator; and instructing, in response to the request, the visual indicator to blink. ### Claim 20 (depends on 16) The computer program product of claim 16, wherein the networking cable is an Ethernet cable.