Cable ID Using RFID Devices
AssigneeActerna LLC
InventorMichael D. Gotwals
Life of this patent
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Abstract
The present invention relates to the use of RFID technology to identify specific cables in a bundle, and in particular to a cable identification device in which RFID devices are connected to the far end of a plurality of cables and splitters, and an RF measurement device is used to identify each cable from the central location. The RF measurement device provides the AC RF electrical signal power required to pass through the at least one AC couple splitter to operate the plurality of RFID devices, and includes means to identify the unique identification numbers associated with the plurality of coaxial cables from the plurality of identification signals received simultaneously.
Claims17
An system for simultaneously determining locations of a plurality of coaxial cable outlets connected to a coaxial cable inlet with at least one AC coupled splitter therebetween, comprising:
- a cable identification device connected to each of the plurality of coaxial cables outlets, wherein each cable identification device comprises:
- an integrated circuit having a unique identification number stored in electronic memory for association with a respective one of the coaxial cable outlets;
- a power converter for converting an AC RF electrical test signal into power to operate the integrated circuit;
- and
- a responsive circuit for sending a response signal including an RF identification signal containing the unique identification number upon receiving the test signal;
- and
- a reader device for positioning at the coaxial cable inlet for sending the AC RF electrical test signal to each of the cable identification devices, and for receiving the response signals from the cable identification devices;
- wherein the reader device provides the AC RF electrical test signal with enough AC RF electrical signal power required to pass through each AC coupled splitter to operate the plurality of cable identification devices;
- and
- wherein the reader device stores or displays the unique identification numbers associated with each of the cable identification devices from the plurality of RF identification signals received.
A method of mapping a cable network, which includes:
- at least one coaxial cable branch extending from a network input;
- at least one AC coupled splitter;
- a plurality of sub-branches extending from each AC coupled splitter;
- and an outlet at the end of each sub-branch, comprising the steps of:
- a) connecting a plurality of RF cable identification devices to each of the outlets;
- b) sending an AC RF electrical test signal from a reader device positioned at the network input onto one of the cable branches through any AC coupled splitters to the plurality of RF cable identification devices at the outlets thereof, each of which in response thereto sends a response signal with an RF identification signal containing a unique identification number back to the reader device;
- and
- c) storing or displaying the unique identification numbers associated with the outlets from the plurality of identification signals received.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.