Systems and methods for physical cable route tracing
AssigneeCommScope Technologies LLC
InventorsLeaAnn Harrison Carl, Ryan E. Enge, Morgan C. Kurk
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Systems and methods for physical cable route tracing are provided. In one embodiment, a cable comprises: one or more of either electrical conductors or optical fibers; a cable sheath around the one or more of either electrical conductors or optical fibers; and a pattern of cable tracing facilitation markings located on an exterior of the cable sheath; wherein the cable tracing facilitation markings comprise either: a visually varying pattern that gradually changes along a length of the cable sheath; or a series of coded markings of an ordered sequence pattern.
Claims23
A cable, the cable comprising:
- one or more of either electrical conductors or optical fibers;
- a cable sheath around the one or more of either electrical conductors or optical fibers;
- and
- a pattern of cable tracing facilitation markings located on an exterior of the cable sheath;
- wherein the cable tracing facilitation markings comprise either:
- a visually varying pattern that gradually changes along a length of the cable sheath;
- wherein the visually varying pattern comprises:
- a repeating decay pattern along the length of the cable sheath:
- a gradually changing graphical arrangement;
- or
- at least one of:
- a series of colored stripes;
- a patterned sequence of stripes of varying patterns or colors;
- and
- patterns separated by increasing distances along the length of the cable sheath.
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A mobile pattern reading device for physical cable route tracing, the device comprising:
- a processor coupled to a memory and configured to execute a cable trace application;
- a human-machine interface;
- at least one image sensor;
- and
- wherein the cable trace application is configured to control the image sensor to obtain a plurality of images of cable tracing facilitation markings, wherein the cable tracing facilitation markings comprise either:
- a visually varying pattern that gradually changes along a length of a cable sheath, or a series of coded markings of an ordered sequence pattern;
- wherein the cable trace application is configured to decode the plurality of images of the cable tracing facilitation markings and output an indication to the human-machine interface indicating whether a first image of the plurality of images and a second image of the plurality of images are from cable tracing facilitation markings of a same cable;
- wherein the cable trace application is configured to obtain an image of a candidate coded marking and decode the candidate coded marking to determine if the candidate coded marking is within a predetermined sequence range based on a base sequence reading decoded by the cable trace application from a first coded marking of an ordered sequence pattern;
- and
- wherein when the candidate coded marking is within the predetermined sequence range, the cable trace application is configured to display an augmented reality image on the human-machine interface comprising a digital overlay visually pointing to an image of a cable that comprises the candidate coded marking.
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A method for physical cable route tracing, the method comprising:
- reading from a first cable segment a first coded marking of an ordered sequence pattern of coded markings to establish a base sequence reading;
- reading from a second cable segment a second coded marking of an ordered sequence pattern of coded markings;
- determining whether or not the second coded marking is within a predetermined sequence range base on the first coded marking;
- when the second coded marking is within the predetermined sequence range, outputting an indication that the second cable segment and the first cable segment are segments of a same cable by displaying an augmented reality image on a human-machine interface comprising a digital overlay visually pointing to an image of a cable that comprises the second coded marking;
- and
- when the second coded marking is not within the predetermined sequence range, not outputting an indication that the second cable segment and the first cable segment are segments of a same cable.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.