System and method for detecting the connection state of a network cable connector
AssigneeSun Microsystems, Inc.
InventorJeremy Harris
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A method for detecting a network cable connection state is disclosed. The method includes detecting a change of connection state of a connector using a sensor that resides in the connector and generating cable connection state information from the information supplied by the sensor. Cable connection state information is communicated to a connection state monitoring utility for facilitating network fault detection. The cable plug or socket may also contain an embedded processor, memory and unique identification.
Claims39
A method for detecting an information technology (IT) network cable disconnection, said method comprising:
- detecting a change of connection state of a network cable connector using a sensor that resides in said network cable connector, wherein the network cable connector is defined to enable connection of an IT network cable to an IT network connected device such that IT network signals can be transmitted between the IT network connected device and the IT network cable through the network cable connector;
- transmitting a change of connection state signal from the sensor to a processor within the network cable connector;
- operating the processor within the network cable connector to generate connection state information from the change of connection state signal;
- and
- operating the processor within the network cable connector to communicate said connection state information to a connection state monitoring utility within the IT network.
A method for detecting an information technology (IT) network cable connection state, said method comprising:
- detecting a state change of a network cable connector within an IT network using a contact sensor that resides in said network cable connector;
- transmitting a change of connection state signal from the sensor to a processor within the network cable connector;
- operating the processor within the network cable connector to generate connection state information from the change of connection state signal;
- receiving an interrogation signal at the processor within the network cable connector from a connection state monitoring utility within the IT network;
- and
- operating the processor within the network cable connector to communicate said connection state information from the network cable connector through the IT network to said connection monitoring utility using a network communication protocol in response to receiving the interrogation signal.
A information technology (IT) network cable connector, comprising:
- a sensor disposed within the IT network cable connector, the sensor defined to sense a connection state of the IT network cable connector and to generate a connection state change signal;
- and
- a processor disposed within the IT network cable connector, the processor coupled to said sensor, the processor defined to respond to generation of the connection state change signal by transmitting connection state information over a communication network to indicate a connection state of said IT network cable connector,
- wherein the IT network cable connector is defined to enable connection of an IT network cable to an IT network connected device such that IT network signals can be transmitted between the IT network connected device and the IT network cable through the IT network cable connector.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.