Classifications

• • H—ELECTRICITY
  • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
  • H04Q—SELECTING
  • H04Q1/00—Details of selecting apparatus or arrangements
  • H04Q1/02—Constructional details
  • H04Q1/13—Patch panels for monitoring, interconnecting or testing circuits, e.g. patch bay, patch field or jack field; Patching modules
  • H04Q1/135—Patch panels for monitoring, interconnecting or testing circuits, e.g. patch bay, patch field or jack field; Patching modules characterized by patch cord details
  • H04Q1/136—Patch panels for monitoring, interconnecting or testing circuits, e.g. patch bay, patch field or jack field; Patching modules characterized by patch cord details having patch field management or physical layer management arrangements

Definitions

• the present invention relates to installations for making connections and modifying them, between the conductors of a so-called “outdoor” network and the conductors of a so-called “indoor” network.
• the outside network is a supply network and the inside network is a usage network.
• Each of these networks can be simple or complex, that is to say, in fact, single or multiple: electrical and / or computer current and / or telephone and / or optical fibers and / or video cables, etc.
• ⁇ rj We rarely modify the outdoor network because it is an infrastructure installation decided for a long time and generally with the potential for future extensions, while modifications to the indoor network are very frequent due to the mobility of the devices connected to this network and the inevitable movement from one place to another, of the users of these devices.
• the junction between the outside network and the inside network is done in an enclosure called "bay" which contains a switchboard equipped with sockets on both sides.
• the conductors of the external and internal networks are connected to detachable plug connectors ent respectively in the sockets on the rear panel and in the sockets on the front panel.
• SUBSTITUTE SHEET (RULE 26 ⁇ Due to the frequent connection changes resulting from the need to modify the internal network, the panel is called in practice "patch panel", which evokes the system which consists in making variable connections between the different rear outlets of the network outside and the different front sockets of the inside network.
• the rear panel sockets and the front panel sockets are coupled, i.e. they match two by two, but the front sockets and the coupled rear sockets are not necessarily identical, especially when a connector of the rear face (external network) supplies several sockets of the front face (internal network). For this reason, electronic circuits are interposed between the coupled front and rear sockets.
• the present invention makes it possible to give an installation of this known type more important functionalities and providing marked advantages for the daily management of the connections between the external supply network and the internal use network and for the permanent verification of the good working condition.
• the invention has for ob] and an installation for the connection of conductors of a so-called “indoor” network to conductors of at least one so-called “outdoor” power network such as a telephone network, a computer network, a video cable network and the like, of the type comprising an enclosure in which there is a table having to carry modules each formed by a support having two opposite faces called respectively "front face” for the internal network and “rear face” for the outside network, carrying both sockets for connectors connected to the conductors of the networks, sockets on the front face being coupled to sockets on the rear face by intermediate circuits, installation characterized in that it comprises a network of separate control of the internal and external networks, for the collection and / or application of electrical signals specific to each outlet, control network which comprises on the one hand probes each connected to a conductive part, either a contact or a ground, at least one of coupled sockets, and on the other hand a centralization circuitry to which the probes end and associated with means of acquisition, storage and
• probes are chained in series between a socket and the centralization circuitry; - each pair of sockets receives at least one probe;
• the modules include, in addition to their intermediate circuit, a location for a circuit specific to the corresponding probe; each specific circuit is provided on a removable card intended to be placed in the location of a module;
• the centralization circuitry is associated with at least one microprocessor with operational memory and with at least one buffer memory;
• microprocessor (s) and their operating gear (s) are integrated into the circuitry;
• the centralization circuitry is distant from the microprocessor (s) and their (s) operational memory (s) and is connected to them by a link;
• the microprocessor (s) and their operational memory (s) are part of a separate computer;
• the centralization circuitry and the means of acquisition, storage and processing of electrical signals originating from or intended for each socket receiving a probe are grouped in a so-called "acquisition" box having at least one socket for a connector located at one end of a conductor, the other end of which is connected to at least one specific circuit;
• the acquisition unit has at least one socket for a connector located at one end of a conductor, the other end of which must be connected to a separate computer;
• the acquisition box has an external height and width corresponding to a location of at least one chassis carrying at least one module so as to be able to be secured to the enclosure table, in the same way as the chassis or same height and / or same width.
• Figure 1 is a schematic overview illustrating an installation according to the invention and showing the same patch panel by its front face and by its rear face, the latter being, in addition, supplemented by a partial view more large scale.
• FIG. 2 is a schematic sectional view of a module of a patch panel showing the installation of a removable circuit specific to this module and forming part of the control network according to the invention.
• Figure 3 is a schematic view of one of the two faces of the removable circuit.
• Figure 4 is a schematic view of the other side of the removable circuit.
• an installation according to the invention comprises a patch panel 1 having a face called “front” 2 and a face called “rear” 3, this table being pivotally mounted in a cabinet or “bay” (not shown) provided with a door which, when closed is placed in front of table 1 and hides it while when it is open, she lets it appear.
• Table 1 are subject to overlapping horizontal frames of any known type 4, 5 and 6 for modules 4a ⁇ a 4e_, 5a to 5e and 6a. to 6th ..
• Each module has so-called “front” sockets 7 on its front face and so-called “rear” sockets 8 on its rear face.
• the front sockets 7 are connected to the rear sockets 8, most of them by means of electronic circuits 10 individual to each module, inserted between the front sockets 7 and the rear sockets 8.
• the rear sockets 8 can be of different types adapted to the usual connectors 11 which are themselves different depending on whether the conductors 12 for which they are provided are telephone lines, optical fibers, computer transmission cables, etc.
• the front sockets 7, on the contrary, are all identical because they must be able to receive any of the connectors 13 located at the ends of short cords 14, depending on the desired connections between the external network and the internal network.
• the outside network and the inside network are both connected to the rear sockets 8, the front sockets 7 receiving the connectors 13 of the cords 14 to connect a socket of the outside network to a socket of the inside network.
• the modules whose rear sockets 8 are connected to the external network each constitute a "resource”, while the modules whose rear sockets 8 are connected to the internal network each constitute a "destination”.
• This third network is composed of probes, electronic circuits, conductors, a box, and a computer, all of which will now be described.
• Each probe is formed by a conductor, not visible in the drawing, one end of which is electrically connected to an element of each equipped socket, whether this element is a stud of the socket or the ground, or shielding, of the latter, in particular by the braid of a known type of cord. .- The important thing is that the probe is traversed by an electric current when the element of the socket is also.
• the probe is connected directly or indirectly to a so-called "acquisition" box 15, which contains centralization circuitry associated with a computer 16 located near or at a distance from the installation and therefore connected to it. by any means, mentioned here by a line 17.
• the electrically conductive element of the equipped socket obviously corresponds to one of the elements of a connection cord: wire or braid, so that checking the socket makes it possible to note the continuity or discontinuity of the electrical connection from the supply 35 by the external network until the operation of the devices using the internal network.
• the operating condition of the installation according to the invention necessary and sufficient is that there is an electrical circuit which closes and opens at the controlled outlet. 5
• the front sockets 7 are necessarily connected to rear sockets 8, each circuit includes two sockets and it suffices to provide a single probe for a couple of sockets.
• the circuit can be open • S or closed. If it is open, there is discontinuity. If it is firm, there is continuity and we know which is the other coupled socket and, consequently, to which resource and to which destination the pair of takes is assigned.
• each probe does not lead directly to the centralization circuitry of the box 15, but to an intermediate card 20 carrying
• Table 1 presents front sockets 7, rear sockets 8, interleaved circuits
• the probe cards 20 can be individually connected to the centralization circuitry 15 located in the case, that is to say that the probes are connected in parallel. Information therefore flows directly from each outlet, or pair of outlets, to the centralization circuitry 15 and vice versa, according to an individual connection.
• Another solution consists in connecting all the probes in series, so that they are chained, so that any continuity is immediately detected, whatever the fault or fault involved.
• a probe card 20a receives a line 22 coming from a neighboring probe card 20 (not visible in the drawing), than the probe card 20a. is connected to a probe card 20b by a line 23 and that this probe card 20b, assumed to be the last in the chain, is connected to the circuitry of the acquisition unit 15 by a line 24.
• the single link 24 connects all the probes to the centralization circuitry.
• this circuitry is here placed in an independent acquisition box 15, it is clear that in practice, it can also be integrated into a computer, which is within the reach of a person skilled in the art.
• the acquisition unit
• the housing 15 can either be placed, as shown in FIG. 1, or fixed in the same way as a chassis, by screws, to a frame, as is well known in itself.
• the centralization circuitry of the housing 15 is connected by a line 17 to the computer 16, more or less distant. Whether located in a separate box or integrated into a computer, the centralization circuitry includes
• the computer receives, of course, a program and from this computer , it is possible not only to collect information from the probes 20, but also to send instructions to these same cards 20, the circuits of which are designed to react to these instructions.
• Each card 20, in particular, has an identification, so that from the computer 16, the instructions can be addressed to one or more precisely defined cards.

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• Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Computer Networks & Wireless Communication (AREA)
• Structure Of Telephone Exchanges (AREA)

Applications Claiming Priority (3)

Publications (1)

Family

ID=9494057

Family Applications (1)

Country Status (4)

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• 1996
  • 1996-07-15 FR FR9608826A patent/FR2751103B1/fr not_active Expired - Fee Related
• 1997
  • 1997-07-15 AU AU36990/97A patent/AU3699097A/en not_active Abandoned
  • 1997-07-15 EP EP97933744A patent/EP0904660A1/de not_active Withdrawn
  • 1997-07-15 WO PCT/FR1997/001312 patent/WO1998003022A1/fr not_active Ceased

Non-Patent Citations (1)

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