Abstract:
In one embodiment, a patch cord comprises: a communications cable that includes a first conductor and a second conductor that form a first differential pair, a third conductor and a fourth conductor that form a second differential pair; a fifth conductor and a sixth conductor that form a third differential pair, a seventh conductor and an eighth conductor that form a fourth differential pair; and a plug that is attached to a first end of the communications cable, the plug comprising: a plug housing that receives the communications cable; first through eighth plug contacts that each are at least partially within the housing and that are electrically connected to the respective first through eighth conductors; and a color identification tag that has a first color pattern that is a unique identifier for the patch cord.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
       [0001]    This U.S. patent application claims priority to, and the benefit of, U.S. Provisional Application No. 62/198,732 entitled “INTELLIGENT PATCHING SYSTEMS AND METHODS USING COLOR IDENTIFICATION TAGS AND RELATED EQUIPMENT” filed on Jul. 30, 2015, which is herein incorporated by reference in its entirety. 
     
    
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    The present disclosure relates generally to communications systems and, more particularly, to tracking patch cord connections in communications systems. 
       BACKGROUND 
       [0003]    Most businesses, agencies, schools and other organizations employ dedicated communications systems that enable computers, servers, printers, facsimile machines, telephones, security cameras and the like to communicate with each other, through a private network, and with remote locations via a telecommunications service provider. Typically, network equipment (e.g., network switches, servers, memory storage devices, etc.) of the communications system will be located in a computer room of a building. Communications cables are routed through the walls and/or ceilings of the building. Typically, the communications cables are so-called “Ethernet” communications cables that contain eight (or more) insulated conductors such as copper wires that are arranged as four twisted pairs of conductors. Each twisted pair may be used to transmit a separate differential communications signal. A first end of each cable is connected to a respective connector port on the network equipment. Communications connectors such as RJ-45 style modular jacks (which are often referred to as “work area outlets”) are mounted in offices, conference rooms and other work areas throughout the building. The second end of each communications cable may connect to one of these communications connectors to provide communications paths from the work area outlets to the network equipment in the computer room. Communications cables from external telecommunication service providers may also terminate within the computer room. 
         [0004]    A commercial data center is a facility that may be used to run the computer-based applications that handle the core electronic business and operational data of one or more organizations. The expansion of the Internet has also led to a growing need for a so-called “Internet data centers,” which are data centers that are used by online retailers, Internet portals, search engine companies and the like to provide large numbers of users simultaneous, secure, high-speed, fail-safe access to their web sites. Both types of data centers may host hundreds, thousands or tens of thousands of servers, routers, memory storage systems and other associated equipment. In these data centers, fiber optic communications cables and/or Ethernet communications cables are typically used to provide a hard-wired communications system that interconnects the data center equipment. 
         [0005]    In both office building and data center communications systems, the communications cables that are connected to end devices (e.g., network servers, memory storage devices, network switches, work area computers, printers, etc.) may terminate into one or more communications patching systems that may simplify later connectivity changes. Typically, a patching system includes one or more “patch panels” that are mounted on equipment rack(s) or in cabinet(s), and a plurality of “patch cords” that are used to make interconnections between different pieces of equipment. As is known to those of skill in the art, a “patch cord” refers to a communications cable (e.g., an Ethernet cable or a fiber optic cable) that has a connector such as, for example, an RJ-45 plug or a fiber optic connector, on at least one end thereof. A “patch panel” refers to an inter-connection device that includes a plurality (e.g., 24 or 48) of connector ports (herein the term “connector port” is used generically to refer to any type of communications connector that can receive a patch cord connector such as RJ-45 jacks, fiber optic adapters, fiber optic connectors, RJ-11 jacks, etc.). Each connector port on a patch panel may have a plug aperture on a front side thereof that is configured to receive the connector of a patch cord (e.g., an RJ-45 plug), and the back end of each connector port is typically configured to receive a communications cable or another patch cord. 
         [0006]    In a typical office network, “horizontal” cables are used to connect each work area outlet (which typically are RJ-45 jacks) to the back end wire connection terminals of a respective connector port (which also typically are RJ-45 jacks) on a first set of patch panels. In an “inter-connect” patching system, a single set of patch cords is used to directly connect the connector ports on the first set of patch panels to respective connector ports on network switches. In a “cross-connect” patching system, a second set of patch panels is provided, and the first set of patch cords is used to connect the connector ports on the first set of patch panels to respective connector ports on the second set of patch panels, and a second set of typically single-ended patch cords is used to connect the connector ports on the second set of patch panels to respective connector ports on the network switches. 
         [0007]    The connections between the work area end devices and the network switches may need to be changed for a variety of reasons, including equipment changes, adding or deleting users, office moves, etc. In an inter-connect patching system, these connections are typically changed by rearranging the patch cords that run between the first set of patch panels and the network switches. In a cross-connect patching system, the connections between the work area end devices and the network switches are typically changed by rearranging the patch cords that run between the first set of patch panels and the second set of patch panels. Both types of patching systems allow a technician to easily implement connectivity changes by, for example, simply unplugging one end of a patch cord from a first connector port on one of the patch panels in the first set of patch panels and then plugging that end of the patch cord into a second connector port on one of the patch panels in the first set of patch panels. Similar patching systems are used in data centers. 
         [0008]    The connectivity between the connector ports on the network switches and work area outlets or data center equipment is typically recorded in a computer-based log. Each time patching changes are made (i.e., patch cords are rearranged), this computer-based log is updated to reflect the new patching connections. Unfortunately, in practice technicians may neglect to update the log each and every time a change is made, and/or may make errors in logging changes. As such, the logs may not be complete and/or accurate. 
         [0009]    In order to reduce or eliminate such logging errors, a variety of so-called “intelligent” patching systems have been proposed that automatically log the patch cord connections in a communications patching system. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 6,222,908 (“the &#39;908 patent”) describes a communications patching system in which each patch cord connector (e.g., plug) includes a unique identifier, and each connector port on the patch panels includes a sensor that reads the unique identifier on any patch cord connector inserted therein. In the system of the &#39;908 patent, the intelligent patch panel transmits the unique identifier for a patch cord that is plugged into or removed from a connector port along with identification of the connector port at which the patching change was made to a system administration computer that logs each change to the patch cord connections in a connectivity database. Other intelligent patching systems employ sensors, radio frequency identification (“RFID”) tags, serial ID chips, common mode communications channels and the like to detect patch cord insertions and removals and/or to automatically track patching connections. Typically, these systems require that all of the patch panels in the patching system have these automatic tracking capabilities and, in inter-connect systems, may also require that the network switches include automatic tracking capabilities as well. 
       SUMMARY 
       [0010]    The embodiments of the present disclosure provide intelligent patching systems and methods using color identification tags and related equipment and will be understood by reading and studying the following specification. 
         [0011]    In one embodiment, a patch cord comprises: a communications cable that includes a first conductor and a second conductor that form a first differential pair, a third conductor and a fourth conductor that form a second differential pair; a fifth conductor and a sixth conductor that form a third differential pair, a seventh conductor and an eighth conductor that form a fourth differential pair; and a plug that is attached to a first end of the communications cable, the plug comprising: a plug housing that receives the communications cable; first through eighth plug contacts that each are at least partially within the housing and that are electrically connected to the respective first through eighth conductors; and a color identification tag that has a first color pattern that is a unique identifier for the patch cord. 
     
    
     
       DRAWINGS 
         [0012]      FIG. 1  is a simplified, schematic view of an exemplary cross-connect communications system on which intelligent patching techniques according to embodiments of the present disclosure may be used. 
           [0013]      FIG. 2  is a schematic perspective view of a patch cord according to embodiments of the present disclosure. 
           [0014]      FIGS. 3A-3C  are schematic views of example color identification tags according to embodiments of the present disclosure. 
           [0015]      FIG. 4  is a schematic perspective view of color sensing module according to embodiments of the present disclosure mounted on a patching device such as a patch panel or a network switch. 
           [0016]      FIG. 5  is a schematic front view of an intelligent patching system according to embodiments of the present disclosure. 
           [0017]      FIG. 6  is a schematic diagram of a contact image sensing system that may be used as a color sensing device according to embodiments of the present disclosure. 
           [0018]      FIG. 7A  is a schematic side view of a patching device according to embodiments of the present disclosure that uses a contact image sensor as the color sensing device. 
           [0019]      FIG. 7B  is a schematic side view of a patching device according to further embodiments of the present disclosure that uses a miniaturized contact image sensor as the color sensing device. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0020]    Pursuant to embodiments of the present disclosure, methods and systems for automatically tracking patch cord connectivity in a communications system are provided that use color sensing devices. These color sensing devices are used to read color identification tags that are included on the connectors of each of the patch cords of the communications system. Each color identification tag may include a color pattern. The color patterns included on the color identification tags of the two connectors of a patch cord may be identical, and may be different from the color patterns included on the connectors of all other patch cords of the communications system. Accordingly, the color patterns may serve as unique identifiers for each patch cord used in the communications system. 
         [0021]    The color sensing devices may comprise, for example, charge-coupled devices or other electronic or optical devices that can detect colors in their field-of-view. A color sensing module that includes a plurality of color sensing devices may be mounted on each patching device in the communications system above or below the connector ports thereof. When a first connector of a patch cord is inserted into a connector port of a first of these patching devices, one or more color sensing devices that are included on the color sensing module for the first patching device may detect the colors that form the color pattern that is included on the color identification tag that is mounted on the first connector of the patch cord. The color sensing module may transmit the information regarding the detected color pattern and an identification of the connector port that received the first connector of the patch cord to an intelligent patching controller for the communications system. When a second connector of the patch cord is inserted into a connector port of a second of these patching devices, one or more color sensing devices that are included on the color sensing module for the second patching device may similarly detect the colors that form the color pattern that is included on the color identification tag that is mounted on the second connector of the patch cord, and the color sensing module may then forward information regarding this color pattern and an identification of the connector port that received the second connector of the patch cord to the intelligent patching controller. The intelligent patching controller may determine that the connector port of the first patching device is connected by a patch cord to the connector port of the second patching device based on receipt of information indicating that patch cord connectors having the same color pattern were received in those two connector ports, and may then log this patching connection into a connectivity database. 
         [0022]    The methods and systems according to embodiments of the present disclosure may be used to track patching connections between two patch panel fields (i.e., in cross-connect patching systems) or between a patch panel field and a plurality of network switches (i.e., in inter-connect patching systems). The methods and systems may work with both copper-based Ethernet communications systems and with optical fiber based communications systems. 
         [0023]    The intelligent patching systems and methods according to embodiments of the present disclosure may provide a cost-effective way for automatically tracking patch cord connections. As noted above, intelligent patching systems that use RFID and serial ID technology have been proposed. However, serial ID systems typically require two additional conductors in each patch cord, along with additional connectors for these conductors in both the patch cord plugs and in the connector ports. This can significantly increase the cost of the communications system. Likewise, conventional RFID approaches typically require an RFID transceiver on (at least) every patch panel as well as RFID antennas at every connector port and additional switching or multiplexing technology. Adding this equipment may be expensive and it may be difficult to implement on network switches. Moreover, while the use of bar codes on patch cords and bar code readers at patch panels has been proposed as an alternative intelligent patching solution, bar codes may have limited storage capacity and may be difficult to consistently read. The intelligent patching systems according to embodiments of the present disclosure may provide cost and implementation advantages over serial ID, RFID and other technology complex solutions, while providing improved reliability, expandability and ease of use as compared to other proposed systems. 
         [0024]    Embodiments of the present disclosure will now be discussed in more detail with reference to the drawings. 
         [0025]      FIG. 1  is a schematic view of a cross-connect communications system  10  that may be used to connect computers, printers, Internet telephones and other end devices that are located in work areas throughout a building to network equipment that is located, for example, in a computer room of the building. The intelligent patching techniques discussed herein may be implemented in the communications system  10 .  FIG. 1  is provided to show how a patching system may be interposed between various end devices in order to facilitate later connection changes between the end devices. The intelligent patching techniques disclosed herein suing color identification tags and color sensing devices may be used to automatically track patching connections in the communications system  10  of  FIG. 1 . 
         [0026]    As shown in  FIG. 1 , an exemplary computer  20  or other end device is located in a work area  12  of the building. The computer  20  is connected by a patch cord  22  to a modular wall jack  24  that is mounted in a wall plate  26  in work area  12 . A communications cable  28  is routed from the back end of the wall jack  24  through, for example, the walls and/or ceiling of the building, to a computer room  14 . As there may be hundreds or thousands of work area wall jacks  24  in an office building, a large number of cables  28  may be routed into the computer room  14 . While only a single work area end device (computer  20 ) is shown in  FIG. 1  to simplify the drawing, it will be appreciated that there would be hundreds or thousands of work area end devices in a typical communications system. 
         [0027]    A first equipment rack  30  is provided in the computer room  14 . A plurality of patch panels  32  are mounted on the first equipment rack  30 . Each patch panel  32  includes a plurality of connector ports  34 . Each cable  28  from the wall jacks  24  in the work area  12  is terminated onto the back end of one of the connector ports  34  of one of the patch panels  32 . In  FIG. 1 , each connector port  34  comprises an RJ-45 jack. However, it will be appreciated that other types of connector ports may be used. 
         [0028]    A rack controller  36  may also be mounted on the first equipment rack  30 . The rack controller  36  may include a central processing unit (“CPU”)  38  and a display  39 . The rack controller  36  may be interconnected with rack controllers that are provided on other patch panel equipment racks of the communications system (only two such rack controllers  36  are shown in the example of  FIG. 1 ) so that the rack controllers  36  can communicate in a common network as if they were a single controller. The CPU  38  of rack controller  36  may include a remote access port that enables the CPU  38  to be accessed by a remote computer such as, for example, a system administrator computer (not shown in  FIG. 1 ). The rack controller  36  may, for example, gather data from intelligent tracking capabilities of the communications system  10 , as will be explained herein. 
         [0029]    The communications patching system  10  further includes a second set of patch panels  32 ′ that are mounted on a second equipment rack  30 ′. Each patch panel  32 ′ includes a plurality of connector ports  34 ′, and a rack controller  36  may also be mounted on the second equipment rack  30 ′. A first set of patch cords  50  is used to interconnect the connector ports  34  on the patch panels  32  to respective ones of connector ports  34 ′ on the patch panels  32 ′. 
         [0030]    As is further shown in  FIG. 1 , network devices such as, for example, one or more network switches  42  and network routers and/or servers  46 , are mounted on a third equipment rack  40 . Each of the switches  42  may include a plurality of connector ports  44 , and each network router and/or server  46  may also include one or more connector ports. One or more external communications lines  52  are connected to at least some of the network devices  46  (either directly or through a patch panel that is not shown in  FIG. 1 ). A second set of single-ended patch cords  70  connects the connector ports  44  on the switches  42  to respective ones of the back ends of the connector ports  34 ′ on the patch panels  32 ′. A third set of patch cords  54  may be used to interconnect other of the connector ports  44  on the switches  42  with the connector ports provided on the network routers/servers  46 . In order to simplify  FIG. 1 , only two patch cords  50 , a single patch cord  70  and a single patch cord  54  are shown. 
         [0031]    The communications patching system of  FIG. 1  may be used to connect each work area computer  20  or other work area end device to the network switches  42 , the network switches  42  to the network routers and servers  46 , and the network routers/servers  46  to external communications lines  52 , thereby establishing the physical connectivity required to give devices  20  access to both local and wide area networks. In the cross-connect patching system of  FIG. 1 , connectivity changes are typically made by rearranging the patch cords  50  that interconnect the connector ports  34  on the patch panels  32  with respective of the connector ports  34 ′ on the patch panels  32 ′. It should also be noted that the patching connections may also be between patch panels that are mounted on the same equipment rack or even between connector ports on the same patch panel. 
         [0032]    The intelligent patching systems and methods disclosed herein may be used, for example, to automatically track new patching connections and changes to the patching connections in the communications system  10  of  FIG. 1 . In particular, each of the patch panels  32 ,  32 ′ may include color sensing modules (discussed below) and each of the patch cords  50  may include color identification tags (also discussed below). The color sensing modules may operate to automatically track which patch cords  50  are connected to which connector ports  34 ,  34 ′ and may pass this information to an intelligent patching controller so that the computer-based log of patching connections may automatically be kept up to date. 
         [0033]      FIG. 2  is a perspective view of an example patch cord  100  according to embodiments of the present disclosure. As shown in  FIG. 2 , the patch cord  100  includes a communications cable  110  and first and second plug connectors  130 . The communications cable  110  includes eight insulated conductors  111 - 118  that are configured as four twisted pairs of conductors  121 - 124 . Each twisted pair of conductors  121 - 124  is configured to carry a differential signal. The eight insulated conductors  111 - 118  are enclosed in a jacket  125 . A pair divider  126  such as a tape or a cruciform structure may run longitudinally through the communications cable  110  to separate at least some of the twisted pairs  121 - 124  from other of the twisted pairs  121 - 124  to reduce crosstalk between the twisted pairs. 
         [0034]    Each plug connector  130  includes a housing  132  that has a top surface  134 , a bottom surface  136 , a front surface  138  and a rear surface that has an opening (not visible) that receives a respective end of the communications cable  110 . Eight longitudinal slots  140  extend along the top surface  134  of the housing, and these slots  140  may also extend onto the front surface  138  of the housing  132 . A plurality of plug contacts  150  such as metal plug blades may be mounted within the housing  132  so that a portion of each plug contact  150  is exposed through the respective slots  140 . Each of the insulated conductors  111 - 118  of the communications cable  110  may be electrically connected to a respective one of the plug contacts  150 . In some embodiments, each plug contact  150  may include an integral wire connection structure (not visible in  FIG. 2 ) such as an insulating piercing contact or an insulation displacement contact so that the insulated conductors  111 - 118  may directly terminate into their respective plug contacts  150  within the housing  132 . In other embodiments, intermediate structures such as a printed circuit board (not shown) may be provided so that each insulated conductor  111 - 118  is terminated into the printed circuit board as are each of the plug contacts  150 , and conductive structures within the printed circuit board electrically connect each insulated conductor  111 - 118  to its respective plug contact  150 . A plug latch  142  extends downwardly from the bottom surface  136  of the housing  132 . The plug connectors  130  may each comprise an RJ-45 plug. Each plug connector  130  also includes a color identification tag  160 . In the illustrated embodiment, the color identification tag  160  is located on the top surface  134  of the housing  132 . 
         [0035]    While  FIG. 2  depicts an Ethernet patch cord  100 , it will be appreciated that other types of patch cords such as fiber optic jumper cables may include color identification tags and be used in the intelligent patching systems according to embodiments of the present disclosure. 
         [0036]      FIGS. 3A-3C  are enlarged schematic illustrations of illustrate three example color identification tags  160 - 1  through  160 - 3  according to embodiments of the present disclosure. 
         [0037]    As shown in  FIGS. 3A-3C , each color identification tag  160  includes a color pattern  162 . The color pattern  162  refers to a one-dimensional or two-dimensional array that is divided into a plurality of predefined regions  164 . Each region  164  may be one of a plurality of pre-selected colors. In some embodiments, each region  164  may be either red, green or blue. It will be appreciated, however, that embodiments of the present disclosure are not limited thereto, and that more or less than three colors may be used, and that colors different than red, green and blue may be used. Transparent regions may also be provided that would have the color of whatever is beneath the transparent region in still other embodiments. In the example of  FIG. 3A , the color identification tag  160 - 1  comprises three strips that are each longitudinally sub-divided into three regions  164 - 1 . Thus, the three strips form a one-dimensional array that has a total of nine regions  164 - 1 . Each region  164 - 1  may have one of three colors, such as red, green or blue. Table I shows the different combinations of colors that each of the three strips may have, where the three letters included in each entry in the table represent the color of the three regions  164 - 1  included in the strip, and where “R” stands for red, “B” stands for blue, and “G” stands for green. 
         [0000]    
       
         
               
               
               
               
               
               
               
               
               
             
           
               
                 TABLE 1 
               
               
                   
               
             
             
               
                 RRR 
                 RBB 
                 RBG 
                 BRR 
                 BBB 
                 BBG 
                 GRR 
                 GBB 
                 GBG 
               
               
                 RRB 
                 RRG 
                 RGB 
                 BRB 
                 BRG 
                 BGB 
                 GRB 
                 GRG 
                 GGB 
               
               
                 RBR 
                 RGR 
                 RGG 
                 BBR 
                 BGR 
                 BGG 
                 GBR 
                 GGR 
                 GGG 
               
               
                   
               
             
          
         
       
     
         [0038]    As shown in Table 1, each of the three strips may have twenty-seven different color combinations. Thus, the three strips will have 27×27×27=19,683 different possible color patterns  162 - 1 . Each of these color patterns  162 - 1  may serve as a unique identifier for a patch cord  100 . Thus, for a communications system that has less than 19,683 patch cords  100 , color identification tags  160 - 1  that have nine different regions  164 - 1 , each of which is in a predetermined location and each of which has one of three colors, may serve to provide a unique identifier for every patch cord  100  in the communications system. 
         [0039]    In the embodiment of  FIG. 3A , the color pattern  160 - 1  includes nine regions  164 - 1  that are aligned in a row, and only one region  164 - 1  is provided along any coordinate in the x-direction. The y-direction may correspond to the “longitudinal” direction of the plug connector  130  that the color identification tag  160 - 1  is mounted on (i.e., the direction defined by the length of the communications cable  110  when the communications cable is held taunt). This design allows the color sensing devices that are included on the patching devices to only need to sense color along one direction (the x-direction or “transverse” direction), which may allow the use of lower cost color sensing devices. 
         [0040]    It will be appreciated that any appropriate scheme may be used for the color identification tags  160  and the predefined regions  164 . For example, as shown in  FIG. 3B , in another embodiment, a color identification tag  160 - 2  is provided that has a color pattern  162 - 2  that includes two strips, each of which is subdivided into six predefined regions  164 - 2 . In this embodiment, the twelve regions  164 - 2  form a two-dimensional array. Assuming that each region  164 - 2  may be one of three different colors, the color identification tag  160 - 2  may provide 531,441 different unique identifiers.  FIG. 3C  illustrates another alternative color identification tag  160 - 3  in which a single, larger strip is used that is divided into nine predefined regions  164 - 3  that have different sizes and shapes to provide a color pattern  162 - 3 . 
         [0041]    It will be appreciated that the color identification tags  160  illustrated in  FIGS. 3A-3C  are merely illustrative. In particular, color identification tags  160  may have different shapes, different numbers of strips from what is shown herein. The color identification tags  160  will include a plurality of regions, where each region will have one of a plurality of pre-selected colors. 
         [0042]    In the embodiments of the present disclosure discussed below with reference to  FIGS. 4 and 5 , it will be assumed that the color identification tags  160  on the patch cord connectors  130  have the design of the color identification tag  160 - 1  of  FIG. 3A . 
         [0043]      FIG. 4  illustrates a six connector port module of a patching device  200  according to embodiments of the present disclosure. In  FIG. 4 , the patching device  200  comprises an intelligent patch panel including RJ-45 connector ports  210 . However, it will be appreciated that the patching device  200  may be any device having connector ports such as, for example, network switches, network routers, fiber optic patch panels, fiber optic shelves and the like. 
         [0044]    As shown in  FIG. 4 , the patching device  200  may include a plurality of connector ports  210 . The connector ports  210  may comprise RJ-45 connector ports, fiber optic adapters, fiber optic connectors or any other type of connector port. Each connector port  210  is configured to receive a connector of a patch cord such as a connector  130  of the patch cord  100  of  FIG. 2 . 
         [0045]    A color sensing module  220  is mounted above the connector ports  210 . The color sensing module  220  includes one or more color sensing devices  230 . Each color sensing device  230  may be positioned to detect or “read” the colors of any color identification tag  160  that is included on a connector  130  of a patch cord  100  that is plugged into one or more of the connector ports  210  of the patching device  200 . 
         [0046]    The color sensing module  220  may, for example, comprise a printed circuit board  222  that has the color sensing devices  230  mounted thereon. In some embodiments, the color sensing module  220  may also include a controller  224  that is in communications with each of the color sensing devices  230  via, for example, electrical traces (not shown) on the printed circuit board  222 . The color sensing module  220  may further include a power connection  226  that provides an operating voltage that powers the color sensing devices  230  and the controller  224 , and a data connection  228  that provides a means for the controller  224  and/or the color sensing devices  230  to transmit information to an external device (not shown). 
         [0047]    Each color sensing device  230  may comprise, for example, a charge-coupled device, a contact imaging sensor or a color sensor that is configured to sense the color of different regions within its field-of-view. When a connector  130  of a patch cord  100  is plugged into any of the connector ports  210  of patching device  200 , the connector port  210  effectively fixes the connector  130  at a known location in space. The color identification tag  160  that is included on the connector  130  of the patch cord  100  may also, in some embodiments, by located at a pre-selected location on the connector  130 . The color sensing devices  230  may also be located in pre-selected locations on the color sensing module  220 . Thus, the location of each region  164  of the color pattern  162  relative to the color sensing device  230  that is associated with a particular one of the connector ports  210  may be known in advance and may be pre-programmed to identify the color of each region  164  of the color pattern  162 , and may then transmit this information to the controller  224 . The controller  224  may transmit this information to an external device such as, for example, an intelligent patching controller. The intelligent patching controller may maintain a connectivity database that tracks the color pattern  162  of each patch cord connector  130  that is plugged into the connector ports  210  of the patching devices  200  of the communications system. Since the two connectors  130  of a patch cord  100  will have the same color pattern  162 , the intelligent patching controller may easily determine the two connector ports  210  that are connected by any given patch cord  100 . 
         [0048]    In some embodiments, a color sensing device  230  may be provided for each connector port  210 . In other embodiments, each color sensing device  230  may be configured to read the color pattern  162  on patch cord connectors  130  that are plugged into multiple of the connector ports  210 . For example, in the embodiment depicted in  FIG. 4 , three color sensing devices  230  are provided, and each of these color sensing devices  230  is configured to read the color pattern  162  on patch cord connectors  130  that are plugged into two different connector ports  210 . As shown in  FIG. 4 , each color sensing device  230  is centered between two connector ports  210  and has a viewing angle (shown by the dotted lines) that encompasses both of the connector ports  210 . It will be appreciated that other configurations are possible, including, for example, using multiple color sensing devices  230  for each connector port  210  and using color sensing devices  230  to detect the colors of regions  164  of a color patterns  162  at non-integral numbers of connector ports  210  (e.g., each color sensing device is configured to read all of the regions  164  of a color pattern  162  at a first connector port  210 - 1  and half of the regions  164  of a color pattern  162  at an adjacent connector port  210 - 2 ). 
         [0049]    Color sensing devices  230  are well known in the art, and are used, for example, in digital cameras and other digital recording devices. In example embodiments, each color sensing device  230  may comprise a one-dimensional array of charge-coupled devices that form individual pixels that detect the color of an object in the field of view of each pixel. Each color sensing device  230  may have, for example, a plurality of pixels (e.g., ten pixels) that are positioned to view one of the regions  164  of any color identification pattern  162  that is included on a connector  130  of a patch cord  100  that is inserted into a connector port  210  that the color sensing device  230  is configured to “read.” Each pixel may detect a color that is present in its viewing area and a determination may be made based on these detections as to the color of the region  164 . For example, in the above embodiment in which ten pixels of the color sensing device  230  will detect the color of any given region  164 , if at least eight of the pixels detect the same color (e.g., red, green or blue for the color identification tag  160  of  FIG. 3A ), then a determination may be made that the region  164  that is read by the ten pixels is the color detected by the at least eight pixels. 
         [0050]    A wide variety of algorithms may be used to detect the colors of each of the regions  164 . It should be noted that no patch cord connector  130  may be present within a connector port  210 , or a connector  130  may be inserted into the connector port  210  that does not have a color identification tag  160 . The intelligent patching systems according to embodiments of the present disclosure may be designed to avoid false readings in these situations. For example, if no patch cord connector  130  is inserted into a particular connector port  210 , then patch cord connectors  130  that are plugged into connector ports  210  on a patching device  200  that is mounted in a lower slot on the equipment rack may be within the field of view of the color sensing devices  230 . To avoid false readings, the color sensing devices  230  may be configured to only detect the color of objects that are within a predetermined distance from the color sensing device  230 , where that distance is less than the distance to the next lowest row of connector ports  210 . As another example, a patch cord connector  130  may be plugged into a connector port  210  that does not have a color identification tag  160 . If the housing  132  of this patch cord connector  130  is colored red, green or blue, then the color sensing devices  230  may incorrectly detect that a patch cord connector  130  that has a color identification tag  160  that has all nine regions colored red, green or blue is plugged into the connector port  210 . To avoid such false readings, the system may be programmed so that certain color patterns  162  are not used to identify patch cords  100  such as color patterns  162  in which all of the regions  164  have the same color. 
         [0051]    In the above-described embodiments, the color sensing devices  230  are programmed to detect the color of certain pre-defined areas in space which correspond to the regions  164  of the color pattern  162  of any patch cord connector  130  that is inserted into a connector port  210  that is associated with the color sensing device  230 . In other words, since the location of the regions  164  of any color identification tag  160  may be known in advance, the individual pixels of the color sensing devices  230  simply sense the color in their field of view, and the sensed color is automatically associated with a particular region  164 . In other embodiments the color sensing devices  230  may be programmed to “find” the exact location of any color identification tag  160  in their field of view by identifying areas that have the same color and then, based on this identification, determining the pixels of the color sensing device that are in the field-of-view of each particular region  164 . While this approach requires that the color sensing devices  230  or another device such as the controller  224  perform additional processing, it may allow for use of color identification tags  160  that have a larger number of regions  164 , as the exact position of each region  164  may be more precisely identified. As is known to those of skill in the art, the patch cord connectors  130  will be slightly narrower than the plug apertures of the connector ports  210  in which they are received, and hence there is a small amount of uncertainty in the transverse alignment of the color identification tag  160 . Likewise, the latching mechanisms used in conventional connector ports  210  typically result in some amount of uncertainty in the longitudinal position of a patch cord connector  130  that is received within a connector port  210 , and hence the regions  164  of a color pattern  162  in embodiments that do not locate the exact position of the color identification tag  160  may need to be sufficiently large such that this uncertainty in transverse and longitudinal positioning does not result in errors. If the location of the color identification tag  160  is actually determined from the pixel detections of the color sensing device  230 , then it may be possible to use smaller color regions  164  and hence have a large number of unique identifiers for a given number of colors. 
         [0052]    Tradeoffs also exist in terms of the number of colors used and the cost and accuracy of the intelligent patching system. The more colors that are used, the greater the number of unique identifiers, and hence the greater number of patch cords that may be used in the system. Moreover, the use of more colors may increase the accuracy of the system as it may allow the number of regions  164  to be reduced, thereby allowing the use of larger regions  164  which may enhance the ability of the color sensing devices  230  to accurately determine the color of these larger regions  164 . However, the more colors that are used, the greater the likelihood that the color sensing devices  230  make mistakes in sensing color, as the hues of different colors become closer the more colors that are used. As colors can look different under different lighting conditions, and as colors can fade over time, the use of colors having closer hues may lead to the possibility of errors. Additionally, different types of color sensing devices  230  may have greater accuracy in distinguishing between different colors, with color sensing devices  230  that provide increased resolution also typically having increased cost. Thus, a number of tradeoffs may be considered in the system design. It is believed that 3-4 colors that are have dramatically different hues (e.g., blue, green, red and yellow) may be an appropriate number of colors to use in many cases. 
         [0053]    In operation, the color sensing devices  230  may be controlled to detect the color of each of the regions  164  in their field of view on a periodic or non-periodic basis. For example, this determination might be made every 1 second, every 2 seconds, every 5 seconds or some other appropriate interval. In practice, it would usually not be necessary to take readings more than every second as technicians typically take at least that long to insert or remove a patch cord  100  from a connector port  210 . The color sensing devices  230  may transmit information regarding the colors detected in each region  164  during each reading. In some embodiments, the color detected by each pixel may be transmitted. In other embodiments, the color sensing device  230  can make a determination with respect to a color of each region  164  and may transmit that information. In some embodiments, each color sensing device  230  may determine whether the reading for a given region  164  or for all of the regions  164  is the same as an immediately previous reading and, if so, may simply transmit a code indicating that no change has occurred. This approach requires a small amount of additional processing at each color sensing device  230 , but may reduce the amount of information transmitted. Each color sensing device  230  may transmit the above-described information to a controller such as, for example, the controller  224  that is included in each color sensing module  220 . The controller  224  may then transmit information to an external controller such as, for example, an intelligent patching controller. In some embodiments, the controller  224  may only transmit any information that changed since a prior reading. 
         [0054]    The color sensing modules  220  may be mounted to the patching devices  200  in a variety of ways. In some cases, the color sensing modules  220  may be integrated into the patching devices  200  at the time of manufacture. For example, the patching devices  200  may comprise intelligent patch panels that have the color sensing modules  220  integrated into the patch panel either above or below the connector ports  210  thereof at the time of manufacture. In other cases, the manufacturer of the color sensing modules  220  may be different than the manufacturer of the patching devices  200 . For example, network switch manufacturers usually do not also sell intelligent patching systems, and hence network switches typically do not include any intelligence for tracking patch cord connections. Accordingly, color sensing modules  220  may be provided that have mounting structures for mounting on network switches such as, for example, adhesive backings, screw holes or the like that allow the color sensing modules  220  to be mounted on the network switch post-manufacture. 
         [0055]    As noted above, the color sensing modules  220  may include a power connection  226  for receiving an operating voltage that powers various electronic devices thereof and a data connection  228  so that the color sensing modules  220  can transmit information regarding the color patterns  162  included on patch cord connectors  130  that are plugged into the connector ports  210  of the patching device  200  on which the color sensing module  220  is mounted. The power connection  226  and the data connection  228  may be used to power the color sensing module  220  and to allow the color sensing module  220  to communicate with external devices such as an intelligent patching controller. 
         [0056]      FIG. 5  is a schematic front view of a patching field  310  of a communication system  300  according to embodiments of the present disclosure that will be used to explain methods of automatically tracking patching connections. In  FIG. 5 , two equipment racks  320  of the patching field  310  are illustrated, each of which has patching devices and a rack controller  330  mounted thereon. In the depicted embodiment, each equipment rack  320  includes two patching devices, namely an intelligent patch panel  340  and a network switch  342 . 
         [0057]    It will be noted that  FIG. 5  depicts a very simple communications patching system  300  with two eight-connector port patch panels  340 , two eight connector port switches  342  and a pair of rack controllers  330  for purposes of illustrating operation of embodiments of the present disclosure. It will be appreciated that typical communications patching systems in which the present disclosure will be employed will be much larger and far more complex than the exemplary system shown in  FIG. 5 . It will likewise be appreciated that each patching device  340 ,  342  will typically have more than eight connector ports  350 . 
         [0058]    As shown in  FIG. 5 , patch cords  360  may be connected between various of the connector ports  350  on the patching devices  340 ,  342 . Each patch cord  360  includes a first connector  362  on one end and a second connector  362  on the other end. A color identification tag  364  that has an embedded color pattern  366  is provide on each patch cord connector  362 . The color identification tags  364  and color patterns  366  thereon are schematically illustrated in  FIG. 5  by a bold line. 
         [0059]    Each patching device  340 ,  342  includes a color sensing module  370 . Each color sensing module  370  includes a printed circuit board  372  that is mounted on the front face of the patching device  340 ,  342  above the connector ports  350 . A plurality of color sensing devices  374  are also mounted on the printed circuit board  372 . In the depicted embodiment, a separate color sensing device  374  is provided for each connector port  350  and hence there is a one-to-one correspondence between connector ports  350  and color sensing devices  374 . Each color sensing device  374  is configured to detect the colors of a plurality of areas that are within its field of view, where the areas correspond to the regions of the color patterns  366  included on a color identification tag  364  that is mounted on the connector  362  of any patch cord  360  that is plugged into the respective connector port  350  that is below each color sensing device  374 . Each color sensing module  370  in the depicted embodiment also includes a controller  376  that receives information regarding the colors detected by each color sensing device  374 . 
         [0060]    The communications system further includes an intelligent patching controller  380  and a connectivity database  382 . Each rack manager  330  includes a controller  332 . The controller  374  on each color sensing module  370  may be in communication with the controller  332  on its associated rack controller  330 , and the controller  332  on each rack controller  330  may be in communication with the intelligent patching controller  380 . The controllers  374  may be in communication with the controller  332  on their associated rack controller via, for example, a ribbon cable, an RJ-45 patch cord or the like (not shown). A power connection may also be provided (not shown) that provides power to each color sensing module  370 . Each rack controller  330  may be in communication with the intelligent patching controller  380  over a wired connection  384 . 
         [0061]    At periodic intervals (e.g., once per second), the color sensing devices  374  on each patching device  340 ,  342  may detect the colors in a plurality of pre-determined regions that are in the field-of-view of each color sensing devices  374 . Each region may correspond to a region of a color pattern  366  of a color identification tag  364  of any patch cord connector  362  that is plugged into the connector port  350  that is below the respective color sensing device  374 . As discussed above, the color sensing devices  374  may be designed so that they will not sense colors of patch cord connectors  362  that may be in plugged into a connector port  350  of a patching device  340 ,  342  that is in a lower position on the equipment rack  320 . If a patch cord  360  that has a connector  362  that does not include a color identification tag  364  is plugged into a connector port  350 , the associated color sensing device  374  will typically sense the same color for each region, namely the color of the housing of the connector  362 . As noted above, color patterns having a single color will typically not be used as unique identifiers, and hence when such a “color pattern” is forwarded to the intelligent patching controller  384  it will be identified as a patch cord that does not include a color identification tag  364 . If, on the other hand, a patch cord  360  that has a color identification tag  364  is plugged into a connector port  350 , then the color sensing device  374  will detect the colors of each of the regions of its color pattern  366 . The detected colors for the regions are transmitted from the color sensing device  374  to the controller  376  via traces on the printed circuit board  372 . The controller  376  determines if anything has changed since the least reading (i.e., if the color pattern  366  detected by any of the color sensing devices  374  is different than the last color pattern detected). If, for example, a different color pattern is detected at one of the connector ports  350 , the newly detected color pattern  366  and an identification of the connector port  350  at issue may be transmitted to the intelligent patching controller  380  via the controller  376  and the controller  332  on the rack manager  330 . The intelligent patching controller  380  may then update the connectivity database  382  with this new information. Note that the new information may indicate that a patch cord connector  362  was plugged into a connector port  350  or that a patch cord connector  362  was removed from a connector port  350 . 
         [0062]    While charge-coupled devices have been used as an example of an implementation of the color sensing devices  230  according to embodiments of the present disclosure, it will be appreciated that other color sensing devices  230  may be used. For example, in other embodiments, contact image sensors such as SELFLOC lens arrays that are available from GoFoton (www.gofoton.com) may be used to implement the color sensing devices  230 .  FIG. 6  illustrates operation of such a contact image sensor system  400 . As shown in  FIG. 6 , the contact image sensor system  400  includes a contact image sensor  410 , one or more LEDs  420  (or LED arrays) that are used to illuminate the target of the sensing operation (i.e., here, the color identification tag  160  having a color pattern  162 ), and a lens system  430 . These components may be mounted in a housing  440 . The contact image sensor  410  may be mounted on a printed circuit board  450 . The LEDs  420  illuminate the color identification tag  160 , and the reflected light from the LEDs  420  passes through the lens system  430  to the image sensor  410 . The image sensor  410  then determines the colors of each region  164  of the color identification tag  160 . The lens system  430  may include, for example, a plurality of rod lens. 
         [0063]    Utilizing a contact image sensor system such as the system  400  of  FIG. 6  may be difficult because of space constraints, as state-of-the-art patch panels, network switches and other patching devices may have a very high density of connector ports per unit area. For example,  FIG. 7A  is a schematic side view of a patching device  500  according to embodiments of the present disclosure that uses a contact image sensor  400  as the color sensing device  230 . As shown in  FIG. 7A , a plug  510  is inserted into a connector port (not visible) of the patching device  500 . The contact image sensor  400  is mounted above the connector port with the LEDs  420  and lens system  430  mounted directly above the connector port, and the printed circuit board  450  with the image sensor  410  thereon mounted above the LEDs  420  and lens system  430 . The printed circuit board  450  is mounted in a horizontal orientation. As shown in  FIG. 7B , pursuant to further embodiments of the present disclosure, a prism or mirror  460  may be provided that redirected the light output from the lens system  430  onto the printed circuit board  450 . This arrangement allows the printed circuit board  450  to be mounted vertically (or at any other angle) and, in the illustrated embodiment, to be mounted within the housing structure for the LEDs  420 . As can be seen by comparing  FIGS. 7A and 7B , this may significantly reduce the amount of space required to implement the contact image sensor system  400 . 
         [0064]    While embodiments of the present disclosure have primarily been described above with respect to patching devices that have RJ-45 jacks and Ethernet communications cables, it will be appreciated that the above-described techniques may work equally well with fiber optic patching devices and communications cables. This is in contrast to various other intelligent patching technologies (e.g., the use of common mode signalling) that may only work on Ethernet cables and connectors. Additionally, while  FIG. 1  illustrates application of the patching techniques according to embodiments of the present disclosure in a cross-connect patching system, it will be appreciated based on the above disclosure that these patching techniques can also be applied in interconnect patching systems by mounting the color sensing modules on network switches and other network equipment, and providing separate power and data connections to the color sensing modules, as discussed above with reference to  FIG. 5 . 
         [0065]    While in the embodiments described above separate processors are provided at each patching device, on the rack controller, and at the intelligent patching controller, it will be appreciated that in other embodiments, the processing may be more or less distributed without departing from the teachings of the present disclosure. For example, in other embodiments, the processor on the rack controller  130  could also perform the functionality of the processors on the patching devices, thereby eliminating the need for the processors on the patching devices. Likewise, the functionality of the intelligent patching controllers could be moved to the rack controllers, or vice versa. Thus, it will be appreciated that the necessary processing may be performed in any appropriate location without departing from the present disclosure. 
         [0066]    The present disclosure has been described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which certain embodiments are shown. The embodiments may, however, be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments that are pictured and described herein; rather, these embodiments are provided so that this disclosure will be thorough and complete, and will fully convey the scope of the embodiments of the present disclosure to those skilled in the art. It will also be appreciated that the embodiments disclosed above can be combined in any way and/or combination to provide many additional embodiments. 
         [0067]    Unless otherwise defined, all technical and scientific terms that are used in this disclosure have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this invention belongs. The terminology used in the above description is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting. As used in this disclosure, the singular forms “a”, “an” and “the” are intended to include the plural forms as well, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. It will also be understood that when an element (e.g., a device, circuit, etc.) is referred to as being “connected” or “coupled” to another element, it can be directly connected or coupled to the other element or intervening elements may be present. In contrast, when an element is referred to as being “directly connected” or “directly coupled” to another element, there are no intervening elements present. 
         [0068]    In the drawings and specification, there have been disclosed typical embodiments of the invention and, although specific terms are employed, they are used in a generic and descriptive sense only and not for purposes of limitation, the scope of the invention being set forth in the following claims.