Patent ID: 7153142

Claim:
A system for automatically obtaining the connectivity status, or map, of a cabling system in data and/or voice networks, which includes patch panels, each of which contains sockets, which sockets are data and/or voice ports to which one or more patch cords are connected, and for managing said cabling system by means of the obtained connectivity status, or map, said system comprising patch panels of the existing cabling system and a retrofit kit, said retrofit kit comprising: a) a plurality of upgraded patch cords for replacement of respective used patch cords, each of said upgraded patch cords including one or more internal scanning wires and one or more electrical scanning contacts in electrical contact with the corresponding internal scanning wires, one or more scanning paths being formed in each of the upgraded patch cords by means of said internal scanning wires and one or more scanning contacts for allowing scanning signals to be forwarded by a scanning system; b) a plurality of adapter panels for facilitating cabling system management, each of said adapter panels being attached to a respective patch panel and including, for any given socket in the respective patch panel, a connectivity status indicator and one or more electrical contacts, each of said electrical contacts being intended to mate with a corresponding electrical scanning contact of an upgraded patch cord, said scanning signals being forwarded to said electrical contacts from said scanning system or being forwarded to said scanning system from a respective scanning path, whereby a scanning signal received by one or more electrical contacts is processed to generate data that represents the current connectivity status, or map, of the cabling system; and c) a plurality of adapter plugs for initializing the scanning system with a first connectivity status, or map, one of said adapter plugs being connected to each end of a used patch cord and to an adapter panel, each of said adapter plugs comprising an adaptation socket, an adaptation plug, and one or more external electrical contacts connected to corresponding conductors associated with a used patch cord to which the adapter plug is attached; wherein determination of which patch cords are to be replaced by respective upgraded patch cords and, following completion of the replacement, management of said cabling system, are effected in conjunction with said first connectivity status, or map.