Patent ID: 8461964

Claim:
A communications patching system, comprising: a communications patching interconnect device that includes: a plurality of connector ports that are each configured to receive a communications patch cord; and a plurality of antennas that are each associated with a respective one of the plurality of connector ports; a radio frequency identification (“RFID”) transceiver having a first output; a controller; and a switching circuit that includes a plurality of semiconductor switches that are configured to selectively couple one of the plurality of antennas to the first output of the RFID transceiver under the control of the controller, wherein there is a one-to-one correspondence between the plurality of semiconductor switches and the plurality of antennas, and wherein respective ones of the semiconductor switches are coupled between respective ones of the plurality of antennas and the first output of the RFID transceiver, wherein the plurality of semiconductor switches comprise a plurality of thyristors, and wherein each of the plurality of thyristors is serially connected between a respective one of the plurality of antennas and the RFID transceiver; wherein the switching circuit further includes a plurality of transistors, wherein each of the plurality of transistors is coupled to a gate of a respective one of the plurality of thyristors.