Patent Application
20120050062
1. Field of the Invention
The field of the invention includes methods and systems for identifying an end of an electrical cord.
2. Description of Related Art
A typical data center may utilize a large number of electrical line cords to connect devices to other electrical cords or to other devices. These cords often become tangled with one another and therefore the ability of a system administrator to identify the proper end of a particular electrical cord to either connect or disconnect may be reduced. As such, system administrators are subject to accidentally disconnecting the wrong electrical line cord, thereby unnecessarily causing a power failure on a computer in the data center or unintentionally causing some other error.
An electrical cord is disclosed that includes a power line for transmitting electric current from one end of the electrical cord to the other end of the electrical cord. The electrical cord also includes a cord identification activator integrated into at least one end of the power line and coupled for data communications through the power line to a cord identification illuminator. The activator includes a signal generator for sending an indication signal to the illuminator through the power line in response to a user's activation of the activator. The illuminator illuminates in response to receiving the indication signal from the signal generator.
An electrical cord identification system is disclosed that includes a cord identification activator that attaches to one end of a power line of an electrical cord. The electrical cord identification system also includes a cord identification illuminator that attaches to the other end of the power line. The activator includes a signal generator for sending an indication signal to the illuminator through the power line in response to a user's activation of the activator. The illuminator illuminates in response to receiving the indication signal from the signal generator.
A method of identifying an end of an electrical cord is disclosed. The method includes detecting an activation of a cord identification activator. The method also includes responsive to detecting activation of the cord identification activator, sending an indication signal from the activator to a cord identification illuminator through a power line of the electrical cord. The activator is coupled to one end of the power line and the illuminator is coupled to the other end of the power line. The method also includes receiving the indication signal at the illuminator and responsive to receiving the indication signal, illuminating the illuminator.
The foregoing and other objects, features and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following more particular descriptions of exemplary embodiments of the invention as illustrated in the accompanying drawings wherein like reference numbers generally represent like parts of exemplary embodiments of the invention.
Exemplary methods and systems for identifying an end of the electrical cord in accordance with the present invention are described with reference to the accompanying drawings, beginning with
At each end of the power line (110) is a connector (140) that is used to connect the electrical cord (100) to another device, cord, or power supply. At one end of the electrical cord (100) of
The electrical cord (100) also includes a cord identification activator (114) integrated into at least one end of the power line (110) and coupled for data communications through the power line (110) to a cord identification illuminator (112). The activator (114) and the illuminator (112) are used together to identify an end of the electrical cord (100). The illuminator (112) of
Activating the activator (114) results in a completion of a circuit for transmitting an indication signal (116) from the signal generator (106) to the signal receiver (108). The signal generator (106) sends the indication signal (116) through the power line (110) in response to a user's activation of the activator (114).
The signal generator (106) may also include circuitry for receiving an activation from a systems management system (not pictured). The systems management system can indicate to the signal generator (106) to provide the indication signal (116) to the signal receiver (108). For example, when the connector (140) of the power line (110) is coupled to a particular power distribution unit (PDU) that is controllable by the systems management system, an administrator can identify the power line (110) by transmitting an activation to the signal generator (106) which in response provides the indication signal (116) to the power line (110) through the particular PDU. Transmitting the indication signal (116) in response to an activation from the systems management system enables an administrator of a data center to identify an end of a power line (110) without having someone manually activate the activator (114).
The signal generator (106) transmits the indication signal (116) using a power line communication (PLC) protocol. In power line communication protocols, the power line is used to transmit data communications from one device to another. Systems operating according to such protocols operate by impressing a modulated carrier signal on the physical power line carrying the data communications. Different types of power line protocols use different frequency bands depending on the signal transmission characteristics of the power wiring used.
Examples of power line communications protocols useful in identifying the end of an electrical cord according to embodiments of the present invention include X10, KNX, INSTEON, BACnet, LonWorks, and HomePlug specifications. X10 is an international and open industry standard for communication among electrical devices used for home automation, also known as domotics. It primarily uses power line wiring for signaling and control, where the signals involve brief radio frequency bursts representing digital information. In addition, the HomePlug 1.0 specification is for connecting devices via power lines in the home.
By transmitting the indication signal (116) through the power line (110) of the electrical cord (100), a separate out of band wire dedicated to transmitting the indication signal (116) between the illuminator (112) and the activator (114) does not need to be incorporated into the electrical cord (100). Eliminating the need for a dedicated data communication wire reduces the cost and size of the electrical cord (100).
The signal receiver (108) detects the indication signal (116) transmitted through the power line (110). The signal receiver (108) of
The electrical cord (100) is not limited to a single activator (114) and a single illuminator (112). Each end of the electrical cord (100) may include at least one cord identification activator (114) and at least one cord identification illuminator (112). In such embodiments, both ends of the electrical cord (100) may be separately identified by a corresponding activator. For example, a particular illuminator (112) on one end of the power line (110) is responsive to a corresponding activator (114) on the other end of the power line (110). When more than one electrical cords are present, a first user on one end of a particular electrical cord can indicate the particular electrical cord to a second user at the end of the electrical cord. By providing the visual indication given from illuminating the illuminator (112), the users can quickly identify the particular electrical cord.
For further explanation,
Each cord identification interposer (206) of
The electrical cord interposers (206) of
For further explanation,
In an alternative to a completely embedded cord identification system, as illustrated in
For further explanation,
The method of
The method of
The method of
The method of
The flowchart and block diagrams in the Figures illustrate the architecture, functionality, and operation of possible implementations of systems and methods according to various embodiments of the present invention. It should also be noted that, in some alternative implementations, the functions noted in the block may occur out of the order noted in the figures. For example, two blocks shown in succession may, in fact, be executed substantially concurrently, or the blocks may sometimes be executed in the reverse order, depending upon the functionality involved. It will also be noted that each block of the block diagrams and/or flowchart illustration, and combinations of blocks in the block diagrams and/or flowchart illustration, can be implemented by special purpose hardware-based systems that perform the specified functions or acts, or combinations of special purpose hardware.
It will be understood from the foregoing description that modifications and changes may be made in various embodiments of the present invention without departing from its true spirit. The descriptions in this specification are for purposes of illustration only and are not to be construed in a limiting sense. The scope of the present invention is limited only by the language of the following claims.
