Cable link integrity detector
US6614236B1 · kind B1 · utility
Assignee
Inventor
Key dates
| Filing date | Mar 17, 1999 |
| Grant date | Sep 2, 2003 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Mar 17, 2019 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG01R31/08
- WIPO fieldMeasurement
- WIPO sectorInstruments
Abstract
A method and apparatus for measuring the length of a cable link in a computer network sends a test signal through the cable and examines how the signal is received. Measurements of the signal transit time, decrease in signal amplitude, and decrease in signal power are three techniques that may be used to measure cable lengths, individually or in combination. One or more transceivers are connected to the cable to send and receive the test signals, so that there is no need for access to the cable, except at the ends. Cable lengths may be calculated for both electrically conductive and fiber optic type cables. The length of an existing cable may be compared with a maximum length allowed by a particular data transfer protocol to verify compliance, or it may be compared against a previously stored value for purposes such as security checks to verify that the cable properties have not been altered as they might be if the cable were tapped, rerouted or extended.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.