US5291377A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Schematic patch panel
Assignee: Individual
•
Filing: 1991-12-31
•
Granted: 1994-03-01
•
Expires: 2011-12-31
Abstract
Abstract A schematic patch panel includes an enlargement of a customer's floor plan that is dry mounted to a piece of 1/4 foamcore board or located on a plate, preferably by printing. The board is mounted in a frame that can be configured with a clear, locking cover for security purposes. The entire assembly is mounted on the customer's wall by brackets. At each of the computer wall outlet locations depicted on the dry mounted floor plan, a double-sided RJ-45 panel jack is inserted through the floor plan. These panel jacks snap into the floor plan, requiring no other means of fastening. Any wall outlet depicted on the schematic patch panel is activated by connecting a telephone-type extension cable between the network central controller and that wall outlet icon. By this transfer, a different unshielded twisted pair cable connection line is activated and the individualized identifiers and other information particular to a certain terminal are also transferred.
Inventors
- 👤 Thomas H. DiGiovanni
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-02 15:58
CPC Classifications
H; H02; H02B; H02B15/00; H04; H04L; H04L12/00; H04L12/28; H04L12/44
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 18
Claim 1
Independent Claim
126 words
A patch panel for a local area network of an office site, said patch panel comprising: a floor plan representative of an office site, a plurality of indicators on said floor plan at a location representative of a location of a wall outlet which is the terminus for a cable line for a computer terminal of the local area network at the office site, and means for retaining a connector at an opposite terminus of the cable line at each of said plurality of indicators so that while a connector is retained, a connection can be made by an extension cable between the connector and a network central controller to activate a particular cable line and thereby the computer terminal connected to the particular cable line.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
126 words
A patch panel for a local area network of an office site, said patch panel comprising: a floor plan representative of an office site, a plurality of indicators on said floor plan at a location representative of a location of a wall outlet which is the terminus for a cable line for a computer terminal of the local area network at the office site, and means for retaining a connector at an opposite terminus of the cable line at each of said plurality of indicators so that while a connector is retained, a connection can be made by an extension cable between the connector and a network central controller to activate a particular cable line and thereby the computer terminal connected to the particular cable line.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
17 words
A patch panel as claimed in claim 1, wherein said floor plan is located on a plate.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
19 words
A patch panel as claimed in claim 1, wherein said means for retaining a connector includes a foam-core board.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
18 words
A patch panel as claimed in claim 3, wherein said floor plan is secured to said foam-core board.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
149 words
A local area network of computer terminals, said local area network comprising: a network central controller, a patch panel including a floor plan having marked locations representative of wall outlets, a plurality of wall outlets for connection of a computer terminal to said patch panel, cable lines interconnecting said plurality of wall outlets to a corresponding marked location on said floor plan of said patch panel representative of a location of each wall outlet, a connector at each end of each of said cable lines located at said wall outlets and said patch panel, and a cable extension connected between said network central controller and said connector at said patch panel of said cable lines to be activated so that upon connection by a computer terminal with a wall outlet at a connector of an activated cable line, said computer terminal will be networked with said network central controller.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
149 words
A local area network of computer terminals, said local area network comprising: a network central controller, a patch panel including a floor plan having marked locations representative of wall outlets, a plurality of wall outlets for connection of a computer terminal to said patch panel, cable lines interconnecting said plurality of wall outlets to a corresponding marked location on said floor plan of said patch panel representative of a location of each wall outlet, a connector at each end of each of said cable lines located at said wall outlets and said patch panel, and a cable extension connected between said network central controller and said connector at said patch panel of said cable lines to be activated so that upon connection by a computer terminal with a wall outlet at a connector of an activated cable line, said computer terminal will be networked with said network central controller.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
18 words
A local area network as claimed in claim 5, wherein said cable lines are unshielded twisted pair cables.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
16 words
A local area network as claimed in claim 5, wherein said connector is a panel jack.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
18 words
A local area network as claimed in claim 5, wherein said floor plan is located on a plate.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
23 words
A local area network as claimed in claim 5, wherein said patch panel includes means for retaining said connector at said marked locations.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
20 words
A local area network as claimed in claim 9, wherein said means for retaining said connector includes a foam-core board.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
19 words
A local area network as claimed in claim 10, wherein said floor plan is secured to said foam-core board.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
82 words
A patch panel for connecting a network central controller and a plurality of computer terminals, said patch panel comprising: a floor plan representative of a site having a computer network, a plurality of indicators on said floor plan representative of a location for positioning a computer terminal of the computer network, and means for retaining a connector at the indicators on the floor plan so that a connection may be made between the network central controller and the plurality of computer terminals.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
82 words
A patch panel for connecting a network central controller and a plurality of computer terminals, said patch panel comprising: a floor plan representative of a site having a computer network, a plurality of indicators on said floor plan representative of a location for positioning a computer terminal of the computer network, and means for retaining a connector at the indicators on the floor plan so that a connection may be made between the network central controller and the plurality of computer terminals.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
17 words
A patch panel as claimed in claim 12, wherein said floor plan is located on a plate.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
19 words
A patch panel as claimed in claim 12, wherein said means for retaining a connector includes a foam-core board.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
18 words
A patch panel as claimed in claim 14, wherein said floor plan is secured to said foam-core board.
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1997-02-28 | 1997-08-30 | 1998-03-01 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 2001-02-28 | 2001-08-30 | 2002-03-01 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2005-02-28 | 2005-08-30 | 2006-03-01 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |