Patent US1022547A successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
Patent US2520804A successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
US6590659B2
Expired / Lapsed
US
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Cable identifier apparatus and method
Assignee: Photon Control Inc
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Filing: 2001-03-09
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Granted: 2003-07-08
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Expires: 2021-03-09
Abstract
Abstract The invention is a cable identifier apparatus and a method for fast identification of multi-wire or multi fiber cable. The method is based on illumination of colored buffer of the wire or fiber, registration the reflected light and comparison the measuring data with reference data stored in the memory. The reference data is loaded by measuring the color parameters of the buffer of known identification. The cable identifier apparatus comprises a portable hand-held device with a probe for fixing the buffer in a holder, illuminating the buffer, controlling the incident light and detecting the reflected light with photodetectors. The data is proceed by a microcontroller and an identification symbol of the buffer is displayed in LCD. The variation of the ambient light is compensated by separate measurement of dark and light signals from photodetectors.
Inventors
- 👤 Ivan Melnyk
- 👤 John Kidder
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-02 19:05
CPC Classifications
G; G01; G01J; G01J3/00; G01J3/46; G01J3/52; G01J3/524; G01J3/02; G01J3/0267; G01J3/0272; G01J3/50; G01J3/501; G01J3/51; G01J3/513
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 26
Claim 1
Independent Claim
181 words
A method for identification of a wire or a fiber in a multi-wire or multi-fiber cable comprising the steps of: striping an end of said cable into individual wires or fibers; applying to a buffer of said wire or fiber a portable hand-held device comprising: a body containing: a probe located at a distal end of said body; a holder with a V-shaped groove attached to a distal end of said probe; a polychromatic white light source illuminating said buffer through said V-shaped groove of said holder; a plurality of photodetectors associated with color filters; a signal processing means; a power supply; a spring-loaded clamp steady fixing said buffer in said V-shaped groove of said holder; a switch associated with said clamp; a display indicating mode status and identification symbol of said buffer; measuring color parameters of said buffer; comparing measured color parameters with reference color parameters stored in a memory of said signal processing means; selecting an identification symbol of said buffer as one that have the same measured and reference color parameters; displaying said identification symbol on said display.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
181 words
A method for identification of a wire or a fiber in a multi-wire or multi-fiber cable comprising the steps of: striping an end of said cable into individual wires or fibers; applying to a buffer of said wire or fiber a portable hand-held device comprising: a body containing: a probe located at a distal end of said body; a holder with a V-shaped groove attached to a distal end of said probe; a polychromatic white light source illuminating said buffer through said V-shaped groove of said holder; a plurality of photodetectors associated with color filters; a signal processing means; a power supply; a spring-loaded clamp steady fixing said buffer in said V-shaped groove of said holder; a switch associated with said clamp; a display indicating mode status and identification symbol of said buffer; measuring color parameters of said buffer; comparing measured color parameters with reference color parameters stored in a memory of said signal processing means; selecting an identification symbol of said buffer as one that have the same measured and reference color parameters; displaying said identification symbol on said display.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
92 words
A method as in claim 1 further comprising the steps of: measuring dark color parameters of said buffer created by an ambient illumination; measuring light color parameters of said buffer created by said light sources and ambient illumination; calculating measured color parameters as differences between said color and dark parameters; comparing measured color parameters with reference color parameters stored in a memory of said signal processing means; selecting an identification symbol of said buffer as one that have the same measured and reference color parameters; displaying said identification symbol on said display.
Claim 4
Independent Claim
181 words
A method for identification of a wire or a fiber in a multi-wire or multi-fiber cable comprising the steps of: striping an end of said cable into individual wires or fibers; applying to a buffer of said wire or fiber a portable hand-held device comprising: a body containing: a probe located at a distal end of said body; a holder with a V-shaped groove attached to a distal end of said probe; a plurality of light sources having different colors and illuminating said buffer through said V-shaped groove of said holder; at least one photodetector; a signal processing means; a power supply; a spring-loaded clamp steady fixing said buffer in said V-shaped groove of said holder; a switch associated with said clamp; a display indicating mode status and identification symbol of said buffer; measuring color parameters of said buffer; comparing measured color parameters with reference color parameters stored in a memory of said signal processing means; selecting an identification symbol of said buffer as one that have the same measured and reference color parameters; displaying said identification symbol on said display.
Claim 5
Independent Claim
181 words
A method for identification of a wire or a fiber in a multi-wire or multi-fiber cable comprising the steps of: striping an end of said cable into individual wires or fibers; applying to a buffer of said wire or fiber a portable hand-held device comprising: a body containing: a probe located at a distal end of said body; a holder with a V-shaped groove attached to a distal end of said probe; a plurality of light sources having different colors and illuminating said buffer through said V-shaped groove of said holder; at least one photodetector; a signal processing means; a power supply; a spring-loaded clamp steady fixing said buffer in said V-shaped groove of said holder; a switch associated with said clamp; a display indicating mode status and identification symbol of said buffer; measuring color parameters of said buffer; comparing measured color parameters with reference color parameters stored in a memory of said signal processing means; selecting an identification symbol of said buffer as one that have the same measured and reference color parameters; displaying said identification symbol on said display.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
93 words
A method as in claim 3 further comprising the steps of: measuring dark color parameters of said buffer created by an ambient illumination; measuring light color parameters of said buffer created by said light sources and ambient illumination; calculating measured color parameters as differences between said color and dark parameters; a comparing measured color parameters with reference color parameters stored in a memory of said signal processing means; selecting an identification symbol of said buffer as one that have the same measured and reference color parameters; displaying said identification symbol on said display.
Claim 7
Independent Claim
137 words
An apparatus for identification of a wire or a fiber in a multi-wire or multi-fiber cable by measuring color of the buffer of said wire or fiber, comprising a hand-held body containing: a probe located at a distal end of said body; a holder with a V-shaped groove attached to a distal end of said probe; a polychromatic white light source illuminating said buffer through said V-shaped groove of said holder; a plurality of photodetectors associated with color filters, said photodetectors measuring light reflected from said buffer; at least one reference photodetector controlling intensity of said white light source; a signal processing means; a power supply; a spring-loaded clamp steady fixing said buffer in said V-shaped groove of said holder; a switch associated with said clamp; a display indicating mode status and identification symbol of said buffer.
Claim 8
Independent Claim
137 words
An apparatus for identification of a wire or a fiber in a multi-wire or multi-fiber cable by measuring color of the buffer of said wire or fiber, comprising a hand-held body containing: a probe located at a distal end of said body; a holder with a V-shaped groove attached to a distal end of said probe; a polychromatic white light source illuminating said buffer through said V-shaped groove of said holder; a plurality of photodetectors associated with color filters, said photodetectors measuring light reflected from said buffer; at least one reference photodetector controlling intensity of said white light source; a signal processing means; a power supply; a spring-loaded clamp steady fixing said buffer in said V-shaped groove of said holder; a switch associated with said clamp; a display indicating mode status and identification symbol of said buffer.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
15 words
An apparatus as in claim 5 wherein said polychromatic light source is a white LED.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
17 words
An apparatus as in claim 5 wherein said color filters are primary R, G and B filters.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
16 words
An apparatus as in claim 5 wherein said processing means include a microcontroller and a memory.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
14 words
An apparatus as in claim 5 wherein said display is a liquid crystal display.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
60 words
An apparatus as in claim 8 wherein said microcontroller is programmed to measure and store sets of signals from said photodetectors: dark signals created by ambient illumination; light signals created by said light source and ambient illumination; measured signals as differences between said light and dark signals; normalized signals as said measured signals related to signal from said reference photodetector.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
25 words
An apparatus as in claim 10 wherein said microcontroller is programmed to compare said measured signals with reference signals that are stored in said memory.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
23 words
An apparatus as in claim 11 wherein said reference signals are loaded into said memory after measuring the buffer with known identification symbol.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
14 words
An apparatus as in claim 12 wherein said reference signals are RGB color parameters.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
22 words
An apparatus as in claim 12 wherein said identification symbol is a pin number where said wire or fiber must be connected.
Claim 18
Independent Claim
134 words
An apparatus for identification of a wire or a fiber in a multi-wire or multi-fiber cable by measuring color of the buffer of said wire or fiber, comprising a hand-held body containing: a probe located at a distal end of said body; a holder with a V-shaped groove attached to a distal end of said probe; a plurality of light sources having different colors and illuminating said buffer through said V-shaped groove of said holder; at least one photodetector measuring light reflected from said buffer; at plurality of reference photodetectors controlling intensity of said light sources; a signal processing means; a power supply; a spring-loaded clamp steady fixing said buffer in said V-shaped groove of said holder; a switch associated with said clamp; a display indicating mode status and identification symbol of said buffers.
Claim 19
Independent Claim
134 words
An apparatus for identification of a wire or a fiber in a multi-wire or multi-fiber cable by measuring color of the buffer of said wire or fiber, comprising a hand-held body containing: a probe located at a distal end of said body; a holder with a V-shaped groove attached to a distal end of said probe; a plurality of light sources having different colors and illuminating said buffer through said V-shaped groove of said holder; at least one photodetector measuring light reflected from said buffer; at plurality of reference photodetectors controlling intensity of said light sources; a signal processing means; a power supply; a spring-loaded clamp steady fixing said buffer in said V-shaped groove of said holder; a switch associated with said clamp; a display indicating mode status and identification symbol of said buffers.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
16 words
An apparatus as in claim 15 wherein said light sources are red, green and blue LED.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
16 words
An apparatus as in claim 15 wherein said processing means include a microcontroller and a memory.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
14 words
An apparatus as in claim 15 wherein said display is a liquid crystal display.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
61 words
An apparatus as in claim 17 wherein said microcontroller is programmed to measure and store sets of signals from said measuring photodetector: dark signals created by ambient illumination; light signals created by said light source and ambient illumination; measured signals as differences between said light and dark signals; normalized signals as said measured signals related to signal from said reference photodetectors.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
25 words
An apparatus as in claim 19 wherein said microcontroller is programmed to compare said measured signals with reference signals that are stored in said memory.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
23 words
An apparatus as in claim 19 wherein said reference signals are loaded into said memory after measuring the buffer with known identification symbol.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim
22 words
An apparatus as in claim 21 wherein said identification symbol is a pin number where said wire or fiber must be connected.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
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| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 2006-07-07 | 2007-01-06 | 2007-07-08 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 2010-07-07 | 2011-01-06 | 2011-07-08 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
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