RFID-enabled optical adapter for use with a patch panel

1. An optical adapter comprising:

a body in which at least one connector can be inserted;

at least one radio frequency identifier (RFID) antenna;

a visual indicator;

at least one adapter contact that is electrically connected to the RFID antenna and the visual indicator; and

a clip configured to electrically connect the adapter contact to a panel contact on a panel when the optical adapter is inserted into the panel and to mechanically hold the optical adapter in the panel;

wherein the RFID antenna is configured to be positioned near an RFID tag attached to the connector when the connector is inserted into the body of the optical adapter.

2. The optical adapter of claim 1 , wherein the RFID antenna comprises a pair of antenna coils implemented as a common loop.

3. The optical adapter of claim 2 , wherein the pair of antenna coils is configured to read a first RFID tag attached to a first connector inserted into a first side of the optical adapter and to read a second RFID tag attached to a second connector inserted into a second side of the optical adapter.

4. The optical adapter of claim 1 , wherein the visual indicator comprises a pair of light emitting diodes.

5. The optical adapter of claim 1 , wherein the clip comprises a pair of clips.

6. The optical adapter of claim 1 , further comprising a printed circuit board on which the RFID antenna, the visual indicator, and the adapter contact are mounted.

7. The optical adapter of claim 1 , further comprising a light guide material, wherein the optical adapter is configured to optically couple the light guide material to the visual indicator so as to provide a visual indication at a point that is remote from the visual indicator.

8. The optical adapter of claim 1 , wherein the optical adapter is configured to be removable and re-insertable into the panel.

9. The optical adapter of claim 1 , further comprising a keying arrangement configured to mount the optical adapter to the panel in a particular rotational orientation.

10. The optical adapter of claim 9 , wherein the keying arrangement comprises a rail that is configured to slide within a notch included in the panel.

11. The optical adapter of claim 1 , wherein the optical adapter is keyed to mate with the connector at a particular rotational orientation.

12. The optical adapter of claim 11 , wherein the body of the optical adapter defines a keyway in order to key the optical adapter to mate with the connector at the particular rotational orientation.

13. The optical adapter of claim 1 , wherein the clip comprises a plurality of contact sections, wherein each of the plurality of contact sections is configured to touch a corresponding contact on the panel in connection with at least one of: the connector being inserted into the optical adapter, the connector being removed from the optical adapter, and the optical adapter being inserted into the panel.

14. A system comprising:

a panel comprising a plurality of openings, each of the opening comprising a respective panel contact, wherein the system is configured to selectively couple each panel contact to an RFID reader;

a plurality of optical adapters configured to be inserted into the openings of the panel, wherein each optical adapter comprises:

a body in which at least one connector can be inserted;

at least one radio frequency identifier (RFID) antenna;

a visual indicator;

at least one adapter contact that is electrically connected to the RFID antenna and the visual indicator; and

a clip configured to electrically connect the adapter contact to respective one of respective panel contacts when the optical adapter is inserted into one of the openings of the panel and to mechanically hold the optical adapter in the panel;

wherein the RFID antenna of each connector is configured to be positioned near an RFID tag attached to the connector when the connector is inserted into the body of the optical adapter; and

wherein the system is configured to selective couple the RFID reader to each of the panel contacts.

15. The system of claim 14 , wherein the system is configured to selectively couple each panel contact to a controller.

16. The system of claim 14 , wherein the RFID antenna for each optical adapter comprises a pair of antenna coils implemented as a common loop.

17. The system of claim 16 , wherein the pair of antenna coils for each optical adapter is configured to read a first RFID tag attached to a first connector inserted into a first side of the optical adapter and to read a second RFID tag attached to a second connector inserted into a second side of the optical adapter.

18. The system of claim 14 , wherein the visual indicator for each optical adapter comprises a pair of light emitting diodes.

19. The system of claim 14 , wherein the clip for each optical adapter comprises a pair of clips.

20. The system of claim 14 , wherein each optical adapter further comprises a printed circuit board on which the RFID antenna, the visual indicator, and the adapter contact for that optical adapter are mounted.

21. The system of claim 14 , wherein each optical adapter further comprises a light guide material, wherein each optical adapter is configured to optically couple the light guide material to the visual indicator for that optical adapter so as to provide a visual indication at a point that is remote from the visual indicator.

22. The system of claim 14 , wherein each optical adapter is configured to be removable and re-insertable into the panel.

23. The system of claim 14 , wherein each optical adapter further comprises a keying arrangement configured to mount the optical adapter to the panel in a particular rotational orientation.

24. The system of claim 23 , wherein the keying arrangement of each optical adapter comprises a rail that is configured to slide within a respective notch included in the panel.

25. The system of claim 14 , wherein each optical adapter is keyed to mate with a corresponding connector at a particular rotational orientation.

26. The system of claim 25 , wherein the body of each optical adapter defines a keyway in order to key the optical adapter to mate with the corresponding connector at the particular rotational orientation.

27. The system of claim 14 , wherein the clip of each optical adapter comprises a plurality of contact sections, wherein each of the plurality contact sections is configured to touch a corresponding contact on the panel in connection with at least one of: the corresponding connector being inserted into the optical adapter, the corresponding connector being removed from the optical adapter, and the optical adapter being inserted into the panel.

28. A method comprising:

inserting an optical adapter into an opening of a panel, wherein the optical adapter comprises:

a body in which at least one connector can be inserted;

at least one radio frequency identifier (RFID) antenna;

a visual indicator;

at least one adapter contact that is electrically connected to the RFID antenna and the visual indicator; and

a clip configured to electrically connect the adapter contact to a panel contact on a panel when the optical adapter is inserted into the panel and to mechanically hold the optical adapter in the panel; and

wherein the RFID antenna is configured to be positioned near an RFID tag attached to the connector when the connector is inserted into the body of the optical adapter;

selectively coupling an RFID reader to the RFID antenna; and

reading a first RFID tag associated with a first connecter inserted into a first side of the optical adapter and reading a second RFID tag associated with a second connector inserted into a second side of the optical adapter.

29. The method of claim 28 , further comprising:

selectively coupling a controller to the visual indicator via the panel contact, the clip, and the adapter contact; and

providing a visual indication at the optical adapter using the visual indicator under the control of the controller.

30. The method of claim 28 , wherein the optical adapter further comprises a light guide material, wherein the optical adapter is configured to optically couple the light guide material to the visual indicator; and

wherein providing a visual indication at the optical adapter comprises providing a visual indication at a point that is remote from the visual indicator.

31. The method of claim 28 , further comprising keying the optical adapter so that the optical adapter will be mounted to the panel in a particular rotational orientation;

wherein inserting the optical adapter into the opening of the panel comprises inserting the optical adapter into the opening of the panel so that the optical adapter is mounted to the panel in the particular rotational orientation.

32. The method of claim 28 , further comprising keying the optical adapter so that the optical adapter will mate with the connector at a particular rotational orientation.

33. The method of claim 28 , wherein the clip comprises a plurality of contact sections, wherein each of the plurality of contact sections is configured to touch a corresponding contact on the panel in connection with at least one of: the corresponding connector being inserted into the optical adapter, the corresponding connector being removed from the optical adapter, and the optical adapter being inserted into the panel.