Overlay-based asset location and identification system

• US 10,404,543 B2
• Filed: 10/26/2015
• Issued: 09/03/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 02/23/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: CommScope Connectivity UK Limited (TE Connectivity Limited)
• Original Assignee: CommScope Connectivity UK Limited (TE Connectivity Limited)
• Inventors: Townend, Kevin David, Hulse, John Michael, Butler, Ian, Thomas, David, Polland, Joe
• Primary Examiner(s): Goradia, Shefali D
• Application Number:
  US14/923,170
• Publication Number:
  US 20160248635A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,408 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0481 based on specific properties of the displayed interaction object or a metaphor-based environment, e.g. interaction with desktop elements like windows or icons, or assisted by a cursor's changing behaviour or appearance
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0484 for the control of specific functions or operations, e.g. selecting or manipulating an object, an image or a displayed text element, setting a parameter value or selecting a range
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06311 Scheduling, planning or task assignment for a person or group
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/08 Logistics, e.g. warehousing, loading or distribution; Inventory or stock management
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2340/125 wherein one of the images is motion video
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 5/377 for mixing or overlaying two or more graphic patterns G09G5/02, G09G5/397 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/036 Insert-editing
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/34 Indicating arrangements indicating means incorporated in magazine or cassette G11B23/046 and G11B23/0875; indicating measured values in general G01D
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/12 Discovery or management of network topologies
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/63 by using electronic viewfinders
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/2621 Cameras specially adapted for the electronic generation of special effects during image pickup, e.g. digital cameras, camcorders, video cameras having integrated special effects capability
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/265 Mixing
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/44 Receiver circuitry for the reception of television signals according to analogue transmission standards H04N5/14 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/02 Terminal devices

Abstract

A network asset location system and methods of its use and operation are disclosed. In one aspect, the network asset location system includes a mobile application component executable on a mobile device including a camera and a display, the mobile application component configured to receive image data from the camera and display an image on the display based on the image data and overlay information identifying one or more network assets identifiable in the image data. The network asset location system also includes an asset management tracking engine configured to receive the image data and generate the overlay information including an identification of a location of at least one of the one or more network assets within the image.

Claims

1. An asset management system comprising:

a mobile application executable on a mobile device including a camera and a display, the mobile application configured to receive image data from the camera and display an image on the display based on the image data and overlay information identifying one or more network assets identifiable in the image data, the mobile application providing at least one navigation button on the display used to obtain additional information about the asset;

an asset management tracking engine remote from the mobile application, the asset management tracking engine configured to receive data from the mobile application based on the image data, generate the overlay information, and provide the overlay information to the mobile application, the overlay information including an identification of a location of at least one of the one or more assets within the image; and

wherein the overlay information includes one or more instructions identifying actions to be taken relative to the at least one of the one or more network assets.

2. The asset management system of claim 1, wherein the mobile application is further configured to receive one or more actions from a user.

3. The asset management system of claim 2, wherein the asset management tracking engine stores an action log including the one or more actions received from the mobile application.

4. The asset management system of claim 2, wherein the one or more actions are included in a technician report entered by a technician at the mobile application.

5. The asset management system of claim 2, wherein the one or more network assets comprises a telecommunications rack.

6. The asset management system of claim 1, wherein the one or more instructions includes information directing a technician to take one or more actions associated with the one or more network assets.

7. The asset management system of claim 1, wherein the overlay information includes a device type associated with the one or more network assets.

8. The asset management system of claim 1, wherein the overlay information includes routing information associated with the one or more network assets.

9. The asset management system of claim 1, wherein the overlay information includes error status information associated with the one or more network assets.

10. An asset management system comprising:

a mobile application executable on a mobile device including a camera and a display, the mobile application configured to receive image data from the camera and display an image on the display based on the image data and overlay information identifying one or more network assets identifiable in the image data, the overlay information including an identification of a location of at least one of the one or more assets within the image and one or more instructions identifying actions to be taken relative to the at least one of the one or more network assets, the mobile application providing at least one navigation button on the display used to selectively obtain additional information about the asset; and

wherein the mobile application is configured to communicate with an asset management tracking engine remote from the mobile application and receive the overlay information from the asset management tracking engine.

11. The asset management system of claim 10, wherein the image data comprises video data.

12. The asset management system of claim 10, wherein displaying the image occurs concurrently with capturing the image data of the one or more network assets.

13. The asset management system of claim 10, wherein the mobile application is further configured to receive, from the asset management tracking engine, a work order associated with the one or more network assets.

14. The asset management system of claim 10, further comprising the asset management tracking engine operating on a server remote from the mobile device hosting the mobile application.

15. A method of determining information about an asset using an application executing on a mobile device having a camera and a display, the method comprising:

capturing image data of one or more network assets using the camera of the mobile device;

communicating the captured image data to a remote asset management tracking engine;

communicating the overlay information to the mobile device;

displaying an image including the overlay information received from the remote asset management engine identifying the at least one of the one or more network assets and including one or more instructions identifying actions to be taken relative to the at least one of the one or more network assets on the display of the mobile device; and

providing at least one navigation button on the display used to selectively obtain additional information about the asset.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the image data comprises video data.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the one or more instructions are included in a work order associated with the asset.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the one or more instructions include instructions for configuring the network asset.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the image data includes information regarding a plurality of identifiers associated with the network asset, and wherein the overlay information includes information describing a location of the network asset within the image.