TRACKING ELECTRONIC DEVICES

• US 20040178270A1
• Filed: 03/10/2003
• Published: 09/16/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 03/10/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Valtrus Innovations Limited (f/k/a Dolya Holdco 9 Limited) (Key Patent Innovations Limited)
• Original Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Patel, Chandrakant D., Lyon, Geoff M., Pradhan, Salil V.
• Granted Patent: US 6,796,506 B1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 235/462.13
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/74 Systems using reradiation of radio waves, e.g. secondary radar systems; Analogous systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 17/00 Methods or arrangements for effecting co-operative working between equipments covered by two or more of main groups G06K1/00 - G06K15/00, e.g. automatic card files incorporating conveying and reading operations
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10079 the collision being resolved in the spatial domain, e.g. temporary shields for blindfolding the interrogator in specific directions

Abstract

Tracking electronic devices that are equipped with tracking tags and that are stored in designated locations. Reading devices are distributed in locations that are recorded and that correspond to the designated locations of the electronic devices. The reading devices are activated to interrogate the tracking tags. Identification data from the tracking tags is collected to enable determining the presence and location of the electronic devices, based on the recorded location of the reading devices.

Claims

1. A method of tracking electronic devices equipped with tracking tags, said method comprising:

distributing a plurality of reading devices in locations corresponding to designated locations for said electronic devices;

recording the locations of said plurality of reading devices;

activating said plurality of reading devices and thereby interrogating said tracking tags of said electronic devices present in said designated locations;

collecting identification data from said tracking tags; and

determining at least one of a presence and a location of at least one of said electronic devices based on the collected identification data.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein said distributing step comprises placing said plurality of reading devices proximate a plurality of bays within an enclosure.

3. The method as claimed in claim 2, wherein said distributing step further comprises placing said plurality of reading devices to respectively align with said tracking tags when said electronic devices are docked within said bays of said enclosure.

4. The method as claimed in claim 3, wherein said tracking tags are respectively attached at a uniform location on said electronic devices.

5. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein said recording step comprises storing the locations of said plurality of reading devices in a computer memory.

6. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein said activating step is performed sequentially by said plurality of reading devices comprising at least one of a plurality of radio frequency readers, a plurality of bar code scanners, and a plurality of inductive devices.

7. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein said collecting step is performed sequentially on said tracking tags which comprise at least one of radio frequency tags, bar code tags, or magnet tags.

8. The method as claimed in claim 7, wherein said determining step comprises converting said response signal into said identification data and storing said identification data in a computer memory.

9. A method of tracking electronic devices, said method comprising:

tagging a plurality of electronic devices with a plurality of tracking tags;

providing an enclosure having a plurality of bays for receiving said plurality of electronic devices;

distributing a plurality of reading devices in locations corresponding to said plurality of bays;

recording the locations of said plurality of reading devices;

activating said plurality of reading devices and thereby interrogating said plurality of tracking tags of said plurality of electronic devices present in said plurality of bays;

collecting identification data from said plurality of tracking tags; and

determining at least one of the presence and location of said plurality of electronic devices based on said recording and collecting steps.

10. The method as claimed in claim 9, wherein said tagging step comprises associating at least one of a plurality of radio-frequency tags, a plurality of bar code tags, and a plurality of magnetic tags with said plurality of electronic devices.

11. The method as claimed in claim 9, wherein said distributing step comprises placing at least one of a plurality of radio frequency readers, a plurality of bar code scanners, and a plurality of magnetic pickups.

12. The method as claimed in claim 11, wherein said distributing step further comprises placing said plurality of reading devices to respectively align with said plurality of tracking tags when said electronic devices are docked within said bays of said enclosure.

13. The method as claimed in claim 12, wherein said plurality of tracking tags are respectively attached at a uniform location on said electronic devices.

14. The method as claimed in claim 9, wherein said recording step comprises storing the locations of said plurality of reading devices in a computer memory.

15. The method as claimed in claim 9, wherein said activating step comprises sequentially activating said plurality of reading devices which comprise at least one of a plurality of radio frequency readers, a plurality of bar code scanners, and a plurality of magnetic pickups.

16. The method as claimed in claim 9, wherein said collecting step comprises receiving a response signal from at least one of a radio frequency tag, a bar code tag, and a magnetic tag.

17. The method as claimed in claim 16, wherein said determining step comprises converting said response signal into said identification data and storing said identification data in a computer memory.

18. An apparatus for tracking a plurality of electronic devices having a plurality of tracking tags associated therewith, said apparatus comprising:

an enclosure having a plurality of bays, said plurality of bays receive said plurality of electronic devices; and

a plurality of reading devices mounted to said enclosure and distributed in correspondence with said plurality of bays, said plurality of reading devices being adapted to interrogate said plurality of tracking tags of said plurality of electronic devices to determine at least one of a presence and a location of at least one of said plurality of electronic devices.

19. The apparatus as claimed in claim 18, wherein said plurality of reading devices are located such that they respectively align with said plurality of tracking tags when said plurality of electronic devices are docked within said plurality of bays of said enclosure.

20. The method as claimed in claim 19, wherein said plurality of tracking tags are respectively attached at a uniform location on said plurality of electronic devices.

21. The apparatus as claimed in claim 18, wherein said enclosure is a server rack and said plurality of electronic devices is a plurality of servers and said plurality of tracking tags are a plurality of radio frequency tags attached to said plurality of electronic devices.

22. The apparatus as claimed in claim 21, wherein said plurality of reading devices are a plurality of daisy-chained radio frequency readers being mounted to an inside wall of said rack.

23. An apparatus for tracking electronic devices, said apparatus comprising:

means for tagging said electronic devices;

means for housing said electronic devices in designated locations;

means for reading said means for tagging, said means for reading being mounted to said means for housing and being distributed in correspondence to said designated locations;

means for activating said means for reading to interrogate said means for tagging;

means for collecting identification data from said means for tagging; and

means for determining at least one of the presence and location of said electronic devices.