Method and apparatus for RF access to system ID and fault information

• US 20050242925A1
• Filed: 05/03/2004
• Published: 11/03/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 05/03/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Dell Products LP (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Dell Products LP (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Inventors: Zaretsky, Lee, Szeszycki, Roman
• Granted Patent: US 7,230,520 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/10.100
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/0706 the processing taking place on a specific hardware platform or in a specific software environment
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/0772 Means for error signaling, e.g. using interrupts, exception flags, dedicated error registers

Abstract

A method and apparatus for RF access to system identification and fault information is disclosed. In one aspect, the present disclosure teaches a method of accessing system information in an information handling system including storing system information in a computer component forming a part of an information handling system. The method further includes receiving a request for at least a portion of the system information via a radio frequency identification (“RF”) transponder link. The method further includes automatically transmitting a response from the computer component via the RFID transponder link such that the response includes the at least a portion of the system information.

Claims

1. A method of accessing system information in an information handling system, comprising:

storing system information in a computer component forming a part of an information handling system;

receiving a request for at least a portion of the system information via a radio frequency identification (“

RF”

) transponder link; and

automatically transmitting a response from the computer component via the RFID transponder link such that the response includes the at least a portion of the system information.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising automatically processing and relaying the request through a computer programmable logic device (“

CPLD”

) buffer to the computer component in the information handling system via a bus.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising dynamically updating the stored system information in the information handling system.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

after receiving the relayed request at the computer component, generating a system identification request from a basic input/output system (BIOS) in the information handling system.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

after receiving the relayed request at the computer component, retrieving the system information from a memory that is directly addressable by the computer component.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the computer component is a baseboard management controller (“

BMC”

).

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising storing a portion of the system information in a memory associated with the RFID transponder link.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the system information stored in the memory includes a current system fault event.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising diagnosing a failure in the information handling system based on the response even if the information handling system is powered down.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving the request further comprises decoding a password included with the request, the password operable to prevent the transmission of the response such that only authorized users may receive the response.

11. An information handling system comprising:

a processor;

a memory communicatively coupled to the processor;

a controller communicatively coupled to the processor via a system bus, the controller operable to access system information of the information handling system; and

a radio frequency identification (“

RFID”

) transponder coupled to the controller via a communication bus, the RFID transponder operable to interface with the controller to obtain at least a portion of the system information.

12. The information handling system of claim 11, further comprising a computer programmable logic device (“

CPLD”

) buffer coupled between the RFID transponder and the controller, the CPLD buffer operable to process a request for a portion of the system information received at the RFID transponder and relay the request to the controller.

13. The information handling system of claim 11, wherein the request includes a password operable to be decoded by the information handling system such that access to the system information is permitting.

14. The information handling system of claim 11, wherein the system information include system identification and system fault events.

15. The information handling system of claim 14, wherein the system fault events comprise a system event log.

16. The information handling system of claim 14, wherein the system identification comprises a piece part identification (“

PPID”

) number.

17. The information handling system of claim 11, further comprising decoding the request with the CPLD buffer.

18. The information handling system of claim 11, wherein the request further comprises system commands for the information handling system.

19. The information handling system of claim 18, wherein the system commands includes a reset command.

20. A system for using a radio frequency (“

RF”

) link to access system information in an information handling system, comprising;

a radio frequency identification (“

RFID”

) transponder associated with a computer component forming a part of the information handling system, the RFID transponder operable to receive a request for system information and to transmit a response based on the request;

a controller coupled to the RFID transponder via a bus, the controller operable to dynamically access and to cause the system information to be stored in the information handling system;

an RF reader detached from the information handling system, the RF reader operable to transmit the request for system information and to receive the response via a wireless RF signal with the RFID transponder.

21. The system of claim 20, wherein the controller is a baseboard management controller.

22. The system of claim 20, further comprising a computer programmable logic device (CPLD) buffer operably coupled between the controller and the RFID transponder, the CPLD buffer operable to access the system information via a management bus coupled to the controller such that system information is made available to the RFID transponder for access by a user.

23. The system of claim 20, further comprising:

a password supplied by a user, the password is sent from the RF reader via the wireless RF signal and received by the RFID transponder; and

the password operable to permit the user to access the system information.

24. The system of claim 20, wherein the RF reader further comprises a display operable to provide a “

user-friendly”

output.