SYSTEM AND METHOD TO QUICKLY AND ACCURATELY DETECT AND REPORT COMPONENT FAILURES USING RFID

• US 20090002164A1
• Filed: 06/28/2007
• Published: 01/01/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 06/28/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LinkedIn Corporation (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Seaman, James Wesley, Dawson, Christopher James, Brillhart, David Clark, Kendzierski, Michael David
• Granted Patent: US 7,796,039 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/572.100
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0681 Configuration of triggering conditions
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/02 Access restriction performed under specific conditions

Abstract

An apparatus for reporting failed components which integrates a radio-frequency identification tag sub-circuit into each component of a system, including a latch controllable by a diagnostic function. The latch has at least two stable modes including an unlatched mode which prevents said tag from transmitting signals upon query by a radio-frequency identification reader, and a latched mode which enables said tag to transmitting signals upon query by a radio-frequency identification reader. The latch is transitioned to said latched mode by the diagnostic function responsive to detection of a failure, fault, or error condition of said component by said diagnostic function. Subsequent “reading” by an RFID reader of the tag allows identification of the failed component without requiring system power or communications busses to be operative, where only failed components respond to the RFID reader, and the latch prevents known-good components from responding to the reader.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

a radio-frequency identification tag associated with a component of a system; and

a latch controllable by at least one diagnostic function, said latch having at least two stable modes including an unlatched mode which prevents said tag from transmitting signals upon query by a radio-frequency identification reader, and a latched mode which enables said tag to transmitting signals upon query by a radio-frequency identification reader.

2. The apparatus as set forth in claim 1 wherein said unlatched mode of said latch is a default mode of operation.

3. The apparatus as set forth in claim 1 wherein said latch is transitioned to said latched mode by said diagnostic function responsive to detection of a failure, fault, or error condition of said component by said diagnostic function.

4. The apparatus as set forth in claim 1 further comprising a power source for said tag separate and independent of a power source for said component.

5. The apparatus as set forth in claim 4 wherein said separate and independent power source is a battery.

6. The apparatus as set forth in claim 1 further comprising a clock interfaced to said tag such that a time value is stored by the tag upon transition of the latch into a latched mode.

7. The apparatus as set forth in claim 1 further comprising a counter interfaced to said tag such that a count value is stored by the tag upon transition of the latch into a latched mode.

8. The apparatus as set forth in claim 1 wherein said tag is configured to store and transmit upon energization one or more codes selected from the group of a fault code, a time value, a counter value, and a component location value.

9. A method comprising:

providing a radio-frequency identification tag associated with a component of a system;

providing a tag latch associated with said tag; and

controlling said tag latch by at least one diagnostic function to operate in at least two stable modes including an unlatched mode which prevents said tag from transmitting signals upon query by a radio-frequency identification reader, and a latched mode which enables said tag to transmitting signals upon query by a radio-frequency identification reader.

10. The method as set forth in claim 9 wherein said unlatched mode of said latch is controlled as a default mode of operation.

11. The method as set forth in claim 9 wherein said latch is transitioned to said latched mode by said diagnostic function responsive to detection of a failure, fault, or error condition of said component by said diagnostic function.

12. The method as set forth in claim 9 further comprising a step of providing a power source for said tag separate and independent of a power source for said component.

13. The method as set forth in claim 12 wherein said step of providing a separate and independent power source comprises providing a battery.

14. The method as set forth in claim 9 further comprising a step of providing a clock interfaced to said tag such that a time value is stored by the tag upon transition of the latch into a latched mode.

15. The method as set forth in claim 9 further comprising a step of providing a counter interfaced to said tag such that a count value is stored by the tag upon transition of the latch into a latched mode.

16. The method as set forth in claim 9 further comprising a step of storing in said tag and transmitting upon energization of said tag one or more codes selected from the group of a fault code, a time value, a counter value, and a component location value.

17. An article of manufacture comprising:

a computer readable medium suitable for storing computer program code; and

computer program code stored on said medium, configured to control a radio-frequency identification tag via a tag latch, said tag being associated with a component of a system, and said tag latch being associated with said tag, wherein said control including operating said latch in at least two stable modes including an unlatched mode which prevents said tag from transmitting signals upon query by a radio-frequency identification reader, and a latched mode which enables said tag to transmitting signals upon query by a radio-frequency identification reader.

18. The article as set forth in claim 17 wherein said unlatched mode of said latch is controlled as a default mode of operation.

19. The article as set forth in claim 17 wherein said latch is transitioned to said latched mode responsive to detection of a failure, fault, or error condition of said component by a diagnostic function.

20. The article as set forth in claim 17 further comprising program code configured to store in said tag for transmission upon energization of said tag one or more codes selected from the group of a fault code, a time value, a counter value, and a component location value.