Periodic Detection Of Location Of Portable Articles Using An RFID System

• US 20090079544A1
• Filed: 09/19/2008
• Published: 03/26/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 09/20/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: II-VI Delaware, Inc. (Coherent Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Finisar Corporation (II-VI Incorporated)
• Inventors: Noble, Gayle L.
• Granted Patent: US 9,137,589 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/10.100
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2209/47 using RFID associated with sensors
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2209/753 where the polling of the sub-stations is synchronous
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 9/00 Arrangements in telecontrol or telemetry systems for selectively calling a substation from a main station, in which substation desired apparatus is selected for applying a control signal thereto or for obtaining measured values therefrom

Abstract

A system for tracking network devices includes a host computing device, a radio frequency identification (RFID) tag secured to at least one of the network devices, and a reader configured to communicate with the RFID tag to receive device parameters from the RFID tag, the reader being configured to transmit the device parameters to the host computing device.

Claims

1. A system for tracking network devices, comprising:

a host computing device;

a radio frequency identification (RFID) tag secured to at least one of the network devices; and

a reader configured to communicate with the RFID tag to receive device parameters from the RFID tag, the reader being configured to transmit the device parameters to the host computing device.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein at least one of the network devices is secured to a chassis.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the RFID tag is secured to the chassis.

4. The system of claim 1, further comprising a plurality of readers, each reader being configured to monitor a selected area and to communicate with RFID tags within the selected area.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein at least one of the readers is positioned in an inventor area.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the reader is operatively associated with a portal to communicate with the host computing device.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the host computing device is configured to analyze the device parameters, determine whether the network device is authentic, and selectively allow access to other network devices if the device parameters indicate the network device is authentic.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the host computing device is configured to analyze the device parameters to determine compatible network devices, and selectively allow the network device access to compatible network devices.

9. A method of tracking network devices, comprising:

coupling a radio frequency identification (RFID) tag to at least one network device;

sending an interrogation signal to at least one selected area;

receiving device parameters from the RFID tag in response to the interrogation signal in a host computing device; and

determining a location of the network device based on the device parameters.

10. The method of claim 9, including diagnosing an equipment failure of the network device at a selected location within the selected area by determining that a communication failure has occurred between the network device and the host computing device and determining that the network device is physically present at the selected location by receiving the device parameters from the RFID tag in response to the interrogation signal and determining the location of the network device based on the device parameters.

11. The method of claim 9, including diagnosing an equipment failure of the network device at a selected location by determining a communication failure has occurred between the network device and an additional network device and determining that the network device is physically present at the selected location by receiving the device parameters from the RFID tag in response to the interrogation signal and determining the location of the network device based on the device parameters.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the network device is a probe.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the additional network device is a rover.

14. The method of claim 9, further including sending a plurality of interrogation signals from a plurality of readers to a plurality areas, receiving device parameters from the RFID tag in response to the interrogation signal, and determining the area in which the network device is located by which reader received the device parameters.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the readers are located in physically separate locations.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the readers are located in separate labs.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein the readers are located in separate buildings.

18. The method of claim 14, wherein at least one of the areas includes an inventory area.

19. The method of claim 14, further including determining when the network device enters or leaves one of the plurality of areas.

20. A method of controlling access to a computing device, comprising:

coupling an RFID tag to at least one computing device;

sending an interrogation signal to the RFID tag;

receiving device parameters from the RFID tags in response to the interrogation signal; and

determining whether to allow the computing device to access a network by way of a portal based on the received device parameters.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein the device parameters include unique device information.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein the unique device information includes serial numbers.

23. The method of claim 20, including determining compatibility of the computing device with other computing devices on the network.

24. The method of claim 23, further including selectively allowing the computing device access to compatible computing devices on the network.

25. The method of claim 20, wherein the received device parameters include manufacturer information.