System and Method for Identifying Location of an Information Handling System

• US 20110050422A1
• Filed: 08/28/2009
• Published: 03/03/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 08/28/2009
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Dell Products LP (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Dell Products LP (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Inventors: Pflueger, John
• Application Number:
  US12/549,965
• Publication Number:
  US 20110050422A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/572.1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders

Abstract

Systems and methods for identifying the location of an information handling system are disclosed. A method may include placing a slot passive tag proximate to a corresponding slot, wherein the corresponding slot is configured to mechanically couple a corresponding information handling system to the slot and wherein the slot passive tag is configured to indicate its presence to a device placed substantially proximate to the slot passive tag. The method may also include placing an information handling system passive tag on a corresponding information handling system, such that when the corresponding information handling system is mechanically coupled to the slots, the information handling system passive tag is substantially proximate to the slot passive tag to which the information handling system is mechanically coupled, wherein the information handling system passive tag is configured to indicate its presence to the device placed substantially proximate to the information handling system passive tag.

Claims

1. A system for identifying a location of an information handling system, comprising:

at least one enclosure having one or more slots, wherein each slot is configured to mechanically couple a corresponding information handling system to the enclosure; and

at least one slot passive tag configured to indicate its presence to an external device placed substantially proximate to the slot passive tag, wherein each slot passive tag is located substantially proximate to a corresponding slot of the one or more slots; and

at least one information handling system mechanically coupled to one of the one or more slots, each information handling system having an information handling system passive tag configured to indicate its presence to the external device placed substantially proximate to the information handling system passive tag, wherein the information handling system passive tag is located substantially proximate to the slot passive tag corresponding to the slot for which the information handling system is mechanically coupled.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one slot passive tag is one of a passive radio-frequency identification tag and a magnet.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the information handling system passive tag is one of a passive radio-frequency identification tag and a magnet.

4. The system of claim 1, further comprising a mobile tag reader configured to detect the presence of one or more slot passive tags and information handling system passive tags in substantial proximity with the mobile tag reader.

5. The system of claim 4, the mobile tag reader configured to determine the position of the at least one information handling system by determining whether the information handling system passive tag corresponding to the at least one information handling system and the slot passive tag corresponding to a particular slot are detected substantially simultaneously.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one information handling system comprises a server.

7. A method for identifying a location of an information handling system, comprising:

placing each of one or more slot passive tags proximate to a corresponding slot of one or more enclosures, wherein each corresponding slot is configured to mechanically couple a corresponding information handling system to the enclosure and wherein each of the one or more slot passive tags is configured to indicate its presence to an external device placed substantially proximate to the slot passive tag; and

placing each of one or more information handling system passive tags on a corresponding information handling system, such that when the corresponding information handling system is mechanically coupled to one of the slots, the information handling system passive tag is substantially proximate to the slot passive tag of the particular slot to which the information handling system is mechanically coupled, wherein each of the one or more information handling system passive tags is configured to indicate its presence to an external device placed substantially proximate to the information handling system passive tag.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein at least one of the one or more slot passive tags is one of a passive radio-frequency identification tag and a magnet.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein at least one of the one or more information handling system passive tags is one of a passive radio-frequency identification tag and a magnet.

10. The method of claim 7, further comprising scanning a mobile tag reader proximate to at least one of the one or more slot passive tags, wherein the mobile tag reader is configured to detect the presence of one or more slot passive tags and information handling system passive tags in substantial proximity with the mobile tag reader.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising determining if the mobile tag reader has substantially simultaneously detected the presence of one of the one or more slot passive tags and one of the one or more information handling system passive tags.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the substantially simultaneous detection of the presence of one of the one or more slot passive tags and one of the one or more information handling system passive tags indicates that the information handling system corresponding with the detected information handling system passive tag is mechanically coupled to the slot corresponding to the slot passive tag.

13. The method of claim 7, wherein the at least one information handling system comprises a server.

14. A method for identifying a location of an information handling system, comprising:

placing each of one or more enclosure passive tags proximate to a corresponding enclosure of one or more enclosures, each of the one or more enclosures having one or more slots, wherein each slot is configured to mechanically couple a corresponding information handling system to the enclosure and wherein each of the one or more enclosure passive tags is configured to indicate its presence to an external device placed substantially proximate to the enclosure passive tag; and

placing each of one or more information handling system passive tags on a corresponding information handling system, such that when the corresponding information handling system is mechanically coupled to one of the slots, the information handling system passive tag is substantially proximate to the slot passive tag of the particular slot to which the information handling system is mechanically coupled, wherein each of the one or more information handling system passive tags is configured to indicate its presence to an external device placed substantially proximate to the information handling system passive tag.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein at least one of the one or more enclosure passive tags is one of a passive radio-frequency identification tag and a magnet.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein at least one of the one or more information handling system passive tags is one of a passive radio-frequency identification tag and a magnet.

17. The method of claim 14, further comprising scanning a mobile tag reader proximate to at least one of the one or more enclosure passive tags, wherein the mobile tag reader is configured to detect the presence of one or more slot passive tags and information handling system passive tags in substantial proximity with the mobile tag reader.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising determining if the mobile tag reader has detected the presence of one of the one or more enclosure passive tags and one of the one or more information handling system passive tags within a particular time interval.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the detection of the presence of one of the one or more enclosure passive tags and one of the one or more information handling system passive tags indicates that the information handling system corresponding with the detected information handling system passive tag is mechanically coupled to the enclosure corresponding to the enclosure passive tag.

20. The method of claim 18, wherein a difference in time between the detection of the presence of one of the one or more enclosure passive tags and one of the one or more information handling system passive tags indicates that the information handling system corresponding with the detected information handling system passive tag is mechanically coupled to a particular slot of the enclosure corresponding to the enclosure passive tag.