OVERLAY-BASED ASSET LOCATION AND IDENTIFICATION SYSTEM

• US 20130223684A1
• Filed: 02/25/2013
• Published: 08/29/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 02/23/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: CommScope Connectivity UK Limited (TE Connectivity Limited)
• Original Assignee: ADC Telecommunications Incorporated (TE Connectivity Limited), Tyco Electronics UK Limited (TE Connectivity Limited)
• Inventors: Townend, Kevin David, Hulse, John Michael, Butler, Ian, Thomas, David, Polland, Joe
• Granted Patent: US 9,171,209 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 382/103
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0481 based on specific properties of the displayed interaction object or a metaphor-based environment, e.g. interaction with desktop elements like windows or icons, or assisted by a cursor's changing behaviour or appearance
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0484 for the control of specific functions or operations, e.g. selecting or manipulating an object, an image or a displayed text element, setting a parameter value or selecting a range
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06311 Scheduling, planning or task assignment for a person or group
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/08 Logistics, e.g. warehousing, loading or distribution; Inventory or stock management
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2340/125 wherein one of the images is motion video
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 5/377 for mixing or overlaying two or more graphic patterns G09G5/02, G09G5/397 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/036 Insert-editing
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/34 Indicating arrangements indicating means incorporated in magazine or cassette G11B23/046 and G11B23/0875; indicating measured values in general G01D
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/12 Discovery or management of network topologies
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/63 by using electronic viewfinders
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/2621 Cameras specially adapted for the electronic generation of special effects during image pickup, e.g. digital cameras, camcorders, video cameras having integrated special effects capability
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/265 Mixing
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/44 Receiver circuitry for the reception of television signals according to analogue transmission standards H04N5/14 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/02 Terminal devices

Abstract

A network asset location system and methods of its use and operation are disclosed. In one aspect, the network asset location system includes a mobile application component executable on a mobile device including a camera and a display, the mobile application component configured to receive image data from the camera and display an image on the display based on the image data and overlay information identifying one or more network assets identifiable in the image data. The network asset location system also includes an asset management tracking engine configured to receive the image data and generate the overlay information including an identification of a location of at least one of the one or more network assets within the image.

Claims

1. An asset location system comprising:

a mobile application component executable on a mobile device including a camera and a display, the mobile application component configured to receive image data from the camera and display an image on the display based on the image data and overlay information identifying one or more network assets identifiable in the image data; and

an asset management tracking engine configured to receive the image data and generate the overlay information, the overlay information including an identification of a location of at least one of the one or more assets within the image.

2. The asset location system of claim 1, further comprising a plurality of identifiers associated with the one or more assets, the plurality of identifiers uniquely identifying one or more assets.

3. The asset location system of claim 2, wherein the plurality of identifiers are each placed at predetermined locations relative to the one or more assets.

4. The asset location system of claim 3, wherein the location is determined at least in part based on a predetermined relative position of the asset and the plurality of identifiers.

5. The asset location system of claim 2, wherein the plurality of identifiers include light emitting diodes configured to emit a code corresponding to an identification of the one or more assets.

6. The asset location system of claim 2, wherein the at least one or more assets comprise network assets.

7. The asset location system of claim 6, wherein the identifiers uniquely identify a telecommunications rack holding the one or more network assets.

8. The asset location system of claim 7, wherein the one of more assets are selected from the group consisting of:

a network connectivity element;

a patch panel

a network switch;

a subrack;

a network blade; and

a rack system.

9. The asset location system of claim 1, wherein the overlay information further includes an identification of the at least one of the one or more assets.

10. The asset location system of claim 9, wherein the overlay information further includes information describing a state of the at least one of the one or more assets.

11. The asset location system of claim 10, wherein the information describing a state of the at least one of the one or more assets includes information selected from the group consisting of:

traffic load;

power consumption;

internal temperature;

memory usage;

available services at a particular port or device;

number of ports actively in use;

asset type;

error information;

warranty information;

connection information; and

system utilitzation.

12. The asset location system of claim 1, wherein the asset management tracking engine resides in a memory of the mobile device.

13. The asset location system of claim 1, wherein the asset management tracking engine resides at a network asset management location remote from the mobile device.

14. A network asset location system comprising:

a mobile application component executable on a mobile device including a camera and a display, the mobile application component configured to receive image data from the camera and display an image on the display identifying one or more network assets identifiable in the image data;

a plurality of identifiers associated with the one or more network assets, the one or more network assets each positioned at a known location relative each of the plurality of identifiers; and

an asset management tracking engine configured to receive the image data and generate the overlay information, the overlay information including an identification of a location of at least one of the one or more network assets within the image.

15. The network asset location system of claim 14, wherein the image on the display includes overlay information including an identification of the one or more network assets.

16. A method of determining information about an asset using an application executing on a mobile device having a camera and a display, the method comprising:

capturing image data of a network asset using the camera of the mobile device, the image data including information regarding a plurality of identifiers associated with the network asset and positioned at a predetermined location relative to the network asset; and

displaying an image including overlay information identifying the network asset and a location of the network asset within the image.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein displaying the image occurs concurrently with capturing image data of the network asset.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein the image data comprises video data.

19. The method of claim 16, wherein the overlay information includes instructions for configuring the network asset.

20. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

transmitting the image data to a network asset management engine remote from the mobile device; and

receiving the overlay information from the network asset management engine.

21. The method of claim 16, further comprising receiving feedback from a user of the mobile device indicating a modification to a configuration of the network asset.

22. The method of claim 16, further comprising, upon receiving selection of the asset by a user, displaying information describing the asset on the display, the information including asset identification information.

23. The method of claim 16, further comprising receiving at the display instructions defining a work order associated with the asset.

24. The method of claim 16, wherein the overlay information includes error information associated with the asset.

25. A method of determining an asset location using a network asset management engine, the method comprising:

receiving image data including image data relating to a network asset, the image data also including information regarding a plurality of identifiers associated with the network asset and positioned at a predetermined location relative to the network asset;

determining an identity of the network asset based at least in part on recognition of the plurality of identifiers and a relative position of the network asset relative to the plurality of identifiers in the image data; and

generating overlay information identifying a location and an identity of the network asset in the image data.

26. The method of claim 25, further comprising transmitting the overlay information for display to a user.

27. The method of claim 25, wherein the plurality of identifiers are selected from a group of identifiers consisting of:

light emitting diodes strobing at a predetermined rate to communicate an identification code;

bar codes;

liquid crystal displays;

QR codes; and

unique images.