Identification of mounting locations of sub-systems in mounting units

• US 6,724,315 B2
• Filed: 01/02/2002
• Issued: 04/20/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 01/02/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Downer, Wayne A.
• Primary Examiner(s): PHAM, TOAN NGOC
• Application Number:
  US10/039,776
• Publication Number:
  US 20030122683A1
• Time in Patent Office: 839 Days
• Field of Search: 340/686.1, 340/686.2, 340/686.4, 340/687, 340/691.1, 340/691.6, 340/517, 340/524, 340/525, 340/545.6, 340/550, 340/555, 340/556, 340/557
• US Class Current: 340/686.1
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 7/1438 Back panels or connecting means therefor; Terminals; Coding means to avoid wrong insertion

Abstract

Identifying the mounting locations of sub-systems in mounting units, such as rack cabinets, is disclosed. A mounting unit has a number of sub-system mounting locations. Each of one or more sub-systems is mounted in a corresponding sub-system mounting location of the cabinet. Each of one or more active indicators has an indicator mounting position on either the mounting unit or one of the sub-systems. Each of one or more sensors has a sensor mounting position similarly on either the mounting unit or one of the sub-systems, and also detects indication from a corresponding active indicator. The active indicators and the sensors cooperatively function to identify the corresponding sub-system mounting location of each sub-system in the mounting unit.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

a mounting unit having a plurality of sub-system mounting locations;

one or more sub-systems, each sub-system mounted in a corresponding sub-system mounting location of the mounting unit;

one or more active indicators, each active indicator having an indicator mounting position on one of the mounting unit and the one or more sub-systems; and

,

one or more sensors, each sensor having a sensor mounting position on one of the mounting unit and the one or more sub-systems, such that each sensor detects indication from a corresponding active indicator,

the one or more active indicators and the one or more sensors cooperatively functioning to identify the corresponding sub-system mounting location of each sub-system in the mounting unit.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the indicator mounting position of each active indicator is on a corresponding sub-system, and the sensor mounting position of each sensor is on the mounting unit.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the indicator mounting position of each active indicator and the sensor mounting position of each sensor is on the mounting unit such that the one or more active indicators and the one or more sensors are organized on the mounting unit as a plurality of active indicator-sensor pairs, the system further comprising one or more reflectors, each reflector mounted on a corresponding sub-system opposite a corresponding active indicator-sensor pair of the mounting unit and reflecting indication from the active indicator of the corresponding pair to the sensor of the corresponding pair.

4. The system of claim 1, where the indicator mounting position of each active indicator is on the mounting unit, and the sensor mounting position of each sensor is on a corresponding sub-system.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein each of the one or more active indicators comprises an optical indicator, and each of the one or more sensors comprises a reflective opto-transducer.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the indicator mounting position of each active indicator and each sensor is one of a surface mounting position and an integrated mounting position.

7. The system of claim 1, further comprising a management console, wherein each active indicator is remotely controllable from the management console.

8. The system of claim 1, further comprising a management console, wherein each sensor is communicatively coupled to the management console.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein each active indicator provides indication upon command from one of the management console and the sensor to which the active indicator corresponds.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein each active indicator provides indication upon command.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein each active indicator provides indication according to a pattern to indicate identifying information.

12. The system of claim 1, wherein each active indicator comprises a controllable reflector.

13. The system of claim 1, wherein the mounting unit comprises a rack cabinet.

14. A method comprising:

indicating by an active indicator mounted on a sub-system mounted in a sub-system mounting location of a mounting unit;

detecting by a sensor mounted on the mounting, unit and associated with the sub-system mounting location of the mounting unit of indication by the active indicator; and

,

associating the sub-system with the sub-system mounting location based on the sensor detecting the indication by the active indicator.

15. The method of claim 14, further initially comprising remotely instructing the active indicator to provide indication through a management console communicatively coupled to the active indicator.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein indicating by the active indicator comprises providing indication according to a pattern to provide identifying information regarding the sub-system.

17. The method of claim 14, wherein associating the sub-system with the sub-system mounting location comprises remotely associating the sub-system with the sub-system mounting location communicatively coupled to the active indicator.

18. An article comprising:

a computer-readable medium; and

,

means in the medium for indicating by an active indicator of an active indicator-sensor pair mounted to a mounting unit for reflection by a reflector mounted on a sub-system mounted in a sub-system mounting location of the mounting unit opposite to the active indicator-sensor pair, and for detecting by a sensor of the active indicator-sensor pair the reflection to associate the sub-system with the sub-system mounting location of the mounting unit.

19. The article of claim 18, wherein the means is further for receiving instruction to provide indication by the active indicator from a remote management console, and for sending information regarding association of the sub-system with the sub-system mounting location to the remote management console.

20. The article of claim 18, wherein the medium is one of a modulated carrier signal and a recordable data storage medium.