Tracking electronic devices

• US 6,796,506 B1
• Filed: 03/10/2003
• Issued: 09/28/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 03/10/2003
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Valtrus Innovations Limited (f/k/a Dolya Holdco 9 Limited) (Key Patent Innovations Limited)
• Original Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Lyon, Geoff M., Patel, Chandrakant D., Pradhan, Salil V.
• Primary Examiner(s): Le, Thien M.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Labaze, Edwyn
• Application Number:
  US10/383,657
• Publication Number:
  US 20040178270A1
• Time in Patent Office: 568 Days
• Field of Search: 235/462.13, 235/385, 235/470, 235/485, 235/487, 235/376, 235/441, 235/375, 235/383, 235/435, 340/10.1, 340/568.2, 340/572.1, 340/572.4, 340/572.7, 340/539.13, 340/10.3, 340/505, 340/5.92
• US Class Current: 235/462.13
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/74 Systems using reradiation of radio waves, e.g. secondary radar systems; Analogous systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 17/00 Methods or arrangements for effecting co-operative working between equipments covered by two or more of main groups G06K1/00 - G06K15/00, e.g. automatic card files incorporating conveying and reading operations
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10079 the collision being resolved in the spatial domain, e.g. temporary shields for blindfolding the interrogator in specific directions

Abstract

Tracking electronic devices that are equipped with tracking tags and that are stored in designated locations. Reading devices are distributed in locations that are recorded and that correspond to the designated locations of the electronic devices. The reading devices are activated to interrogate the tracking tags. Identification data from the tracking tags is collected to enable determining the presence and location of the electronic devices, based on the recorded location of the reading devices.

Claims

1. A method of tracking electronic devices equipped with tracking tags, the electronic devices being housed in bays in a server rack where the bays are provided along a vertical axis of the server rack, said method comprising:

distributing a plurality of reading devices in locations on said server rack corresponding to said bays in said server rack, wherein said server rack is operable to be used in a data center to house said electronic devices;

recording the locations of said plurality of reading devices;

activating said plurality of reading devices and thereby interrogating said tracking tags of said electronic devices present in said bays, wherein said electronic devices are provided in said bays arranged along said vertical axis of said server rack and said tracking tags include radio frequency tracking tags;

collecting identification data from said tracking tags; and

determining at least one of a presence and a location of at least one of said electronic devices based on the collected identification data.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein said distributing step further comprises placing said plurality of reading devices to respectively align with said tracking tags when said electronic devices are docked within said bays of said enclosure.

3. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein said electronic devices include a plurality of types of electronic devices and said method further comprises attaching said tags at approximately the same locations on said electronic devices.

4. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein said recording step comprises storing the locations of said plurality of reading devices in a computer memory.

5. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein said activating step is performed sequentially by said plurality of reading devices comprising at least one of a plurality of radio frequency readers, a plurality of bar code scanners, and a plurality of inductive devices.

6. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein said collecting step is performed sequentially on said tracking tags which comprise at least one of radio frequency tags, bar code tags, or magnet tags.

7. The method as claimed in claim 6, wherein said determining step comprises converting said response signal into said identification data and storing said identification data in a computer memory.

8. A method of tracking a plurality of electronic devices, the electronic devices being housed in a plurality of bays in a server rack where the bays are provided along a vertical axis of the server rack, said method comprising:

tagging said plurality of electronic devices with a plurality of tracking tags, said plurality of tracking tags including radio frequency tracking tags;

providing said server rack having said plurality of bays for receiving said plurality of electronic devices, wherein said server rack is operable to be used in a data center to house said plurality of electronic devices;

distributing a plurality of reading devices in locations corresponding to said plurality of bays;

recording the locations of said plurality of reading devices;

activating said plurality of reading devices and thereby interrogating said plurality of tracking tags of said plurality of electronic devices present in said plurality of bays, wherein said plurality of electronic devices are provided in said bays arranged along said vertical axis of said server rack;

collecting identification data from said plurality of tracking tags; and

determining at least one of the presence and location of said plurality of electronic devices based on said recording and collecting steps.

9. The method as claimed in claim 8, wherein said tagging step comprises associating at least one of a plurality of radio-frequency tags, a plurality of bar code tags, and a plurality of magnetic tags with said plurality of electronic devices.

10. The method as claimed in claim 8, wherein said distributing step comprises placing at least one of a plurality of radio frequency readers, a plurality of bar code scanners, and a plurality of magnetic pickups.

11. The method as claimed in claim 10, wherein said distributing step further comprises placing said plurality of reading devices to respectively align with said plurality of tracking tags when said electronic devices are docked within said bays of said enclosure.

12. The method as claimed in claim 8, wherein said plurality of electronic devices include a plurality of types of electronic devices and said method further comprises attaching said plurality of tracking tags at approximately the same locations on said plurality of electronic devices.

13. The method as claimed in claim 8, wherein said recording step comprises storing the locations of said plurality of reading devices in a computer memory.

14. The method as claimed in claim 8, wherein said activating step comprises sequentially activating said plurality of reading devices which comprise at least one of a plurality of radio frequency readers, a plurality of bar code scanners, and a plurality of magnetic pickups.

15. The method as claimed in claim 8, wherein said collecting step comprises receiving a response signal from at least one of a radio frequency tag, a bar code tag, and a magnetic tag.

16. The method as claimed in claim 15, wherein said determining step comprises converting said response signal into said identification data and storing said identification data in a computer memory.

17. An apparatus for tracking a plurality of electronic devices having a plurality of tracking tags associated therewith, said apparatus comprising:

a server rack having a plurality of bays, said plurality of bays receive said plurality of electronic devices such that said plurality of electronic devices are arranged along a vertical axis of said server rack and said server rack is operable to be used in a data center to house said plurality of electronic devices; and

a plurality of reading devices mounted to said server rack and distributed in correspondence with said plurality of bays, said plurality of reading devices being adapted to interrogate said plurality of tracking tags of said plurality of electronic devices to determine at least one of a presence and a location of at least one of said plurality of electronic devices, said plurality of tracking tags including radio frequency tracking tags.

18. The apparatus as claimed in claim 17, wherein said plurality of reading devices are located such that they respectively align with said plurality of tracking tags when said plurality of electronic devices are docked within said plurality of bays of said server rack.

19. The method as claimed in claim 17, wherein said plurality of electronic devices include a plurality of types of electronic devices and said plurality of tracking tags are attached at approximately the same locations on said plurality of electronic devices.

20. The apparatus as claimed in claim 17, wherein said plurality of electronic devices is a plurality of servers and said plurality of tracking tags are a plurality of radio frequency tags attached to said plurality of electronic devices.

21. The apparatus as claimed in claim 20, wherein said plurality of reading devices are a plurality of daisy-chained radio frequency readers being mounted to an inside wall of said rack.

22. An apparatus for tracking electronic devices, said apparatus comprising:

radio frequency tagging means for tracking said electronic devices;

means for housing said electronic devices in bays, wherein the bays are provided along a vertical axis and said means for housing is operable to house said electronic devices in a data center;

means for reading said radio frequency tagging means, said means for reading being mounted to said means for housing and being distributed in correspondence to said bays;

means for activating said means for reading to interrogate said radio frequency tagging means;

means for collecting identification data from said radio frequency tagging means; and

means for determining at least one of the presence and location of said electronic devices.

23. The apparatus of claim 22, wherein the electronic devices include a plurality of types of electronic devices and said radio frequency tagging means are attached at approximately the same locations on said electronic devices.