Self-monitored active rack
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A system for determining presence of a device, comprising:
- a radio frequency identification (RFID) tag disposed on the device; and
a rack in which the device is maintained, the rack comprising;
an antenna adapted to transmit interrogation signals to the RFID tag, and receive presence signals from the RFID tag; and
a presence and occupancy discovery (pod) unit comprising an RF interrogator and an RF controller, the pod unit adapted to receive and decode the presence signals from the antenna, and to determine the presence of the device in the rack based on the decoded presence signals, and to monitor the continued presence of the device in the rack by directing interrogation signals to be transmitted via the antenna at predetermined times and confirming detection of received presence signals from the device, wherein if a presence signal is not received from the device, the pod unit starts a timer, and if the timer elapses before another presence signal is received from the device, at least one of an indicator is activated, an absence entry is logged in storage, and a warning signal is provided to a central controller.
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Abstract
A radio frequency identification (RFID) tag is used to detect the presence and identification of devices or equipment in a rack. Each device in the rack has an associated RFID tag that contains device information. The system which is implemented in the rack receives the information from the RFID tag on each device in the rack and provides the information to a central location, such as a central computer, where that information can be acted on, stored, processed, analyzed, and/or accessed by a system administrator or user, for example. The system that is implemented in the rack may continue to monitor the presence of the devices in the rack for security purposes.
44 Citations
18 Claims
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1. A system for determining presence of a device, comprising:
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a radio frequency identification (RFID) tag disposed on the device; and a rack in which the device is maintained, the rack comprising; an antenna adapted to transmit interrogation signals to the RFID tag, and receive presence signals from the RFID tag; and a presence and occupancy discovery (pod) unit comprising an RF interrogator and an RF controller, the pod unit adapted to receive and decode the presence signals from the antenna, and to determine the presence of the device in the rack based on the decoded presence signals, and to monitor the continued presence of the device in the rack by directing interrogation signals to be transmitted via the antenna at predetermined times and confirming detection of received presence signals from the device, wherein if a presence signal is not received from the device, the pod unit starts a timer, and if the timer elapses before another presence signal is received from the device, at least one of an indicator is activated, an absence entry is logged in storage, and a warning signal is provided to a central controller. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. A method for determining presence of a device in a rack, comprising:
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receiving a presence signal from at least one radio frequency identification (RFID) tag at a detector comprising an RF controller, the RFID tag disposed on the device, the device maintained in the rack; decoding the presence signals at a presence and occupancy discovery (pod) unit associated with the rack; determining the presence of the device in the rack based on the decoded presence signals; and monitoring the continued presence of the device in the rack by transmitting interrogation signals towards the device at predetermined times and confirming detection of received presence signals from the device, and if a presence signal is not received from the device, starting a timer, and if the timer elapses before another presence signal is received from the device, at least one of activating an indicator, logging an absence entry, and providing a warning signal. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
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Specification