Wireless monitoring for an electronics system

• US 7,737,847 B2
• Filed: 06/30/2005
• Issued: 06/15/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 06/30/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Malone, Christopher Gregory, Larson, Thane Michael
• Primary Examiner(s): Pham; Toan N
• Assistant Examiner(s): MCNALLY, KERRI L
• Application Number:
  US11/171,140
• Publication Number:
  US 20070001807A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,811 Days
• Field of Search: 340/572.1, 340/10.1, 340/572.8, 340/568.1, 340/539.13, 340/539.26, 455/39, 455/41.1, 455/41.2
• US Class Current: 340/572.1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/08 Logistics, e.g. warehousing, loading or distribution; Inventory or stock management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/04 Manufacturing
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 90/30 Computing systems specially adapted for manufacturing

Abstract

A method of monitoring an electronics system comprises providing information regarding at least one parameter of at least one component of the electronics system, and communicating the information from the at least one component to a manager of the electronics system via a wireless communication pathway independent of the electronics system.

Claims

1. A computer comprising:

a chassis supporting a RFID transceiver;

a plurality of RFID transponders;

a plurality of computer components arranged in a predetermined configuration on the chassis, wherein at least some of the respective computer components include a respective one of the RFID transponders adhesively affixed thereon and each respective RFID transponder is independent of the circuitry of the respective computer components, wherein each respective RFID transponder includes;

a sensor configured to detect a component location parameter of the respective computer component, wherein the detected component location parameter indicates a location within the computer of the respective computer component having the respective RFID transponder; and

a memory configured to store, as information, the component location parameter of the respective computer component; and

a component monitor configured to monitor and receive the stored information from the respective RFID transponders via wireless communication between the RFID transceiver and the respective RFID transponders with the wireless communication being independent of circuitry of the computer.

2. The computer of claim 1, wherein the respective computer components comprise at least one of:

a memory;

an input/output unit;

or

a circuit board.

3. The computer of claim 1 wherein each respective RFID transponder comprises a component specification parameter including at least one of:

a serial number parameter;

a release date parameter;

or

an original equipment manufacturer identifier.

4. The computer of claim 1, wherein each respective RFID transponder comprises at least one of:

a humidity sensor;

or

a pressure sensor.

5. The computer of claim 1, and further comprising:

an external computer in communication with the computer and configured to monitor the computer including monitoring of the component location parameter of the at least some respective components of the computer.

6. The computer of claim 2 wherein the computer component further comprises at least one of a central processing unit, a power unit, or a cooling unit.

7. The computer of claim 4, wherein each respective RFID transponder further comprises at least one of:

a power sensor;

or

a component speed sensor.

8. A method of monitoring a computer, the method comprising:

providing a plurality of RFID transponders;

providing a RFID transceiver on a portion of the computer and providing an array of computer components arranged within the computer with at least some of the respective computer components including a respective one of the RFID transponders adhesively affixed thereon, wherein each respective RFID transponder of the respective computer components operates independent of circuitry of the respective computer components;

sensing via each respective RFID transponder, independent of a circuitry of the respective computer component onto which the respective RFID transponder is adhesively affixed, a parameter of the at least some respective computer components, wherein the parameter includes at least one of a component speed parameter, a computer location parameter, or a pressure parameter and storing the respective sensed parameters as information in a memory, wherein the component location parameter is configured to report a location within the computer of the respective computer component having the respective RFID transponder; and

communicating the stored information from the at least some respective computer components to a manager of the computer via a wireless communication pathway from the respective RFID transponders to the RFID transceiver that is independent of circuitry of the computer,

wherein communicating the information comprises;

querying the at least some respective computer components to obtain the information, wherein the stored parameter comprises an origin identifier of each respective computer component; and

comparing the origin identifier of the respective queried computer components against a database of component information to locate maintenance information regarding the respective queried computer components including at least one of warranty information, recall information, and repair information.

9. The method of claim 8, and further comprising:

electronically verifying a predetermined configuration of the computer components of computer via the communicated information independent of a physical inspection of the computer.

10. The method of claim 8 wherein the sensing the parameter of at least some of the computer components further comprises sensing a computer component power parameter.

11. The method of claim 8 wherein each respective RFID transponder is provided as at least one of a card or a label.

12. The method of claim 8, comprising:

providing the computer component as at least one of;

a central processing unit;

a memory;

a circuit board;

a power unit;

an input/output unit;

or

a cooling unit.

13. A server comprising:

a plurality of server components arranged in a predetermined configuration on a chassis as a server;

a RFID transceiver disposed on the chassis;

an array of RFID transponders in wireless communication with the RFID transceiver, wherein at least some of the respective server components include a respective one of the RFID transponders adhesively affixed thereon, and wherein each RFID transponder is independent of the circuitry of the respective server components and includes;

a sensor configured to detect a server component location parameter of the respective server component, wherein the server component location parameter indicates a location, within the server, of the respective server component having the respective RFID transponder; and

a memory configured to store the sensed server component location parameter as information; and

a server manager in communication with the RFID transceiver and including a component monitor configured to monitor and receive the stored information regarding the server component location parameter of the at least some respective server components via wireless communication between the RFID transceiver and the respective RFID transponders, with the wireless communication being independent of circuitry of the server, the component monitor including;

a query function configured to query the at least some respective server components to obtain the stored information, wherein the stored information also comprises an origin identifier of each respective server component; and

a compare function configured to compare the origin identifier of the respective queried server components against a database of component information to locate maintenance information regarding the respective queried server components, wherein the maintenance information includes at least one of warranty information, recall information, or repair information.

14. The server of claim 13 wherein the server component comprises at least one of a memory, a circuit board, or an input/output unit.

15. The server of claim 14 wherein at least some of the respective server components include:

a specification parameter stored in the memory of the respective RFID transponder and configured to provide information about a specification of the at least one server component, the specification parameter including at least one of a component type parameter, an origin identifier, and a configuration identifier.

16. The server of claim 13 wherein the sensor of each respective RFID transponder is configured to detect at least one of a component speed parameter or a component power consumption parameter.

17. The server of claim 13 wherein each respective RFID transponder is configured as at least one of a label or a card removably affixed to the respective server component.

18. The server of claim 13 wherein the server component further comprises at least one of a central processing unit, a power unit, or a cooling unit.

19. A method of monitoring a computer, the method comprising:

providing a plurality of RFID transponders;

providing a RFID transceiver on a portion of the computer and providing an array of computer components arranged within the computer with at least some of the respective computer components including a respective one of the RFID transponders adhesively affixed thereon, wherein each respective RFID transponder of the respective computer components operates independent of circuitry of the respective computer components;

sensing via each respective RFID transponder, independent of a circuitry of the respective computer component onto which the respective RFID transponder is adhesively affixed, a component location parameter of the respective computer component having the respective RFID transponder;

storing the sensed component location parameter as information in a memory, wherein the sensed component location parameter is configured to report a location within the computer of the respective computer component; and

communicating the stored information from the respective computer components to a manager of the computer via a wireless communication pathway from the respective RFID transponders to the RFID transceiver that is independent of circuitry of the computer,

wherein communicating the information comprises;

querying the respective computer components to obtain the information, wherein the stored parameter comprises an origin identifier of each respective computer component; and

comparing the origin identifier of the respective queried computer components against a database of component information to locate maintenance information regarding the respective queried computer components including at least one of warranty information, recall information, or repair information.