On site physical inventory method

• US 7,752,088 B1
• Filed: 05/30/2007
• Issued: 07/06/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 05/29/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Dcvue LLC
• Original Assignee: Joseph Coschera
• Inventors: Coschera, Joseph
• Primary Examiner(s): Gart; Matthew S
• Assistant Examiner(s): Goyea; Olusegun
• Application Number:
  US11/807,755
• Time in Patent Office: 1,133 Days
• Field of Search: 705/28, 235/385, 700/214, 700/215, 700/108, 414/273, 707/3, 312/223.1, 702/182, 702/183, 702/184, 702/185, 455/423, 455/446, 703/22
• US Class Current: 705/28
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders

Abstract

Providing an on site server with a data base and an on site handheld computer/scanner. Comparing and updating location input in the server database through the handheld computer/scanner at the site of physical assets being inventoried. Adding racks and rows of racks and inputting the location of the racks into the handheld computer/scanner. Specifying the location of power supplies and the type of power supplies. Designating rack unit positions and selecting manufacturer/model numbers for rack mounted devices. Entering specifications of rack mounted devices, and inputting floor mounted devices into the handheld computer/scanner. Defining floor mounted devices power connections and updating the handheld computer/scanner.

Claims

1. An on site physical information technology asset inventory method including the steps of:

providing an on site handheld computer with a database containing preliminary site location data;

entering a physical site location data and comparing the preliminary site location data in the database with the physical site location data at the site of the physical assets being inventoried;

adding rows of computer racks, floor mounted devices and computer rack mounted devices to the site;

inputting specific floor location data of the rows of computer racks, floor mounted devices and computer rack mounted devices while simultaneously validating the accuracy of the specific floor location data entered, insuring that the selected specific floor location is not occupied and that the selected floor location position will not cause interference with a previously inventoried device;

storing the information into the database of the handheld computer;

wherein the specific floor location data entered includes data relating to raised floor grid address, X/Y offset values and rotational position;

entering the specific floor location data includes inputting X/Y offset values and other specific data of power sources, and simultaneously validating the specific floor location data and other specific data of such power sources, wherein the other specific data includes a power distribution unit, a power distribution unit'"'"'s power panel, and a power panel'"'"'s circuit breaker selected, and insuring that the previously selected floor location including X/Y offset values is not occupied and that the selected floor location including X/Y offset values will not cause interference with a previously inventoried device, while allowing a user to override such interference;

designating computer rack unit positions while simultaneously validating the computer rack unit positions for insuring that the previously selected rack unit position is not occupied and that any of the selected rack unit positions will not cause interference with a previously inventoried device, while allowing the user to override such interference;

providing a list of predefined manufacturer/model number specifications and then selecting and entering into the database of the handheld computer manufacturer/model number specifications for computer rack mounted devices from the list;

entering and inputting specifications of the computer rack mounted devices into the database of the handheld computer;

providing a user the ability to enter a user defined manufacturer/model number specification into the database of the handheld computer if it is not provided in the predefined list of manufacturer/model number specifications;

defining and inputting rack mounted devices power sources and updating the database of the handheld computer then validating that the power sources selected are not assigned to another floor mounted device and any other device causing warning messages to be displayed, while allowing the user to override such warning messages;

entering and inputting specifications of the floor mounted devices into the database of the handheld computer;

providing the user the ability to enter a user defined manufacturer/model number specification into the database if it is not provided in the predefined list of manufacturer/model number specifications;

defining and inputting floor mounted devices power sources and updating the database of the handheld computer then validating that the power sources selected are not assigned to another floor mounted device and any other device causing warning messages to be displayed, while allowing the user to override such warning messages;

providing an on site server with a server database wherein the server and handheld computer are in communication to synchronize the data between the handheld computer and to the server database; and

updating the server database to conform to the database of the handheld computer.