Component identification system and method thereof

• US 7,970,509 B2
• Filed: 09/11/2007
• Issued: 06/28/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 09/11/2007
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Original Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Inventors: Posamentier, Joshua
• Primary Examiner(s): NGUYEN, TAN QUANG
• Application Number:
  US11/853,526
• Publication Number:
  US 20090069970A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,386 Days
• Field of Search: 701/29, 701/35, 701/33, 701/2, 705/28, 235/385, 340/539.13, 340/825.49
• US Class Current: 701/29
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders

Abstract

Disclosed are a system and a method for identifying components in an assembly. The system comprises an assembly including one or more components and a power harvesting device, and a reader. The power harvesting device provides power to the one or more components and queries component identification information from the one or more components. The one or more components provide the power harvesting device with the component identification information which is relayed to the reader by the power harvesting device. The system allows determination of the components of the assembly while precluding the need for dismantling the assembly or powering on the assembly to run diagnostic software.

Claims

1. A component identification system comprising:

an assembly, the assembly comprising at least one component and a power harvesting device, the power harvesting device configured to operatively communicate with the at least one component; and

a reader, the reader in operative communication with the power harvesting device;

wherein the power harvesting device is configured to power the at least one component to query the at least one component for component identification information related to the at least one component; and

wherein the power harvesting device is further configured to provide the component identification information received from the at least one component to the reader.

2. The component identification system of claim 1, wherein the power harvesting device is a power harvesting Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) tag.

3. The component identification system of claim 1, wherein the reader is an RFID reader.

4. The component identification system of claim 1, wherein the power harvesting device powers the at least one component and queries the at least one component for the component identification information based on an instruction received from the reader.

5. The component identification system of claim 1, wherein the power harvesting device in the assembly is coupled to an antenna for providing the component identification information from the at least one component to the reader.

6. The component identification system of claim 1, wherein the component identification information from the at least one component in the assembly comprises at least one of a unit level identification, a unit model and a firmware revision.

7. A system for determining components in an assembly, the system comprising:

a power harvesting device, the power harvesting device housed in the assembly and configured to operatively communicate with at least one component in the assembly; and

a reader, the reader in operative communication with the power harvesting device;

wherein the powering harvesting device is configured to power the at least one component to query the at least one component for a component identification information related to the at least one component; and

wherein the power harvesting device is further configured to provide the component identification information received from the at least one component to the reader.

8. A method for determining components in an assembly, the method comprising:

powering at least one component in the assembly, wherein a power harvesting device housed in the assembly powers the at least one component in the assembly;

querying the at least one component in the assembly for component identification information related to the at least one component, wherein the power harvesting device queries the at least one component in the assembly for the component identification information; and

providing the component identification information received by the power harvesting device to a reader.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the power harvesting device is a power harvesting RFID tag.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the reader is an RFID reader.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein the power harvesting device powers the at least one component and queries the at least one component for the component identification information based on an instruction received from the reader.

12. The method of claim 8, wherein the power harvesting device provides the component identification information received from the at least one component to the reader using an antenna coupled to the power harvesting device.