Remote inventory of devices

• US 8,063,782 B2
• Filed: 01/22/2007
• Issued: 11/22/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 01/22/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Inventors: Prasad, Chandrodaya, Saville, Roland, Miriyala, Prasad, Howarth, Arthur G.
• Primary Examiner(s): Lee; Benjamin C
• Assistant Examiner(s): TANG, SIGMUND N
• Application Number:
  US11/656,660
• Publication Number:
  US 20080177969A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,765 Days
• Field of Search: 340/572.1, 340/572.4, 340/539.13, 340/5.92, 235375-385, 700/215, 700221-229, 705/22, 705/28, 705/29
• US Class Current: 340/572.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 9/00 Arrangements in telecontrol or telemetry systems for selectively calling a substation from a main station, in which substation desired apparatus is selected for applying a control signal thereto or for obtaining measured values therefrom

Abstract

Mechanisms are provided to inventory groupings of components, e.g., the physical chassis of a networking device as well as the various cards, modules, and/or blades inserted within the chassis. The inventory may be performed remotely. Some implementations also provide mechanisms to determine remotely the physical location of the asset. Preferred implementations of the invention can provide such functionality regardless of whether a main power supply of the physical device is on or off. Some embodiments of the invention employ radio frequency identification (“RFID”) technology.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

a support structure, wherein the support structure comprises a device chassis;

means for communicating with a network, wherein the means for communicating with a network includes a network interface;

a plurality of components of a single network device disposed within the support structure, each of the plurality of components having an associated radio frequency identification (“

RFID”

) tag; and

an RFID reader having a read range approximately corresponding with a volume of the support structure and configured to do the following;

read the RFID tag associated with each of the plurality of components;

aggregate component information from tag reads; and

transmit aggregated component information via the network interface;

wherein the RFID reader is disposed within the device chassis.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a non-volatile memory, wherein the RFID reader is further configured to store component information in the non-volatile memory.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein an operating frequency of the RFID tags is selected for short-range operation such that the read range is approximately corresponding with a volume of the support structure.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the RFID reader comprises an RFID aggregation tag.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the means for communicating with a network comprises a wireless interface.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the means for communicating with a network comprises an active or passive RFID tag.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising means for indicating whether one of the plurality of components of the network device was previously detected when the apparatus was powered on.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the support structure comprises a box.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the RFID reader is further configured to detect a configuration change and query each of the plurality of components when a configuration change is detected.

10. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the read volume enables the RFID reader to read the RFID tag associated with each of the plurality of the components of the network device within the device chassis, but substantially prevents the RFID reader from reading RFID tags associated with components of another network device within another device chassis.

11. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

means for determining whether one of the plurality of components have been removed from the device chassis.

12. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

means for determining whether another component has been added to the device chassis.

13. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

means for determining whether one of the plurality of components have been replaced with a different component.

14. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein an operating frequency or antenna gain of the RFID reader is selected for short-range operation such that the read range is approximately corresponding with a volume of the support structure.

15. An apparatus comprising:

a support structure, wherein the support structure comprises a device chassis;

a plurality of components of a single network device disposed within the support structure, each of the plurality of components having an associated radio frequency identification (“

RFID”

) tag; and

an RFID reader having a read range approximately corresponding with a volume of the support structure and configured to do the following;

read the RFID tag associated with each of the plurality of components;

aggregate component information from tag reads; and

transmit aggregated component information;

wherein the RFID reader is disposed within the device chassis.

16. The apparatus of claim 15, further comprising a main power supply for powering the network device and a battery backup system, wherein the battery backup system is configured for powering the RFID reader when the main power supply is off.

17. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the battery backup system is configured to recharge from the main power supply.

18. The apparatus of claim 15, further comprising a main power supply and a battery backup system for powering the RFID reader when other parts of the apparatus are powered down.

19. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the battery backup system is configured to recharge from the main power supply.

20. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein an operating frequency of the RFID tags is selected for short-range operation such. that the read range is approximately corresponding with a volume of the support structure.

21. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein an operating frequency or antenna gain of the RFID reader is selected for short-range operation such that the read range is approximately corresponding with a volume of the support structure.

22. The apparatus of claim 15, further comprising a processor and a memory configured to indicate whether one of the plurality of components of the network device was previously detected when the apparatus was powered on.

23. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the RFID reader is further configured to detect a configuration change and query each of the plurality of components when a configuration change is detected.

24. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the read volume enables the RFID reader to read the RFID tag associated with each of the plurality of the components of the network device within the device chassis, but substantially prevents the RFID reader from reading RFID tags associated with components of another network device within another device chassis.

25. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the RFID reader comprises an RFID aggregation tag.

26. A method, comprising:

reading by a radio frequency identification (RFID) reader an RFID tag associated with each of a plurality of components of a single network device;

aggregating by the RFID reader component information obtained as a result of reading the RFID tag associated with each of the plurality of components to generate aggregated component information; and

transmitting by the RFID reader the aggregated component information;

wherein the RFID reader and the plurality of components of the single network device are disposed within a support structure, each of the plurality of components having an associated radio frequency identification (“

RFID”

) tag;

wherein the RFID reader has a read range approximately corresponding with a volume of the support structure, wherein the support structure comprises a device chassis.

27. The method of claim 26, further comprising:

indicating whether one of the plurality of components of the network device was previously detected when the apparatus was powered on.

28. The method of claim 26, further comprising:

detecting a configuration change and querying each of the plurality of components when a configuration change is detected.

29. The method of claim 26, further comprising:

determining whether one of the plurality of components has been removed from the device chassis.

30. The method of claim 26, further comprising:

determining whether one of the plurality of components has been replaced with a different component.

36. The method of claim 26, further comprising:

determining whether another component bas been added to the device chassis.

31. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing thereon computer-readable instructions, comprising:

instructions for reading by a radio frequency identification (RFID) reader an RFID) tag associated with each of a plurality of component of a single network device;

instructions for aggregating by the RFTD reader component information obtained as a result of reading the RFID tag associated with each of the plurality of components to generate aggregated component information; and

instructions for transmitting by the RFID reader the aggregated component information;

wherein the RFID reader and the plurality of components of the single network device are disposed within a support structure, each of the plurality of components having an associated radio frequency identification (“

RFID”

) tag;

wherein the RFID reader has a read range approximately corresponding with a volume of the support structure, wherein the support structure comprises a device chassis.

32. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 31, further comprising:

instructions for determining whether one of the plurality of components has been removed.

33. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 31, further comprising:

instructions for determining whether one of the plurality of components has been added.

34. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 31, further comprising:

instructions for determining whether one of the plurality of components has been replaced.

35. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 31, further comprising:

instructions for indicating whether one of the plurality of components of the network device was previously detected when the apparatus was powered on.