Method and system for determining asset disposition using RFID

• US 8,766,779 B2
• Filed: 06/24/2013
• Issued: 07/01/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 12/29/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property II LP (AT&T, Inc.), Shopify Incorporated
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property II LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Gilboy, Christopher P.
• Primary Examiner(s): SYED, NABIL H
• Application Number:
  US13/925,348
• Publication Number:
  US 20130278392A1
• Time in Patent Office: 372 Days
• Field of Search: 340/10.1, 340/10.2, 340/10.3, 340/10.4, 340/10.41, 340/10.42, 340/10.5, 340/10.51, 340/539.1, 340/539.22, 340/540, 235/375, 235/492
• US Class Current: 340/10.4
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10009 sensing by radiation using wavelengths larger than 0.1 mm, e.g. radio-waves or microwaves
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/2402 Electronic Article Surveillance [EAS], i.e. systems using tags for detecting removal of a tagged item from a secure area, e.g. tags for detecting shoplifting mechanical aspects of the tags, e.g. related to locking E05B73/0017; RFID readers G06K7/00; RFID tags G06K19/00; access control systems G07C9/00; anti-theft control in point of sale systems G07G3/003; security seals G09F3/03

Abstract

A system and method of determining a disposition of an electronic device as installed, in-need-of-repair, or in-storage are provided, using Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) devices on the electronic devices and a sensor which detects disposition. Diagnostic test results and locations of installed devices may also be communicated to the RFID associated with the device and provided in a response to an interrogation. Shared memory on the device is integrated with the RFID device to store utilization and health history on the device for later retrieval. The disposition data is provided in a response to an interrogation of each device. Optionally, a communications device on a chassis housing electronic devices provides the disposition and location of all installed devices in response to an interrogation. The device disposition and location information is communicated to the communications device upon installation via a processing unit integral to the chassis.

Claims

1. A method of determining a disposition of an item, comprising:

transmitting, by an interrogating device, an interrogation signal;

receiving, by the interrogating device, a response from a radio frequency identification device in response to the interrogation signal, the response comprising disposition information of the item, wherein the item is an electronic device comprising a circuit pack of a node in a telecommunication network, the disposition information being obtained by the radio frequency identification device from a sensor that is operatively monitoring a signal path of the circuit pack for detecting a presence of a magnetic field, wherein the disposition information includes an operational state of the electronic device, wherein the operational state indicates whether the electronic device is in an installed state; and

wherein, when the operational state indicates that the electronic device is in the installed state, the operational state further indicates whether the electronic device is in one of two states comprising;

an in-use state and in a need-of-repair state, wherein the operational state is determined by monitoring the magnetic field by the sensor.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein a diagnostic test is initiated in response to the transmitting the interrogation signal when the operational state indicates the electronic device is in the installed state to distinguish whether the electronic device is in one of the two states.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

storing the disposition information and a date when the response is received.

4. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

providing details of a failed completion of the diagnostic test in the response.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

reporting the details of the failed completion of the diagnostic test to a technician.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the operational state further includes an in-storage state to indicate that the electronic device has not been installed.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein a location of the electronic device is retrieved, when the operational state of the electronic device is in the installed state, in response to the transmitting the interrogation signal, wherein the location includes at least one of:

a chassis, a bay, a shelf, and a slot in which the electronic device is located.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein information comprising the location and an identification number of the item is stored in a memory provided on the electronic device, if the operational state of the electronic device is in the installed state, and wherein the information that is stored further comprises at least one of:

a date as to when the electronic device was installed, a time as to when the electronic device was installed, a current version of a software loaded on the electronic device, a current version of a firmware loaded on the electronic device, a number of ports used on the electronic device, a record of service history on the electronic device, a measure of utilization of the electronic device, and the operational state of the electronic device.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the item resides in a chassis, the chassis comprising a processing unit and a communications device, the method further comprising:

relaying the identification number, disposition information including the operational state of the electronic device, and the location of the electronic device to the processing unit in response to installing the electronic device in the chassis, the operational state being determined from the sensor, wherein the location includes at least one of;

a chassis, a bay, a shelf, and a slot in which the electronic device is located;

transmitting a second interrogation signal to the communications device; and

receiving a second response from the communications device comprising the identification number, the disposition information, and the location of the electronic device, wherein the second response is obtained from the processing unit in response to the transmitting the second interrogation signal.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the communications device comprises a radio frequency identification device.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the relaying is implemented using a shared memory to communicate between the communications device and the processing unit.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

manually setting the electronic device to the in-need-of-repair state in response to determining that the electronic device needs repair.

13. The method of claim 9, wherein the communications device comprises a wired communications device.

14. The method of claim 9, wherein the communications device comprises a wireless communications device.

15. The method of claim 9, wherein the communications device comprises an operations support systems device.

16. A system for determining a disposition of an electronic device, comprising:

a radio frequency identification device for obtaining the disposition of the electronic device from a sensor and for communicating the disposition of the electronic device to an interrogator, wherein the electronic device comprises a circuit pack of a node in a telecommunication network;

the sensor operatively monitoring a signal path of the circuit pack for detecting a presence of a magnetic field, the sensor for recognizing an operational state of the electronic device based upon whether the presence of the magnetic field is detected, the operational state of the electronic device including an installed state, the recognizing of the operational state further distinguishing whether the electronic device in the installed state is in one of two states comprising;

an in-use state and an in-need-of-repair state; and

a base station comprising an interrogator for collecting from the radio frequency identification device the disposition of the electronic device, wherein the disposition of the electronic device includes the operational state.

17. The system of claim 16, further comprising a computer operatively connected to the base station for storing information including at least one of:

a location of the electronic device, an identification number of the electronic device, a date as to when the electronic device was installed, a time as to when the electronic device was installed, a current version of software loaded on the electronic device, a current version of firmware loaded on the electronic device, a number of ports used on the electronic device, a record of service history on the electronic device, a measure of utilization of the electronic device, and the disposition, and wherein the location of the electronic device includes at least one of;

a chassis, a bay, a shelf, and a slot of the electronic device.

18. The system of claim 16, wherein the radio frequency identification device and the sensor are integrated into the electronic device, the electronic device comprising a processing unit, a shared memory, and a component memory, wherein asset information is shared between the sensor and the processing unit using the shared memory, and wherein the component memory comprises asset information that is stored and historical data for future retrieval.

19. An apparatus for determining a disposition of an item, comprising:

a processor; and

a computer-readable medium storing a plurality of instructions which, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform operations, the operations comprising;

transmitting an interrogation signal;

receiving a response from a radio frequency identification device in response to the interrogation signal, the response comprising disposition information of the item, wherein the item is an electronic device comprising a circuit pack of a node in a telecommunication network, the disposition information being obtained by the radio frequency identification device from a sensor that is operatively monitoring a signal path of the circuit pack for detecting a presence of a magnetic field, wherein the disposition information includes an operational state of the electronic device, wherein the operational state indicates whether the electronic device is in an installed state; and

wherein, when the operational state indicates that the electronic device is in the installed state, the operational state further indicates whether the electronic device is in one of two states comprising;

an in-use state and in a need-of-repair state, wherein the operational state is determined by monitoring the magnetic field by the sensor.

20. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein a location of the electronic device is retrieved, when the operational state of the electronic device is in the installed state, in response to the transmitting the interrogation signal, wherein the location includes at least one of:

a chassis, a bay, a shelf, and a slot in which the electronic device is located.