Asset tracking system for rack-based enclosures

• US 8,837,954 B2
• Filed: 05/25/2011
• Issued: 09/16/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 05/25/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: RF Code Incorporated
• Original Assignee: RF Code Incorporated
• Inventors: Primm, Michael R., Graczyk, Ronald B., Joy, Ryan D., Blackledge, Matthew C.
• Primary Examiner(s): CURS, NATHAN M
• Application Number:
  US13/115,491
• Publication Number:
  US 20110318013A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,210 Days
• Field of Search: 398/156, 398/201, 340/10.52
• US Class Current: 398/156
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/0728 the arrangement being an optical or sound-based communication interface
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/1097 Optical sensing of electronic memory record carriers, such as interrogation of RFIDs with an additional optical interface
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 10/116 Visible light communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 10/501 Structural aspects

Abstract

A system includes a beacon device including a communication strip having a plurality of directed light emitters distributed along the communication strip. The beacon device can transmit a directed light signal via the directed light emitters. The system further includes a tag including a processor, a radio frequency transmitter coupled to the processor, a directed light receiver coupled to the processor, and a lens having first and second major surfaces and a side surface, the tag to receive the directed light signal via the side surface and to transmit a radio frequency tag message via the radio frequency transmitter. The system also includes a radio frequency reader to receive the radio frequency tag message.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

a beacon device including a processor and a communication strip coupled to the processor, the communication strip having an aspect ratio of at least 20 and having a plurality of directed light emitters distributed along the communication strip, the beacon device to transmit a directed light signal via the directed light emitters;

a tag including;

a tag processor;

a transmitter coupled to the tag processor;

a directed light receiver coupled to the tag processor; and

a lens having first and second major surfaces and a side surface, the lens including an internal reflection surface to reflect the directed light signal received though the side surface to the directed light receiver, the tag to receive the directed light signal via the side surface and to transmit a radio frequency tag message via the transmitter; and

a radio frequency reader to receive the radio frequency tag message.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the tag processor is to direct the transmitter to transmit a tag message based at least in part on the directed light signal.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the transmitter is a radio frequency transmitter.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the directed light signal is an infrared signal.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the lens has a disc shape.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the internal reflective surface is conical.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the conical internal reflective surface has a central axis aligned with the directed light receiver.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the directed light receiver includes a variable gain filter.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the lens has a major surface attenuation of at least 30%.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the lens has a side surface transmission of at least 35%.

11. The system of claim 1, further comprising a flexible substrate, the lens coupled to the flexible substrate.

12. The system of claim 11, further comprising an adhesive disposed on one surface of the flexible substrate.

13. The system of claim 1, wherein the processor of the beacon device is to facilitate transmission of a location identifier in a directed light signal via the directed light emitters.

14. The system of claim 1, wherein the directed light emitters include infrared emitters.

15. The system of claim 1, wherein the communication strip extends along a vertical side of a rack.

16. The system of claim 1, wherein the processor of the beacon device is to facilitate transmission of a directed light signal via the directed light emitters of the communication strip.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the processor of the beacon device is to facilitate transmission of a directed light noise via the directed light emitters of the communication strip, the directed light signal having greater strength than the directed light noise.

18. The system of claim 1, further comprising a second communication strip including a plurality of directed light emitters distributed along the second communication strip.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the processor of the beacon device is to facilitate transmission of a directed light signal via the directed light emitters of the second communication strip.

20. The system of claim 18, wherein the processor of the beacon device is to facilitate transmission of a first portion of a directed light signal via the directed light emitters of the communication strip and a second portion of the directed light signal via the directed light emitters of the second communication strip.