Network device management using an RFID system

• US 9,137,589 B2
• Filed: 09/19/2008
• Issued: 09/15/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 09/20/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: II-VI Delaware, Inc. (Coherent Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Finisar Corporation (II-VI Incorporated)
• Inventors: Noble, Gayle L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Lim, Steven
• Assistant Examiner(s): Yacob, Sisay
• Application Number:
  US12/234,375
• Publication Number:
  US 20090079544A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,552 Days
• Field of Search: 340/10.1, 340/572.4, 340/539.1, 340/541, 235/385, 709/203, 600/437, 439/49, 422/119, 348/143, 455/41.2
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2209/47 using RFID associated with sensors
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2209/753 where the polling of the sub-stations is synchronous
• 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

Network device management using an RFID system. In one example embodiment, a method of determining the status of a network device may include communicating between a host computing device and a network device, communicating between the host computing device and an RFID reader, storing one or more status parameters of the network device in an RFID tag that is coupled to the network device, sending an interrogation signal from the RFID reader to an RFID tag, receiving the one or more status parameters from the RFID tag at the RFID reader, receiving the one or more status parameters from the RFID reader at the host computing device, storing the one or more status parameters in a database at the host computing device, and displaying the one or more status parameters to a user that is located remote from the predetermined location of the network device.

Claims

1. A method of controlling access to a network, the method comprising:

detecting that a new network device is attempting to communicate with an established network device over a wide area network;

communicating between a host computing device and an RFID reader over the wide area network, the RFID reader being physically positioned within radio frequency communication range of a location of the new network device;

sending an interrogation signal from the RFID reader to an RFID tag that is coupled to the new network device;

receiving a parameter corresponding to the new network device from the RFID tag at the RFID reader in response to the interrogation signal;

receiving the parameter from the RFID reader at the host computing device;

analyzing the parameter to determine whether the new network device is technologically compatible with the established network device;

granting access to the new network device to communicate with the established network device if it is determined that the new network device is technologically compatible with the established network device; and

denying access to the new network device to communicate with the established network device if it is determined that the new network device is not technologically compatible with the established network device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the parameter corresponding to the new network device includes a serial number of the new network device.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the parameter corresponding to the new network device includes a device type of the new network device.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the parameter corresponding to the new network device includes a device manufacturer of the new network device.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the new network device is a probe and the established network device is a rover.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

in response to receiving the parameter at the host computing device, determining that the new network device is currently located at the predetermined location.

7. A method of determining the status of a network device, the method comprising:

communicating between a host computing device and a network device over a wide area network;

communicating between the host computing device and an RFID reader over the wide area network, the RFID reader being physically positioned within radio frequency communication range of a predetermined location of the network device;

storing one or more status parameters of the network device in an RFID tag that is coupled to the network device, the one or more status parameters including a unique identifier of an additional network device with which the network device is currently in communication;

sending an interrogation signal from the RFID reader to an RFID tag that is coupled to the network device;

receiving the one or more status parameters from the RFID tag at the RFID reader in response to the interrogation signal;

receiving the one or more status parameters from the RFID reader at the host computing device;

storing the one or more status parameters in a database at the host computing device; and

displaying the one or more status parameters to a user that is located remote from the predetermined location of the network device.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

detecting an inadvertent communication failure between the host computing device and the network device over the wide area network; and

in response to receiving the one or more status parameters at the host computing device, determining that the inadvertent communication failure is not due to the network device having gone missing from the predetermined location of the network device.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein the network device is a probe.

10. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

in response to receiving the one or more status parameters at the host computing device, determining that the network device is currently located at the predetermined location.

11. The method of claim 7, wherein:

the one or more status parameters further include a current physical location of the network device.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein:

the one or more status parameters further include a current environmental condition at the current physical location of the network device.