Systems, methods, and devices for documenting a location of installed equipment

• US 9,414,192 B2
• Filed: 09/21/2015
• Issued: 08/09/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 12/21/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Corning Optical Communications LLC (Corning Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Corning Optical Communications Wireless Ltd. (Corning Incorporated)
• Inventors: Berlin, Igor, Hazani, Ami
• Primary Examiner(s): Tarcza, Thomas
• Assistant Examiner(s): Dunn, Alex C
• Application Number:
  US14/859,542
• Publication Number:
  US 20160014558A1
• Time in Patent Office: 323 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/10 Position of receiver fixed by co-ordinating a plurality of position lines defined by path-difference measurements , e.g. omega or decca systemsG01S5/12 takes precedence ; beacons and receivers cooperating therewith G01S1/306, G01S1/308
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 17/40 Data acquisition and logging for input to computer G06F3/00
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10366 the interrogation device being adapted for miscellaneous applications
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10792 Special measures in relation to the object to be scanned
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/08 Logistics, e.g. warehousing, loading or distribution; Inventory or stock management
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 16/18 Network planning tools
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information

Abstract

A system, and related methods and devices, is disclosed for documenting a location of installed equipment. The system includes a mobile reader and a memory. The mobile reader is configured to read a unique identification of an equipment unit and to determine a location of the equipment unit while proximate the equipment unit. The location and the unique identification of the equipment unit is associated and stored in the memory. The memory may be located in the mobile reader or in a remotely located database. The mobile reader may be an optical reader configured to read the unique identification from an optical barcode associated with the equipment unit, or the mobile reader may be an RFID reader configured to read the unique identification from an RFID tag associated with the equipment unit.

Claims

1. A method of documenting a location of installed equipment, comprising:

reading a unique identification of at least one equipment unit using a mobile reader while the mobile reader is proximate the equipment unit;

determining a location of the equipment unit using the mobile reader while the mobile reader is proximate the equipment unit;

associating the location of the equipment unit with the unique identification of the equipment unit;

transmitting the unique identification and the location of the equipment unit to a database remotely located from the mobile reader and the equipment unit;

storing the unique identification and the location of the equipment unit in the database; and

using the stored unique identification and location to generate a floor plan showing the location of the equipment unit on the floor plan.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising showing a connectivity of a plurality of equipment units on the floor plan, wherein an associated location and unique identification of each equipment unit of the plurality of equipment units are shown on the floor plan.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the mobile reader is an optical reader, and the reading a unique identification comprises reading the unique identification from an optical barcode associated with the equipment unit.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the mobile reader is an RFID reader, and the reading a unique identification comprises reading the unique identification from an RFID tag associated with the equipment unit.

5. The method of claim 2, wherein the determining a location of the equipment units comprises using the mobile reader to obtain the locations from a digitized floor plan, wherein the digitized floor plan comprises one or more optical codes for each room and/or location, wherein the method further comprises:

installing the digitized floor plan on a device; and

using the mobile reader to read the one or more optical codes from the digitized floor plan installed on the device.

6. A method of documenting a location of installed equipment, comprising:

reading a unique identification of an equipment unit using a mobile reader while the mobile reader is proximate the equipment unit;

determining a location of the equipment unit by an indoor location method using the mobile reader while the mobile reader is proximate the equipment unit, the indoor location method comprising;

receiving signals at the mobile reader from one or more indoor wireless transceivers;

analyzing, at the reader, the signals using a location determination technique; and

determining, at the reader, the location based on the analyzing of the signals; and

associating the location of the equipment unit with the unique identification of the equipment unit.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the indoor wireless transceivers are WiFi transceivers and the signals are WiFi signals.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein the location determination technique is selected from a group comprising angle of arrival, time of arrival, and time differential of arrival.

9. The method of claim 6, wherein the mobile reader is an optical reader, and the reading a unique identification comprises reading the unique identification from an optical barcode associated with the equipment unit.

10. The method of claim 6, wherein the mobile reader is an RFID reader, and the reading a unique identification comprises reading the unique identification from an RFID tag associated with the equipment unit.

11. A method of documenting a location of installed equipment, comprising:

reading a unique identification of an equipment unit using a mobile reader while the mobile reader is proximate the equipment unit;

determining a location of the equipment unit by an indoor location method using the mobile reader while the mobile reader is proximate the equipment unit, the indoor location method comprising;

transmitting signals from the mobile reader;

receiving the signals at one or more indoor wireless transceivers;

analyzing, at the one or more indoor wireless transceivers, the received signals using a location determination technique to get a location analysis;

transmitting the location analysis from the one or more indoor wireless transceivers to a location server;

determining, at the location server, the location of the equipment unit based on the location analysis received from the one or more indoor wireless transceivers; and

transmitting the location of the equipment unit to the mobile reader; and

associating the location of the equipment unit with the unique identification of the equipment unit.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the indoor wireless transceivers are WiFi transceivers and the signals are WiFi signals.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein the mobile reader is an optical reader, and the reading a unique identification comprises reading the unique identification from an optical barcode associated with the equipment unit.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein the mobile reader is an RFID reader, and the reading a unique identification comprises reading the unique identification from an RFID tag associated with the equipment unit.