Remote device location identification

• US 9,633,555 B2
• Filed: 09/27/2010
• Issued: 04/25/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 09/27/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Machireddy, Ramana R, Mansur, Vishal R, Ochs, Matthew Ryan
• Primary Examiner(s): Zimmerman, Brian
• Assistant Examiner(s): MCCORMACK, THOMAS S
• Application Number:
  US12/891,102
• Publication Number:
  US 20120075066A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,402 Days
• Field of Search: 340 81, 340 91, 340 911, 340 1223, 340 1229, 709206
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 17/00 Arrangements for transmitting signals characterised by the use of a wireless electrical link
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 21/00 Systems for transmitting the position of an object with respect to a predetermined reference system, e.g. tele-autographic system

Abstract

A method, system, and computer usable program product for remote device location identification are provided in the illustrative embodiments. A command to identify a remote device is received, at the remote device in a data processing environment. The command is included in a predetermined communication directed to the remote device. A determination is made whether the command is supported at the remote device. The remote device is identified by transmitting an identification of a location associated with the remote device.

Claims

1. A computer implemented method for remote device location identification, the computer implemented method comprising:

receiving, at a remote device in a data processing environment, a command to identify the remote device, the command being included in a predetermined communication directed to the remote device, wherein the predetermined communication is to cause another operation distinct from the identification of the remote device, wherein the command is embedded in a first Next page of a link auto-negotiation procedure by setting a set of bits in the first Next page to a first value, wherein setting by the remote device the set of bits in the first Next page to a second value causes the remote device to provide information about a type of identification supported at the remote device, wherein the first Next page is a new page added to a page in the predetermined communication, and wherein the first value and the second value are unused in the link auto-negotiation procedure;

determining, at the remote device, whether the command is supported at the remote device;

setting, by the remote device, responsive to the determining being affirmative, a bit in a second Next page in the link auto-negotiation procedure to indicate support for the command during the link auto-negotiation procedure; and

identifying by the remote device, responsive to the determining being affirmative, the remote device by transmitting an identification of a location associated with the remote device.

2. The computer implemented method of claim 1, further comprising:

performing, at the remote device, the other operation according to the predetermined communication.

3. The computer implemented method of claim 1, wherein the transmitting the identification is activating a physically perceivable identification of a physical location of the remote device at the physical location of the remote device.

4. The computer implemented method of claim 1, wherein the receiving comprises:

detecting a pattern in the predetermined communication, wherein the pattern in a predetermined sequence of transmissions directed to the remote device.

5. The computer implemented method of claim 1, the remote device is a network appliance, and wherein the transmitting the identification is identifying the remote device at the location of the remote device.

6. The computer implemented method of claim 1, wherein the identification identifies a physical location of the remote device.

7. A computer usable program product comprising a non-transitory computer usable storage device including computer usable code for remote device location identification, the computer usable code comprising:

computer usable code for receiving, at a remote device in a data processing environment, a command to identify the remote device, the command being included in a predetermined communication directed to the remote device, wherein the predetermined communication is to cause another operation distinct from the identification of the remote device, wherein the command is embedded in a first Next page of a link auto-negotiation procedure by setting a set of bits in the first Next page to a first value, wherein setting by the remote device the set of bits in the first Next page to a second value causes the remote device to provide information about a type of identification supported at the remote device, wherein the first Next page is a new page added to a page in the predetermined communication, and wherein the first value and the second value are unused in the link auto-negotiation procedure;

computer usable code for determining, at the remote device, whether the command is supported at the remote device;

computer usable code for setting, by the remote device, responsive to the determining being affirmative, a bit in a second Next page in the link auto-negotiation procedure to indicate support for the command during the link auto-negotiation procedure; and

computer usable code for identifying by the remote device, responsive to the determining being affirmative, the remote device by transmitting an identification of a location associated with the remote device.

8. The computer usable program product of claim 7, further comprising:

computer usable code for performing, at the remote device, the other operation according to the predetermined communication.

9. The computer usable program product of claim 7, wherein the transmitting the identification is activating a physically perceivable identification of a physical location of the remote device at the physical location of the remote device.

10. The computer usable program product of claim 7, wherein the receiving comprises:

computer usable code for detecting a pattern in the predetermined communication, wherein the pattern in a predetermined sequence of transmissions directed to the remote device.

11. The computer usable program product of claim 7, the remote device is a network appliance, and wherein the transmitting the identification is identifying the remote device at the location of the remote device.

12. The computer usable program product of claim 7, wherein the identification identifies a physical location of the remote device.

13. The computer usable program product of claim 7, wherein the computer usable code is stored in a non-transitory computer readable storage medium in a data processing system, and wherein the computer usable code is transferred over a network from a remote data processing system.

14. The computer usable program product of claim 7, wherein the computer usable code is stored in a non-transitory computer readable storage medium in a server data processing system, and wherein the computer usable code is downloaded over a network to a remote data processing system for use in a non-transitory computer readable storage medium associated with the remote data processing system.

15. A data processing system for remote device location identification, the data processing system comprising:

a non-transitory storage device, wherein the storage device stores computer usable program code; and

a processor, wherein the processor executes the computer usable program code, and wherein the computer usable program code comprises;

computer usable code for receiving, at a remote device in a data processing environment, a command to identify the remote device, the command being included in a predetermined communication directed to the remote device, wherein the predetermined communication is to cause another operation distinct from the identification of the remote device, wherein the command is embedded in a first Next page of a link auto-negotiation procedure by setting a set of bits in the first Next page to a first value, wherein setting by the remote device the set of bits in the first Next page to a second value causes the remote device to provide information about a type of identification supported at the remote device, wherein the first Next page is a new page added to a page in the predetermined communication, and wherein the first value and the second value are unused in the link auto-negotiation procedure;

computer usable code for determining, at the remote device, whether the command is supported at the remote device;

computer usable code for setting, by the remote device, responsive to the determining being affirmative, a bit in a second Next page in the link auto-negotiation procedure to indicate support for the command during the link auto-negotiation procedure; and

computer usable code for identifying by the remote device, responsive to the determining being affirmative, the remote device by transmitting an identification of a location associated with the remote device.

16. The data processing system of claim 15, further comprising:

computer usable code for performing, at the remote device, the other operation according to the predetermined communication.

17. The data processing system of claim 15, wherein the transmitting the identification is activating a physically perceivable identification of a physical location of the remote device at the physical location of the remote device.

18. The data processing system of claim 15, wherein the receiving comprises:

computer usable code for detecting a pattern in the predetermined communication, wherein the pattern in a predetermined sequence of transmissions directed to the remote device.

19. The data processing system of claim 15, the remote device is a network appliance, and wherein the transmitting the identification is identifying the remote device at the location of the remote device.

20. The data processing system of claim 15, wherein the identification identifies a physical location of the remote device.