Asset tracking system for rack-based enclosures

• US 9,704,086 B2
• Filed: 08/14/2014
• Issued: 07/11/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 05/25/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: RF Code Incorporated
• Original Assignee: RF Code Incorporated
• Inventors: Primm, Michael, Graczyk, Ronald, Joy, Ryan, Blackledge, Matthew
• Primary Examiner(s): CURS, NATHAN M
• Application Number:
  US14/460,354
• Publication Number:
  US 20140356000A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,062 Days
• 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 beacon device comprising:

a mounting to secure the beacon device in a server rack;

a processor;

a door sensor coupled to the processor to detect a state of a server rack door of the server rack; and

a communication strip coupled to the processor, the communication strip having a strip aspect ratio of at least 20, the communication strip including a plurality of directed light emitters distributed along the communication strip.

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

3. The beacon device of claim 1, wherein the communication strip extends along a vertical side of the server rack.

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

5. The beacon device of claim 4, wherein the processor 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.

6. The beacon device of claim 1, wherein the directed light emitters include terminal ends of optical fibers.

7. The beacon device of claim 6, further comprising an infrared emitter connected to an opposite terminal end of the optical fibers.

8. The beacon device of claim 1, wherein the directed light emitters include infrared emitters.

9. The beacon device of claim 1, further comprising a channel guide, the communication strip disposed in the channel guide.

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

11. The beacon device of claim 10, wherein the processor is to facilitate transmission of a directed light signal via the directed light emitters of the second communication strip.

12. The beacon device of claim 10, wherein the processor 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.

13. The beacon device of claim 10, wherein the first communication strip extends along a first vertical edge of a server rack and the second communication strip extends along a second edge of the server rack.

14. The beacon device of claim 1, further comprising a communication interface.

15. A method to transmit a directed light signal, the method comprising:

transmitting a directed light noise via directed light emitters distributed along a communication strip of a beacon device disposed within a server rack, the beacon device comprising;

a mounting to secure the beacon device in the server rack;

a processor;

a door sensor coupled to the processor to detect a state of a server rack door of the server rack; and

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

transmitting a directed light signal via the directed light emitters distributed along the communication strip, the directed light signal having greater strength than the directed light noise.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising transmitting a second directed light signal via a second communication strip while the communication strip is transmitting directed light noise, the second directed light signal transmitting the same data as the directed light signal.

17. The method of claim 15, further comprising transmitting a second directed light signal via a second communication strip, the directed signal including a first portion of an identification code and the second directed light signal including a second portion of the identification code, the first and second portions of the identification code in combination constituting a complete identification code.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising transmitting an error correction bit or checksum in the directed light signal or the second directed light signal.

19. A system comprising:

a server rack to mount information technology assets, the server rack including a server rack door; and

a beacon device mounted in the server rack, the beacon device including;

a processor;

a door sensor coupled to the processor to detect a state of the server rack door of the server rack; and

a communication strip coupled to the processor, the communication strip including a plurality of directed light emitters distributed along the communication strip, the communication strip extending along a vertical edge of the server rack.