SYSTEMS AND MEDIA FOR MANAGING ELECTRONIC ASSET TAGS FOR ASSET DEVICES

• US 20080228603A1
• Filed: 06/03/2008
• Published: 09/18/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 05/23/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Krack, James Anthony, Czyszczewski, Joseph Stanley, Lewis, Harry Reese
• Granted Patent: US 7,664,686 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/28
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/08 Logistics, e.g. warehousing, loading or distribution; Inventory or stock management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders

Abstract

Systems, methods, and media for managing electronic asset tags for asset devices are disclosed. Embodiments include a system having one or more asset devices in communication with a network where each asset device has an electronic asset tag, where the electronic asset tag has contents including an asset number associated with the asset device having the electronic asset tag. The system may also include an asset tag manager in communication with the network to access the contents of the electronic asset tags of the one or more asset devices. In a further embodiment, the asset tag manager may be adapted to modify the contents of the electronic asset tags of the one or more asset devices. In another further embodiment, the asset tag manager may be adapted to reload to an asset device the contents of the electronic asset tag of the asset device.

Claims

1. A machine-accessible medium containing instructions effective, when executing in a data processing system, to cause said data processing system to perform operations comprising:

accessing an electronic asset tag of an asset device, the electronic asset tag having contents comprising an asset number;

providing electronic asset tag authorization to the asset device, wherein providing electronic asset tag authorization comprises providing a password, a digital signature, a digital authentication, and an indication of identification; and

after providing electronic asset tag authorization, modifying the contents of the electronic asset tag of the asset device, the operations further comprising;

(i) initializing a connection with the asset device, prior to accessing the electronic asset tag;

(ii) recording the assessed electronic asset tag to a separate device;

(iii) replacing hardware in the asset device, subsequent to the recording of the assessed electronic asset tag to the separate device, wherein the replaced hardware includes at least some contents of the electronic asset tag;

(iv) providing authorization to modify the electronic asset tag, subsequent to replacing the hardware in the asset device; and

(v) reloading the electronic asset tag from the separate device.

2. The machine-accessible medium of claim 1, further comprising after modifying the electronic asset tag, recording an indication of a status for the electronic asset tag.

3. The machine-accessible medium of claim 1, wherein the electronic asset tag comprises one or more of an indication of an owner associated with the asset device, and an indication of a customer associated with the asset device.

4. The machine-accessible medium of claim 1, wherein modifying the contents of the electronic asset tag of the asset device comprises updating the asset number of the asset device.

5. A system for managing asset numbers, the system comprising:

one or more asset devices in communication with a network, the asset devices each having an electronic asset tag, the electronic asset tags having contents comprising an asset number associated with the asset device having the electronic asset tag, wherein electronic asset tag authorization is provided to the one or more asset devices, and wherein providing electronic asset tag authorization comprises providing a password, a digital signature, a digital authentication, and an indication of identification; and

an asset tag manager in communication with the network, the asset tag manager being adapted to access the contents of the electronic asset tags of the one or more asset devices wherein a connection is initialized with a first asset device, prior to accessing a first electronic asset tag of the first asset device, wherein

(i) the assessed first electronic asset tag is recorded to a separate device;

(ii) hardware is replaced in the first asset device, subsequent to the recording of the assessed first electronic asset tag to the separate device;

(iii) the replaced hardware includes at least some contents of the first electronic asset tag;

(iv) authorization is provided to modify the first electronic asset tag, subsequent to replacing the hardware in the first asset device; and

(v) the first electronic asset tag is reloaded to the first asset device from the separate device.

6. The system of claim 5, further comprising a database in communication with the asset tag manager, the database being adapted to store contents of the electronic asset tags.

7. The system of claim 5, wherein one or more of the asset devices are adapted to store the contents of their electronic asset tags in multiple locations within the asset device.

8. The system of claim 5, wherein one or more of the asset devices are adapted to transmit the contents of their electronic asset tags to a backup device.

9. The system of claim 5, wherein the asset tag manager is further adapted to modify the contents of the electronic asset tags of the one or more asset devices.

10. The system of claim 5, wherein the asset tag manager is further adapted to reload to an asset device the contents of the electronic asset tag of the asset device.