Method and apparatus for RF access to system ID and fault information

• US 7,230,520 B2
• Filed: 05/03/2004
• Issued: 06/12/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 05/03/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Dell Products LP (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Dell Products LP (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Inventors: Zaretsky, Lee, Szeszycki, Roman
• Primary Examiner(s): Zimmerman; Brian
• Application Number:
  US10/838,066
• Publication Number:
  US 20050242925A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,135 Days
• Field of Search: 340/10.1, 340/10.41, 340/5.61, 340/5.74, 340/539.24, 340/572.1
• US Class Current: 340/10.1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/0706 the processing taking place on a specific hardware platform or in a specific software environment
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/0772 Means for error signaling, e.g. using interrupts, exception flags, dedicated error registers

Abstract

A method and apparatus for RF access to system identification and fault information includes storing system information in a computer component forming a part of an information handling system, receiving a request for at least a portion of the system information via a radio frequency identification (“RF”) transponder link, and automatically transmitting a response from the computer component via the RFID transponder link such that the response includes the portion of the system information.

Claims

1. A method of accessing system information in an information handling system, comprising:

storing system information in a computer component forming a part of an information handling system, wherein the computer component comprises a baseboard management controller (BMC);

receiving a request for at least a portion of the system information via a radio frequency identification (“

RFID”

) transponder link;

after receiving the relayed request, the BMC retrieving the requested system information from a basic input/output system (BIOS) memory of the information handling system via a system bus; and

automatically transmitting a response from the computer component via the RFID transponder link such that the response includes the at least a portion of the retrieved system information.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising automatically processing and relaying the request through a computer programmable logic device (“

CPLD”

) buffer to the computer component in the information handling system via a bus.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising dynamically updating the stored system information in the information handling system.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the BMC is resident on the information handling system and coupled to a central processing unit (CPU) of the information handling system via a system.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising storing a portion of the system information in a memory associated with the RFID transponder link.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the system information stored in the memory includes a current system fault event.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising diagnosing a failure in the information handling system based on the response even if the information handling system is powered down.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving the request further comprises decoding a password included with the request, the password operable to prevent the transmission of the response such that only authorized users may receive the response.

9. An information handling system comprising:

a processor;

a memory communicatively coupled to the processor;

a controller communicatively coupled to the processor via a system bus, the controller operable to access system information of the information handling system; and

a radio frequency identification (“

RFID”

) transponder coupled to the controller via a communication bus, the RFID transponder operable to interface with the controller to obtain at least a portion of the system information.

10. The information handling system of claim 9, further comprising a computer programmable logic device (“

CPLD”

) buffer coupled between the RFID transponder and the controller, the CPLD buffer operable to process a request for a portion of the system information received at the RFID transponder and relay the request to the controller.

11. The information handling system of claim 10, wherein the request includes a password operable to be decoded by the information handling system such that access to the system information is permitting.

12. The information handling system of claim 9, wherein the system information include system identification and system fault events.

13. The information handling system of claim 12, wherein the system fault events comprise a system event log.

14. The information handling system of claim 12, wherein the system identification comprises a piece part identification (“

PPID”

) number.

15. The information handling system of claim 9, further comprising decoding the request with the CPLD buffer.

16. The information handling system of claim 9, wherein the request further comprises system commands for the information handling system.

17. The information handling system of claim 16, wherein the system commands includes a reset command.

18. A system for using a radio frequency (“

RF”

) link to access system information in an information handling system, comprising;

a radio frequency identification (“

RFID”

) transponder forming a part of the information handling system, the RFID transponder operable to receive a request for system information and to transmit a response based on the request;

a controller coupled to the RFID transponder via a bus, the controller operable to dynamically access and to cause the system information to be stored in the information handling system;

an RF reader detached from the information handling system, the RF reader operable to transmit the request for system information and to receive the response via a wireless RF signal with the RFID transponder; and

wherein the controller is a baseboard management controller of the information handling system.

19. The system of claim 18, further comprising a computer programmable logic device (CPLD) buffer operably coupled between the controller and the RFID transponder, the CPLD buffer operable to access the system information via a management bus coupled to the controller such that system information is made available to the RFID transponder for access by a user.

20. The system of claim 18, further comprising:

a password supplied by a user, the password is sent from the RF reader via the wireless RF signal and received by the RFID transponder; and

the password operable to permit the user to access the system information.

21. The system of claim 18, wherein the RF reader further comprises a display operable to provide a “

user-friendly”

output.