# US 10,319,211 B2 · Visible indication of a port as configured to management functionality

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- Number: US 10,319,211 B2
- Document ID: US10319211B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 15/774,687
- Filed: 2015-11-11
- Published: 2018-11-08
- Granted: 2019-06-11
- Earliest claimed: 2015-11-11
- Assignees: Hewlett Packard Enterprise Development LP
- Applicants: Hewlett Packard Enterprise Development LP
- Inventors: Min-Lung Ke; Peter Liao; Chun-Hua Huang; Chih-Chieh Wang; Yi-Hsun Chen
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10319211B2

## CPC

- G08B 21/18: Status alarms (G08B21/02 takes precedence)
- G06F 11/006: {Identification (G06F11/2289 takes precedence)}
- G06F 11/3031: {where the computing system component is a motherboard or an expansion card}
- G06F 11/325: {by lamps or LED's}
- G06F 11/328: {Computer systems status display (G06F11/327 takes precedence)}
- G08B 5/36: using visible light sources
- H04L 41/24: {using dedicated network management hardware}
- H04L 69/14: Multichannel or multilink protocols
- G08B: SIGNALLING SYSTEMS, e.g. PERSONAL CALLING SYSTEMS; ORDER TELEGRAPHS; ALARM SYSTEMS
- G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N)
- H04L: TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION (arrangements common to telegraphic and telephonic communication H04M)

## Abstract

Examples herein disclose an apparatus. The apparatus includes a network interface controller (NIC) port to be dedicated to a management functionality of a server. The apparatus also includes a light emitting diode (LED), coupled to the NIC port, to provide a visible indication that the NIC port is dedicated to the management functionality of the server.

## Claims

### Claim 1

An apparatus comprising:
a network interface controller (NIC) port adaptable to be dedicated to a management functionality of a server; and
a light emitting diode (LED), coupled to the NIC port, adaptable to provide a visible indication that the NIC port is configured for the management functionality of the server.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The apparatus of claim 1 comprising:
an LED driver, coupled to the LED, adaptable to provide a control signal to the LED for performance of the visible indication.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The apparatus of claim 1 wherein to provide the visible indication that the NIC port to be dedicated to the management functionality of the server, the LED is adaptable to:
output a pattern indicative of the management functionality, wherein if the NIC port is dedicated to a different functionality, the LED provides a different pattern indicative of the different functionality.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the LED is further adaptable to provide a visible indication of the NIC port connection status.

### Claim 5

A method comprising:
receiving a control signal, by a light emitting diode (LED), from an LED driver; and
performing a visual indication by the LED that a network interface card (NIC) port, coupled to the LED, is dedicated to a management functionality of a server.

### Claim 6 (depends on 5)

The method of claim 5 wherein the LED performs a different visual indication to indicate the NIC port is dedicated to a different functionality.

### Claim 7 (depends on 5)

The method of claim 5 comprising:
performing a different visual indication to represent a network connectivity status of the NIC port;
receiving an interrupt signal; and
performing the visual indication by the LED that the NIC is dedicated to the management functionality.

### Claim 8 (depends on 5)

The method of claim 5 comprising:
receiving a request for the LED to perform the visual indication to indicate that the NIC port is dedicated to the management functionality of the server.

### Claim 9

A system comprising:
a light emitting diode (LED) driver adaptable to:
receive an interrupt signal;
transmit a control signal to an LED based on the interrupt signal; and
the LED, coupled to a network interface card (NIC) port, adaptable to:
visibly indicate a network status of the NIC port;
receive the control signal from the LED driver; and
visibly indicate the NIC port is dedicated to a management functionality of the system based on receipt of the control signal.

### Claim 10 (depends on 9)

The system of claim 9 comprising:
a button, coupled to the NIC port, adaptable to transmit the interrupt signal.

### Claim 11 (depends on 9)

The system of claim 9 comprising:
a programmable logic device (PLD), coupled to the LED driver, adaptable to:
receive an input requesting a status on the NIC port; and
transmit a signal to the LED driver for the NIC port to visibly indicate the NIC port is dedicated to the management functionality of the system.

### Claim 12 (depends on 11)

The system of claim 11 comprising:
a communication bus adaptable to interface between the PLD and the LED driver.

### Claim 13 (depends on 9)

The system of claim 9 wherein the LED is adaptable to perform a different visual indication to indicate the NIC port is dedicated to a different functionality other than the management functionality.

### Claim 14 (depends on 9)

The system of claim 9 wherein to visibly indicate whether the NIC port is dedicated to the management functionality of the system, the LED is adaptable to perform a fade on fade off pattern to indicate the NIC port is dedicated to the management functionality.

### Claim 15 (depends on 9)

The system of claim 9 further comprising:
multiple NIC ports to provide different functionalities other than the management functionality.