Electronic device having infrared light-emitting diode for data transmission
AssigneeWestern Digital Technologies, Inc.
InventorsJeff Furlong, Dean M. Jenkins
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An electronic device may be provisioned with an infrared (IR) light-emitting diode (LED) configured to externally transmit identifying information that particularly identifies the device, such as the device serial number, to outside of the device. A companion portable IR LED reader may be used to systematically scan a row or shelf or rack of electronic devices to read the respective communication signals transmitted from each of the respective devices, thereby enabling quick and accurate physical identification of the devices in a system/datacenter and inhibiting the unnecessary removal of an incorrect or misidentified device for replacement.
Claims20
A data storage system comprising:
- a plurality of data storage drives in the form of hard disk drives and/or solid-state drives and/or hybrid drives, each data storage drive comprising:
- an infrared (IR) light-emitting diode (LED) configured to externally transmit identifying information established by the data storage drive manufacturer to particularly identify the data storage drive.
A communication system comprising:
- a plurality of data storage drives in the form of hard disk drives and/or solid-state drives and/or hybrid drives, each data storage drive comprising:
- an infrared (IR) light-emitting diode (LED) configured to transmit to outside of the data storage drive a carrier wave signal carrying a payload comprising identifying information from the manufacturer that particularly identifies the data storage drive;
- and
- a portable IR receiver comprising:
- a light funnel configured to avoid interference from neighboring data storage drives.
A communication system comprising:
- a plurality of data storage drives in the form of hard disk drives and/or solid-state drives and/or hybrid drives, data storage drive comprising:
- means for transmitting from the data storage drive an infrared (IR) carrier wave signal carrying a payload comprising serial number information that particularly identifies the data storage drive;
- and
- portable means for receiving the carrier wave signal from the data storage drive and respective carrier wave signals carrying payloads comprising serial number information that particularly identifies neighboring data storage drives.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.