Back to results
US 7,478,758 B2Granted
Method and apparatus for automatically tracking and communicating data storage device information using RF tags: operating condition, configuration and location
AssigneeLSI Corporation
InventorJames Pate
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
The present invention is directed to a method and apparatus for automatically tracking and communicating data storage device information using RF (radio frequency) tags. An apparatus includes a data storage device and a RF tag attached to the data storage device, wherein the RF tag contains information about the data storage device. Using such an apparatus, assembling, selecting, logging and maintaining a data storage device may be done automatically.
Claims1
A method for tracking and utilizing a data storage device, comprising:
- tracking a physical location of said data storage device based on a RF tag placed on said data storage device before said data storage device reaches a customer;
- entering information about said data storage device into a database through reading said RF tag when the customer receives said data storage device from a manufacturer;
- storing said data storage device in an inventory based on said RF tag;
- retrieving said data storage device from said inventory based on said RF tag;
- placing said data storage device into service based on said RF tag;
- and
- communicating a location and hardware and software configuration information of said data storage device to said manufacturer via the RF tag and a remote monitoring system utilizing an electronic data interchange (EDI), the remote monitoring system being outfitted with an RF reader;
- wherein said RF tag contains the hardware and software configuration information about said data storage device, and said data storage device is a drive tray or a controller.
5 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.