IP Library Granted Patent US 9,379,781
Granted Patent B1
US 9,379,781 · App. 14/642,834 · Granted Jun 28, 2016

Server inventory of non-electronic components

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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 9,379,781
App. No.
14/642,834
Granted
Jun 28, 2016
Kind
B1
Abstract

A system contains one or more non-electronic components, each of which has a near field communication (NFC) identification chip attached thereon and/or associated therewith. A non-electronic component inventory controller identifies the non-electronic components in the system by interrogating the NFC identification chips with an NFC electromagnetic field that is emitted an NFC electromagnetic field emitter.

Claims (33)

1. A system comprising:

one or more non-electronic components, each having a unique Near Field Communication (NFC) identification chip affixed thereto;

an NFC emitter; and

a non-electronic component inventory controller, wherein the system is a blade server within a blade chassis, wherein the non-electronic components are in the blade server, and wherein the non-electronic components are one or more components from a group consisting of a server cover, a heat sink on a processor, an air duct, and a chip slot filler.

2. The system of claim 1 , further comprising:

comparison logic that compares a table of all potential non-electronic components that are designed to be components of the system with non-electronic components that are identified by the NFC identification chips as actually being present within the system; and

a fault message generator, wherein the fault message generator generates a fault message on a display in response to the designed components of the system failing to match the non-electronic components that are identified by the NFC identification chips.

3. The system of claim 1 , further comprising:

a management controller, wherein the management controller manages electronic and non-electronic components within the system, and wherein the non-electronic component inventory controller is a component of the management controller.

4. The system of claim 1 , further comprising:

an enclosure around the system, wherein an NFC electromagnetic field generated by the NFC emitter is confined within the enclosure.

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein the NFC identification chips are NFC dots.

6. A method of inventorying non-electronic components of an electronic device, the method comprising:

receiving, by a Near Field Communication (NFC) receiver within a non-electronic component inventory controller, an identification signal, wherein the identification signal is generated by an NFC identification chip, wherein the NFC identification chip is affixed to a specific non-electronic component within an electronic device, and wherein the identification signal is generated in response to an NFC electromagnetic field inducing a current in the NFC identification chip to cause a transmission of the identification signal from the NFC identification chip; and

inventorying, by a non-electronic component inventory controller, non-electronic components of the electronic device according to received identification signals, wherein the electronic device is a blade server within a blade chassis, wherein the non-electronic components are in the blade server, and wherein the non-electronic components are one or more components from a group consisting of a server cover, a heat sink on a processor, an air duct, and a chip slot filler.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein the NFC electromagnetic field is emitted from an NFC electromagnetic field emitter.

8. The method of claim 6 , further comprising:

storing, by the non-electronic component inventory controller, identities of the non-electronic components identified by NFC identification chips in a first table, wherein the first table identifies all electronic components within the electronic device that are designed to be coupled to particular non-electronic components.

9. The method of claim 8 , further comprising:

comparing, by the non-electronic component inventory controller, the first table with a second table that contains identities of non-electronic components that are designed components of the electronic device; and

generating, by a fault message generator, a fault message on a display in response to the first table failing to match the second table.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein the electronic device is being assembled on an assembly line, and wherein the method further comprises:

transmitting the fault message to the assembly line, wherein the fault message identifies a missing non-electronic component and an electronic component to which the missing non-electronic component is to be coupled with.

11. The method of claim 6 , wherein the NFC electromagnetic field is confined within the enclosure around the electronic device.

12. The method of claim 6 , wherein NFC identification chips are NFC dots.

13. A computer program product for inventorying non-electronic components in an electronic device, the computer program product comprising a computer readable storage medium having program code embodied therewith, wherein the computer readable storage medium is not a transitory signal per se, and wherein the program code is readable and executable by a processor to perform a method comprising:

emitting, from a Near Field Communication (NFC) electromagnetic field emitter within a non-electronic component inventory controller, an NFC electromagnetic field, wherein the non-electronic component inventory controller inventories non-electronic components of the electronic device, wherein the electronic device is a blade server within a blade chassis, wherein the non-electronic components are in the blade server, and wherein the non-electronic components are one or more components from a group consisting of a server cover, a heat sink on a processor, an air duct, and a chip slot filler; and

receiving, by an NFC receiver within the non-electronic component inventory controller, an identification signal, wherein the identification signal is generated by an NFC identification chip, wherein the NFC identification chip is affixed to a specific non-electronic component within an electronic device, and wherein the identification signal is generated in response to the NFC electromagnetic field inducing a current in the NFC identification chip to cause a transmission of the identification signal from the NFC identification chip.

14. The computer program product of claim 13 , wherein the method further comprises:

storing, by the non-electronic component inventory controller, identities of the non-electronic components identified by NFC identification chips in a first table, wherein the first table identifies which electronic components within the electronic device are designed to be coupled to particular non-electronic components.

15. The computer program product of claim 14 , wherein the method further comprises: comparing, by the non-electronic component inventory controller, the first table with a second table that contains identities of non-electronic components that are designed components of the electronic device; and

generating, by a fault message generator, a fault message on a display in response to the first table failing to match the second table.

16. The computer program product of claim 13 , wherein the NFC identification chips are NFC dots.

Assignments (3)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Sep 6, 2019
From: LENOVO ENTERPRISE SOLUTIONS (SINGAPORE) PTE LTD.
To: LENOVO INTERNATIONAL LIMITED
Reel/Frame 050301/0494 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Aug 30, 2016
From: LENOVO ENTERPRISE SOLUTIONS (SINGAPORE) PTE. LTD.
To: LENOVO INTERNATIONAL LIMITED
Reel/Frame 039872/0136 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Mar 10, 2015
From: BROWNE, JASON A.; STEELE, MATTHEW A.; SUFFERN, EDWARD S.; WRAY, ANDREW H.
To: LENOVO ENTERPRISE SOLUTIONS (SINGAPORE) PTE. LTD.
Reel/Frame 035122/0433 →