IP Library › Granted Patent US 12,493,859
Granted Patent B2
US 12,493,859 · App. 18/103,284 · Granted Dec 9, 2025

Information handling system component health state tracking for enhanced reuse and recycling

Inventors: John Trevor Morrison (Round Rock, TX); Jace W. Files (Round Rock, TX); Karthik Suryanarayanan (Austin, TX)
Assignee: Dell Products L.P.
G06Q10/30G06Q10/06375G06Q10/087
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,493,859
App. No.
18/103,284
Granted
Dec 9, 2025
Kind
B2
Abstract

A life cycle agent stored in non-transitory memory and executing on an information handling system processor detects lifecycle information associated with a component of the information handling system to communicate to a network location so that the lifecycle information is available at breakdown of the information handling system for reuse. A scannable code on the component includes an identifier stored with the lifecycle information so that component health is evaluated at information handling system breakdown. Lifecycle information of one component is stored on other components when relevant to the lifecycle of the other components, such as detection of liquid at a keyboard membrane, which is stored locally in a motherboard lifecycle non-transitory memory.

Claims (56)

1 . An information handling system comprising:

a housing having an interior;

a motherboard coupled in the housing interior, the motherboard having motherboard lifecycle non-transitory memory;

a processor coupled to the motherboard and operable to execute instructions that process information;

a memory coupled to the motherboard and interfaced with the processor, the memory operable to store the instructions and information;

a storage device included in the housing and interfaced with the processor, the storage device having persistent memory operable to store the instructions and information, the storage device having storage device lifecycle non-transitory memory;

a battery included in the housing and operable to discharge to provide power to the motherboard, the battery having battery lifecycle non-transitory memory; and

a lifecycle agent having instructions stored in the persistent memory that, when executed on the processor cause:

determination of lifecycle information associated with each of the motherboard, storage device and battery; and

storing the lifecycle information in the motherboard lifecycle non-transitory memory, the storage device lifecycle non-transitory memory and the battery lifecycle non-transitory memory;

wherein the storage device lifecycle information includes a temperature measured by the storage device and stored by the lifecycle agent instructions in each of the motherboard lifecycle non-transitory memory and the battery lifecycle non-transitory memory.

2 . The information handling system of claim 1 further comprising:

a network interface controller interfaced with processor and operable to communicate through a network with network locations;

wherein the lifecycle agent instructions further communicate the lifecycle information to a network location.

3 . The information handling system of claim 2 further comprising:

a scannable lifecycle code applied to an exterior of each of the motherboard, storage device and battery, each scannable lifecycle code having a unique lifecycle identifier;

wherein the motherboard lifecycle non-transitory memory, the storage device lifecycle non-transitory memory and the battery lifecycle non-transitory memory each store the unique lifecycle identifiers of each of the scannable lifecycle codes.

4 . The information handling system of claim 3 further comprising:

a keyboard coupled to the housing and detecting key inputs at a keyboard membrane;

a printed circuit board integrated with the keyboard membrane and including a keyboard lifecycle non-transitory memory; and

a scannable lifecycle code applied to the keyboard and having a unique lifecycle identifier;

wherein the lifecycle agent instructions determines lifecycle information of the keyboard to store in the motherboard lifecycle non-transitory memory, the storage device non-transitory memory and the battery non-transitory memory.

5 . The information handling system of claim 4 further comprising:

a liquid detection sensor included in the membrane and interfaced with the keyboard lifecycle non-transitory memory;

wherein the lifecycle information includes detection of liquid by the liquid detection sensor, the detection of liquid stored in each of the motherboard lifecycle non-transitory memory, the storage device lifecycle non-transitory memory and the battery non-transitory memory.

6 . The information handling system of claim 1 wherein the lifecycle agent includes a timestamp with the lifecycle information.

7 . The information handling system of claim 3 further comprising:

a speaker included in the housing and interfaced with the motherboard to play audio information as sounds; and

a speaker lifecycle non-transitory memory included in the speaker and storing speaker lifecycle information including at least speaker diaphragm stress associated with playing the audio information as sounds.

8 . The information handling system of claim 3 further comprising:

a display coupled to the housing and interfaced with the processor to present the information as visual images; and

a display lifecycle non-transitory memory included in the display and storing display lifecycle information including at least pixel operation information.

9 . An information handling system comprising:

a housing having an interior;

a motherboard coupled in the housing interior, the motherboard having motherboard lifecycle non-transitory memory;

a processor coupled to the motherboard and operable to execute instructions that process information;

a memory coupled to the motherboard and interfaced with the processor, the memory operable to store the instructions and information;

a storage device included in the housing and interfaced with the processor, the storage device having persistent memory operable to store the instructions and information, the storage device having storage device lifecycle non-transitory memory;

a battery included in the housing and operable to discharge to provide power to the motherboard, the battery having battery lifecycle non-transitory memory;

a display coupled to the housing and interfaced with the processor to present the information as visual images;

a display lifecycle non-transitory memory included in the display and storing display lifecycle information including at least pixel operation information; and

a lifecycle agent having instructions stored in the persistent memory that, when executed on the processor cause:

determination of lifecycle information associated with each of the motherboard, storage device, display and battery; and

storing the lifecycle information in the motherboard lifecycle non-transitory memory, the storage device lifecycle non-transitory memory, the display lifecycle non-transitory memory and the battery lifecycle non-transitory memory.

10 . An information handling system comprising:

a housing having an interior;

a motherboard coupled in the housing interior, the motherboard having motherboard lifecycle non-transitory memory;

a processor coupled to the motherboard and operable to execute instructions that process information;

a memory coupled to the motherboard and interfaced with the processor, the memory operable to store the instructions and information;

a storage device included in the housing and interfaced with the processor, the storage device having persistent memory operable to store the instructions and information, the storage device having storage device lifecycle non-transitory memory;

a battery included in the housing and operable to discharge to provide power to the motherboard, the battery having battery lifecycle non-transitory memory;

a speaker included in the housing and interfaced with the motherboard to play audio information as sounds;

a speaker lifecycle non-transitory memory included in the speaker and storing speaker lifecycle information including at least speaker diaphragm stress associated with playing the audio information as sounds; and

a lifecycle agent having instructions stored in the persistent memory that, when executed on the processor cause:

determination of lifecycle information associated with each of the motherboard, storage device, speaker and battery; and

storing the lifecycle information in the motherboard lifecycle non-transitory memory, the storage device lifecycle non-transitory memory, the speaker lifecycle non-transitory memory and the battery lifecycle non-transitory memory.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jan 30, 2023
From: MORRISON, JOHN TREVOR; FILES, JACE W.; SURYANARAYANAN, KARTHIK
To: DELL PRODUCTS L.P.
Reel/Frame 062537/0696 →
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20240257074A1 · Aug 1, 2024
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