Tracking removable components using sectors

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10877430-B2
Application number	US-201616332995-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 11, 2016
Priority date	Oct 11, 2016
Publication date	Dec 29, 2020
Grant date	Dec 29, 2020

Abstract

In one example, an electromechanical device includes a removable component comprising an electronic identification tag. The apparatus also includes a plurality of tag readers disposed at a plurality of sectors in the apparatus to detect the electronic identification tag and signal strengths associated with the detected electronic identification tag, and send the signal strengths to a tracking system.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An electromechanical device, comprising:
a removable component comprising an electronic identification tag, the electronic identification tag including an identification indicator;
a plurality of tag readers disposed at a plurality of sectors in the electromechanical device to detect the electronic identification tag and signal strengths associated with the electronic identification tag, and send the electronic identification indicator and the signal strengths to a tracking system; and
the tracking system, to
receive, from the plurality of tag readers, the identification indicator and the signal strengths;
identify a location of the removable component in the electromechanical device based on the signal strengths;
detect a change in the removable component based on a comparison of the identification indicator with identification indicators from a database, wherein to detect the change includes at least one from the set of
detect removable component replacement in response to detecting that the identification indicator from the tag readers is missing in the database, and an identification indicator from the database is missing from the tag readers, wherein the identification indicator from the tag readers and the identification indicator from the database are associated with a same part number;
detect removable component removal in response to detecting that the identification indicator from the database is missing from the tag readers:
detect removable component addition in response to detecting that the identification indicator from the tag readers is missing from the database; and
detect that no removable component addition, removal, or replacement was made in response to detecting that the identification indicator from the tag readers matches the identification indicators from the database.

2. The electromechanical device of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of sectors comprises volumes in the electromechanical device in which the electronic identification tag may be detected by at least one of the tag readers.

3. The electromechanical device of claim 1 , wherein the electronic identification tag and the plurality of tag readers are disposed to avoid signal occlusion.

4. The electromechanical device of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of tag readers are to detect the electronic identification tag and signal strengths when the electromechanical device is in a semi-powered state.

5. A method for tracking removable components in electromechanical devices, comprising:
receiving, from a plurality of tag readers, identification indicators from electronic identification tags disposed at removable components of an electromechanical device and signal levels associated with one of the electronic identification tags;
identifying a location of a removable component in the electromechanical device based on the signal levels; and
detecting a change in the removable component based on a comparison of identification indicators from the plurality of tag readers with identification indicators from a database, the detecting comprising at least one from the set of:
detecting a removable component replacement in response to detecting that an identification indicator from the tag readers is missing in the database, and an identification indicator from the database is missing from the tag readers, wherein the identification indicator from the tag readers and the identification indicator from the database are associated with a same part number;
detecting a removable component removal in response to detecting that the identification indicator from the database is missing from the tag readers;
detecting a removable component addition in response to detecting that the identification indicator from the tag readers is missing from the database; and
detecting that no removable component addition, removal, or replacement was made in response to detecting that the identification indicators from the tag readers match the identification indicators from the database.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein reading, via the plurality of tag readers, the electronic identification tags is performed when the electromechanical device is in a semi-powered operating state wherein a processor of the electromechanical device is powered on and the electromechanical device is otherwise powered off.

7. The method of claim 5 , wherein identifying the location of the removable component in the electromechanical device comprises:
generating a list of tag readers that detected the one of the electronic identification tags associated with the removable component;
receiving the signal levels associated with the one of the electronic identification tags at the removable component from the tag readers in the list;
comparing the signal levels from the tag readers to detect a sector for the removable component; and
identifying the location of the removable component based on the detected sector.

8. The method of claim 5 , further comprising storing the location and the detected change and updating a time stamp associated with a maintenance for the electromechanical device.

9. A non-transitory machine-readable storage medium encoded with instructions executable by a processor, the non-transitory machine-readable storage medium comprising instructions to:
receive a plurality of identification indicators and signal levels corresponding to removable components in an electromechanical device;
identify a location of a removable component based on the signal levels corresponding to the removable component;
compare the identification indicators with a plurality of identification indicators in a database;
detect a removable component change in the electromechanical device based on the comparison, wherein to detect comprises at least one from the set of:
detect a removable component removal in response to detecting that the database contains an additional identification indicator with a different associated part number than the received plurality of identification indicators;
detect a removable component addition in response to detecting that an identification indicator from the electromechanical device is missing in the database; and
detect a removable component replacement in response to detecting that one of the plurality of identification indicators from the electromechanical device is missing in the database and a part number associated with the missing identification indicator matches a part number of a received identification indicator.

10. The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of claim 9 , further comprising instructions to:
generate a list of tag readers that detected an electronic identification tag associated with the removable component;
receive the signal levels associated with the electronic identification tag at the removable component from tag readers in the list of tag readers;
compare the signal levels from the tag readers to detect a sector for the removable component; and
identify the location of the removable component based on the detected sector.

Assignees

• Hp Indigo Bv

Inventors

• Rodel Eduardo
• Marchezi Humberto Cardoso
• Ribeiro Guilherme Selau
• Lopes Marlon Gomes
• Gerent Josepe Franco
• Alves Luciano
• Marquezini Leonardo Dias
• Tani Brian Schmitz

Classifications

• G06K7/00 Primary

  Methods or arrangements for sensing record carriers, {e.g. for reading patterns} (methods or arrangements for marking the record carrier in digital fashion G06K1/00; pattern recognition G06F18/00; arrangements for image or video recognition or understanding G06V10/00; character recognition, recognising digital ink or document-oriented image-based pattern recognition G06V30/00) · CPC title

• G06K19/07758

  arrangements for adhering the record carrier to further objects or living beings, functioning as an identification tag · CPC title

• G03G21/1657 Primary

  Wireless connection means, e.g. RFID · CPC title

• G03G21/1892

  for presence detection, authentication · CPC title

• G06K17/0022

  arrangements or provisions for transferring data to distant stations, e.g. from a sensing device ("transfer between computer elements G06F13/00 "; data-transmission H04L) · CPC title