Overlay-based asset location and identification system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-RE50653-E
Application number	US-202117463246-A
Country	US
Kind code	E1
Filing date	Aug 31, 2021
Priority date	Feb 23, 2012
Publication date	Nov 4, 2025
Grant date	Nov 4, 2025

Abstract

A network asset location system and methods of its use and operation are disclosed. In one aspect, the network asset location system includes a mobile application component executable on a mobile device including a camera and a display, the mobile application component configured to receive image data from the camera and display an image on the display based on the image data and overlay information identifying one or more network assets identifiable in the image data. The network asset location system also includes an asset management tracking engine configured to receive the image data and generate the overlay information including an identification of a location of at least one of the one or more network assets within the image.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1 . An asset management system comprising:
a mobile application executable on a mobile device including a camera and a display, the mobile application configured to receive image data from the camera and display an image on the display based on the image data and overlay information identifying one or more network assets identifiable in the image data, the mobile application providing at least one navigation button on the display used to obtain additional information about the asset, the additional information including port identification information provided when a user taps on a port in the image on the display, the at least one navigation button further used to create a work order by selecting a first port and a second port by capturing at least one equipment image of equipment including the first port and the second port and tapping on the first port and the second port in the captured at least one equipment image displayed on the display; an asset management tracking engine remote from the mobile application, the asset management tracking engine configured to receive data from the mobile application based on the image data, generate the overlay information, and provide the overlay information to the mobile application, the overlay information including an identification of a location of at least one of the one or more assets first port and the second port within the captured at least one equipment image; and wherein the overlay information includes one or more instructions created work order from the display includes identifying actions to be taken relative to the at least one of the one or more network assets a connection of a cable between the first port and the second port.

2 . The asset management system of claim 1 , wherein the mobile application is further configured to receive one or more actions from a user.

3 . The asset management system of claim 2 , wherein the asset management tracking engine stores an action log including the one or more actions received from the mobile application.

4 . The asset management system of claim 2 , wherein the one or more actions are included in a technician report entered by a technician at the mobile application.

5 . The asset management system of claim 2 , wherein the one or more network assets comprises a telecommunications rack.

6 . The asset management system of claim 1 , wherein the overlay information includes one or more instructions, the one or more instructions includes information directing a technician to take one or more actions associated with the one or more network assets.

7 . The asset management system of claim 1 , wherein the overlay information includes a device type associated with the one or more network assets.

8 . The asset management system of claim 1 , wherein the overlay information includes routing information associated with the one or more network assets.

9 . The asset management system of claim 1 , wherein the overlay information includes error status information associated with the one or more network assets.

10 . An asset management system comprising:
a mobile application executable on a mobile device including a camera and a display, the mobile application configured to receive image data from the camera and display an image on the display based on the image data and overlay information identifying one or more network assets identifiable in the image data, the overlay information including an identification of a location of at least one of the one or more assets within the image and one or more instructions identifying actions to be taken relative to the at least one of the one or more network assets, the mobile application providing at least one navigation button on the display used to selectively obtain additional information about the asset, the additional information including port identification information when a user taps on a port in the image on the display, the at least one navigation button further used to create a work order by selecting a first port and a second port by capturing at least one equipment image of equipment including the first port and the second port and tapping on the first port and the second port in the captured at least one equipment image displayed on the display; and wherein the mobile application is configured to communicate with an asset management tracking engine remote from the mobile application and receive the overlay information from the asset management tracking engine.

11 . The asset management system of claim 10 , wherein the image data comprises video data.

12 . The asset management system of claim 10 , wherein displaying the image on the display occurs concurrently with capturing the image data of the one or more network assets.

13 . The asset management system of claim 10 , wherein the mobile application is further configured to receive, from the asset management tracking engine, a work order associated with the one or more network assets.

14 . The asset management system of claim 10 , further comprising the asset management tracking engine operating on a server remote from the mobile device hosting the mobile application.

15 . A method of determining information about an asset using an application executing on a mobile device having a camera and a display, the method comprising:
capturing image data of one or more network assets using the camera of the mobile device; communicating the captured image data to a remote asset management tracking engine; communicating the overlay information to the mobile device; displaying an image including the overlay information received from the remote asset management engine identifying the at least one of the one or more network assets and including one or more instructions identifying actions to be taken relative to the at least one of the one or more network assets on the display of the mobile device; and providing at least one navigation button on the display used to selectively obtain additional information about the asset, the additional information including port identification information when a user taps on a port of the image on the display, the at least one navigation button further used to create a work order by selecting a first port and a second port by capturing at least one equipment image of equipment including the first port and the second port and tapping on the first port and the second port in the captured at least one equipment image displayed on the display.

16 . The method of claim 15 , wherein the image data comprises video data.

17 . The method of claim 16 , wherein the one or more instructions are included in a work order associated with the asset.

18 . The method of claim 17 , wherein the one or more instructions include instructions for configuring the network asset.

19 . The method of claim 18 , wherein the image data includes information regarding a plurality of identifiers associated with the network asset, and wherein the overlay information includes information describing a location of the network asset within the image on the display.

20. The asset management system of claim 1 , further comprising:
confirming at a server the cable being connected between the first port and the second port based on a communication with the asset.

21. The asset management system of claim 10 , further comprising:
confirming at a server a cable being connected between the first port and the second port based on a communication with the asset.

Assignees

• Commscope Connectivity Uk Ltd
• Commscope Technologies Llc

Inventors

• Townend Kevin David
• Hulse John Michael
• Butler Ian
• Thomas David
• Polland Joseph

Classifications

• H04W88/02

  Terminal devices · CPC title

• H04N5/44

  Receiver circuitry {for the reception of television signals according to analogue transmission standards} (H04N5/14 takes precedence) · CPC title

• H04N5/265

  Mixing · CPC title

• H04N5/2621

  Cameras specially adapted for the electronic generation of special effects during image pickup, e.g. digital cameras, camcorders, video cameras having integrated special effects capability · CPC title

• H04L41/12

  Discovery or management of network topologies · CPC title