Network Device Asset Tag Environmental Sensing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional asset inventory and management systems fail to consider environmental conditions that impact asset operation and user access, leading to unaddressed challenges in safeguarding assets and managing enterprises effectively.
Innovation Solution
Integration of environmental sensors into asset tags embedded within network devices, such as IoT sensors, which provide location-based information and environmental data to a network management server, enabling secure data exchange through mutual authentication and zero-touch provisioning, allowing for real-time monitoring without manual intervention.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If environmental sensors are integrated into asset tags within network devices, then environmental monitoring capability is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines environmental sensors with asset tags that are already integrated into network devices. This merging approach allows environmental monitoring to be added without requiring completely separate systems, thereby improving monitoring capability while limiting the increase in overall device complexity through shared infrastructure.
Solution Approach 2:
The asset tag system is designed to perform multiple functions: traditional asset tracking and identification, plus environmental sensing. By making the asset tag universal and multi-functional, the patent avoids adding dedicated separate systems for environmental monitoring, thus improving versatility while controlling complexity through consolidated design.
2Loss of information
If separate environmental sensing products are used, then environmental feedback is provided, but system integration is worsened
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of using separate environmental sensing products, the patent merges environmental sensors directly into the asset tag infrastructure that is already integrated into network devices. This eliminates the need for separate systems and improves overall system integration while maintaining comprehensive environmental feedback capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The asset tag system is designed as a universal platform that handles both traditional asset management functions and environmental sensing. This multi-functional approach consolidates multiple systems into one, improving integration while preventing information loss through a unified data collection mechanism.
3Ease of operation
If manual intervention is required for sensor deployment, then provisioning control is improved, but deployment time increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements zero-touch provisioning that automatically configures and deploys environmental sensors without requiring manual intervention. The system performs preliminary actions by pre-configuring sensors and automatically provisioning them when deployed, thereby eliminating manual setup time while maintaining controlled provisioning through automated policy enforcement.
Solution Approach 2:
The environmental sensing system is designed to be self-provisioning and self-configuring. Sensors automatically register with the network management server, transmit their capabilities, and begin monitoring without human intervention. This self-service approach dramatically reduces deployment time while maintaining provisioning control through automated system policies.
Data Source
AI summary
Systems and methods are provided for providing supplemental information or data to location-based data provided by conventional asset tags. In particular, sensors such as environmentally-aware sensors, Internet of Things (IoT) sensors, and the like may be incorporated into asset tag devices. In turn, these enhanced asset tags may be integrated into network devices, such as access points, network switches, etc. Accordingly, network devices can be leveraged to provide location-based information, in addition to other information, such as environmental operating conditions relative to the location of such network devices. Moreover, secure communication links can be created between the enhanced asset tags, network devices, and controlling entities in the network, such as network management servers through a mutual authentication mechanism.