EP2230729B1

EP2230729B1 - Identification of passive components for electronic devices

Info

Publication number: EP2230729B1
Application number: EP09290197A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Ingo Dr. Karla; Harald Eckhardt
Original assignee: Alcatel Lucent SAS
Current assignee: Alcatel Lucent SAS
Priority date: 2009-03-18
Filing date: 2009-03-18
Publication date: 2012-01-04
Anticipated expiration: 2029-03-18
Also published as: ATE540451T1; EP2230729A1

Abstract

In an arrangement and a method for detection and/or identification of components detachably connected to an electronic device a first light beam (I1) is sent from the device (1) to the component (10). Inside the component (10) the light beam (I1) is coded with a signal by coding means (13) and thereupon reflected back by second light emitting means (12) to the device (1) where it is received by light receiving means (3) and can be processed to derive a component's identification information comprised in the signal.

Description

Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to an arrangement and a method for identification of components and in particular to an arrangement and a method for identification of components detachably connected to an electronic device.

Description of Related Art

The trend for constructing and managing complex systems is going towards principles of automatisation where possible, self testing possibilities, error detection mechanisms, remote system administration, reduced people's work for installing and maintaining the system. For example for new mobile telecommunication systems, the topic "Self Organising Networks" and "Self-Configuration" are highly requested for by the network operators and it is an recently emerged topic e.g. in the 3GPP standardisation.
Technical equipment does usually have several detachable cable connections, like electrical cables and/or tubes. As a concrete example, a radio-network basestation has many cables connected to it, including special, typically expensive cables like large antenna cables.
While remote functional reporting and testing features are state of the art for specific elecrical units, like e.g. 'computer' boards, these features are on the other hand nowadays not available for e.g. components having no internal processing (ID-reporting) capabilities.
The knowledge about which components -including cables- are precisely installed at e.g. an eNB (evolved Node B) site, supports self-configuration and optimisation of the system, and facilitates to manage a telecommunication system. For example, it would be very helpful for a technician to know in advance which "field replaceable units" precisely are located at a certain eNB site before he drives into the field for maintenance or repair, so that he knows which spare parts to bring. In particular passive components, like cables, do not yet have such remotely readable identifiers.
Some of those basestation cables are very expensive, and for the maintenace aspects it would be useful to know exactly which concrete cable (including length, and additonal information like e.g. protection against animal damage) may need to be replaced.
This identification of cable connections also allows to check whether all cable connections are put together correctly during installation of the equipment. Possible human plugging-together-errors are detected immediately.
Furthermore, cable connections are subject to failure when they start getting loose - this startened loosening is usually not detected before the connection separates completely and thus could lead to a failure of the complete system. It would be nice to have a means to detect possible problems in time, so that it can be repaired -like fastening the connection- before the equipement fails.
US 6,171,718 discloses an electrical receptable which provides provides power only to a properly installed plug and which makes use of one or more sensors which are able to detect blade insertion, ground plug insertion, presence of plug face motion near the receptable face, or a combination thereof. A light emitting diode and a photodetector may be used as a sensor for detecting in the plug face is properly inserted. WO 02/086573 also discloses a device for detecting if a plug is properly inserted.
US 5,222,164 discloses a connector/cable identification system which comprises a plug having an extension and a female housing having at least two pairs of optical emitter/sensors. Each emitter/sensor pair detects whether the extension is therebetween. Because different extensions have different lengths or aperture configurations, the type of connector (and thus the associated cable) can be determined.

Summary of the Invention

It is an object of the present invention to provide an arrangement and a method being able to identify components which are detachably connected to an equipment, in particular to an electronic device.
Thus, it is a basic idea of the present invention in order to identify a component to send an optical beam or some kind of electromagnetic beam including infrared light beam and UV light beam from e.g. a backplane of an equipment or device to the component. At or inside this component the received optical or electromagnetic beam is coded with a signal and then sent or reflected back to the backplane of the device where the reflected optical or electromagnetic beam is received and where the information determined by the code is detected and can be further processed like e.g. transmitting a detected component identification information to a remote operation and maintenance (O&M) centre.
The above object is, according to a first important aspect of the invention, solved by an arrangement for identification of components detachably connected to an electronic device, said arrangement comprising: first electromagnetic beam emitting means arranged at or in the device and adapted to emit and direct a first electromagnetic beam from the device to a component to be identified; first electromagnetic beam receiving means arranged at or in the component and adapted to receive the first electromagnetic beam from the device; coding means arranged at or in the component and adapted for coding the received first electromagnetic beam with a code according to component's information, the code being dedicated to the respective component or component's type at or in which the coding means are arranged; second electromagnetic beam emitting means arranged at or in the component and adapted to send a second electromagnetic beam coded according to the coding by the coding means from the component to the device; second electromagnetic beam receiving means arranged at or in the device and adapted to receive the coded second electromagnetic beam sent from the component, and processing means arranged at or in the device and /or a location remote from the device and adapted for processing the coded second electromagnetic beam for decoding the information from the code thereof for identifying the component. The coding means is adapted to change the code according to an actual condition of the component or of the component in its relation to the device.
In a preferred embodiment of the present arrangement, the component is a cable plug or a plug connector. The cable plug or plug connector may well be provided with active circuit elements and a supply voltage by means of supply voltage wiring within the cable plug or plug connector.
As already mentioned above, the electromagnetic beam may preferably comprise an optical beam including infrared and UV beams.
According to a further embodiment, the second electromagnetic beam emitting means may be an optical beam reflector arranged in the component, e.g. a plug connector, said optical beam reflector being preferably arranged adjacent to a wall of the device in the plugged-in condition of the plug connector and in parallel or in a predefined angle to said wall. The light reflector may in particular comprise one or a plurality of reflective surfaces arranged in the component.
An actual condition of the component may comprise at least one of the following conditions, namely an electrical condition, a mechanical condition (such as an incorrect locking of the cable connector at or in its socket), an environmental condition, a material condition and/or a condition based on a physical effect. Depending on the sensitivity of the processing of the received signal at the second light receiving means, it may be possible to detect when the received optical signal is changing which gives an indication that something may be problematic with that cable connection. Then a concrete hint can be given to the technician to look at and check especially that socket+plug connection, e.g. when he is at the eNB site anyway.
According to a second important aspect, the present invention for solving the above object provides a method for identification of components detachably connected to an electronic device, said method comprising the steps of: emitting a first electromagnetic beam from the device to a component to be identified; receiving at or in the component the first electromagnetic beam from the device; coding at or in the component the received first electromagnetic beam with a code according to component's information, the code being dedicated to the respective component or component's type at or in which the coding means are arranged; sending a second electromagnetic beam coded according to the coding by the coding means from the component to the device; receiving at or in the device the coded second electromagnetic beam sent from the component, and processing at or in the device and /or a location remote from the device the coded second electromagnetic beam for decoding the information from the code thereof for identifying the component. The code is changed according to an actual condition of the component or of the component in its relation to the device.
The arrangement as described above may be part of a base station of a communication network, an O&M center of a communication network, and a communication network.
The present invention thus can be used for supporting the operation and maintenance (O&M) of telecommunications helping to make those complex systems more easily manageable with less costs and with less people's work. However, those persons skilled in the art and having studied the present specification are recognizing that obviously the present invention applies to many other technical fields beyond telecommunication systems.
One advantageous effect achieved by the present invention is that the cable plug or plug connector needs no extra pins as it is the case in a coaxial connector. The optical detection/ identification approach is also very robust with respect to electromagnetic interference problems especially in antenna cables of an RF transmitter where the close environment of the connector is disturbed by insufficient insulation or insufficient shielding against HF energy.

Brief Description of the Drawings

In the following description a number of exemplary examples of an arrangement for identification of components detachably connected to an electronic device will be described in detail with reference to the following figures, wherein:

Fig. 1: schematically depicts a side view of a first example of an arrangement for identification of components;
Fig.2: schematically shows a side view of a second exemplary example of an arrangement for identification of components;
Fig. 3: schematically depicts a side view of a third exemplary example of an arrangement for identification of components,
Fig. 4: schematically depicts a side view of a fourth exemplary example of an arrangement for identification of components, and
Fig.5: schematically depicts a side view of a fifth exemplary example of an arrangement for identification of components, the fifth example showing an embodiment of an arrangement according to the present invention.

Despite the fact that the present invention may be applied to a variety of technical fields including equipment other than electronic devices, the examples described in the following with reference to the figures listed above are applied to an arrangement for identification of components detachably connected to an electronic device, said arrangement comprising: first electromagnetic beam emitting means arranged at or in the device and adapted to emit and direct a first electromagnetic beam from the device to a component to be identified; first electromagnetic beam receiving means arranged at or in the component and adapted to receive the first electromagnetic beam from the device; coding means arranged at or in the component and adapted for coding the received first electromagnetic beam with a code according to component's information the code being dedicated to the respective component or component's type at or in which the coding means are arranged; second electromagnetic beam emitting means arranged at or in the component and adapted to send a second electromagnetic beam coded according to the coding by the coding means from the component to the device; second electromagnetic beam receiving means arranged at or in the device and adapted to receive the coded second electromagnetic beam sent from the component, and processing means arranged at or in the device and /or a location remote from the device and adapted for processing the coded second electromagnetic beam for decoding the information from the code thereof for identifying the component. The coding means are adapted to change the code according to an actual condition of the component or of the component in its relation to the device. In the described examples, the component is represented by a cable plug which is connected to a socket on a backplane of an electronic device, like for example an expensive coaxial antenna cable attached to a backplane of an eNB.
In the examples described below the electromagnetic beam is implemented as an optical beam including visible light, infrared light or UV light, and as a result, the first and second electromagnetic beam emitting means and the first and second electromagnetic beam receiving means are respectively implemented as first and second light emitting means and first and second light receiving means. Further in the exemplary examples described below, the component is represented by a cable plug which is connected to a socket on a backplane of an electronic device.
The cable plug according to the fifth example - which is part of an arrangement according to the invention - is implemented as an active component which is arranged to actively change the code of the coding means according to certain conditions of the component, i.e. the cable plug or according to its relation to the device.
Referring to the first example schematically depicted in Fig. 1, first light emitting means, in the example a plurality of light sources 21, 22 (for simplification, Fig. 1 only shows first and second light sources 21, 22, e.g. a first and second laser diode) is located in an electronic device 1, e.g. behind a back plane of an eNB. The first light emitting means 21 and 22 are configured to emit and direct a plurality of preferably parallel light beams (for simplification, Fig.1 shows only a couple of first light beams I₁₁, I₁₂) towards a component, in the example a cable plug 10 to be identified. It should be understood that there is also the possibility to use e.g. transparent fibers as "light guiding means" in order to place the light sources 21 and 22 at any location in a housing of the electronic device 1 if the space directly at the socket of the connector should be limited. First light receiving means, in the example a light reflecting surface 11 is arranged in the optical path of the first light beams I₁₁, I₁₂ and configured to receive and reflect the first light beams I₁₁, I₁₂ at the site of the component 10.
Further, the component 10 includes coding means 13 configured for coding the received first light beams I₁₁, I₁₂. As an example, the coding means 13 may be implemented as a small transparent and/or reflective object which allows some coding of the light information. In particular this coding means 13 can be a small piece of glass or transparent plastic which is built at the side of the component 10. Depending on the concrete geometrical design, this piece of glass or transparent plastic can transmit the light or reflect the light according to the specific coding thereof. To achieve this specific coding, the transmission or reflection can be inhibited by marking the surface of this glass or plastic piece. For example the marking could be achieved by making the surface rough in such a way that the glass or plastic piece is no longer reflective or transparent at a particular location. This marking may most easily be achieved by burning or scratching the former smooth surface of the transparent glass or plastic piece with a laser during production of the small transparent glass or plastic piece or during production of e.g. the cable plug 10.
Further according to the first example depicted in Fig. 1, the component 10 includes second light emitting means 12 , implemented as light reflecting means similar to the first light receiving means 11 and configured to send a plurality of second light beams (for simplification, Fig. 1 shows only a couple of second light beams I₂₁ and I₂₂) coded according to the coding of the coding means from the component 10 towards the device 1.
A second light receiving means 3, e.g. a photo detector is arranged at or in the device 1 and configured to receive the coded second light beams I₂₁ and I₂₂ sent from the second light emitting means 12 at the component's 10 site.
A processing means 5 is arranged at or in the device 1 and/or at a location remote from the device 1 and configured for processing the coded second light beams I₁₂, I₂₂ to determine information represented by the code. The possibility of arranging the processing means 5 at a remote location is indicated by an interrupted line between the second light receiving means 3 and the processing means 5.
There are many different ways to achieve a coding of different information inside of the component 10 or, as mentioned above in or on the small transparent piece of glass or plastic. Basically the coding exploits spatial and/or spectral diversity of the information:

as indicated in Fig. 1 several light beams can be sent into the component 10, some of these are reflected and some are not. In addition to the marking of a transparent material whether it is reflective at a certain location or not, a small piece of mirror-like material or a material with different reflective properties (white or black color) may be inserted instead of the transparent glass or plastic piece. In this particular scenario, no additional material at all may be inserted, if the reflective coding is put directly on the connector, that is; the passive component 10 itself, like adding a small piece of paint, metallization or color marking.
The transparent material itself in the passive component 10 can be coded with colors, like color plastic or doped glass. The photo detector 3 on the device's side is then able to distinguish the colors or dopants in the glass and/or that certain frequencies are attenuated.
A directed light beam which contains several frequencies (e.g. white light) or the beam of a tunable laser is widened into its spectrum at a tilted transparent surface between different transparent materials with a different dielectric constant (like between air and the material at a prisma). Different frequencies are refracted with different angles, and after being widened the different colored light is then either reflected or not.
A further coding method may be the implementation of a time division multiplexing, wherein the light beams are encoded bitwise and time-sequentially sent one after the other either starting after one trigger or starting after the occurrence of a connector plug-external effect. In the latter case, e.g. a ramp-up of the light source triggers the read-out of each bit, as the trigger level for each bit is set to a different value. All this is achieved with a non-linear physical effect.
A further encoding method may be implemented by modifying the polarization of the light beams to encode the bits.

It is further possible to combine the above different coding methods to increase the amount of coding information without spending much effort for too much precision into a single method.
Even if the intended purpose of the coding method is to provide a simple and cheap way for coding, in case it would require much effort to increase e.g. the spatial resolution in one direction but still more coding information is needed, then it could be the simplest way to use a further dimension, like e.g. a second spatial direction, i.e. x+y-coding or a colored glass, or encoding by a hologram. It is to be noted that in general only a low amount of coding information is necessary in order to detect or identify uniquely the installed component. Mostly it is already clear that due to mechanical dimensions only an antenna cable can be attached to a certain socket and then the coding information needs only to distinguish maybe the length and the type (material, series) of the cable. That is, it is not necessary to have a worldwide unique identification.
If however in certain scenarios it is desirable to change the code according to an actual condition of the component, such as an electrical condition, a mechanical condition, an environmental condition a material condition and/or a condition based on a physical effect of the component, the coding means may be configured to change the code, and the processing means 5 in this case may be configured to detect or identify the change of the code and discriminate therefrom the condition of the component.
The second example of the arrangement for identification of components depicted in Fig. 2 has many similarities with the first example depicted in Fig. 1. However the second example differs from the first one described above in that the first light emitting means 2 only comprise a single light source and are configured to emit a single light beam I₁ towards the component 10. Further the first light receiving means 11 and the second light emitting means 12 on the component's side are combined and implemented as a single reflecting plane. The coding means 13, the second light receiving means 3 and the processing means 5 may be arranged and configured in a similar manner as it is done in the first example according to Fig. 1. Further the same principle different ways to achieve a coding as described above may be employed in the second example according to Fig. 2.
The third example of the present arrangement depicted in Fig. 3 uses as the first light receiving means 11 a tilted transparent surface of a prism having a different dielectric constant as compared to the surrounding medium. The first light beam I₁ emitted from the first light emitting means 2 contains several wavelengths and is widened into its spectrum at the tilted transparent surface 11. Different wavelengths are refracted with respectively different angles as simply indicated by the two refracted light beams I₁₁ and I₁₂, the prism thus forming the coding means 13. After being widened, the refracted light beams I₁₁ and I₁₂ having different wavelengths are reflected at different locations of a reflective surface of the prism, serving as the second light emitting means 12, the different colored light forming e.g. a couple of second light beams I₂₁, I₂₂ which are received by the second light receiving means 3 on the device's side and can be processed by the processing means 5.
As schematically depicted in Fig. 4, the fourth example of the present arrangement shows that the arrangement can also be used for a plurality of components, e.g. several cable plugs 101, 102, 103 as plugged in on one plane of the device 1. In this case it is possible to use the second light receiving means 3 and the processing means 5 in common for all identification purposes together. In the exemplary example depicted in Fig. 4 all cable plugs 101, 102, 103 are illuminated by different dedicated first light emitting means or light sources 21, 22 and 23 each configured for emitting a first light beam I₁₁ towards the cable plugs 101, 102, 103, possibly having different wavelengths. These cable plugs have for example similar construction as the cable plugs in the example depicted in Fig. 2. It may be possible that the different first light emitting means 21, 22 and 23 can be separately switched on and off. Via light guides, e.g. optical fibers 41, 42, 43, the second light beams I₂ emitted from the different cable plugs 101, 102, 103 are guided towards a common second light receiving means 3, e.g. a light detector which is configured to distinguish the wavelengths of the second light beams I₂. From the second light receiving means 3 the frequency information can be transmitted to the processing means 5 and there processed to get the component's identification.
In certain scenarios it is desirable to change the code according to an actual condition of the component or according to a condition of the component in relation to the device. Such component condition may be for example an electrical condition, a mechanical condition, an environmental condition, a material condition, and/or a condition based on a physical effect of the component. In these cases, the cable connector may comprise active circuit elements such as supply voltage wiring as well as transistors or diodes. Further, the component may comprise at least one sensor element, and the coding means may be configured to change the code according to a value sensed by the sensor element. The processing means in this case may be configured to detect or identify the change of the code and discriminate thereof the condition of the component. The sensing effect of the sensor element may be a pure physical effect, like a mechanical deformation of a bi-metal, an alteration of a direction of an optical axis for example by deflecting or scattering an optical beam at an optical element, etc.
Examples of possible modification of the code are provided as follows: When the connector plug 10 is loosening, then the distance between the device 1 and the component, i.e. the connector plug 10 and/or the angle of reflection is altered. This modifies the back-reflected light beam which can be detected by the device 1 and/or by the processing means 5. Further, overheating and thus thermal expansion can also alter the back-reflected light. Further, a wrong position of the connector plug 10, attached to the wrong socket or wrong device 1 is immediately detected.
In cases mentioned above where the connector plug 10 includes supply voltage and/or active circuit elements, then the connector plug 10 may easily be provided with its own intelligence to modify the code according to the above conditions.
The fifth example of the present arrangement as schematically depicted in Fig. 5 constitutes an embodiment according to the invention and has some similarities with the third example depicted in Fig. 3, and those parts which are identical in both example are designated by respectively equal reference signs. However, in contrast to the third example, the fifth example includes an additional sensor means 14 that are configured to modify the code of the coding means 13. Examples for an explicit sensor could be: a) a temperature sensor, e.g. a bi-metal which is configured to mechanically move a part of the light reflecting mirror surface 12; b) a moisture sensor configured to directly affect the reflective properties of the light reflecting mirror surface; c) a mechanical sensor configured to check if the connector plug is locked mechanically (e.g. bajonet lock closed); d) a means configured to read out if the connector plug has a blown fuse; e) an electromagnetic field sensing means configured for sensing if an electromagnetic field is present, e.g. by a crystal that modifies its optical properties in the presence of an electric or magnetic field (caused by voltage, current or power). The latter method may also provide means for detecting what's going on inside the cable connected to the connector plug, i.e. to detect if a transmitter is injecting RF power in an antenna cable.
The advantage of providing an electromagnetic field sensing element in the connector plug (in addition to the static cable or connector type encoding) is a cheaper way than adding an extra detection device somewhere else in the device or system and provides a kind of alive check of the cable.
It is obvious from the above description of the present arrangement that the present invention also encompasses a method for identification of components detachably connected to an electronic device, said method comprising the steps of: emitting a first electromagnetic beam from the device to a component to be identified; receiving at or in the component the first electromagnetic beam from the device; coding at or in the component the received first electromagnet beam with a code according to component's information; sending a second electromagnetic beam coded according to the coding by the coding means from the component to the device; receiving at or in the device the coded second electromagnetic beam sent from the component, and processing at or in the device and /or a location remote from the device the coded second electromagnetic beam for decoding the information from the code thereof.
The present arrangement for identification of components may be part of a base station for a communication network, or may be part of a communication network comprising the above described arrangement for identification of components, and part of an O&M center for a communication network comprising at least the processing means of the arrangement described above.
As can be clearly derived from the above description the present arrangement in particular has in particular the following advantages:

only a small space is required to integrate the means at the component's side into or to existing components, such as a cable plug and to integrate the means at the device's side at or near the socket of the cable plug - next to the other connections for which the cable plug has been built;
the arrangement of the present invention achieves a low-cost solution which is easy and cheap to produce and to integrate into a system;
automatic verification is possible that all connections are correct, i.e. the correct cable at the correct place and that the cable connection itself is fastened;
the processing means can be remotely provided, e.g. in an O&M center so that this O&M center can remotely read which equipment and parts are concretely installed e.g. at a base station site and a service technician can precisely know what to bring into the field - this remote detection is also one of specified requirements for an eNB;
when the connection of a cable plug is loosening, then the reflected light beam changes, which change can be detected. Thus, an early warning can be given to check this connection before the cable connection and thus possibly the complete system fails.

Claims

An arrangement for identification of components (10, 101, 102, 103) detachably connected to an electronic device (1), said arrangement comprising:
- First electromagnetic beam emitting means (21 to 23) arranged at or in the device (1) and adapted to emit and direct a first electromagnetic beam (I₁, I₁₁, I₁₂) from the device (1) to a component (10, 101, 102 ,103) to be identified;

- First electromagnetic beam receiving means (11) arranged at or in the component (10, 101, 102 ,103) and adapted to receive the first electromagnetic beam (I₁, I₁₁, I₁₂) from the device (1);

- Coding means (13) arranged at or in the component (10, 101, 102 ,103) and adapted for coding the received first electromagnetic beam (I₁, I₁₁, I₁₂) with a code according to component's information, the code being dedicated to the respective component (10, 101, 102, 103) or component's type at or in which the coding means (13) are arranged;

- Second electromagnetic beam emitting means (12) arranged at or in the component (10, 101, 102 ,103) and adapted to send a second electromagnetic beam (I₂, I₂, I₂₂) coded according to the coding by the coding means (13) from the component (10, 101, 102, 103) to the device (1);

- Second electromagnetic beam receiving means (3) arranged at or in the device (1) and adapted to receive the coded second electromagnetic beam (I₂, I₂₁, I₂₂) sent from the component (10, 101, 102, 103), and

- Processing means (5) arranged at or in the device (1) and/or a location remote from the device (1) and adapted for processing the coded second electromagnetic beam (I₂, I₂, I₂₂) for decoding the information from the code thereof for identifying the component (10, 101, 102, 103),
characterized in that
the coding means (13) are adapted to change the code according to an actual condition of the component (10, 101, 102, 103) or of the component in its relation to the device.
The arrangement as claimed in claim 1, wherein the component (10, 101, 102 ,103) is a plug connector.
The arrangement as claimed in claim 2, wherein the second electromagnetic beam emitting means (12) is a electromagnetic beam reflector of the plug connector (10, 101, 102, 103), in particular arranged at a wall adjacent to a wall of the device (1) in a plugged-in condition of the plug connector (10, 101, 102, 103) and in parallel or in a pre-defined angle to said wall.
The arrangement as claimed in claim 1, wherein the condition of the component (10, 101, 102, 103) comprises at least one of the following component conditions:
an electrical condition, a mechanical condition, an environmental condition, a material condition, and/or a condition based on a physical effect.
A method for identification of components (10, 101, 102, 103) detachably connected to an electronic device (1), said method comprising the steps of:
- emitting a first electromagnetic beam (I₁, I₁₁, I₁₂) from the device (1) to a component (10, 101, 102, 103) to be identified;

- receiving at or in the component (10, 101, 102, 103) the first electromagnetic beam (I₁, I₁₁, I₁₂) from the device (1);

- coding at or in the component (10, 101, 102, 103) the received first electromagnetic beam (I₁, I₁₁, I₁₂) with a code according to component's information, the code being dedicated to the respective component (10, 101, 102, 103) or component's type at or in which the coding step is performed;

- sending a second electromagnetic beam (I₂, I_21, I₂₂) coded according to the coding by the coding means (13) from the component (10, 101, 102, 103) to the device (1);

- receiving at or in the device (1) the coded second electromagnetic beam (I₂, I₂₁, I₂₂) sent from the component (10, 101, 102, 103), and

- processing at or in the device (1) and /or a location remote from the device (1) the coded second electromagnetic beam (I₂, I₂₁, I₂₂) for decoding the information from the code thereof for identifying the component (10, 101, 102, 103), characterized in that
the code is changed according to an actual condition of the component (10, 101, 102, 103) or of the component in its relation to the device.
The method as claimed in claim 5, wherein the second electromagnetic beam is formed by reflecting the first electromagnetic beam (I₁, I₁₁, I₁₂) at a electromagnetic beam reflector arranged at the component (10, 101, 102 ,103).
The method as claimed in claim 5, wherein the actual condition comprises at least one of the following component's conditions:
an electrical condition, a mechanical condition, an environmental condition, a material condition and/or a condition based on a physical effect.