Method and system for managing supply chain networks

• US 20040015418A1
• Filed: 07/30/2001
• Published: 01/22/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 12/07/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Savi Technology Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Savi Technology Incorporated
• Inventors: Li, Xi, Dooley, John J.
• Granted Patent: US 8,165,928 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/28
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0637 Strategic management or analysis, e.g. setting a goal or target of an organisation; Planning actions based on goals; Analysis or evaluation of effectiveness of goals
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/08 Logistics, e.g. warehousing, loading or distribution; Inventory or stock management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/203 Inventory monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/208 Input by product or record sensing, e.g. weighing or scanner processing

Abstract

A system comprises a site data appliance (SDA) having a Universal Data Appliance Protocol (UDAP) adapter coupled with one or more data source equipments (DSE). The SDA is connected to a supply chain network. The SDA collects specification information from the one or more DSE. The specification information comprises event information. A server is coupled with the SDA and is connected with the supply chain network. In response to the server requesting for the specification information, the SDA sends to the server the specification information from the one or more DSE in a Description Document. A data center (DC) is coupled with the server and is connected with the supply chain network. The DC receives the Description Document from the server and maps the event information in the specification information with event handlers. A map of the event information with the event handlers and the event handlers are sent from the DC to the server. When an event is generated by the one or more DSE, the map is used to select an appropriate event handler to execute.

Claims

1. A system, comprising:

a site data appliance (SDA) comprising a UDAP adapter and one or more data source equipment (DSE), the SDA connected to a supply chain network and collecting specification information from the one or more DSE, the specification information comprising event information;

a server coupled with the SDA and connected to the supply chain network, wherein in response to the server requesting for the specification information, the SDA sending to the server the specification information from the one or more DSE in a Description Document; and

a data center (DC) coupled to the server and connected to the supply chain network, the DC receiving the Description Document from the server and mapping the event information in the specification information with event handlers, wherein said event handlers and said mapping are sent from the DC to the server such that when an event is generated by the one or more DSE, the mapping is used to select an appropriate event handler to execute.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the specification information further comprises method and property information.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the Description Document is implemented using a markup language.

4. The system of claim 3 wherein the markup language is extensible markup language (XML).

5. The system of claim 4, wherein a dotted notation is used to identify the event, method and property information.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein communications between said SDA and said server utilize the Universal Data Appliance Protocol (UDAP).

7. The system of claim 1, further comprising a portable device coupled with the server to access an instance of the Description Document.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the one or more DSE are heterogeneous.

9. A method, comprising:

collecting specification information from one or more data source equipments (DSE), the specification information comprising event information, the one or more DSE connected to a supply chain network;

forming a Description Document comprising the specification information from the one or more DSE, the Description Document describing the specification information for each of the one or more DSE; and

using the Description Document to map the event information for each of the one or more DSE with event handlers to form a dispatch table, wherein when an event is generated by the one or more DSE, the dispatch table is used to select an appropriate event handler to handle the event.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the specification information further comprises method and property information.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the Description Document is implemented using extensible markup language (XML), and wherein using the Description Document comprises parsing the Description Document to determine syntax of the event, method and property information.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein said collection of said specification information utilizes the Universal Data Appliance Protocol (UDAP).

13. The method of claim 12, wherein a dotted notation is used to identify the event, method and property information.

14. A method, comprising:

creating a Description Document comprising specification information from one or more data source equipments (DSE) using extensible markup language (XML), the specification information comprising information about events that each of the one or more DSE is capable of generating, the one or more DSE connected in a supply chain network;

sending the Description Document to a data center connected with the supply chain network, wherein the data center maps events with event handlers to create a dispatch table, the dispatch table sent to a server coupled with the data center and connected with the supply chain network and responsive to receiving an event generated by the one or more DSE, the server executing the event handler mapped to the event based on the dispatch table.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the one or more DSE are heterogeneous.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein the specification information from the multiple DSE further comprises configuration and status information of the multiple DSE.

17. The method of claim 14, wherein an instance of the Description Document is stored to enable recovery of configuration information of the one or more DSE.

18. The method of claim 14, wherein said sending of said Description Document utilizes the Universal Data Appliance Protocol (UDAP).

19. A computer readable medium containing instructions which, when executed in a processing system, causes the processing systems to perform a method for managing a supply chain network, comprising:

collecting specification information from one or more data source equipments (DSE), the specification information comprising event information, the one or more DSE connected to a supply chain network;

forming a Description Document comprising the specification information from the one or more DSE, the description document describing the specification information for each of the one or more DSE; and

using the Description Document to map the event information for each of the one or more DSE with event handlers to form a dispatch table, wherein when an event is generated by the one or more DSE, the dispatch table is used to select an appropriate event handler to handle the event.

20. The computer readable medium of claim 19, wherein the specification information further comprises method and property information.

21. The computer readable medium of claim 20, wherein the Description Document is implemented using extensible markup language (XML), and wherein using the Description Document comprises parsing the Description Document.

22. The computer readable medium of claim 19, further comprising use of the Universal Data Appliance Protocol (UDAP) for collection of said specification information.

23. The computer readable medium of claim 19, wherein a dotted notation is used to identify information in the Description Document.