Structuring of temporary systems

• US 20040102865A1
• Filed: 11/27/2002
• Published: 05/27/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 11/27/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: SAP SE
• Original Assignee: SAP AG (SAP SE)
• Inventors: Muehl, Gordon, Irle, Klaus, Kienle, Walter G., Heusermann, Knut
• Granted Patent: US 7,168,619 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 700/115
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99931 Database or file accessing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99932 Access augmentation or optimizing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99943 Generating database or data structure, e.g. via user interface

Abstract

A method for structuring a temporary system includes receiving information obtained by interrogating a tag on an article and establishing a relationship between the article and one or more other articles in the temporary system based at least in part upon the information obtained by interrogating the tag. The information obtained by interrogating the tag regards the article.

Claims

1. A method for structuring a temporary system comprising:

receiving information obtained by interrogating a tag on an article, the information including at least one characteristic and other data regarding the article; and

establishing a relationship between the article and one or more other articles in the temporary system based at least in part upon the characteristic obtained by interrogating the tag.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving the information comprises:

receiving a category of the article.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein establishing a relationship comprises:

establishing the relationship based at least in part upon the category of the article.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving the information comprises:

receiving information including a unique identification of the article.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein establishing the relationship comprises:

establishing the relationship based solely upon information read by interrogating the tag.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein:

receiving the information comprises receiving operational information describing an operational characteristic of the article; and

establishing the relationship comprises establishing the relationship based upon the operational characteristic of the article.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein establishing the relationship based upon the operational characteristic of the article comprises:

establishing the relationship based upon a supply consumed by the article.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein establishing the relationship based upon the operational characteristic of the article comprises:

establishing the relationship based upon an output produced by the article.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein establishing the relationship between the article and one or more other articles comprises:

emulating another relationship between a second article and the one or more other articles.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein emulating the other relationship comprises:

emulating an operational relationship between the second article and the one or more other articles.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein emulating the other relationship comprises:

emulating a relationship between an equivalent second article and another article of the one or more other articles.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein:

the equivalent second article is one of a same make as the article and a same model as the article.

13. The method of claim 9, wherein emulating the second relationship comprises:

emulating a relationship between a similar second article and another article of the one or more other articles.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein:

the similar second article shares operational characteristics with the article.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein establishing the relationship between the article and one or more other articles comprises:

establishing the relationship between a first entity'"'"'s article owned or operated by a first entity and a second entity'"'"'s article owned or operated by a second entity.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein establishing the relationship between the article and one or more other articles comprises:

establishing a similarity relationship between the article and one or more other articles.

17. The method of claim 1, wherein establishing the relationship between the article and one or more other articles comprises:

receiving functional information regarding the deployment of the article in the temporary system; and

establishing a functional relationship between the article and one or more other articles based on the received functional information.

18. The method of claim 1, wherein establishing the relationship between the article and one or more other articles comprises:

establishing an equivalency relationship between the article and one or more other articles.

19. A computer program product, tangibly embodied in an information carrier, for structuring a system, the computer program product being operable to cause a data processing apparatus to:

receive information regarding a first article from a tag attached to the first article, the information identifying the first article as sharing a common characteristic with a second article in the system;

establish a first relationship identifying the common characteristic of the first article and the second article;

identify a second relationship involving the second article and a third article in the system; and

establish a third relationship emulating the second relationship, the third relationship involving the first article and the third article.

20. The product of claim 19, wherein the product is further operable to cause the data processing apparatus to:

establish the first relationship between a first description of the first article and a second description of the second article.

21. The product of claim 20, wherein the product is further operable to cause the data processing apparatus to:

establish the first relationship between a first data object describing the first article and a second data object describing the second article.

22. The product of claim 19, wherein the product is further operable to cause the data processing apparatus to:

receive information identifying the first article as equivalent to the second article.

23. The product of claim 19, wherein the product is further operable to cause the data processing apparatus to:

receive information identifying the first article as being one of a same make and a same model as the second article.

24. The product of claim 19, wherein the product is further operable to cause the data processing apparatus to:

receive information identifying the first article as sharing a common operational characteristic with the second article.

25. The product of claim 19, wherein the product is further operable to cause the data processing apparatus to:

establish the third relationship emulating the second relationship to indicate that the first article operates jointly with the third article.

26. The product of claim 19, wherein the product is further operable to cause the data processing apparatus to:

establish the third relationship emulating the second relationship to indicate that the first article consumes the third article.

27. The product of claim 19, wherein the product is further operable to cause the data processing apparatus to:

establish the third relationship emulating the second relationship to indicate that the first article produces the third article.

28. The product of claim 19, wherein the product is further operable to cause the data processing apparatus to:

establish the third relationship emulating the second relationship to indicate that the first article interacts with the third article.

29. The product of claim 28, wherein the product is further operable to cause the data processing apparatus to:

establish the third relationship emulating the second relationship to indicate that the first article interacts mechanically with the third article.

30. The product of claim 19, wherein the product is further operable to cause the data processing apparatus to:

receive additional information regarding the first article from the tag after the data processing apparatus has established the third relationship; and

establish a fourth relationship involving the first article based on the received additional information.

31. The product of claim 19, wherein the product is further operable to cause the data processing apparatus to:

identify the second relationship involving the second article and the third article in a temporary system.