Providing selective access to tracking information

• US 20040193641A1
• Filed: 04/30/2002
• Published: 09/30/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 01/11/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: SAP SE
• Original Assignee: SAP AG (SAP SE)
• Inventors: Lin, Tao
• Granted Patent: US 7,149,753 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/08 Logistics, e.g. warehousing, loading or distribution; Inventory or stock management
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/28 the pass enabling tracking or indicating presence
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99945 Object-oriented database structure processing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99948 Application of database or data structure, e.g. distributed, multimedia, or image

Abstract

System and methods for communicating tracking information about tagged items. A tagged item is a tangible item that carries a self-identifying tag. The tracking information can be stored in the tag or in a document that is accessible through an item tracking system. The tracking information can be accessible by multiple consumers having different levels of access. The methods include methods for masking redundancies in the tracking information, filtering the tracking information, and controlling access to the tracking information.

Claims

1. A method for communicating tracking information about items, the method comprising:

creating tracking information for a collection of items, the tracking information representing each of the items as one or more attributes and optional corresponding values;

encoding the tracking information by encoding each instance of each distinct attribute in the tracking information with its corresponding distinct coding scheme;

sending the encoded tracking information to a recipient;

determining which attributes the recipient is authorized to access; and

providing the recipient with a subset of the coding schemes, the subset including only coding schemes for attributes that the recipient is authorized to access.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein each attribute has a name describing the attribute and wherein encoding each attribute includes replacing the descriptive name of the attribute with a code name that is shorter than the descriptive name.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the tracking information is received from one or more tags, each tag associated with a physical object, each tag containing a unique identification code and a plurality of attributes for the associated physical object.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the tracking information is contained in an XML document.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the recipient is an item tracking system.

6. A method for communicating information about an item, the method comprising:

creating tracking information for an item, the tracking information being one or more attributes and optional corresponding values;

encoding the tracking information by encoding each instance of each distinct attribute with a corresponding distinct coding scheme;

storing the encoded tracking information in a tag bound to the item;

determining which attributes a recipient is authorized to access; and

providing each recipient authorized to access attributes of an item with a subset of the coding schemes, the subset including only coding schemes for attributes that the recipient is authorized to access.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein the encoded tracking information is stored as an XML document in the tag.

8. A method for accessing tracking information about items, the method comprising:

receiving encoded tracking information for a collection of items, the tracking information representing each of the items as one or more attributes and optional corresponding values, the tracking information encoded by encoding each instance of each distinct attribute in the tracking information with its corresponding distinct coding scheme;

receiving a subset of the coding schemes, the subset including only coding schemes for attributes that the recipient is authorized to access; and

decoding the attributes that the recipient is authorized to access.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein the encoded tracking information is stored in an XML document.

10. The method of claim 8 wherein the encoded tracking information is received from an item tracking system.