Methods and systems for determining and applying rules to data

• US 20050283486A1
• Filed: 06/18/2004
• Published: 12/22/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 06/18/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: SAP SE
• Original Assignee: SAP AG (SAP SE)
• Inventors: Lauterbach, Bernd G., Pellerin, Richard, Kull, Irena
• Granted Patent: US 7,870,091 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: G06Q 10/0833 Tracking

Abstract

Systems and methods are disclosed for reconciling data. The disclosed systems and methods may include receiving a first data corresponding to an expected state of at least one of a plurality of objects. Furthermore, the disclosed systems and methods may include creating a second data corresponding to an actual state of the at least one of the plurality of objects and comparing the first data to the second data to determine if the actual state corresponds to the expected state. In addition, systems and methods are disclosed for determining and applying rules to data. The disclosed systems and methods may include receiving a data comprising a root element and at least one leaf element, the root element having attributes and the attributes comprising characteristics. Furthermore, the disclosed systems and methods may include selecting a condition table based upon the characteristics, selecting a first ruleset based upon the selected condition table, and applying rules defined by the selected first ruleset to the data.

Claims

1. A method for determining and applying rules to data, the method comprising:

receiving data comprising a root element and at least one leaf element, the root element having attributes, the attributes comprising characteristics;

selecting a condition table based on the characteristics;

selecting a first ruleset based on the selected condition table; and

applying rules defined by the selected first ruleset to the data.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving the data further comprises receiving the data wherein the attributes comprise characteristics comprising at least one of a direction a container was moving when an indicia was read from the container, a reader ID associated with a reader that read the indicia, and an indication whether the reader transformed a flat data into a hierarchical data structure.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving the data further comprises receiving the data wherein the root element corresponds to a container associated with at least one of a plurality of objects and the at least one leaf element corresponds to the at least one of the plurality of objects.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein applying the rules comprises calling an exception activity.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein applying the rules comprises applying at least one of reading data related to one or more objects of the object hierarchy from a database, updating information related to the one or more objects of an object hierarchy on the database, validating information of the object hierarchy with other information, verifying information of the object hierarchy with the other information, comparing information of the object hierarchy with the other information, calculating information of the object hierarchy with the other information, storing information to be used in other activities of a current rule processing in an object context, communicating information out of the object hierarchy, sending status information to readers or device management systems, giving feedback to users, and preparing information for usage in key performance indicators.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein applying the rules comprises:

applying a first rule that comprises an exception activity; and

applying another rule.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein applying the rules comprises:

applying a first rule that comprises an exception activity; and

canceling execution of other rules.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein applying the rules comprises applying the rules defined by the selected ruleset to the data to fulfill at least one of process evaluation, validation, communication, and status update.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

selecting a second ruleset based upon the selected condition table; and

applying rules defined by the selected second ruleset to the data.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising creating the data comprising:

receiving a container containing at least one of a plurality of objects;

reading an object indicia corresponding to the at least one of the plurality of objects;

reading a container indicia corresponding to the container; and

establishing the data in a hierarchical structure comprising the root element corresponding to the read container indicia and the leaf element corresponding to the read object indicia.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein receiving the container comprises receiving the container comprising at least one of a pallet, a forklift, a case, and a storage bin.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein reading the object indicia comprises machine reading the object indicia.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein machine reading the object indicia comprises at least one of receiving a signal associated with a radio frequency identification (RFID) tag and scanning a bar code.

14. The method of claim 10, wherein reading the object indicia comprises reading an electronic product code.

15. The method of claim 10, wherein reading the object indicia comprises receiving object attributes comprising at least one of an object type, a vendor identification number, a product identification number, a serial number, an expiration date, a batch number, a description, and a list of actions applied.

16. The method of claim 10, wherein reading the container indicia comprises machine reading the container indicia.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein machine reading the container indicia comprises at least one of receiving a signal associated with a radio frequency identification (RFID) tag and scanning a bar code.

18. The method of claim 10, wherein reading the container indicia comprises reading an electronic product code.

19. The method of claim 10, wherein reading the container indicia comprises receiving container attributes comprising at least one of a container type, a vendor identification number, a product identification number, a serial number, an expiration date, a batch number, a description, and a list of actions applied.

20. A system for determining and applying rules to data, the system comprising:

a memory storage for maintaining a database; and

a processing unit coupled to the memory storage, wherein the processing unit is operative to

receive data comprising a root element and at least one leaf element, the root element having attributes, the attributes comprising characteristics;

select a condition table based upon the characteristics;

select a first ruleset based upon the selected condition table; and

apply rules defined by the selected first ruleset to the data.

21. The system of claim 20, wherein the processing unit being operative to receive the data further comprises the processing unit being operative to receive the data wherein the attributes comprise characteristics comprising at least one of a direction a container was moving when an indicia was read from the container, a reader ID associated with a reader that read the indicia, and an indication whether the reader transformed a flat data into a hierarchical data structure.

22. The system of claim 20, wherein the processing unit being operative to receive the data further comprises the processing unit being operative to receive the data wherein the root element corresponds to a container associated with at least one of a plurality of objects and the at least one leaf element corresponds to the at least one of the plurality of objects.

23. The system of claim 20, wherein the processing unit being operative to apply the rules comprises the processing unit being operative to call an exception activity.

24. The system of claim 20, wherein the processing unit being operative to apply the rules comprises the processing unit being operative to apply at least one of reading data related to one or more object of the object hierarchy from a database, updating information related to the one or more objects of an object hierarchy on the database, validating information of the object hierarchy with other information, verifying information of the object hierarchy with the other information, comparing information of the object hierarchy with the other information, calculating information of the object hierarchy with the other information, storing information to be used in other activities of a current rule processing in an object context, communicating information out of the object hierarchy, sending status information to readers or device management systems, giving feedback to users, and preparing information for usage in key performance indicators.

25. The system of claim 20, wherein the processing unit being operative to apply the rules comprises the processing unit being operative to:

apply a first rule that comprises an exception activity; and

apply another rule.

26. The system of claim 20, wherein the processing unit being operative to apply the rules comprises the processing unit being operative to:

apply a first rule that comprises an exception activity; and

cancel execution of other rules.

27. The system of claim 20, wherein the processing unit being operative to apply the rules comprises the processing unit being operative to apply the rules defined by the selected ruleset to the data to fulfill at least one of process evaluation, validation, communication, and status update.

28. The system of claim 20, further comprising the processing unit being operative to:

select a second ruleset based upon the selected condition table; and

apply rules defined by the selected second ruleset to the data.

29. The system of claim 20, further comprising the processing unit being operative to create the data comprising the processing unit being operative to:

read an object indicia corresponding to the at least one of the plurality of objects;

read a container indicia corresponding to a container; and

establish the data in a hierarchical structure comprising the root element corresponding to the read container indicia and the leaf element corresponding to the read object indicia.

30. The system of claim 29, wherein the processing unit being operative to read the container indicia comprises the processing unit being operative to read the container indicia on the container comprising at least one of a pallet, a forklift, a case, and a storage bin.

31. The system of claim 29, wherein the processing unit being operative to read the object indicia comprises the processing unit being operative to machine read the object indicia.

32. The system of claim 31, wherein the processing unit being operative to machine read the object indicia comprises at least one of the processing unit being operative to receive a signal associated with a radio frequency identification (RFID) tag and the processing unit being operative to scan a bar code.

33. The system of claim 29, wherein the processing unit being operative to read the object indicia comprises the processing unit being operative to read an electronic product code.

34. The system of claim 29, wherein the processing unit being operative to read the object indicia comprises the processing unit being operative to receive object attributes comprising at least one of an object type, a vendor identification number, a product identification number, a serial number, an expiration date, a batch number, a description, and a list of actions applied.

35. The system of claim 29, wherein the processing unit being operative to read the container indicia comprises the processing unit being operative to machine read the container indicia.

36. The system of claim 35, wherein the processing unit being operative to machine read the container indicia comprises at least one of the processing unit being operative to receive a signal associated with a radio frequency identification (RFID) tag and the processing unit being operative to scan a bar code.

37. The system of claim 29, wherein the processing unit being operative to read the container indicia comprises the processing unit being operative to read an electronic product code.

38. The system of claim 29, wherein the processing unit being operative to read the container indicia comprises the processing unit being operative to receive container attributes comprising at least one of a container type, a vendor identification number, a product identification number, a serial number, an expiration date, a batch number, a description, and a list of actions applied.

39. A computer-readable medium which stores a set of instructions which when executed performs a method for determining and applying rules to data, the method executed by the set of instructions comprising:

receiving data comprising a root element and at least one leaf element, the root element having attributes, the attributes comprising characteristics;

selecting a condition table based upon the characteristics;

selecting a first ruleset based upon the selected condition table; and

applying rules defined by the selected first ruleset to the data.

40. The computer-readable medium of claim 39, wherein receiving the data further comprises receiving the data wherein the attributes comprise characteristics comprising at least one of a direction a container was moving when an indicia was read from the container, a reader ID associated with a reader that read the indicia, and an indication whether the reader transformed a flat data into a hierarchical data structure.

41. The computer-readable medium of claim 39, wherein receiving the data further comprises receiving the data wherein the root element corresponds to a container associated with at least one of a plurality of objects and the at least one leaf element corresponds to the at least one of the plurality of objects.

42. The computer-readable medium of claim 39, wherein applying the rules comprises calling an exception activity.

43. The computer-readable medium of claim 39, wherein applying the rules comprises applying at least one of reading data related to one or many object of the object hierarchy from a database, updating information related to one or more objects of an object hierarchy on the database, validating information of the object hierarchy with other information, verifying information of the object hierarchy with other information, comparing information of the object hierarchy with other information, calculating information of the object hierarchy with other information, storing information to be used in other activities of a current rule processing in an object context, communicating information out of the object hierarchy, sending status information to readers or device management systems, giving feedback to users, and preparing information for usage in key performance indicators.

44. The computer-readable medium of claim 39, wherein applying the rules comprises:

applying a first rule that comprises an exception activity; and

applying another rule.

45. The computer-readable medium of claim 39, wherein applying the rules comprises:

applying a first rule that comprises an exception activity; and

canceling execution of other rules.

46. The computer-readable medium of claim 39, wherein applying the rules comprises applying the rules defined by the selected ruleset to the data to fulfill at least one of process evaluation, validation, communication, and status update.

47. The computer-readable medium of claim 39, further comprising:

selecting a second ruleset based upon the selected condition table; and

applying rules defined by the selected second ruleset to the data.

48. The computer-readable medium of claim 39, further comprising creating the data comprising:

receiving a container containing at least one of a plurality of objects;

reading an object indicia corresponding to the at least one of the plurality of objects;

reading a container indicia corresponding to the container; and

establishing the data in a hierarchical structure comprising the root element corresponding to the read container indicia and the leaf element corresponding to the read object indicia.

49. The computer-readable medium of claim 48, wherein receiving the container comprises receiving the container comprising at least one of a pallet, a forklift, a case, and a storage bin.

50. The computer-readable medium of claim 48, wherein reading the object indicia comprises machine reading the object indicia.

51. The computer-readable medium of claim 50, wherein machine reading the object indicia comprises at least one of receiving a signal associated with a radio frequency identification (RFID) tag and scanning a bar code.

52. The computer-readable medium of claim 48, wherein reading the object indicia comprises reading an electronic product code.

53. The computer-readable medium of claim 48, wherein reading the object indicia comprises receiving object attributes comprising at least one of an object type, a vendor identification number, a product identification number, a serial number, an expiration date, a batch number, a description, and a list of actions applied.

54. The computer-readable medium of claim 48, wherein reading the container indicia comprises machine reading the container indicia.

55. The computer-readable medium of claim 54, wherein machine reading the container indicia comprises at least one of receiving a signal associated with a radio frequency identification (RFID) tag and scanning a bar code.

56. The computer-readable medium of claim 48, wherein reading the container indicia comprises reading an electronic product code.

57. The computer-readable medium of claim 48, wherein reading the container indicia comprises receiving container attributes comprising at least one of a container type, a vendor identification number, a product identification number, a serial number, an expiration date, a batch number, a description, and a list of actions applied.