METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR SETUP OF, AND COMMUNICATION WITH, AN RFID MIDDELWARE SERVER FROM AN ENTERPRISE RESOURCE PLANNING SYSTEM SERVER

• US 20110035672A1
• Filed: 10/07/2010
• Published: 02/10/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 04/07/2005
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Puggaard, Kenneth, Gregersen, Flemming, Vest, Thomas
• Application Number:
  US12/899,902
• Publication Number:
  US 20110035672A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/735
• 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

Abstract

A method of configuring a Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) middleware server is provided. The method includes calling a server form, using an Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system, from an ERP server. The method also includes identifying at least one RFID middleware server using the server form, and configuring one or more processes, using the server form, to run on the at least one identified RFID server. The one or more configured processes are transmitted from the ERP server to the RFID middleware server in order to configure the RFID middleware server.

Claims

1. A method of facilitating configuration of a Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) middleware server, the method comprising:

receiving a request that is indicative of a collection of data entered into a server form operating upon an Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) server, wherein the server form provides a graphical user interface that supports configuration of the RFID middleware server through entry of the collection of data into the graphical user interface;

identifying the RFID middleware server, separate from the ERP server, based on the collection of data as indicated in the request;

configuring a process, based on the collection of data as indicated in the request, to run on the identified RFID middleware server; and

transmitting the configured process to the RFID middleware server in order to apply the configured process to the RFID middleware server.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein transmitting the configured process comprises transmitting the configured process from the ERP server to the RFID middleware server.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein transmitting the configured process comprises transmitting using a Component Object Model (COM) object on the ERP server.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein transmitting the configured process comprises transmitting using a Component Object Model (COM) object on the ERP server and a COM object on the RFID middleware server.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein configuring the process comprises calling a process form residing on the ERP server.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein configuring the process comprises selecting a device for the process.

7. The method of claim 1, and further comprising:

calling a device form, residing on the ERP server; and

using the device form to identify RFID devices coupled to the RFID middleware server.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising utilizing the device form to set properties of the identified RFID devices.

9. The method of claim 7, and further comprising utilizing the device form to copy properties from one of the identified RFID device to another of the identified RFID devices.

10. A method of facilitating configuration of a Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) middleware server, the method comprising:

configuring a process to run on the identified RFID server, wherein configuring comprises configuring so as to be consistent with user inputs into the server form; and

transmitting the configured process to the RFID middleware server.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein transmitting comprises transmitting from the ERP server to the RFID middleware server using a Component Object Model (COM) object on the ERP server and a COM object on the RFID middleware server.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein configuring the process comprises calling a process form residing on the ERP server.

13. The method of claim 12, and further comprising receiving, through the process form, a selection of a device to be linked to the process.

14. The method of 10, and further comprising:

calling a device form residing on the ERP server; and

utilizing the device form to identify RFID devices coupled to the RFID middleware server.

15. An integrated Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) system and an Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system, comprising:

an RFID middleware server; and

an ERP server, interfaced with the RFID middleware server using Component Object Model (COM) objects on each of the RFID middleware server and the ERP server.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the ERP server configures, based on inputs to a server form residing on the ERP server, a process to run on the RFID middleware server.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the ERP server transmits the configured process to the RFID middleware server.

18. The system of claim 17, and further comprising at least one RFID device coupled to the RFID middleware server and operating in the configured process.

19. The system of claim 17, wherein the ERP server transmits the configured process to the RFID middleware server using the COM objects on each of the RFID middleware server and the ERP server.

20. The system of claim 17, wherein the ERP server transmits the configured process to the RFID middleware server using a COM objects on the RFID middleware server.