Providing selective access to tracking information

• US 7,149,753 B2
• Filed: 04/30/2002
• Issued: 12/12/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 01/11/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: SAP SE
• Original Assignee: SAP AG (SAP SE)
• Inventors: Lin, Tao
• Primary Examiner(s): Gaffin, Jeffrey
• Assistant Examiner(s): Wu, Yicun
• Application Number:
  US10/136,861
• Publication Number:
  US 20040193641A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,687 Days
• Field of Search: 707/104.1, 707/7, 707/102, 707/8, 707/100, 707/9, 707/10, 709/241, 709/246, 713/168, 705/28, 705/23, 340/572.1, 455/422.1, 700/116, 700/113, 700/225
• 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, the method comprising:

creating, on a computer readable medium, tracking information for one or more items, the tracking information including one or more attributes of each item;

accessing an index table, the index table including a set of coding schemes for encoding the tracking information, each coding scheme corresponding to a particular attribute in the tracking information;

encoding the tracking information by encoding each instance of each attribute in the tracking information with a corresponding coding scheme from the set of coding schemes;

sending the encoded tracking information to multiple recipients with different levels of access; and

for each 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 one recipient is an item tracking system.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the multiple recipients include recipients spread across different enterprises.

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

creating tracking information for an item, the tracking information including one or more attributes of the item;

accessing an index table, the index table including a set of coding schemes for encoding the tracking information, each coding scheme corresponding to a particular attribute in the tracking information;

encoding the tracking information by encoding each instance of each attribute with a corresponding coding scheme from the set of coding schemes;

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

making the encoded tracking information stored on the tag accessible to multiple recipients with different levels of access;

determining which attributes of the item a recipient is authorized to access; and

providing the recipient with a subset of the coding schemes, the subset including only coding schemes for attributes of the item 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.

12. The method of claim 6, wherein the multiple recipients include recipients spread across different enterprises.

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

receiving encoded tracking information for one or more items, the tracking information representing one or more attributes of each item, the tracking information having been encoded by encoding each instance of each attribute in the tracking information with a corresponding coding scheme from a set of coding schemes;

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

decoding a portion of the encoded tracking information using a processing device, by using the subset of the coding schemes to decode 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.

13. A method for communicating tracking information performed at least partially by a computer, the method comprising:

accessing tracking information for an item, the tracking information including one or more attributes of the item;

storing the tracking information in a document;

accessing a coding index, the coding index including one or more coding schemes, each coding scheme corresponding to an attribute of the item;

creating an encoded document for storing the tracking information for the item by encoding each attribute of the item with the attribute'"'"'s corresponding coding scheme;

determining which attributes of the item a recipient is authorized to access;

sending the encoded document to the recipient; and

sending a decoding index to the recipient, the decoding index including only coding schemes from the set of coding schemes that correspond to the attributes of the item that the recipient is authorized to access.

14. A method for accessing tracking information performed at least partially by a computer, the method comprising:

receiving an encoded document for storing tracking information for an item, the tracking information including one or more attributes of the item, the tracking information encoded by encoding each attribute of the item with a corresponding coding scheme from a set of coding schemes;

receiving a decoding index, the decoding index including only coding schemes from the set of coding schemes that correspond to attributes of the item that a recipient is authorized to access; and

creating a decoded document for storing the tracking information for the item by decoding each attribute that the recipient is authorized to access with the attribute'"'"'s corresponding coding scheme.

15. A system for encoding tracking information for an item, the tracking information including one or more attributes of the item, the system comprising:

a coding index, the coding index including one or more coding schemes, each coding scheme corresponding to an attribute of the item; and

a processor configured to;

access the tracking information for the item;

store the tracking information for the item in a document;

access the coding index;

create an encoded document for storing the tracking information for the item by encoding each attribute of the item with the attribute'"'"'s corresponding coding scheme;

determine which attributes of the item a recipient is authorized to access;

send the encoded document to the recipient; and

send a decoding index to the recipient, the decoding index including only coding schemes from the set of coding schemes that correspond to the attributes of the item that the recipient is authorized to access.