Method and system for storing, retrieving, and managing data for tags

• US 7,956,742 B2
• Filed: 01/24/2007
• Issued: 06/07/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 10/30/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Motedata Corporation
• Original Assignee: Motedata Incorporated
• Inventors: Lupoli, Peter, Cappello, Peter, Kesan, Jay P.
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen; Hung T.
• Application Number:
  US11/657,895
• Publication Number:
  US 20070273518A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,595 Days
• Field of Search: 340/572.1, 340/572.3, 340/572.4, 340/573.1, 340/539.1, 340/10.1, 340/10.51, 235/375, 235/376, 235/383, 235/385, 235/487, 235/492
• US Class Current: 340/572.1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/211 Schema design and management
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/24564 Applying rules; Deductive queries
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/24578 using ranking
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/29 Geographical information databases
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/81 Indexing, e.g. XML tags; Data structures therefor; Storage structures
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10366 the interrogation device being adapted for miscellaneous applications
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/08 Logistics, e.g. warehousing, loading or distribution; Inventory or stock management

Abstract

This invention relates generally to a method and system for storing, retrieving, and managing data for tags that are associated in some manner to any type of object. More particularly, the present invention writes data to these tags, reads data from these tags, and manages data that is written to and/or read from these tags.

In addition, the invention accesses and/or stores data associated with tags from or into repositories, constructs and maintains data structures from these repositories and responds to queries using the data structures.

Claims

1. A method for accessing and organizing tag-related data, the method being implemented by at least one computer including one or more processors and comprising:

accessing data associated with one or more entities, said entities associated with one or more tags having one or more identifiers, said data being stored in one or more data repositories;

accessing data associated with one or more tags having one or more identifiers, said data associated with the one or more tags being stored in one or more data repositories;

linking the accessed data associated with the one or more entities together with the accessed data associated with the one or more tags using said one or more tag identifiers;

receiving at least one query or at least one keyword search;

retrieving data that matches said at least one query or said at least one keyword search, said data being stored in one or more repositories;

determining at least one tag identifier that is associated with said matching data; and

retrieving additional data that is associated with said at least one determined tag identifier, said additional data being stored in one or more repositories.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising responding to said query or at least one keyword search with at least a portion of said retrieved additional data.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein said responding comprises posting a response on a web page.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein said responding comprises mailing a response electronically.

5. The method of claim 2, further comprising ordering one or more responses to said query or to said keyword search according to one or more criteria.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein said at least one query or said at least one keyword search comprises one or more of the following types:

spatial comparison and temporal comparison.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein said at least one query or keyword search is a standing query or a standing keyword search.

8. A method for accessing and organizing tag-related data, the method being implemented by at least one computer including one or more processors and comprising:

accessing data associated with one or more entities, said entities associated with one or more tags having one or more identifiers, said data being stored in one or more data repositories;

accessing data associated with one or more tags having one or more identifiers, said data associated with the one or more tags being stored in one or more data repositories;

linking the accessed data associated with the one or more entities together with the accessed data associated with the one or more tags using said one or more tag identifiers;

receiving at least one query or keyword search;

determining one or more of said tag identifiers that satisfy said query or keyword search;

aggregating data for at least one of said determined tag identifiers over one or more of said repositories;

ranking said aggregated data for at least one of said determined tag identifiers;

forming an ordered list of aggregated data; and

responding to said query or keyword search with said ordered list.

9. A method for accessing and organizing tag-related data, the method being implemented by at least one computer including one or more processors and comprising:

accessing data associated with one or more entities, said entities associated with one or more tags having one or more identifiers, said data being stored in one or more data repositories;

accessing data associated with one or more tags having one or more identifiers, said data associated with the one or more tags being stored in one or more data repositories;

linking the accessed data associated with the one or more entities together with the accessed data associated with the one or more tags using said one or more tag identifiers;

receiving at least one query or keyword search;

determining one or more of said tag identifiers that satisfies said query or keyword search;

aggregating data for at least one of said determined tag identifiers over one or more of said repositories;

ranking said aggregated data for at least one of said determined tag identifiers to form an ordered list of aggregated data; and

responding to said query or keyword search with said ordered list.

10. A system for retrieving and organizing data that is associated with one or more tags having one or more identifiers from a plurality of repositories, the system being implemented by at least one computer including one or more processors and comprising:

means for retrieving said data from one or more of said repositories;

means for linking together at least one portion of said data that is associated with at least one of said one or more identifiers;

means for receiving at least one query or keyword search;

means for determining one or more of said tag identifiers that satisfies said query or keyword search;

means for aggregating data for at least one of said determined tag identifiers over one or more of said repositories;

means for ranking said aggregated data for at least one of said determined tag identifiers to form an ordered list of aggregated data; and

means for responding to said query or keyword search with said ordered list.

11. A method for accessing and organizing tag-related data, the method being implemented by at least one computer including one or more processors and comprising:

accessing data associated with one or more entities, said entities associated with one or more tags having one or more identifiers, said data being stored in one or more data repositories;

accessing data associated with one or more other entities, said other entities associated with one or more tags having one or more identifiers, said data being stored in one or more data repositories;

linking the accessed data associated with the one or more entities together with the accessed data associated with the one or more other entities using said one or more tag identifiers;

constructing one or more data structures to organize said data associated with the one or more entities and the data associated with the one or more other entities, wherein said one or more data structures comprise at least one database and at least one index;

populating one or more data structures with the linked data;

receiving at least one query or at least one keyword search;

determining one or more of said tag identifiers that satisfy said query or keyword search;

aggregating data for at least one of said determined tag identifiers over one or more of said repositories;

ranking said aggregated data for at least one of said determined tag identifiers;

forming an ordered list of aggregated data; and

responding to said query or keyword search with said ordered list.