System and method of master data management using RFID technology

• US 8,061,604 B1
• Filed: 12/31/2003
• Issued: 11/22/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 02/13/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: SAP SE
• Original Assignee: SAP AG (SAP SE)
• Inventors: Wobbe, Christoph, Kienle, Walter G., Kirchner, Uwe, Wobbe, Matthias
• Primary Examiner(s): Paik; Steve S
• Assistant Examiner(s): KIM, TAE W
• Application Number:
  US10/749,808
• Time in Patent Office: 2,883 Days
• Field of Search: 235/385
• US Class Current: 235/385
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/20 Administration of product repair or maintenance

Abstract

Methods and apparatus, including computer program products, for data management pertaining to master data management, processing, and optimization; to maintenance management; and to asset management. A master data management system may include a dynamic object identification system. The dynamic object identification system may identify objects using a segmented and coded globally unique identifier. The globally unique identifier may be updated while the objects are within the system. The globally unique identifier may comprise coded segments including a personal identification number, an external key, technical data, and administration data. The technical and administration data may be more or less detailed, depending on, among others, the object, its history of use, and its present circumstances. Implementation of the asset management system may include the use of radio-frequency identification (RFID) tags. The RFID tags may store detailed object information, including critical object information and a globally unique identifier.

Claims

1. An asset management system for the management of assets, the asset management system comprising:

a master data management system to manage master data pertaining to objects selected from the assets, the master data management system configured to associate at least one fade out indicator with selected master data corresponding to an object selected from the asset such that the at least one fade out indicator indicates a frequency of the selected master data being accessed or modified for a certain time period, and the master data management system configured to update the at least one fade out indicator based on a change in a condition of an object corresponding to the selected master data and stored with the selected master data; and

a radio-frequency identification system to enable identification of objects within the master data management system, said radio-frequency identification system comprising radio-frequency identification tags coupled to associated objects in said assets, each of said radio-frequency identification tags containing detailed object information, said detailed object information comprising updated information for a corresponding associated object after performing physical maintenance or configuration directly to the corresponding associated object and the updated at least one fade out indicator.

2. The asset management system as set forth in claim 1, wherein an initial version of said detailed object information is placed onto a corresponding radio-frequency identification tag by a manufacturer of said associated object.

3. The asset management system as set forth in claim 2, wherein selections of master data are stored on a corresponding radio-frequency identification tag.

4. The asset management system as set forth in claim 1, wherein critical object information is stored as master data in the master data management system, and wherein the critical object information comprises a subset of said detailed object information stored on a corresponding radio-frequency identification tag.

5. The asset management system as set forth in claim 1, wherein the radio-frequency identification system further includes at least one of a radio-frequency transceiver, and wherein the radiofrequency transceiver is capable of receiving from and transmitting to a corresponding radio-frequency identification tag the selections of master data.

6. The asset management system as set forth in claim 1, wherein the master data management system includes a dynamic object identification system and the dynamic object identification system includes an object criteria set, an object rule set, and an object identification system.

7. The asset management system as set forth in claim 6, wherein the object criteria set includes variables and possible values, wherein the object rule set includes rules incorporating the variables, and the object identification system includes a globally unique identifier.

8. The asset management system as set forth in claim 7, wherein the dynamic object identification system assembles the globally unique identifier based at least on user-determined parameters, wherein the globally unique identifier includes at least one coded segment, and wherein the at least one coded segment includes object data selected from a group consisting of at least one of a personal identification number, at least one of an external key, technical data, and administration data.

9. The asset management system as set forth in claim 8, wherein the user-determined parameters comprise at least one variable from the object criteria set and at least one rule from the object rule set.

10. The asset management system as set forth in claim 8, wherein the technical data include a multilevel data storage hierarchy, wherein the personal identification number comprises a segmented series of level identification codes, and wherein the series of level identification codes relate to the multi-level data storage hierarchy.

11. The asset management system as set forth in claim 8 wherein the administration data include contextual data.

12. The asset management system as set forth in claim 8, wherein the globally unique identifier includes at least one fade out indicator.

13. The asset management system as set forth in claim 12, wherein the fade out indicator includes at least one of a fade out process and at least one of a fade out endpoint.

14. The asset management system as set forth in claim 13, wherein the fade out process includes one of passing time, using an object, and waiting for a condition to appear, and wherein the fade out endpoint includes one of attainment of a fade out date, completion of a fade out period, fulfillment of a fade out level of use, and appearance of a condition.

15. The asset management system as set forth in claim 1, wherein the master data management system comprises a master database to store the selected master data and wherein the master data management system is configured to remove the selected master data from the master database upon determination that the frequency reaches a specified threshold.

16. The asset management system as set forth in claim 15, wherein the specified threshold comprises an indication that the selected master data has never been accessed or modified for the certain time period.

17. The asset management system as set forth in claim 15, wherein the detailed object information associated with the selected master data removed from the master database remains only in the radio-frequency identification tag coupled to the object corresponding to the selected master data.

18. The asset management system as set forth in claim 1, wherein the master data management system is configured to optimize a maintenance schedule of the object corresponding to the selected master data using the at least one fade out indicator.

19. The asset management system as set forth in claim 1, wherein the master data management system is configured to control the level of detail of the selected mater data to be displayed based on the at least one fade out indicator.

20. The asset management system as set forth in claim 1, wherein the at least one fade out indicator comprises a fade out date or a fade out level of use, the fade out date specifying the certain time period and the fade out level of use specifying a usage level of the object corresponding to the selected master data.

21. The asset management system as set forth in claim 1, wherein the updating the at least one fade out indicator comprises setting a new time period or resetting a use-counter associated with the object corresponding to the selected master data.

22. A computer-implemented method for managing assets, the assets including objects, the method comprising:

using an interface device, storing information about each of said objects as master data in a master data management system;

selecting master data including critical object data related to an object from the assets;

associating at least one fade out indicator with the selected master data such that the at least one fade out indicator indicates a frequency of the selected master data being accessed or modified for a certain time period;

updating the at least one fade out indictor, based on a change in a condition of an object corresponding to the selected master data; and

using a radio-frequency identification tag to store the updated at least one fade out indicator with the selected master data.

23. The computer-implemented method as set forth in claim 22, further comprising updating of the at least one fade out indicator associated with the master data upon the object being subject to specific physical maintenance.

24. The computer-implemented method as set forth in claim 23, wherein the at least one fade out indicator includes at least one of a fade out process and at least one of a fade out endpoint.

25. The method of claim 22, further comprising storing on the radio-frequency identification tag detailed object information comprising updated information for an object associated with the selected master data after performing physical maintenance or configuration directly to said object.

26. The computer-implemented method as set forth in claim 22, wherein the master data management system comprises a master database to store the selected master data, wherein the updating the at least one fade out indicator comprises removing the selected mater data from the master database upon determination that the frequency reaches a specified threshold.

27. The computer-implemented method as set for the in claim 22, wherein the updating the at least one fade out indicator comprises controlling the level of detail of the selected mater data to be displayed based on the at least one fade out indicator.

28. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing instructions that, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to:

store information about each object of one or more assets as master data in a master data management system;

select master data including critical object data related to an object from the one or more assets;

associate at least one fade out indicator with the selected master data such that the at least one fade out indicator indicates a frequency of the selected master data being accessed or modified for a certain time period;

update the at least one fade out indicator based on a change in a condition of an object corresponding to the selected master data; and

cause a radio-frequency transceiver to store the updated at least one fade out indicator with the selected master data and detailed object information about an object associated with the selected master data on a radio-frequency identification tag, said detailed object information comprising updated information for said object after performing physical maintenance or configuration directly to said associated object.