Middleware for query processing across a network of RFID databases

• US 8,244,747 B2
• Filed: 12/05/2006
• Issued: 08/14/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 12/05/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Agrawal, Rakesh, Kailing, Karin, Cheung, Alvin K., Schoenauer, Stefan
• Primary Examiner(s): Choi, Yuk Ting
• Application Number:
  US11/566,931
• Publication Number:
  US 20080129452A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,079 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 707/759
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/24534 Query rewriting; Transformation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/25 Integrating or interfacing systems involving database management systems

Abstract

An implementation wherein RFID data is shared across independent organizations has been addressed. RFID data is usually spread across different parties, e.g. enterprises in a supply chain and thus, efficient query processing across all parties is required. Traceability is emerging as one of the key applications of RFID technology. A generic data model is introduced for querying RFID data across a network of independently operated data sources. The model can be used to facilitate traceability query processing and give a set of representative traceability queries. A newly designed process-and-forward approach is implemented for executing traceability queries.

Claims

1. A network of independently operated nodes sharing RFID data comprising:

a first node comprising;

a processor; and

a non-transitory computer storage medium storing;

computer readable program code executed by said processor to implement a RFID repository local to said first node, said RFID repository local to said first node stores at least a first entity type and a first event type data, said first event type comprising a plurality of the following;

a first observed event type identifying a ternary relationship between an object, a first location and a first timestamp, a first assembled event type identifying a start of a parent-child relationship between two objects, or a first disassembled event type identifying when a parent-child relationship ends between two objects; and

computer readable program code executed by said processor to implement a first query engine implemented as a first middleware, said first query engine receiving a query related to said first entity type and said first event type data, retrieving said first entity type and said first event type data related to said query from said RFID repository local to said first node, analyzing and rewriting said query based on said retrieved data and, based on one or more predicates of said query, identifying at least a second node in said network of independently operated nodes to forward said query for data related to a second entity type and a second event type, forwarding said rewritten query to said second node, and

a second node comprising;

a processor; and

a non-transitory computer storage medium storing;

computer readable program code executed by said processor to implement a RFID repository local to said second node, said RFID repository local to said second node stores at least said second entity type and said second event type data, said second event type comprising a plurality of the following;

a second observed event type identifying a ternary relationship between an object, location and a timestamp, a second assembled event type identifying a start of a parent-child relationship between two objects, or a second disassembled event type identifying when a parent-child relationship ends between two objects; and

computer readable program code executed by said processor to implement a second query engine implemented as a second middleware, said second query engine receives said rewritten query, retrieves data related to said second entity type and said second event type from said RFID repository local to said second node, and processes said rewritten query based on said retrieved data, and

wherein computer readable program code efficiently processes said query by combining results of query executions across at least said first and second node in said network of independently operated nodes related to said first entity type, said first event type, said second entity type, and said second event type.

2. The network of independently operated nodes sharing RFID data, as per claim 1, wherein said entity type is any of the following:

a uniquely identifiable object, a uniquely identifiable location, or a uniquely identifiable organization.

3. The network of independently operated nodes sharing RFID data, as per claim 1, wherein said event type or entity type further identifies at least one property as a name, value pair.

4. The network of independently operated nodes sharing RFID data, as per claim 3, wherein said property is related to a taxonomy comprising a hierarchy of terms.

5. The network of independently operated nodes sharing RFID data, as per claim 1, wherein each node independently enforces a restriction policy limiting data disclosure.

6. The network of independently operated nodes sharing RFID data, as per claim 1, wherein said combined results are used for any of the following:

pedigree generation, targeted recall of a product, detection of unusual patterns, or counterfeit detection.

7. A method implemented across a network of independently operated nodes sharing RFID data, each node uniquely addressable and comprising a local RFID repository and a query processing component, said method implemented as middleware in a node among said network of independently operated nodes comprising the steps of:

(a) implementing a RFID repository local to a first node, said RFID repository local to said first node stores at least a first entity type and a first event type data, said first event type comprising a plurality of the following;

a first observed event type identifying a ternary relationship between an object, a first location and a first timestamp, a first assembled event type identifying a start of a parent-child relationship between two objects, or a first disassembled event type identifying when a parent-child relationship ends between two objects

(b) implementing a first query engine implemented as a first middleware, said first query engine;

(1) receiving a query related to said first entity type and said first event type data;

(2) retrieving said first entity type and said first event type data related to said query from said RFID repository local to said first node;

(3) analyzing said query and, based on one or more predicates of said query;

(4) identifying at least a second node in said network of independently operated nodes to forward said query for data related to a second entity type and a second event type;

(5) forwarding said query to said second node, wherein said first node;

(c) implementing a RFID repository local to said second node, said RFID repository local to said second node stores at least said second entity type and said second event type data, said second event type comprising a plurality of the following;

a second observed event type identifying a ternary relationship between an object, location and a timestamp, a second assembled event type identifying a start of a parent-child relationship between two objects, or a second disassembled event type identifying when a parent-child relationship ends between two objects; and

(d) implementing a second query engine implemented as a second middleware, said second query engine;

(1) receiving said query;

(2) retrieving data related to said second entity type and said second event type from said RFID repository local to said second node; and

(3) processing said query based on said retrieved data, and

wherein a computer processor executes computer readable program code to implement said method and efficiently process said query by combining results of query executions across at least said first and second node in said network of independently operated nodes related to said first entity type, said first event type, said second entity type, and said second event type.

8. The method implemented across a network of independently operated nodes sharing RFID data, as per claim 7, wherein said entity type is any of the following:

a uniquely identifiable object, a uniquely identifiable location, or a uniquely identifiable organization.

9. The method implemented across a network of independently operated nodes sharing RFID data, as per claim 8, wherein said event type is any of the following:

observed event type identifying a ternary relationship between an object, location and a timestamp,

assembled event type identifying a start of a parent-child relationship between two objects, or

disassembled event type identifying when a parent-child relationship ends between two objects.

10. The method implemented across a network of independently operated nodes sharing RFID data, as per claim 7, wherein said entity type or said event type further identifies at least one property as a name, value pair.

11. The method implemented across a network of independently operated nodes sharing RFID data, as per claim 10, wherein said property is related to a taxonomy comprising a hierarchy of terms.

12. The method implemented across a network of independently operated nodes sharing RFID data, as per claim 7, wherein each node independently enforces a restriction policy limiting data disclosure.

13. The method implemented across a network of independently operated nodes sharing RFID data, as per claim 7, wherein said combined results are used for any of the following:

pedigree generation, targeted recall of a product, detection of unusual patterns, or counterfeit detection.

14. An article of manufacture comprising a non-transitory computer storage medium having computer readable program code embodied therein implementing a middleware to query RFID data across a network of independently operated nodes sharing RFID data, wherein said middleware comprises:

(a) computer readable program code implementing a RFID repository local to a first node, said RFID repository local to said first node stores at least a first entity type and a first event type data, said first event type comprising a plurality of the following;

a first observed event type identifying a ternary relationship between an object, a first location and a first timestamp, a first assembled event type identifying a start of a parent-child relationship between two objects, or a first disassembled event type identifying when a parent-child relationship ends between two objects

(b) computer readable program code implementing a first query engine implemented as a first middleware, said first query engine;

(1) computer readable program code receiving a query related to said first entity type and said first event type data;

(2) computer readable program code retrieving said first entity type and said first event type data related to said query from said RFID repository local to said first node;

(3) computer readable program code analyzing said query and, based on one or more predicates of said query;

(4) computer readable program code identifying at least a second node in said network of independently operated nodes to forward said query for data related to a second entity type and a second event type;

(5) computer readable program code forwarding said query to said second node, wherein said first node;

(c) computer readable program code implementing a RFID repository local to said second node, said RFID repository local to said second node stores at least said second entity type and said second event type data, said second event type comprising a plurality of the following;

a second observed event type identifying a ternary relationship between an object, location and a timestamp, a second assembled event type identifying a start of a parent-child relationship between two objects, or a second disassembled event type identifying when a parent-child relationship ends between two objects; and

(d) computer readable program code implementing a second query engine implemented as a second middleware, said second query engine;

(1) computer readable program code receiving said query;

(2) computer readable program code retrieving data related to said second entity type and said second event type from said RFID repository local to said second node; and

(3) computer readable program code processes said query based on said retrieved data, and

wherein computer readable program code efficiently processes said query by combining results of query executions across at least said first and second node in said network of independently operated nodes related to said first entity type, said first event type, said second entity type and said second event type.