System and method for a central index for RFID data with data privilege indicia

• US 8,527,539 B2
• Filed: 01/23/2008
• Issued: 09/03/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 01/24/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Oracle International Corporation (Oracle Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Oracle International Corporation (Oracle Corporation)
• Inventors: Traub, Kenneth R., Sarma, Emani Sanjay
• Primary Examiner(s): HASAN, SYED HAROON
• Application Number:
  US12/018,685
• Publication Number:
  US 20080189287A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,050 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 707/781
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/6218 to a system of files or objects, e.g. local or distributed file system or database

Abstract

In one embodiment, a central data repository stores product code information. The central data repository can receive permissions from providers of the produce code information. The permissions can indicate whether the product code information can be provided to a third party.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

a first product code data provider that stores a set of data identified by a product code, wherein the first product code data provider transmits index information and permission information, wherein the index information associates the product code with the identity of the first product code data provider and wherein the permission information entitles accessing the index information to a second product code data provider and wherein the permission information further delegates an entitlement decision to the second product code data provider such that the second product code data provider is entitled to share the index information of the first product code data provider with a third product code data provider; and

a central data repository that stores the index information and the permission information received from the first product code data provider;

wherein, upon receiving a request from the third product code data provider, the central data repository provides the index information to the third product code data provider if and only if there exists a valid chain of said permission information that entitles accessing the index information to the third product code data provider.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the permission information indicates that the first product code data provider shares the index information with all third parties.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the permission information indicates that the first product code data provider shares the index information only with one or more specifically identified third parties.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the permission information indicates that the first product code data provider shares the index information only with one or more specifically identified third parties and with parties designated by the one or more specifically identified third parties.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein index information is a tuple associating the product code to the identity of the first product code data provider for said electronic product code.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the request for index information specifies the product code whose associated index information is to be retrieved.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the central data repository authenticates the identity of the second product code data provider making the request.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein a response from the central data repository contains a subset of previously received index information, the subset being determined according to previously received permission information.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the index information is included in the response only if a previously received permission indicates that index information may be shared with all third parties.

10. The system of claim 8, wherein the index information is included in the response only if a previously received permission indicates that index information may be shared with a specific third party, the specific third party being the same as the third party making the request.

11. The system of claim 8, wherein index information is included in the response only if a previously received permission indicates that index information may be shared with a specific third party and those the third party designates, and there is a chain of permissions that connects the specific third party to the third party making the request.

12. The system of claim 8, wherein the response includes all previously received permission information that was used to authorize the inclusion of the index information in the response.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the permission information is digitally signed by the first product code data provider and the digital signatures are included with the permission information in a response from the central data repository to the second product code data provider.

14. The system of claim 1, wherein the permission information received from the first product code data provider is digitally signed by the first product code data provider.

15. A method comprising:

receiving index information and permission information from a first product code data provider to a central data repository, wherein the first product code data provider stores a set of data identified by a product code, and wherein the index information associates the product code with the identity of the first product code data provider and wherein the permission information entitles accessing the index information to a second product code data provider and wherein the permission information further delegates entitlement decision to the second product code data provider such that the second product code data provider is entitled to share the index information of the first product code data provider with a third product code data provider;

storing the index information and the permission information received from the first product code data provider on said central data repository;

receiving a request for the index information from the third product code data provider to the central data repository;

providing, by the central data repository, the index information to the third product code data provider if and only if there exists a valid chain of said permission information that entitles accessing the index information to the third product code data provider.

16. A computer-readable storage medium storing one or more sequences of instructions, said instructions, when executed by one or more processors, causing the one or more processors to perform the steps of:

receiving index information and permission information from a first product code data provider to a central data repository, wherein the first product code data provider stores a set of data identified by a product code, and wherein the index information associates the product code with the identity of the first product code data provider and wherein the permission information entitles accessing the index information to a second product code data provider and wherein the permission information further delegates entitlement decision to the second product code data provider such that the second product code data provider is entitled to share the index information of the first product code data provider with a third product code data provider

storing the index information and the permission information received from the first product code data provider on said central data repository;

receiving a request for the index information from the third product code data provider to the central data repository;

providing, by the central data repository, the index information to the third product code data provider if and only if there exists a valid chain of said permission information that entitles accessing the index information to the third product code data provider.