EPC provisioning system

• US 8,890,662 B2
• Filed: 01/02/2013
• Issued: 11/18/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 01/31/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Oracle International Corporation (Oracle Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Oracle International Corporation (Oracle Corporation)
• Inventors: James, Manju, Traub, Kenneth R, Popova, Marina Y
• Primary Examiner(s): Zimmerman, Brian
• Assistant Examiner(s): SAMSON, SARA B
• Application Number:
  US13/732,902
• Publication Number:
  US 20130141224A1
• Time in Patent Office: 685 Days
• Field of Search: 340/10.5, 340/10.51, 340/1.1, 340/10.1, 340/572, 340/82, 235/375
• US Class Current: 340/10.5
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/01 Details
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising

Abstract

An EPC provisioning system comprising an EPC server can dynamically provide EPC code blocks for one product to multiple client sites. The EPC server can use business rules to determine the EPC codes for the multiple client sites.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

one or more microprocessors;

an electronic product code (EPC) server that executes on the one or more microprocessors, the EPC server being adapted to dynamically provide EPC code blocks for a product to multiple client sites;

wherein the EPC server is adapted to use business rules to assign the EPC code blocks; and

a radio frequency identification (RFID) edge server located at each of the multiple client sites adapted to program RFID tags using EPC codes of the EPC code blocks;

wherein each RFID edge server includes a cache adapted to store the EPC code blocks;

wherein each RFID edge server is in communication with one or more RFID readers such that RFID data are obtainable from the one or more RFID readers for use by a software application operating on the RFID edge server;

wherein each RFID edge server reads a metadata-based description of a configuration of at least one of the one or more RFID readers, and wherein each of the one or more RFID readers has a configuration associated therewith that is defined in the metadata-based description, and wherein each of the one or more RFID readers uses a different metadata-based description;

wherein each RFID edge server is capable of updating the configuration of the at least one of the one or more RFID readers; and

wherein upon updating the configuration, the at least one of the one or more RFID readers is restarted between timed transfers of RFID data to the RFID edge server to thereby avoid interrupting operations of the software application.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the client sites are RFID edge servers.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein EPC codes are assigned so as to include an indication of lot number.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the EPC codes are assigned so as to include an indication of location.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the client sites cache EPC codes for later use.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the client sites request the EPC code blocks.

7. A computer-implemented method operating on one or more microprocessors comprising:

dynamically providing electronic product code (EPC) code blocks for a product to multiple client sites or the one or more microprocessors;

wherein business rules are applied to assign the EPC code blocks;

using EPC codes of the EPC code blocks for radio frequency identification (RFID) tags at the client sites, via a radio frequency identification (RFID) edge server;

wherein each RFID edge server includes a cache adapted to store the EPC code blocks;

wherein each RFID edge server is in communication with one or more RFID readers such that RFID data are obtainable from the one or more RFID readers for use by a software application operating on the RFID edge server;

wherein each RFID edge server reads a metadata-based description of a configuration of at least one of the one or more RFID readers, and wherein each of the one or more RFID readers has a configuration associated therewith that is defined in the metadata-based description, and wherein each of the one or more RFID readers uses a different metadata-based description;

updating the configuration of the at least one of the one or more RFID readers; and

restarting the at least one of the one or more RFID readers between timed transfers of RFID data to the RFID edge server to thereby avoid interrupting operations of the software application.

8. The computer-implemented method of claim 7, wherein the client sites are RFID edge servers.

9. The computer-implemented method of claim 7, wherein EPC codes are assigned so as to include an indication of lot number.

10. The computer-implemented method of claim 7, wherein the EPC codes are assigned so as to include an indication of location.

11. The computer-implemented method of claim 7, wherein the client sites cache EPC codes for later use.

12. The computer-implemented method of claim 7, wherein the client sites request the EPC code blocks.

13. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium comprising code to:

dynamically provide electronic product code (EPC) code blocks for a product to multiple client sites;

wherein business rules are applied to assign the EPC code blocks;

use the EPC codes of the EPC code blocks for radio frequency identification(RFID) tags at the client sites, via a radio frequency identification (RFID) edge server;

wherein each RFID edge server includes a cache adapted to store the EPC code blocks;

wherein each RFID edge server is in communication with one or more RFID readers such that RFID data are obtainable from the one or more RFID readers for use by a software application operating on the RFID edge server;

wherein each RFID edge server reads a metadata-based description of a configuration of at least one of the one or more RFID readers, and wherein each of the one or more RFID readers has a configuration associated therewith that is defined in the metadata-based description, and wherein each of the one or more RFID readers uses a different metadata-based description;

update the configuration of the at least one of the one or more RFID readers; and

restart the at least one of the one or more RFID readers between timed transfers of RFID data to the RFID edge server to thereby avoid interrupting operations of the software application.

14. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 13, wherein the client sites are RFID edge servers.

15. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 13, wherein EPC codes are assigned so as to indicate lot number.

16. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 13, wherein the EPC codes are assigned so as to indicate location.

17. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 13, wherein the client sites cache EPC codes for use later.

18. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 13, wherein the client sites request the EPC code blocks.