Virtualization and quality of sensor data

• US 9,202,357 B2
• Filed: 03/13/2007
• Issued: 12/01/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 03/13/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Oracle International Corporation (Oracle Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Oracle International Corporation (Oracle Corporation)
• Inventors: Rehman, Samuelson
• Primary Examiner(s): AN, IG TAI
• Application Number:
  US11/685,655
• Publication Number:
  US 20080224866A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,185 Days
• Field of Search: 705/22, 705/28, 705/30, 705/34
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/2417 having a radio frequency identification chip
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/2477 Antenna or antenna activator circuit
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/248 EAS system combined with another detection technology, e.g. dual EAS and video or other presence detection system

Abstract

A method for generating information related to a first object based on sensor data associated with a second object includes determining a containment hierarchy between the first object and the second object. Sensor data associated with the second object is determined using the containment hierarchy. A quality of data index is determined for the sensor data associated with the second object using the containment hierarchy. Information related to the first object is generated based on the sensor data associated with the second object and the quality of data index.

Claims

1. A method for generating tracking information for items associated with RFID tags, the method comprising:

receiving, at one or more computer systems, a static mapping specifying that a physical container encloses a physical item for a first predetermined amount of time, at least one of the physical item or the physical container having attached thereon one or more RFID tags;

generating, with one or more processors associated with the one or more computer systems, a set of dynamic mappings between the physical container or the physical item and one or more sensors that generate non-location based environmental data as the physical container passes through a topology having a beginning point and an end point, each dynamic mapping in the set of dynamic mappings existing for an amount of time that is smaller than the first predetermined amount of time that does not overlap with portions of the first predetermined amount of time that correspond to both the beginning point and the end point of the topology;

determining, at the one or more computer systems, a value within a level of trust scale for the non-location based environmental data generated by at least one of the one or more sensor devices that forms part of at least one dynamic mapping in the set of dynamic mappings; and

generating, with the one or more processors associated with the one or more computer systems, tracking information about the physical item in response to a request from one or more applications relevant to the amount of time during which the non-location based environmental data generated by the at least one of the one or more sensor devices is mapped according to the at least dynamic mapping in the set of dynamic mappings based on a determination using the value within the level of trust scale whether to include the non-location based environmental data in a response to the request.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

communicating the response to the one or more applications.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

receiving, at the one or more computer systems, information quantifying quality of the non-location based environmental data; and

determining, with the one or more processors associated with the one or more computer systems, the value within the level of trust based on the information quantifying quality of the non-location based environmental data.

4. The method of claim 3 further comprising:

determining, with the one or more processors associated with the one or more computer systems, to include the non-location based environmental data attribute in the response; and

populating, with the one or more processors associated with the one or more computer systems, an environmental data attribute with the non-location based environmental data.

5. The method of claim 1 further comprising generating a containment hierarchy with at least one dynamic mapping between the physical container or the physical item and an element in the topology.

6. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

receiving, at the one or more computer systems, sensor data from the one or more sensor devices configured to generate presence data; and

storing an identifier associated with an RFID tag in the sensor data in an attribute tracked for the item.

7. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

receiving, at the one or more computer systems, sensor data from the at least one of the one or more sensor devices and storing temperature data as the non-location based environmental data.

8. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing computer-executable code for generating tracking information for items associated with RFID tags, the non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising:

code for receiving a static mapping specifying that a physical container encloses a physical item for a first predetermined amount of time, at least one of the physical item or the physical container having attached thereon one or more RFID tags;

code for generating a set of dynamic mappings between the physical container or the physical item and one or more sensors that generate non-location based environmental data as the physical container passes through a topology having a beginning point and an end point, each dynamic mapping in the set of dynamic mappings existing for an amount of time that is smaller than the first predetermined amount of time that does not overlap with portions of the first predetermined amount of time that correspond to both the beginning point and the end point of the topology;

code for determining a value within a level of trust scale for the non-location based environmental data generated by at least one of the one or more sensor devices that forms part of at least one dynamic mapping in the set of dynamic mappings; and

code for generating tracking information about the physical item in response to a request from one or more applications relevant to the amount of time during which the non-location based environmental data generated by the at least one of the one or more sensor devices is mapped according to the at least dynamic mapping in the set of dynamic mappings based on a determination using the value within the level of trust scale whether to include the non-location based environmental data in a response to the request.

9. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 8 further comprising:

code for communicating the response to the one or more applications.

10. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 8 further comprising:

code for receiving information quantifying quality of the non-location based environmental data; and

code for determining the value within the level of trust based on the information quantifying quality of the non-location based environmental data.

11. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 10 further comprising:

code for determining to include the non-location based environmental data attribute in the response; and

code for populating an environmental data attribute with the non-location based environmental data.

12. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 8 further comprising code for generating a containment hierarchy with at least one dynamic mapping between the physical container or the physical item and an element in the topology.

13. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 8 further comprising:

code for receiving sensor data from the one or more sensor devices configured to generate presence data; and

code for storing an identifier associated with an RFID tag in the sensor data in an attribute tracked for the item.

14. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 8 further comprising:

code for receiving sensor data from the at least one of the one or more sensor devices and storing temperature data as the non-location based environmental data.

16. The system of claim 12 wherein the set of instructions further become operational with the processor to:

communicate the response to the one or more applications.

17. The system of claim 12 wherein the set of instructions further become operational with the processor to:

receive information quantifying quality of the non-location based environmental data; and

determine the value within the level of trust based on the information quantifying quality of the non-location based environmental data.

18. The system of claim 14 wherein the set of instructions further become operational with the processor to:

determine to include the non-location based environmental data attribute in the response; and

populate an environmental data attribute with the non-location based environmental data.

19. The system of claim 12 wherein the set of instructions further become operational with the processor to generate a containment hierarchy with at least one dynamic mapping between the physical container or the physical item and an element in the topology.

20. The system of claim 12 wherein the set of instructions further become operational with the processor to:

receive sensor data from the one or more sensor devices configured to generate presence data; and

store an identifier associated with an RFID tag in the sensor data in an attribute tracked for the item.

21. The system of claim 12 wherein the set of instructions further become operational with the processor to:

receive sensor data from the at least one of the one or more sensor devices and store temperature data as the non-location based environmental data.

15. A system for generating tracking information for items associated with RFID tags, the system comprising:

a processor; and

a memory in communication with the processor and configured to store a set of instructions which when executed by the processor become operational with the processor to;

receive a static mapping specifying that a physical container encloses a physical item for a first predetermined amount of time, at least one of the physical item or the physical container having attached thereon one or more RFID tags;

generate a set of dynamic mappings between the physical container or the physical item and one or more sensors that generate non-location based environmental data as the physical container passes through a topology having a beginning point and an end point, each dynamic mapping in the set of dynamic mappings existing for an amount of time that is smaller than the first predetermined amount of time that does not overlap with portions of the first predetermined amount of time that correspond to both the beginning point and the end point of the topology;

determine a value within a level of trust scale for the non-location based environmental data generated by at least one of the one or more sensor devices that forms part of at least one dynamic mapping in the set of dynamic mappings;

generate tracking information about the physical item in response to a request from one or more applications relevant to the amount of time during which the non-location based environmental data generated by the at least one of the one or more sensor devices is mapped according to the at least dynamic mapping in the set of dynamic mappings based on a determination using the value within the level of trust scale whether to include the non-location based environmental data in a response to the request.