Exchange of article-based information between multiple enterprises

• US 20030132853A1
• Filed: 04/30/2002
• Published: 07/17/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 01/11/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: SAP SE
• Original Assignee: SAP AG (SAP SE)
• Inventors: Ebert, Peter S.
• Granted Patent: US 6,941,184 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/825.49
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/08 Logistics, e.g. warehousing, loading or distribution; Inventory or stock management
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/28 the pass enabling tracking or indicating presence
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99931 Database or file accessing

Abstract

Methods and apparatus, including computer program products, for making information available between enterprises. In one aspect, a method includes: receiving from a first enterprise multiple instances of tag-read-data for first articles including information read automatically from tags bound to the articles, article locations, and data derived from a first data processing system of the first enterprise; receiving from a second enterprise multiple instances of tag-read-data for second articles and data derived from a second data processing system of the second enterprise; using the tag-read-data to maintain virtual representatives for the articles in a virtual world, where tag-read-data received from either enterprise for a particular article is used to update the virtual representative corresponding to the article; and making available information from updated virtual representatives and from the virtual world to both the first enterprise and the second enterprise.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

receiving from a first enterprise multiple instances of tag-read-data, each instance including information read automatically from a tag bound to an article including at least a unique digital identifier, each instance also including status information including a location of the corresponding tag and its bound article, the multiple instances of tag-read-data received from the first enterprise collectively including information read from tags bound to first multiple articles, the tag-read-data including data derived from a first data processing system of the first enterprise;

using the tag-read-data received from the first enterprise to maintain virtual representatives in a virtual world, the virtual representatives including a virtual representative for each one of the multiple articles, each virtual representative representing the status of its corresponding article;

receiving from a second enterprise multiple instances of second tag-read-data, each instance including information read automatically from a tag bound to an article including at least a unique digital identifier, each instance also including status information including a location of the corresponding tag and its bound article, the multiple instances of tag-read-data received from the second enterprise collectively including information read from a tag bound to at least one of the first multiple articles, the tag-read-data received from the second enterprise including data derived from a second data processing system of the second enterprise;

using the tag-read-data received from the second enterprise to maintain virtual representatives in the virtual world, the virtual representatives including a virtual representative for each of the second multiple articles, each a virtual representative representing the status of its corresponding article, where tag-read-data received from either enterprise for a particular article is used to update the a virtual representative corresponding to the article; and

making available information from updated virtual representatives and from the virtual world to both the first enterprise and the second enterprise.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the information in the virtual world about articles is mapped to virtual-world-wide standardized dimensions of time, three-dimensional space, and unique identity, whereby articles can be tracked relative to each other through space and time.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein:

location of articles is represented in the virtual world by latitudes, longitudes, and altitudes.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving sensor information obtained from a sensor associated with an article; and

updating the virtual representative of the article with the sensor information.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

updating the virtual representatives whenever that status of their associated articles changes as reflected in information received by a system operating to maintain the virtual world.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving one or more instances of context information, each instance describing an associated non-taggable physical circumstance, the context information indicating a status including a location of the circumstance, the multiple instances of context information collectively including information describing multiple circumstances;

using the received context information to maintain a virtual representative for each of the associated circumstances in the virtual world, each virtual representative representing the status of its corresponding circumstance; and

detecting interactions occurring in the virtual world between the circumstances and the articles as represented by their respective virtual representatives.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

generating an alert for a user of the virtual world whenever a detected interaction is determined to affect any of the articles represented in the virtual world, where the user is a human being or a computer program.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving hierarchy information describing a hierarchy among articles represented in the virtual world; and

using the received hierarchy information to create a virtual representation of the hierarchy.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein:

the hierarchy is a relationship among articles in which some particular articles are contained within another article.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the tags bound to the first multiple articles include radio frequency identification tags.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein:

each of the radio frequency identification carries an ePC electronic product code as a unique identifier.

12. A computer program product, tangibly stored on a computer-readable medium, for context-aware and real time tracking of articles, the product comprising instructions operable to cause a programmable processor to:

receive from a first enterprise multiple instances of tag-read-data, each instance including information read from a tag bound to an article, including at least a unique digital identifier read automatically from the tag, each instance also including status information including a location of the corresponding tag and its bound article, the multiple instances of tag-read-data received from a first enterprise collectively including information read from tags bound to first multiple articles, the tag-read-data including data derived from a first data processing system of the first enterprise;

use the tag-read-data received from the first enterprise to maintain virtual representatives in a virtual world, the virtual representatives including a virtual representative for each one of the multiple articles, each virtual representative representing the status of its corresponding article;

receive from a second enterprise multiple instances of second tag-read-data, each instance including information read from a tag bound to an article, including at least a unique digital identifier read automatically from the tag, each instance also including status information including a location of the corresponding tag and its bound article, the multiple instances of tag-read-data received from a second enterprise collectively including information read from a tag bound to at least one of the first multiple articles, the tag-read-data received from a second enterprise including data derived from a second data processing system of the second enterprise;

use the tag-read-data received from the second enterprise to maintain virtual representatives in the virtual world, the virtual representatives including a virtual representative for each one of the second multiple articles, each a virtual representative representing the status of its corresponding article, where tag-read-data received from either enterprise for a particular article is used to update the virtual representative corresponding to the article; and

make available information from updated virtual representatives and from the virtual world to both the first enterprise and the second enterprise.

13. The product of claim 12, wherein:

the information in the virtual world about articles is mapped to virtual-world-wide standardized dimensions of time, three-dimensional space, and unique identity, whereby articles can be tracked relative to each other through space and time.

14. The product of claim 13, wherein:

location of articles is represented in the virtual world by latitudes, longitudes, and altitudes.

15. The product of claim 12, farther comprising instructions to:

receive sensor information obtained from a sensor associated with an article; and

update the virtual representative of the article with the sensor information.

16. The product of claim 12, further comprising instructions to:

update the virtual representatives whenever that status of their associated articles changes as reflected in information received by a system operating to maintain the virtual world.

17. The product of claim 12, further comprising instructions to:

receive one or more instances of context information, each instance describing an associated non-taggable physical circumstance, the context information indicating a status including a location of the circumstance, the multiple instances of context information collectively including information describing multiple circumstances;

use the received context information to maintain a virtual representative for each of the associated circumstances in the virtual world, each virtual representative representing the status of its corresponding circumstance; and

detect interactions occurring in the virtual world between the circumstances and the articles as represented by their respective virtual representatives.

18. The product of claim 17, comprising instructions to:

generate an alert for a user of the virtual world whenever a detected interaction is determined to affect any of the articles represented in the virtual world, where the user is a human being or a computer program.

19. The product of claim 12, further comprising instructions to:

receive hierarchy information describing a hierarchy among articles represented in the virtual world; and

use the received hierarchy information to create a virtual representation of the hierarchy.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein:

the hierarchy is a relationship among articles in which some particular articles are contained within another article.

21. The product of claim 12, wherein:

the tags bound to the first multiple articles include radio frequency identification tags.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein:

each of the radio frequency identification carries an ePC electronic product code as a unique identifier.

23. A system, comprising:

means for receiving from a first enterprise multiple instances of tag-read-data, each instance including information read automatically from a tag bound to an article including at least a unique digital identifier, each instance also including status information including a location of the corresponding tag and its bound article, the multiple instances of tag-read-data received from the first enterprise collectively including information read from tags bound to first multiple articles, the tag-read-data including data derived from a first data processing system of the first enterprise;

means for using the tag-read-data received from the first enterprise to maintain virtual representatives in a virtual world, the virtual representatives including a virtual representative for each one of the multiple articles, each virtual representative representing the status of its corresponding article;

means for receiving from a second enterprise multiple instances of second tag-read-data, each instance including information read automatically from a tag bound to an article including at least a unique digital identifier, each instance also including status information including a location of the corresponding tag and its bound article, the multiple instances of tag-read-data received from the second enterprise collectively including information read from a tag bound to at least one of the first multiple articles, the tag-read-data received from the second enterprise including data derived from a second data processing system of the second enterprise;

means for using the tag-read-data received from the second enterprise to maintain virtual representatives in the virtual world, the virtual representatives including a virtual representative for each of the second multiple articles, each a virtual representative representing the status of its corresponding article, where tag-read-data received from either enterprise for a particular article is used to update the virtual representative corresponding to the article; and

means for making available information from updated virtual representatives and from the virtual world to both the first enterprise and the second enterprise.

24. The system of claim 23, wherein:

the information in the virtual world about articles is mapped to virtual-world-wide standardized dimensions of time, three-dimensional space, and unique identity, whereby articles can be tracked relative to each other through space and time.

25. The system of claim 24, wherein:

location of articles is represented in the virtual world by latitudes, longitudes, and altitudes.

26. The system of claim 23, further comprising:

means for receiving sensor information obtained from a sensor associated with an article; and

means for updating the virtual representative of the article with the sensor information.

27. The system of claim 23, further comprising:

means for updating the virtual representatives whenever that status of their associated articles changes as reflected in information received by a system operating to maintain the virtual world.

28. The system of claim 23, further comprising:

means for receiving one or more instances of context information, each instance describing an associated non-taggable physical circumstance, the context information indicating a status including a location of the circumstance, the multiple instances of context information collectively including information describing multiple circumstances;

means for using the received context information to maintain a virtual representative for each of the associated circumstances in the virtual world, each virtual representative representing the status of its corresponding circumstance; and

means for detecting interactions occurring in the virtual world between the circumstances and the articles as represented by their respective virtual representatives.

29. The system of claim 28, further comprising:

means for generating an alert for a user of the virtual world whenever a detected interaction is determined to affect any of the articles represented in the virtual world, where the user is a human being or a computer program.

30. The system of claim 23, further comprising:

means for receiving hierarchy information describing a hierarchy among articles represented in the virtual world; and

means for using the received hierarchy information to create a virtual representation of the hierarchy.

31. The system of claim 30, wherein:

the hierarchy is a relationship among articles in which some particular articles are contained within another article.

32. The system of claim 23, wherein:

the tags bound to the first multiple articles include radio frequency identification tags.

33. The system of claim 32, wherein:

each of the radio frequency identification carries an ePC electronic product code as a unique identifier.