Network based device for providing RFID middleware functionality

• US 8,843,598 B2
• Filed: 12/27/2007
• Issued: 09/23/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 08/01/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Inventors: Singhal, Rajiv, Wiborg, Christopher
• Primary Examiner(s): VOSTAL, ONDREJ C
• Application Number:
  US11/965,693
• Publication Number:
  US 20080104209A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,462 Days
• Field of Search: 709/220
• US Class Current: 709/220
• CPC Class Codes: G01K 1/022 for recording
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/381 using identifiers, e.g. barcodes, RFIDs for URLs G06F16/9554
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2212/178 Electronic token or RFID
• CPC Class Codes: H04J 1/16 Monitoring arrangements for transmission in general H04B17/00; for amplifiers H03F1/52, H03F1/523
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2209/80 Wireless network architectures or network communication protocols for wireless network security H04W12/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/00 Arrangements for monitoring or testing data switching networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/12 specially adapted for proprietary or special-purpose networking environments, e.g. medical networks, sensor networks, networks in vehicles or remote metering networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/34 involving the movement of software or configuration parameters network booting or remote initial program loading [RIPL] G06F9/4416
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/56 Provisioning of proxy services store-and-forward switching systems in data switching networks H04L12/54
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/564 Enhancement of application control based on intercepted application data
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/565 Conversion or adaptation of application format or content adding application control or application functional data H04L67/561
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/63 Routing a service request depending on the request content or context
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 17/305 Wireless codes, e.g. Bluetooth or RFID
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00342 with a radio frequency tag transmitter or receiver storage of additional information in an RFID tag attached to an image bearing paper sheet H04N1/32138
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/32138 in an electronic device attached to the sheet, e.g. in an RFID tag

Abstract

Some embodiments of the present invention provide middleware functionality integrated into a module of a network device, such as a router or switch, that is configured to provide application-oriented network (“AON”) services. Some preferred implementations of the invention provide policy-based application services for RFID data, such as conditional routing, security (encryption, identification, authentication and authorization), data translation and/or transformation, data compression, data caching, etc. Some preferred implementations can interpret an application request and route to an appropriate network address of an RFID reader. Preferably, ALE (application-level event) aggregation and filtering can also be performed on behalf of the application. Some methods of the invention allow event data to be sent to applications (including but not limited to business applications) as request-response messages. Other methods of the invention allow event data to be sent to applications in the form of asynchronous notifications.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

receiving by a network device two or more data packets relating to an RFID device network or a sensor network;

ascertaining by the network device an application layer protocol for a message contained in the two or more data packets;

determining by the network device contents of the message according to the application layer protocol using a procedure that corresponds to the application layer protocol, wherein determining contents of the message includes determining contents of the two or more data packets using the procedure that corresponds to the application layer protocol and assembling the contents of the two or more data packets;

determining a message classification that is associated with criteria satisfied by the message, wherein the message classification is determined based, at least in part, upon the contents of the message including RFID data; and

performing by the network device at least one action according to the contents of the message, wherein performing the at least one action includes applying a rule to initiate a predetermined sequence of operations, wherein performing the at least one action according to the contents of the message includes performing one or more actions according to the message classification.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein performing at least one action according to the contents of the message comprises obtaining information from an RFID network.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein performing at least one action comprises making an RFID read request to at least one RFID reader.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the message comprises input from a sensor network and wherein performing at least one action according to the contents of the message comprises performing at least one action according to the input from the sensor network.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the message relates to at least one device of a manufacturing network.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein applying a rule to initiate a predetermined sequence of operations comprises performing the predetermined sequence of operations at a predetermined time interval.

7. The method of claim 2, wherein the information pertains to least one of an indicated manufacturer, an indicated location, an indicated product type or an indicated time period.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

identifying a procedure that corresponds to the application layer protocol.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the message is a multi-part (MIME) message.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

determining a proper order of the two or more data packets;

wherein assembling the contents of the two or more packets comprises assembling contents of payload portions of the two or more packets according to the proper order such that the contents of the message are obtained.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining a proper order of the two or more data packets;

wherein assembling the contents of the two or more packets comprises assembling contents of payload portions of the two or more packets according to the proper order such that the contents of the message are obtained.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the message classification pertains to a purchase order, a product type, or a manufacturer.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the message classification pertains to RFID reads corresponding to a particular location.

24. The method of claim 8, wherein identifying a procedure that corresponds to the application layer protocol comprises identifying a procedure that corresponds to the application layer protocol prior to determining the contents of the message according to the application layer protocol.

14. An apparatus, comprising:

at least one network interface configured for communication with sensors in a RFID sensor network and with devices executing RFID sensor-related applications;

a processor; and

a memory,

at least one of the processor or the memory configured to do the following;

receive two or more data packets;

ascertain an application layer protocol for a message contained in the two or more data packets;

determine contents of the message according to the application layer protocol using a procedure or technique that corresponds to the application layer protocol, wherein determining contents of the message includes determining contents of the two or more data packets using the procedure that corresponds to the application layer protocol and assembling the contents of the two or more data packets such that the message is obtained;

determine a message classification that is associated with criteria satisfied by the message, wherein the message classification is determined based, at least in part, upon the contents of the message including RFID data; and

perform at least one action according to the contents of the message, wherein performing the at least one action includes applying a rule to initiate a predetermined sequence of operations, wherein performing the at least one action according to the contents of the message includes performing one or more actions according to the message classification.

15. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the performing comprises providing information to a device executing sensor-related applications according to input from at least one sensor.

16. The apparatus of claim 14, further comprising an application-oriented network (“

AON”

) module that includes the processor.

17. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein at least one of the processor or the memory is further configured to determine a message classification that is associated with criteria satisfied by the message and to perform at least one action according to the message classification.

18. An apparatus, comprising:

means for receiving two or more data packets relating to an RFID device network or a sensor network;

means for ascertaining an application layer protocol for a message contained in the two or more data packets;

means for determining contents of the message according to the application layer protocol using a procedure or technique associated with the application layer protocol, wherein determining contents of the message includes determining contents of each of the two or more data packets using the procedure that corresponds to the application layer protocol and assembling the contents of the two or more data packets such that the message is obtained;

means for determining a message classification that is associated with criteria satisfied by the message, wherein the message classification is determined based, at least in part, upon the contents of the message including RFID data; and

means for performing at least one action according to the contents of the message, wherein performing the at least one action includes applying a rule to initiate a predetermined sequence of operations, wherein performing the at least one action according to the contents of the message includes performing one or more actions according to the message classification.

19. The apparatus of claim 18, further comprising means for determining a message classification that is associated with criteria satisfied by the message, wherein at least one action is performed according to the message classification.

20. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the means for performing at least one action comprises means for obtaining information from an RFID network.

21. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the means for performing at least one action comprises means for making an RFID read request to at least one RFID reader.

22. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the message comprises input from a sensor network and wherein the means for performing at least one action comprises means for performing at least one action according to the input from the sensor network.

23. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the message relates to at least one device of a manufacturing network.

25. An apparatus, comprising:

a processor; and

a memory,

at least one of the processor or the memory configured to do the following;

receiving a message relating to an RFID device network, the message including two or more packets;

determining an application layer protocol that was used to transmit the message;

determining a message termination technique that is associated with the application layer protocol;

determining contents of the message, based at least in part on the message termination technique by determining contents of each of the two or more packets using the message termination technique;

determining a proper order of the two or more data packets;

assembling contents of payload portions of the two or more packets according to the proper order such that the contents of the message are obtained;

determining a message classification that is associated with criteria satisfied by the message, wherein the message classification pertains to RFID reads corresponding to a particular location; and

performing at least one action according to the contents of the message, wherein performing the at least one action includes applying a rule to initiate a predetermined sequence of operations, wherein performing the at least one action according to the contents of the message includes performing one or more actions according to the message classification.

26. A method, comprising:

receiving by a network device a multi-part (MIME) message including-two or more data packets relating to an RFID device network or a sensor network;

ascertaining by the network device a first application layer protocol for a first portion of the MIME message contained in a first subset of the two or more data packets;

ascertaining by the network device a second application layer protocol for a second portion of the MIME message contained in a second subset of the two or more data packets;

determining by the network device contents of the first portion of the MIME message according to the first application layer protocol using a first procedure that corresponds to the first application layer protocol;

determining by the network device contents of the second portion of the MIME message according to the second application layer protocol using a second procedure that corresponds to the second application layer protocol;

determining a message classification that is associated with criteria satisfied by the MIME message, wherein the message classification is determined based, at least in part, upon the contents of the first and second portions of the MIME message; and

performing by the network device at least one action according to the contents of the first portion of the MIME message and the second portion of the MIME message, wherein performing the at least one action includes applying a rule to initiate a predetermined sequence of operations, wherein performing the at least one action includes performing one or more actions according to the message classification.