Method and system for storing, retrieving, and managing data for tags

What is this patent about?

’705 is related to the field of data management and information retrieval systems, specifically focusing on the aggregation and organization of data generated by identification tags. The background context involves the proliferation of diverse tagging technologies, such as RFID, GPS, and sensors, which monitor physical or abstract objects across various environments. Traditional systems often struggle to unify disparate data streams from multiple repositories, leading to fragmented information that lacks a cohesive structure for complex querying or historical analysis.

The underlying idea behind ’705 is to treat tag identifiers as the primary keys for a global, searchable index that links physical entities to their digital histories and structural relationships. By recognizing that tags often exist in a hierarchical relationship—such as a tag for a car being associated with the tags of its individual components—the invention creates a directed graph of information. This insight allows the system to aggregate data from unrelated repositories (e.g., a manufacturer’s database and a retailer’s log) by identifying shared tag references, effectively building a comprehensive digital twin of an object’s lifecycle.

The claims of ’705 focus on a method and system for accessing, linking, and ranking tag-related data across multiple repositories. The independent claims specifically cover the process of retrieving data associated with entities and tags, using tag identifiers to link these data sets, and responding to user queries or keyword searches. A critical element of the claimed invention is the ranking mechanism, which evaluates and orders search results based on the density or importance of tag references within the established hierarchy, similar to how web pages are ranked by link analysis.

In practice, the invention utilizes a crawling subsystem to discover and parse data from various sources, including PML files and relational databases. Once the data is ingested, a reorganization subsystem shreds or maps this information into a unified structure, often employing spatial and temporal indexing to handle mobile objects or time-varying sensor data. This allows the system to resolve complex queries that involve both proximity and history, such as tracking food items that were near specific chemicals at a particular point in time.

This approach differs from prior solutions by moving beyond simple point-to-point tracking or isolated database lookups. Unlike standard web search engines that index independent URLs, this invention uses the tag reference as a semantic bridge to merge content from different owners into a single entity profile. By implementing a type system with 'isa' and 'hasa' relationships, the invention enables sophisticated logical reasoning over the data, allowing users to search for objects based on their inherent properties and their constituent parts across the entire supply chain.