Bi-directional data flow in a real time tracking system

A method for updating information on a writable tag bound to an article, comprising:

• receiving in a system first attribute information for a first article, where the first attribute information was derived from data read automatically from a first tag bound to the first article, the first attribute information including a first identifier identifying the first article;
• receiving in the system updated attribute information for the first article;
• detecting in the system the presence of the first tag at a tag writer station after receipt by the system of the updated attribute information;
• and
• causing the tag writer station to write the updated information to the first tag at the tag writer station upon detecting the presence of the first tag at the tag writer station.

A computer program product, tangibly stored on a computer-readable medium, for updating information on a writable tag bound to an article, the product comprising instructions operable to cause a programmable processor to:

• receive in a system first attribute information for a first article, where the first attribute information was derived from data read automatically from a first tag bound to the first article, the first attribute information including a first identifier identifying the first article;
• receive in the system second attribute information for a second article, where the second attribute information was derived from data read automatically from a second tag bound to the second article, the second attribute information including a second identifier identifying the second article;
• receive in the system sensor information derived from data read automatically from a sensor coupled to the second article;
• receive in the system relationship information specifying a relationship between the first article and the second article;
• maintain in the system a first and a second physical object representing the first and the second article, respectively, the objects maintaining information representing the first attribute information and the second attribute information and sensor information, respectively, and maintain in the system a context object representing the relationship between the first and second articles;
• recognize an alert condition from information in the physical and context objects, the alert condition relating to the first article;
• generate updated attribute information to be written to the first article in response to the alert condition;
• detect in the system the presence of the first tag at a tag writer station after the alert condition was recognized;
• and
• cause the tag writer station to write the updated information to the first tag at the tag writer station upon a detection of the presence of the first tag at the tag writer station.

A computer program product, tangibly stored on a computer-readable medium, for updating information on a writable tag bound to an article, the product comprising instructions operable to cause a programmable processor to:

• receive in a system first attribute information for a first article, where the first attribute information was derived from data read automatically from a first tag bound to the first article, the first attribute information including a first identifier identifying the first article;
• receive in the system updated attribute information for the first article;
• detect in the system the presence of the first tag at a tag writer station after a receipt by the system of the updated attribute information;
• and
• cause the tag writer station to write the updated information to the first tag at the tag writer station upon a detection of the presence of the first tag at the tag writer station.

A system for updating information on a writable tag bound to an article, comprising:

• means for receiving in a system first attribute information for a first article, where the first attribute information was derived from data read automatically from a first tag bound to the first article, the first attribute information including a first identifier identifying the first article;
• means for receiving in the system second attribute information for a second article, where the second attribute information was derived from data read automatically from a second tag bound to the second article, the second attribute information including a second identifier identifying the second article;
• means for receiving in the system sensor information derived from data read automatically from a sensor coupled to the second article;
• means for receiving in the system relationship information specifying a relationship between the first article and the second article;
• means for maintaining in the system a first and a second physical object representing the first and the second article, respectively, the objects maintaining information representing the first attribute information and the second attribute information and sensor information, respectively, and maintaining in the system a context object representing the relationship between the first and second articles;
• means for recognizing an alert condition from information in the physical and context objects, the alert condition relating to the first article;
• means for generating updated attribute information to be written to the first article in response to the alert condition;
• means for detecting in the system the presence of the first tag at a tag writer station after the alert condition was recognized;
• and
• means for causing the tag writer station to write the updated information to the first tag at the tag writer station upon detecting the presence of the first tag at the tag writer station.

A system for updating information on a writable tag bound to an article, comprising:

• means for receiving in a system first attribute information for a first article, where the first attribute information was derived from data read automatically from a first tag bound to the first article, the first attribute information including a first identifier identifying the first article;
• means for receiving in the system updated attribute information for the first article;
• means for detecting in the system the presence of the first tag at a tag writer station after receipt by the system of the updated attribute information;
• and
• means for causing the tag writer station to write the updated information to the first tag at the tag writer station upon detecting the presence of the first tag at the tag writer station.