RFID edge server having a programmable logic controller API

A system comprising:

• a radio frequency identification (RFID) reader device that reads data from one or more RFID tags;
• an RFID edge server that receives said data from the RFID reader, said RFID edge server wherein the RFID edge server includes a programmable logic controller Application Programming Interface (API) that provides a plurality of functions to the RFID edge server that enable communications between an application deployed on the RFID edge server and one or more devices, wherein the programmable logic controller API includes
• a transport interface that
• uses a set of object instances to represent a plurality of item values for one or more items representing registers at a programmable logic controller (PLC),
• specifies a set of transport implementations that, wherein the transport interface is used to transmit a function request to the one or more devices, and wherein each of the transport implementations specifies a name and a location of a particular device within the one or more devices and a transport protocol used to communicate with the particular device, and
• enables the application to read and write to the one or more items or to register one or more listeners to be invoked whenever one of the plurality of item values changes,
• a set of message interfaces that enable communications between the application and the PLC, and are used to communicate with the one or more devices by invoking the plurality of functions provided by the programmable logic controller API, and
• a transaction interface that uses the set of object instances to represent the plurality of item values for the one or more items, and that specifies a set of transaction implementations, wherein each of the transaction implementations provides a mapping between said transport interface and said set of message interfaces that can be used to create a message object that includes the name and the location of the particular device, the transport protocol used to communicate with the particular device, and the function request;
• and
• wherein, based on the data from the one or more RFID readers, the RFID edge server receives an invocation of the programmable logic controller API from the application deployed on the RFID edge server, wherein the application provides the invocation using the set of message interfaces of the programmable logic controller API, and wherein the invocation includes
• polling for one or more changes in the plurality of item values,
• passing the polled changes in the plurality of item values to registered listeners, and invoking an event cycle on the RFID edge server,
• creating the message object using the transport interface, the set of message interfaces, and the transaction interface,
• transmitting the message object, from the RFID edge server to the PLC, wherein the message object includes the name and the location of the particular device and the transport protocol used to communicate with the particular device, which are thereafter used by the PLC to communicate the function request transmitted by the transport interface, to the particular device, and
• instructing, by the PLC, the particular device to perform the function request, based on said message object.

A non-transitory computer readable storage medium storing a set of instructions executable by one or more hardware processors to perform a set of steps comprising:

• receiving, at a radio frequency identification (RFID) edge server data from one or more RFID readers, wherein the RFID edge server includes a programmable logic controller Application Programming Interface (API) that provides a plurality of functions to the RFID edge server that enable communications between an application deployed on the RFID edge server and one or more devices, wherein the programmable logic controller API includes
• a transport interface that
• uses a set of object instances to represent a plurality of item values for one or more items representing registers at a programmable logic controller (PLC),
• specifies a set of transport implementations, wherein the transport interface is used to transmit a function request to the one or more devices, and wherein each of the transport implementations specifies a name and a location of a particular device within the one or more devices and a transport protocol used to communicate with the particular device, and
• enables the application to read and write to the one or more items or to register one or more listeners to be invoked whenever one of the plurality of item values changes,
• a set of message interfaces that enable communications between the application and the PLC, and are used to communicate with the one or more devices by invoking the plurality of functions provided by the programmable logic controller API, and
• a transaction interface that uses the set of object instances to represent the plurality of item values for the one or more items, and that specifies a set of transaction implementations, wherein each of the transaction provides a mapping between said transport interface and said set of message interfaces that can be used to create a message object that includes the name and the location of the particular device, the transport protocol used to communicate with the particular device, and the function request;
• and
• invoking by the application deployed on the RFID edge server, based on the data from the one or more RFID readers, the functions provided by the programmable logic controller API, including
• polling for one or more changes in the plurality of item values,
• passing the polled changes in the plurality of item values to registered listeners, and invoking an event cycle on the RFID edge server,
• using the transport interface, the set of message interfaces, and the transaction interface to create the message object,
• transmitting the message object, from the RFID edge server to the PLC, wherein the message object includes the name and the location of the particular device and the transport protocol used to communicate with the particular device, which are thereafter used by the PLC to communicate the function request transmitted by the transport interface, to the particular device, and
• instructing, by the PLC, the particular device to perform the function request, based on said message object.