Patents by Inventor Richard J. Swan
Richard J. Swan has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).
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Patent number: 8417854Abstract: Systems, methods and computer program products for generic device integration within an auto-id system. The system includes an auto-id node operable to collect data emitted by one or more automatic data acquisition devices, process the data, and make the data available to one or more enterprise applications, user interfaces, or other auto-id nodes. The auto-id node includes a device integration layer that is operable to handle communication between the auto-id node and different types of automatic data acquisition devices, device controllers, or device management systems.Type: GrantFiled: December 30, 2004Date of Patent: April 9, 2013Assignee: SAP AktiengesellschaftInventors: Jie Weng, Tao Lin, Brian S. Mo, Richard J. Swan, Rama Gurram
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Patent number: 7969306Abstract: Methods and apparatus, including computer program products, for real-time and context-aware tracking of items. Tags bound to items are read and information read from the tags and location information about the tags is provided by at least two enterprises and used to maintain disposition information about the items, which is made visible to enterprises in the supply chain. The disposition information can be mapped to a world model that tracks the items and circumstances affecting the items, for example, geo-spatial events and traffic delays. Visibility of the disposition information can be controlled through authorization. Visible information can include relationships between particular items and business documents such as order and shipping documents.Type: GrantFiled: January 10, 2003Date of Patent: June 28, 2011Assignee: SAP AktiengesellschaftInventors: Peter S. Ebert, Richard J. Swan, Tao Lin, Jie Weng, Hartmut K. Vogler, Brian S. Mo, Stephan Haller
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Patent number: 7737857Abstract: Methods and apparatus, including computer program products, for real-time and context-aware tracking of items. Tags bound to items are read and information read from the tags and location information about the tags is provided by at least two enterprises and used to maintain disposition information about the items, which is made visible to enterprises in the supply chain. The disposition information can be mapped to a world model that tracks the items and circumstances affecting the items, for example, geo-spatial events and traffic delays. Visibility of the disposition information can be controlled through authorization. Visible information can include relationships between particular items and business documents such as order and shipping documents.Type: GrantFiled: December 12, 2008Date of Patent: June 15, 2010Assignee: SAP AktiengesellschaftInventors: Peter S. Ebert, Richard J. Swan, Tao Lin, Jie Weng, Hartmut K. Vogler, Brian S. Mo, Stephan Haller
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Patent number: 7667604Abstract: Methods and apparatus, including computer program products, for real-time and context-aware tracking of items. Tags bound to items are read and information read from the tags and location information about the tags is provided by at least two enterprises and used to maintain disposition information about the items, which is made visible to enterprises in the supply chain. The disposition information can be mapped to a world model that tracks the items and circumstances affecting the items, for example, geo-spatial events and traffic delays. Visibility of the disposition information can be controlled through authorization. Visible information can include relationships between particular items and business documents such as order and shipping documents.Type: GrantFiled: September 10, 2008Date of Patent: February 23, 2010Assignee: SAP AGInventors: Peter S. Ebert, Richard J. Swan, Tao Lin, Jie Weng, Hartmut K. Vogler, Brian S. Mo, Stephan Haller
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Publication number: 20090146832Abstract: Methods and apparatus, including computer program products, for real-time and context-aware tracking of items. Tags bound to items are read and information read from the tags and location information about the tags is provided by at least two enterprises and used to maintain disposition information about the items, which is made visible to enterprises in the supply chain. The disposition information can be mapped to a world model that tracks the items and circumstances affecting the items, for example, geo-spatial events and traffic delays. Visibility of the disposition information can be controlled through authorization. Visible information can include relationships between particular items and business documents such as order and shipping documents.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 12, 2008Publication date: June 11, 2009Applicant: SAP AGInventors: Peter S. Ebert, Richard J. Swan, Tao Lin, Jie Weng, Hartmut K. Vogler, Brian S. Mo, Stephan Haller
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Publication number: 20090008450Abstract: Methods and apparatus, including computer program products, for real-time and context-aware tracking of items. Tags bound to items are read and information read from the tags and location information about the tags is provided by at least two enterprises and used to maintain disposition information about the items, which is made visible to enterprises in the supply chain. The disposition information can be mapped to a world model that tracks the items and circumstances affecting the items, for example, geo-spatial events and traffic delays. Visibility of the disposition information can be controlled through authorization. Visible information can include relationships between particular items and business documents such as order and shipping documents.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 10, 2008Publication date: January 8, 2009Applicant: SAP AGInventors: Peter S. Ebert, Richard J. Swan, Tao Lin, Jie Weng, Hartmut K. Vogler, Brian S. Mo, Stephan Haller
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Publication number: 20080215719Abstract: Methods and apparatus, including computer program products, for communicating between nodes of a distributed system that tracks items. Each node receives tag-read-data corresponding to an item and communicates the tag-read-data to the designated responsible node for the item. Each node can also receive additional item information from the designated responsible node and use the received additional item information to update disposition information for the item.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 14, 2008Publication date: September 4, 2008Applicant: SAP AktiengesellschaftInventor: Richard J. Swan
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Patent number: 7337405Abstract: A system for synchronizing multiple modalities is described. A user may use multiple modalities, such as voice and browser, to interact with data on a network, such as the World Wide Web. All of the modalities may be synchronized so that all are updated when the user enters information in just one. A method of communicating between devices includes receiving a request for first-modality data that includes first content, and sending a message in response to receiving the request, the message including information allowing the request of second-modality data that includes second content overlapping the first content. Another method includes requesting first data for a first modality, the first data including first content, and automatically requesting second data for a second modality, wherein the second data includes second content that overlaps the first content.Type: GrantFiled: February 6, 2003Date of Patent: February 26, 2008Assignee: SAP AktiengesellschaftInventors: Jie Weng, Li Gong, Samir Raiyani, Vinod Guddad, Richard J. Swan, Hartmut K. Vogler
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Patent number: 7331527Abstract: A current state of an item being tracked by an item-tracking system may be determined using prior state information about the item. To ensure proper temporal order of the state information, software events triggered by physical events associated with the item are received from a reader at an event interpretation system. A database or queue within the event interpretation system holds the software events for a delay time determined by a maximum transmission delay time of the software events. A sorter within the event interpretation system orders the software events relative to one another so as to correspond to an order of the physical events. An association model of the event interpretation system may determine state information related to the item for storage in a state information database. Accordingly, system exceptions in the item tracking system may be reduced, and an accuracy and reliability of the system may be improved.Type: GrantFiled: December 30, 2004Date of Patent: February 19, 2008Assignee: SAP AktiengesellschaftInventors: Brian S. Mo, Tao Lin, Rama Gurram, Richard J. Swan, Jie Weng
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Patent number: 7177814Abstract: A graphical user interface may include a form with a plurality of fields, each field associated with a predetermined category. Each category may have its own, independent, discrete grammar associated therewith, and the independent grammars may be individually activated, simultaneously with their respective categories. In this way, a voice-recognition system that is inputting spoken data for each of the fields may have a restricted grammar to search when attempting to match a particular voice input with an entry for a particular field in the form. Moreover, a global grammar that is active with any one of the independent grammars may be used to move between the fields or perform other high-level functionality not associated with any one of the independent grammars.Type: GrantFiled: November 27, 2002Date of Patent: February 13, 2007Assignee: SAP AktiengesellschaftInventors: Li Gong, Jie Weng, Samir Raiyani, Richard J. Swan, Hartmut K. Vogler
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Patent number: 7155166Abstract: Requesting the location of items in a storage area may include accessing an entry in a list of items to be selected from item storage subareas. The entry may be associated with an item identifier code corresponding to an item storage subarea. A short-range activation signal corresponding to the item identifier code may be transmitted. The short-range activation signal may cause an indicator device associated with the item identifier code and in physical proximity to the short-range activation signal to transmit an indicator signal that indicates the location of the corresponding item storage subarea.Type: GrantFiled: September 30, 2002Date of Patent: December 26, 2006Assignee: SAP AktiengesellschaftInventor: Richard J. Swan
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Patent number: 6901304Abstract: Methods and apparatus, including computer program products, for providing multiple enterprises real-time access to information about items in a supply chain. Tags bound to items are read and information read from the tags and location information about the tags is provided by at least two enterprises and used to maintain disposition information about the items, which is made visible to enterprises in the supply chain. The tags can be radio-frequency identification tags having each having an ePC (electronic product code) as unique tag identifier. Visibility of the disposition information can be controlled through authorization. Visible information can include relationships between particular items and business documents such as order and shipping documents. With shipping documents visible, information read from item tags can be used to confirm the identify or completeness of a shipment.Type: GrantFiled: August 30, 2002Date of Patent: May 31, 2005Assignee: SAP AktiengesellschaftInventors: Richard J. Swan, Peter S. Ebert, Tao Lin, Jie Weng, Hartmut K. Vogler, Brian S. Mo
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Publication number: 20040203409Abstract: Requesting the location of items in a storage area may include accessing an entry in a list of items to be selected from item storage subareas. The entry may be associated with an item identifier code corresponding to an item storage subarea. A short-range activation signal corresponding to the item identifier code may be transmitted. The short-range activation signal may cause an indicator device associated with the item identifier code and in physical proximity to the short-range activation signal to transmit an indicator signal that indicates the location of the corresponding item storage subarea.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 30, 2002Publication date: October 14, 2004Inventor: Richard J. Swan
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Patent number: 6681990Abstract: Methods and apparatus, including computer program products, to support real-time inventory management. Changes to the inventory including the addition or removal of an item from the inventory are reported to the item tracking system in real-time. An inventory planner normally operates on a periodic schedule to perform inventory management functions. The inventory planner can receive alerts from an early warning agent that can cause the inventory planner to perform at least some inventory management functions, outside of its normal periodic schedule. In particular, the agent can send an alert to the inventory planner to cause the inventory planner to determine whether replenishment of store inventory is needed. To make this determination, the inventory planner can retrieve real-time inventory data from the item tracking system.Type: GrantFiled: May 31, 2002Date of Patent: January 27, 2004Assignee: SAP AktiengesellschaftInventors: Hartmut K. Vogler, Richard J. Swan, Tao Lin, James Vrieling, R. Scott Beckett, Wouter Van der Veen, Ye Chen
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Publication number: 20040006474Abstract: A graphical user interface may include a form with a plurality of fields, each field associated with a predetermined category. Each category may have its own, independent, discrete grammar associated therewith, and the independent grammars may be individually activated, simultaneously with their respective categories. In this way, a voice-recognition system that is inputting spoken data for each of the fields may have a restricted grammar to search when attempting to match a particular voice input with an entry for a particular field in the form. Moreover, a global grammar that is active with any one of the independent grammars may be used to move between the fields or perform other high-level functionality not associated with any one of the independent grammars.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 27, 2002Publication date: January 8, 2004Inventors: Li Gong, Jie Weng, Samir Raiyani, Richard J. Swan, Hartmut K. Vogler
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Publication number: 20030227392Abstract: Methods and apparatus, including computer program products, for real-time and context-aware tracking of items. Tags bound to items are read and information read from the tags and location information about the tags is provided by at least two enterprises and used to maintain disposition information about the items, which is made visible to enterprises in the supply chain. The disposition information can be mapped to a world model that tracks the items and circumstances affecting the items, for example, geo-spatial events and traffic delays. Visibility of the disposition information can be controlled through authorization. Visible information can include relationships between particular items and business documents such as order and shipping documents.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 10, 2003Publication date: December 11, 2003Inventors: Peter S. Ebert, Richard J. Swan, Tao Lin, Jie Weng, Hartmut K. Vogler, Brian S. Mo, Stephan Haller
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Publication number: 20030222141Abstract: Methods and apparatus, including computer program products, to support real-time inventory management. Changes to the inventory including the addition or removal of an item from the inventory are reported to the item tracking system in real-time. An inventory planner normally operates on a periodic schedule to perform inventory management functions. The inventory planner can receive alerts from an early warning agent that can cause the inventory planner to perform at least some inventory management functions, outside of its normal periodic schedule. In particular, the agent can send an alert to the inventory planner to cause the inventory planner to determine whether replenishment of store inventory is needed. To make this determination, the inventory planner can retrieve real-time inventory data from the item tracking system.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 31, 2002Publication date: December 4, 2003Inventors: Hartmut K. Vogler, Richard J. Swan, Tao Lin, James Vrieling, R. Scott Beckett, Wouter Van Der Veen, Ye Chen
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Publication number: 20030174155Abstract: A system for synchronizing multiple modalities is described. A user may use multiple modalities, such as voice and browser, to interact with data on a network, such as the World Wide Web. All of the modalities may be synchronized so that all are updated when the user enters information in just one. A method of communicating between devices includes receiving a request for first-modality data that includes first content, and sending a message in response to receiving the request, the message including information allowing the request of second-modality data that includes second content overlapping the first content. Another method includes requesting first data for a first modality, the first data including first content, and automatically requesting second data for a second modality, wherein the second data includes second content that overlaps the first content.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 6, 2003Publication date: September 18, 2003Inventors: Jie Weng, Li Gong, Samir Raiyani, Vinod Guddad, Richard J. Swan, Hartmut K. Vogler
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Publication number: 20030132854Abstract: Methods and apparatus, including computer program products, for providing multiple enterprises real-time access to information about items in a supply chain. Tags bound to items are read and information read from the tags and location information about the tags is provided by at least two enterprises and used to maintain disposition information about the items, which is made visible to enterprises in the supply chain. The tags can be radio-frequency identification tags having each having an ePC (electronic product code) as unique tag identifier. Visibility of the disposition information can be controlled through authorization. Visible information can include relationships between particular items and business documents such as order and shipping documents. With shipping documents visible, information read from item tags can be used to confirm the identify or completeness of a shipment.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 30, 2002Publication date: July 17, 2003Inventors: Richard J. Swan, Peter S. Ebert, Tao Lin, Jie Weng, Hartmut K. Vogler, Brian S. Mo
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Publication number: 20030132855Abstract: Methods and apparatus, including computer program products, for communicating between nodes of a distributed system that tracks items. Each node receives tag-read-data corresponding to an item and communicates the tag-read-data to the designated responsible node for the item. Each node can also receive additional item information from the designated responsible node and use the received additonal item information to update disposition information for the item.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 24, 2002Publication date: July 17, 2003Inventor: Richard J. Swan