Patent ID: 7383259

Claim:
A system for merging product characterization information with a characterized product comprising: a product characterization database in communication with a product characterizing device to receive said product characterization information for said characterized product; a merging rule database describing a merging criteria for merging the product characterization information with said characterized product; a merging processor in communication with the product characterization database to receive the product characterization information and the merging rule database to receive said merging criteria to generate merged characterization information by executing the steps of: extracting a trigger merging rule from said merging rule database, in response to said trigger merging rule having been met to initiate a merging of said product characterization information with said product, extracting a merging criteria sort type map and a merging criteria sort number map, whereby said merging criteria sort type map determines which of the products has certain characteristics and said merging criteria sort number map determines which of the products are classified according to grades of said merging criteria; and creating a merged product characterization information defined by the grades of said merging criteria.