Patent ID: 8386324

Claim:
A computer-implemented method comprising: transmitting a query to auto-id nodes, each auto-id node being located at a site of an enterprise and including a tracking device that is operable to track events occurring to physical objects processed by the enterprise at the site, the query requesting past event data describing the events occurring to the physical objects at the respective sites within a specified past period of time; receiving the requested event data from the auto-id nodes; generating a rule set based on the requested event data, each rule, when invoked by a particular auto-id node, specifying actions to be taken by the enterprise in response to a particular condition or circumstance detected by the particular auto-id node while processing the physical objects at the site associated with the particular auto-id node; classifying the auto-id nodes into an implementing subset of auto-id nodes and a non-implementing subset of the auto-id nodes, based on selection criteria; distributing the rule set to the implementing subset of the auto-id nodes for invocation; monitoring the implementing subset of the auto-id nodes for post-distribution event data describing the events occurring to the physical objects at the implementing subset of the auto-id nodes after the rule set is invoked by the implementing subset of the auto-id nodes; comparing the post-distribution event data with the past event data; determining that the actions taken by the enterprise while processing the physical objects at the sites associated with the implementing subset of the auto-id nodes were successful based on comparing the post-distribution event data with the past event data; and distributing the validated rules to the non-implementing subset of the auto-id nodes when determining that the actions taken by the enterprise were successful.