Patent ID: 8452663

Claim:
A method of processing data comprising: receiving auto-ID data in a first system from a first auto-ID device; processing the auto-ID data in the first system using a plurality of rules, wherein the rules specify particular processing methods in a plurality of available processing methods on the first system, wherein the plurality of available processing methods comprise one or more activate methods to activate particular rules and one or more deactivate methods to deactivate the particular rules, and wherein when a first activate method is executed, a first rule becomes active and one or more specified processing methods corresponding to the activated first rule are invoked to process said auto-ID data, and wherein when a first deactivate method is executed, the first rule becomes inactive; sending at least a portion of the auto-ID data to a second system for processing; receiving, by the first system from the second system, associated information that is associated with the auto-ID data sent to the second system; querying, by the first system, a second auto-ID device according to the associated information; receiving, by the first system from the second auto-ID device, sensor data associated with the auto-ID data according to the associated information; and sending, by the first system to the second system, the sensor data.