Patent ID: 7415483

Claim:
A computer system for processing individual data objects, the system comprising: a data repository including: individual data objects, each individual data object a) corresponds to a unique tangible asset within an asset family, b) is associated with an object family corresponding to the asset family, c) includes, when first created, a unique identifier value, and d) is able to be associated with additional attributes and attribute values for the additional attributes, wherein an object family identifies attributes that are permitted to be added to an individual data object associated with a particular object family, a first individual data object representing a first tangible asset within a first asset family, the first individual data object being associated with a first object family, a second individual data object representing a second tangible asset within a second asset family, the second individual data object being associated with a second object family, wherein the first tangible asset is different from the second tangible asset, the first object family is different from the second object family, and the first individual data object includes a first attribute and a first attribute value including information identifying the second individual data object to link the first individual data object with the second individual data object; an executable software module that adds attributes to an individual data object based on user input, and that associates an attribute value with each added attribute, the executable software module being configured to: receive user input identifying an individual data object to be modified; receive an indication of an attribute to be added to the identified individual data object; add the indicated attribute to the identified individual data object only when the indicated attribute is permitted to be added to an individual data object associated with an object family to which the identified individual data object is associated; receive user input identifying an attribute value for the indicated attribute; and store, in the data repository, the identified individual data object that includes the added attribute and the identified attribute value.