1. A method of providing management functions in a decentralized network, comprising steps of:
creating a persistent node identifier to identify each of a plurality of nodes in the network, even though a different network address may be assigned to the node upon entering the network multiple times;
creating a mapping between the persistent node identifier of each node and a current network address assigned to that node, and revising the mapping to reflect the current network address assigned to the node upon each subsequent entry of the node into the network, such that an identity of each of the nodes can be resolved even though a current network address assigned to the node upon entering the network may vary from one entry to another;
asserting, by a particular one of the nodes, that it is allowed to perform a management function wherein the particular node directs operation of one or more other nodes in the network; and
using the persistent node identifier of the particular node, by a different one of the nodes that receives the assertion, to verify whether the particular node is allowed to perform the management function.
2. The method according to claim 1, further comprising the step of associating a reputation with each of the nodes, wherein the reputation of each node is located using the node’s persistent node identifier, and wherein the step of using the persistent node identifier further comprises steps of:
locating, by the different one, the reputation of the particular node using its persistent node identifier; and
concluding, by the different one, that the particular node is allowed to perform the management function if the particular node has a suitable reputation.
3. The method according to claim 2, wherein the suitability of the reputation is based on behavior of the particular node over time.
4. The method according to claim 2, wherein the suitability of the reputation is based on a value stored in the located reputation being relatively high as compared to other nodes in the network.
5. The method according to claim 4, wherein the value is initialized with an externally determined value, and is then dynamically revised based on the particular node’s interactions with other nodes in the network.
6. The method according to claim 1, wherein the management function, requests the different one to replicate traffic of the different one to the particular node.
7. The method according to claim 6, further comprising the step of replicating, by the different one, its traffic to the particular node if the node different one concludes that the particular node is allowed to perform the management function.
8. The method according to claim 1, wherein the management function requests the different one to replicate one or more categories of traffic of the different one to the particular node.
9. The method according to claim 1, wherein the management function requests the different one to replicate, to the particular node, all traffic of the different one which involves reputations of nodes or which transmits content between nodes.
10. The method according to claim 1, wherein the management function requests the different one to respond to the particular node with information pertaining to the different one.
11. The method according to claim 10, wherein the different one responds with the requested information only if the different one concludes that the particular node is allowed to perform the management function.
12. The method according to claim 10, wherein the requested information is a reputation stored by the different one.
13. The method according to claim 10, wherein the requested information is content stored by the different one.
14. The method according to claim 10, wherein the requested information is a traversal path of content stored by the different one.
15. The system according to claim 10, wherein the different one responds with the requested information only if the different one concludes that the particular node is allowed to perform the management function and the particular node successfully responds to a challenge issued by the different one.
16. The method according to claim 10, wherein the different one responds with the requested information only if the different one concludes that the particular node is allowed to perform the management function and a digital signature of the request verifies that the particular node sent the request.
17. The method according to claim 1, wherein the management function requests the different one to change information stored by the different one.
18. The method according to claim 17, wherein the different one performs the requested change only if the different one concludes that the particular node is allowed to perform the management function.
19. The method according to claim 17, wherein the requested change is to overwrite reputation information stored at the different one.
20. The method according to claim 17, wherein the requested change is to overwrite content stored at the different one.
21. The method according to claim 17, wherein the requested change is to overwrite a content traversal path stored at the different one.
22. The method according to claim 1, wherein the network is a peer-to-peer network.
23. A system for providing management functions in a decentralized network, comprising:
means for associating creating a persistent node identifier to identify each of a plurality of nodes in the network, even though a different network address may be assigned to the node upon entering the network multiple times;
means for creating a mapping between the persistent node identifier of each node and a current network address assigned to that node, and revising the manning to reflect the current network address assigned to the node upon each subsequent entry of the node into the network, such that an identity of each of the nodes van be resolved even though a current network address assigned to the node upon entering the network may vary from one entry to another;
means for associating a reputation with each of the nodes, wherein the reputation of each node is located using the node’s persistent node identifier;
means for asserting, by a particular one of the nodes, that it is allowed to perform a management function wherein the particular node directs operation of one more other nodes in the network;
means for locating, by a different one of the nodes that receives the assertion, the reputation of the particular node using its persistent node identifier; and
means for concluding, by the different one, that the particular node is allowed to perform the management functions if the particular node has a suitable reputation.
24. The system according to claim 23, wherein the suitability of the reputation is based on behavior of the particular node over time.
25. The system according to claim 23, wherein the suitability of the reputation is based on a value in the located reputation being relatively high as compared to other nodes in the network, and wherein the value is initialized with an externally determined value and is then dynamically revised based on the particular node’s interactions with other nodes in the network.
26. The system according to claim 23, wherein the management function requests the different one to replicate one or more categories of traffic of the different one to the particular node, end further comprising means for replicating, by the different one, the categories of traffic if the different one concludes that the particular node is allowed to perform the management function.
27. The system according to claim 23, wherein the management function requests the different one to respond to the particular node with a reputation stored by the different one, and wherein the different one responds with the requested reputation only if the different one concludes that the particular node is allowed to perform the management function.
28. The system according to claim 23, wherein the management function requests the different one to respond to the particular node with content stored by the different one, and wherein the different one responds with the requested content only if the different one concludes that the particular node is allowed to perform the management function and the particular node successfully responds to a challenge issued by the different one.
29. The system according to claim 23, wherein the management function requests the different one to overwrite reputation information stored at the different one, and wherein the different one performs the requested overwriting only if the different one concludes that the particular node is allowed to perform the management function and a digital signature of the request verifies that the particular node sent the request.
30. The system according in claim 23, wherein the requested change is to overwrite content stored at the different one, and wherein the different one performs the requested overwriting only if the different one concludes that the particular node is allowed to perform the management function and the particular node successfully responds to a, challenge issued by the different one.
31. A computer program product for providing management functions in an ad hoc network, where a collection of nodes making up the network may change over time, the computer program product embodied on one or more computer-readable media and comprising;
computer-readable program code means for creating a persistent node identifier in identify each of a plurality of nodes in the network, even though a different network address may be assigned to the node upon entering the network multiple times;
computer-readable program code means for creating a mapping between the persistent node identifier of each node and a current network address assigned to that node, and revising the mapping to reflect the current network address assigned to the node upon each subsequent entry of the node into the network, such that an identity of each of the nodes can be resolved even though a current network address assigned to the node upon entering the network may vary from one entry to another;
computer-readable program code means for associating a reputation wit each of the nodes, wherein the reputation of each node is located using the node’s persistent node identifier;
computer-readable program code means for asserting, by a particular one of the nodes, that it is allowed to perform a management function wherein the particular node directs operation of one or more other nodes in the network;
computer-readable program code means for locating, by a different one of the nodes that receives the assertion, the reputation of the particular node using its persistent node identifier; and
computer-readable program code means for concluding by the different one, that the particular node is allowed to perform management functions if the particular node has a suitable reputation.
32. The computer program product according to claim 31, wherein the suitability of the reputation is based on behavior of the particular node over time.
33. The computer program product according to claim 31, wherein the management function requests the different one to replicate, to the particular node, all traffic of the different one which involves reputations of nodes or which transmits content between nodes, and further comprising computer-readable program code means for replicating, by the different one, that traffic if the different one concludes that the particular node is allowed to perform the management function.
34. The computer program product according to claim 31, wherein the management function requests the different one to respond to the particular node with a traversal path of content stored by the different one, and wherein the different one responds with the requested traversal path only if the different one concludes that the particular node is allowed to perform the management function.
35. The computer program product according to claim 31, wherein the requested change is to overwrite a content traversal path stored at the different one and wherein the receiving node different one performs the requested overwriting only if the different one concludes that the particular node is allowed to perform the management fiction.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
1. An apparatus for identifying surgical instrument trays and surgical instrument tray shipping totes, comprising:
a chassis;
a conveyor system defining a path of travel supported by the chassis;
a reader station attached to the chassis by a frame and comprising an RFID transceiver, a bar code reader, a control circuit and an indicator.
2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the conveyor system is selected from a conveyor belt or a plurality of conveyor rollers
3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the RFID transceiver comprises at least one RF antenna configured to generate a RF field and to receive signals emitted from RFID transponder tags within the field.
4. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a data bus for communicating data from the RFID transceiver and the bar code reader to a computer system.
5. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the data bus comprises a wireless data channel.
6. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the data bus comprises a wired data channel.
7. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the indicator comprises an indicator selected from the group consisting of a visual indicator, a audible indicator, a printed indicator message, and mixtures thereof.
8. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the controller comprises means for activating the indicator based on a determined that at least one predetermined condition has been satisfied.
9. The apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the determination comprises comparing information obtained by the RFID reader and the bar code reader with previously stored information.
10. A method for identifying surgical instrument trays and surgical instrument tray shipping totes comprising:
placing a surgical instrument tray shipping tote containing one or more surgical instrument trays on a conveyor system;
activating an RFID reader to read information from at least one RFID transponder tag associated with each of the one or more surgical instrument trays contained in the shipping tote;
activating a bar code reader to read information from a bar-coded shipping label affixed to a surface of the shipping tote;
comparing the information read by the RFID reader and the bar code reader with previously stored information; and
activating an indicator based on the step of comparing.
11. The method according to claim 10, the step of activating an RFID reader comprising generating an RFID field over a portion of the conveyor system with one or more RF antennae so as to automatically energize any RFID transponder tags passing within the portion of the conveyor system and reading information from the energized RFID transponder tags.
12. The method according to claim 10, the step of activating a bar code reader comprising activating a bar code reader positioned above the surface of the shipping tote to which the bar-coded shipping label is affixed.
13. The method according to claim 10, the step of comparing comprising sending the information read by the RFID reader and the bar code reader to a computer system, comparing the information with information stored in a database, and receiving a signal from the computer system indicative of a result of the comparison.
14. The method according to claim 13, the step of sending comprising sending the information over a physical data channel.
15. The method according to claim 13, the step of sending comprising sending the information over a wireless data channel.
16. The method according to claim 13, the step of activating an indicator based on the step of comparing comprising activating an indicator corresponding to the result.
17. The method according to claim 13, the step of activating an indicator comprising activating an indicator chosen from the group consisting of a visual indicator, an audio indicator, an printed indicator and mixtures thereof.
18. A method of identifying surgical instrument kits comprising:
affixing a bar-coded shipping label to a surface of a surgical instrument shipping tote containing one or more surgical instrument kits each surgical instrument kit comprising at least one RFID transponder tag;
placing the surgical instrument shipping tote on a conveyor system;
operating the conveyor system to move the shipping tote past an RFID transceiver and a bar code reader at a reading station;
obtaining first identification information from the RFID reader when the tote enters the reading station;
obtaining second identification information from the bar code reader corresponding to the shipping tote and its contents;
comparing the obtained first and second identification information with previously stored information; and
activating an indicator based on the results of the comparison.
19. The method according to claim 18, the step of obtaining first identification information comprising energizing each RFID transponder tag contained in the tote with an RFID transceiver with one or more RF antennae and receiving a signal from each energized tag containing the first identification information.
20. The method according to claim 18, the step of obtaining second identification information comprising illuminating the bar-coded label with a bar code scanner and obtaining a signal including the second identification information.
21. The method according to claim 18, the step of comparing comprising communicating the first and second identification information to a computer system through a communications channel, comparing the first and second identification information with information stored at the computer system, and receiving a signal from the computer system over the communications channel indicative of the results of the comparison.
22. The method according to claim 21, the step of communicating the first and second identification information through a communications channel comprising communicating the information through a physical communications channel.
23. The method according to claim 21, the step of communicating the first and second identification information through a communications channel comprising communicating the information through a wireless communications channel.
24. The method according to claim 21, the step of activating an indicator based on the results of the comparison comprising activating an indicator chosen from the group consisting of a visual indicator, an audio indicator, an printed indicator and mixtures thereof.
25. A method for identifying the status of a surgical instrument kit shipping tote and surgical instrument kits residing therein with a surgical instrument shipping kit and surgical instrument kit shipping tote identification system comprising:
scanning a bar coded shipping label comprising encoded information associated with a surgical instrument shipping tote with a hand held bar code scanner;
transferring the encoded information received by bar code scanner to a data processor over a communication link of the identification system to matched with surgical instrument kits associated with that encoded information;
receiving a response from the data processor indicating that the encoded information has been received;
conveying the shipping tote to an RFID reader station along a conveyor path of the identification system;
reading information from at least one RFID transponder tag associated with at least one surgical instrument kit contained within the shipping tote;
transferring the information read from the at least one RFID transponder tag to the data processor;
receiving a signal indicative of a processing status of the current shipping tote; and
displaying a visual cue indicative of the processing status of the current shipping tote.
26. The method according to claim 25, wherein the information read from the at least one RFID transponder tag comprises identification information for the surgical instrument kit that the tag is associated with.
27. The method according to claim 25, wherein said processing status comprises a status selected from the group consisting of normal processing, expedited processing, and exceptionerror processing.