Author: claimsbot

1. A compound of the formula:
30
wherein Ar is phenyl, a six-membered or five-membered ring which is heteroaromatic or a fused aromatic or heteroaromatic system, each of which may optionally be substituted with one or more non-interfering substituents;
X1 is a linker containing 1-5 members;
n is 0 or 1;
each R1-R3 is independently a non-interfering non-hydrogen substituent;
each 1 is independently 0-5;
m is 0-4;
X2 is a linker comprising a chain of at least 5 members;
A is H, OR, SR, NR2, or halo wherein R is H or lower alkyl (1-6C);
with the proviso that
(a) Ar is a five- or six-membered heteroaryl substituent or an optionally substituted fused aromatic or heteroaromatic substituent; andor
(b) n is 0; andor
(c) m is 1-4; andor
(d) X2 is alkylene substituted by O, OR, SR, NR2 andor halo; andor
(e) X2 is a chain of at least 6 members; andor
(f) X2 contains at least one heteroatom selected from N, S and O; andor
(g) A is OR, SR, NR2 or halo, wherein R is H or lower alkyl (1-6C) andor
(h) Ar is substituted with at least one t-butyl moiety or at least one substituted alkoxy; andor
(i) X1 includes at least one heteroatom selected from O, N and S.
2. The compound of claim 1 which is of the formula
31
wherein Ar, R1-R3, l, m, X2 and A are as defined above, het is a heteroatom selected from O, S and N, and wherein X1 is defined as X1 but lacking one chain member.
3. The compound of claim 1 which is of the formula
32
wherein Ar, X1, R1-R3, l, m, n, A and Ar are defined as above, and X2 is defined as X2 but lacking one chain member.
4. The compound of claim 1 which is of the formula
33
wherein R4 is O, or a carboxylic acid group or ester or amide thereof and Ar, R2-R3, X1, l, n, X2 and A are defined as above.
5. The compound of claim 1, wherein each non-interfering substituent is independently alkyl (1-10C), alkenyl (2-10C), alkynyl (2-10C), aryl (6-10C), arylalkyl (7-16C) or arylalkenyl (7-16C) each optionally further containing 1-4 heteroatoms (N, O or S) each further optionally substituted, or is independently O, halo, CF3, OCF, NO2, NH2, OH, or SH wherein S may optionally be oxidized.
6. The compound of claim 1, wherein the phenyl groups represented by A and B are linked through a bond, one or more CR2 moieties wherein each R is H or lower alkyl (1-6C) wherein one or more of said CR2 may be replaced by NR, O or S.
7. The compound of claim 1, wherein each l is independently 0 or 1.
8. The compound of claim 1, wherein X2 is substituted by O adjacent the piperazine ring.
9. The compound of claim 1, wherein X1 is substituted by O at the position next to the piperazine ring.
10. The compound of claim 1, wherein each of R2 and R3 is independently alkoxy, halo, or alkyl.
11. The compound of claim 1, wherein m is 1 and R1 is O or a carboxylic acid group or ester or amide thereof.
12. The compound of claim 1, wherein Ar is optionally substituted phenyl.
13. The compound of claim 12, wherein said phenyl is unsubstituted or is substituted by one or more tert-butyl, methoxy, substituted alkoxy, hydroxy andor halo.
14. The compound of claim 13, wherein the substituted alkoxy is substituted by an amino group.
15. The compound of claim 1, wherein Ar is optionally substituted pyrimidyl, pyridyl, benzothiazole, benzimidazole or indole.
16. The compound of claim 1, which is
6,6-Bis-(4-fluoro-phenyl)-1-4-(2-phenylsulfanyl-ethyl)-piperazin-1-yl-hexan-1-one;
1-6,6-Bis-(4-fluoro-phenyl)-hexyl-4-2-(4-fluoro-phenoxy)-ethyl-piperazine;
1-4-2-(Benzo1,3dioxol-5-yloxy)-ethyl-piperazin-1-yl-6,6-bis-(4-fluoro-phenyl)-hexan-1-one;
1-6,6-Bis-(4-fluoro-phenyl)-hexyl-4-(2-phenylsulfanyl-ethyl)-piperazine;
1-6,6-Bis-(4-fluoro-phenyl)-hexyl-4-2-(4-methoxy-phenoxy)-ethyl-piperazine;
1-4-2-(2,4-Difluoro-phenoxy)-ethyl-piperazin-1-yl-6,6-bis-(4-fluoro-phenyl)-hexan-1-one;
6,6-Bis-(4-fluoro-phenyl)-1-4-(2-phenoxy-ethyl)-piperazin-1-yl-hexan-1-one;
1-4-2-(2,4-Dichloro-phenoxy)-ethyl-piperazin-1-yl -6,6-bis-(4-fluoro-phenyl)-hexan-1-one;
6,6-Bis-(4-fluoro-phenyl)-1-4-2-(4-methoxy-phenoxy)-ethyl-piperazin-1-yl-hexan-1-one;
1-6,6-Bis-(4-fluoro-phenyl)-hexyl-4-(2-phenoxy-ethyl)-piperazine;
6,6-Bis-(4-fluoro-phenyl)-1-4-2-(3,4,5-trimethoxy-phenoxy)-ethyl-piperazin-1-yl-hexan-1-one;
1-4-2-(Benzothiazol-2-ylsulfanyl)-ethyl-piperazin-1-yl -6,6-bis-(4-fluoro-phenyl)-hexan-1-one;
4-(2-4-6,6-Bis-(4-fluoro-phenyl)-hexanoyl-piperazin-1-yl-ethoxy)-2,3,6-trimethyl-phenyl-carbamic acid tert-butyl ester;
4-(2-4-6,6-Bis-(4-fluoro-phenyl)-hexyl-piperazin-1-yl-ethoxy)-2,3,6-trimethyl-phenylamine;
1-6,6-Bis-(4-fluoro-phenyl)-hexyl-4-2-(2,4-dichloro-phenoxy)-ethyl-piperazine;
2-(4-4-6,6-Bis-(4-fluoro-phenyl)-hexyl-piperazin-1-ylmethyl-2,6-di-tert-butyl-phenoxy)-ethyl-dimethyl-amine;
4-4-6,6-Bis-(4-fluoro-phenyl)-hexyl-piperazin-1-ylmethyl-2,6-di-tert-butyl-phenol;
1-4-(3,5-Di-tert-butyl-4-methoxy-benzoyl)-piperazin-1-yl-6,6-bis-(4-fluoro-phenyl)-hexan-1-one;
1-4-(3,5-Di-tert-butyl-4-methoxy-benzyl)-piperazin-1-yl-6,6-bis-(4-fluoro-phenyl)-hexan-1-one;
1-6,6-Bis-(4-fluoro-phenyl)-hexyl-4-(3,5-di-tert-butyl-4-methoxy-benzyl)-piperazine;
4-6,6-Bis-(4-fluoro-phenyl)-hexyl-piperazin-1-yl-(3,5-di-tert-butyl-4-methoxy-phenyl)-methanone;
1-4-3,5-Di-tert-butyl-4-(2-dimethylamino-ethoxy)-benzoyl-piperazin-1-yl-6,6-bis-(4-fluoro-phenyl)-hexan-1-one;
1-Benzo1,3dioxol-5-ylmethyl-4-6,6-bis-(4-fluoro-phenyl)-hexyl-piperazine;
1-6,6-Bis-(4-fluoro-phenyl)-hexyl-4-(3,5-di-tert-butyl-benzyl)-piperazine;
4-6,6-Bis-(4-fluoro-phenyl)-hexyl-piperazin-1-yl-(3,5-di-tert-butyl-4-hydroxy-phenyl)-methanone;
1-4-(3,5-Di-tert-butyl-4-hydroxy-benzyl)-piperazin-1-yl-6,6-bis-(4-fluoro-phenyl)-hexan-1-one;
1-4-(3,5-Dibromo-4-hydroxy-benzoyl)-piperazin-1-yl-6,6-bis-(4-fluoro-phenyl)-hexan-1-one;
1-4-(3,5-Di-tert-butyl-4-hydroxy-benzoyl)-piperazin-1-yl-6,6-bis-(4-fluoro-phenyl)-hexan-1-one;
1-4-(3,5-Di-tert-butyl-benzoyl)-piperazin-1-yl-6,6-bis-(4-fluoro-phenyl)-hexan-1-one;
1-6,6-Bis-(4-fluoro-phenyl)-hexyl-4-(4-tert-butyl-benzyl)-piperazine;
1-6,6-Bis-(4-fluoro-phenyl)-hexyl-4-(9H-thioxanthen-9-yl)-piperazine;
2-4-6,6-Bis-(4-fluoro-phenyl)-hexyl-piperazin-1-yl-benzothiazole;
6,6-Bis-(4-fluoro-phenyl)-1-(4-pyrimidin-2-yl-piperazin-1-yl)-hexan-1-one;
2-4-6,6-Bis-(4-fluoro-phenyl)-hexyl-piperazin-1-yl -pyrimidine;
6,6-Bis-(4-fluoro-phenyl)-1-4-(9H-thioxanthen-9-yl)-piperazin-1-yl-hexan-1-one;
1-6,6-Bis-(4-fluoro-phenyl)-hexyl-4-(3,4,5-trimethoxy-benzyl)-piperazine-2-carboxylic acid ethyl ester;
6,6-Bis-(4-fluoro-phenyl)-1-4-2-(3,4,5-trimethoxy-benzylamino)-ethyl-piperazin-1-yl-hexan-1-one;
9,9-Bis-(4-fluoro-phenyl)-1-4-(3,4,5-trimethoxy-benzyl)-piperazin-1-yl-nonan-1-one;
(2-4-6,6-Bis-(4-fluoro-phenyl)-hexyl-piperazin-1-yl-ethyl)-phenyl-amine;
1-9,9-Bis-(4-fluoro-phenyl)-nonyl-4-(3,4,5-trimethoxy-benzyl)-piperazine;
(4-4-Bis-(4-fluoro-phenyl)-methoxy-butyl-piperazin-1-yl)-(3,4,5-trimethoxy-phenyl)-methanone;
6,6-Bis-(4-fluoro-phenyl)-1-4-(4-trifluoromethoxy-benzoyl)-piperazin-1-yl-hexan-2-one;
1-4-(4-Bromo-benzoyl)-piperazin-1-yl-6,6-bis-(4-fluoro-phenyl)-hexan-1-one;
6,6-Bis-(4-fluoro-phenyl)-5-hydroxy-1-4-(3,4,5-trimethoxy-benzoyl)-piperazin-1-yl-hexan-1-one;
1-4-Bis-(4-fluoro-phenyl)-methoxy-butyl-4-(3,4,5-trimethoxy-benzyl)-piperazine;
6,6-Bis-(4-fluoro-phenyl)-6-hydroxy-1-4-(3,4,5-trimethoxy-benzoyl)-piperazin-1-yl-hexan-1-one;
4-6,6-Bis-(4-fluoro-phenyl)-hexyl-1-(3,4,5-trimethoxy-benzyl)-piperazine-2-carboxylic acid;
4-6,6-Bis-(4-fluoro-phenyl)-hexanoyl-1-(3,4,5-trimethoxy-benzyl)-piperazin-2-one;
1-6,6-Bis-(4-fluoro-phenyl)-hexanoyl-4-(3,5-di-tert-butyl-4-methoxy-benzoyl)-piperazin-2-one;
1-6,6-Bis-(4-fluoro-phenyl)-hexyl-4-(3,4,5-trimethoxy-benzoyl)-piperazin-2-one;
4-6,6-Bis-(4-fluoro-phenyl)-hexyl-1-(3,4,5-trimethoxy-benzyl)-piperazin-2-one;
4-6,6-Bis-(4-fluoro-phenyl)-hexanoyl-1-(3,5-di-tert-butyl-4-methoxy-benzyl)-piperazin-2-one;
4-6,6-Bis-(4-fluoro-phenyl)-hexanoyl-1-2-(4-fluoro-phenoxy)-ethyl-piperazin-2-one;
1-6,6-Bis-(4-fluoro-phenyl)-hexyl-4-(3,5-di-tert-butyl-4-methoxy-benzoyl)-piperazin-2-one;
4-6,6-Bis-(4-fluoro-phenyl)-hexanoyl-1-(3,5-di-tert-butyl-4-methoxy-benzoyl)-piperazin-2-one;
1-6,6-Bis-(4-fluoro-phenyl)-hexyl-4-(3,5-di-tert-butyl-4-methoxy-benzyl)-piperazin-2-one;
1-6,6-Bis-(4-fluoro-phenyl)-hexanoyl-4-(3,5-di-tert-butyl-4-hydroxy-benzoyl)-piperazin-2-one;
6,6-Bis-(4-fluoro-phenyl)-1-4-(3,4,5-trimethoxy-benzoyl)-piperazin-1-yl-hex-5-en-1-one;
1-4-2-(3,4-Dimethoxy-phenoxy)-ethyl-piperazin-1-yl-6,6-bis-(4-fluoro-phenyl)-hexan-1-one; or
1-6,6-Bis-(4-fluoro-phenyl)-hexyl-4-2-(3,4-dimethoxy-phenoxy)-ethyl-piperazine.
17. A pharmaceutical composition for use in treating conditions characterized by calcium channel activity which composition comprises, in admixture with a pharmaceutically acceptable excipient, a unit dosage amount of at least one compound of claim 1.
18. A method to treat conditions associated with calcium channel activity in a subject which method comprises administering to a subject in need of such treatment at least one compound of claim 1 or a pharmaceutical composition thereof.

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. A method of recovering a purified product from a load fluid, comprising the steps of:
passing the load fluid through a medium at operating conditions which cause the medium to bind at least 1 mg of product per 1 mL of medium; and
recovering the purified product from column effluent.
2. A method of recovering a purified product from a load fluid, comprising the steps of:
passing the load fluid through a medium at operating conditions defined by a partition coefficient of at least 0.1; and
recovering the purified product from column effluent.
3. The method of claim 1, wherein the operating conditions cause the medium to bind at least 10 mg of product per mL of medium.
4. The method of claim 2, wherein the value of the partition coefficient is in the range of about 0.2 to about 10.0.
5. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of recovering the purified product from the medium using an essentially isocratic wash.
6. The method of claim 2, further comprising the step of recovering the purified product from the medium using an essentially isocratic wash.
7. The method of claim 1, wherein the purified product is a protein selected from the group consisting of fusion proteins, Fc-containing proteins, immunoconjugates, cytokines, interleukins, hormones, and therapeutic enzymes.
8. The method of claim 2, wherein the purified product is a protein selected from the group consisting of fusion proteins, Fc-containing proteins, immunoconjugates, cytokines, interleukins, hormones, and therapeutic enzymes.
9. The method of claim 1, wherein the operating conditions comprise a pH of 7.5-8.2 and a chloride concentration of 12 mM-55 mM.
10. The method of claim 2, wherein the operating conditions comprise a pH of 7.5-8.2 and a chloride concentration of 12 mM-55 mM.

1. A method for replicating data from a first volume to a second volume, the method comprising:
receiving a first data request comprising a request for data on at least a first sector on a first track of a storage device, wherein the first sector is part of a first volume;
reading data requested in the first data request, and reading at least a second sector of the first track, in addition to data requested in the first data request;
determining whether the second sector should be replicated to a second volume; and
in response to determining that the second sector should be replicated to the second volume, writing the second sector to the second volume.
2. The method of claim 1, wherein writing the second sector to the second volume comprises:
reading the second sector from a disk buffer of the storage device; and
writing the second sector to the second volume.
3. The method of claim 2, wherein said determining whether the second sector should be replicated to the second volume comprises:
subsequent to reading the data requested in the first data request, notifying a replication process that the first sector on the first track has been read;
determining, by the replication process, that at least one sector preceding or subsequent to the first sector on the first track has not been replicated to the second volume, wherein the at least one sector includes the second sector; and
requesting at least the second sector, of the at least one sector, from the disk buffer.
4. The method of claim 1, wherein the second volume is stored on a plurality of hard disk drives in at least one remote storage system, and the first data request comprises an application data request.
5. The method of claim 1, wherein the first volume is stored on a plurality of hard disk drives in an array of hard disk drives.
6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:
subsequent to reading data requested in the first data request, and reading at least the second sector of the first track;
seeking a third sector containing data requested by an application, wherein the seeking occurs at least partially in parallel with said writing the second sector to the second volume.
7. The method of claim 1, wherein the method of replicating is a background replication process, further comprising:
analyzing a rate of data transferred between the first and second volume during a replication of data from the first volume to the second volume; and
in response to determining that the rate of data transferred is above a specified threshold, sequentially replicating additional sectors from the first volume to the second volume.
8. The method of claim 1, wherein the method of replicating is a background replication process, further comprising:
analyzing a rate of data transferred between the first volume and an application during fulfillment of the first data request, wherein the first data request is sent to the application; and
in response to determining that the rate of data transferred is below a specified threshold, sequentially replicating additional sectors from the first volume to the second volume.
9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:
converting the first data request to include all sectors that are located on the first track based on known geometry of the first volume available via one or more SCSI (small computer system interface) commands.
10. A computer program product for replicating data from a first volume to a second volume, the computer program product comprising:
one or more computer-readable storage media and program instructions stored in the one or more computer-readable storage media, the program instructions comprising:
program instructions to receive a first data request comprising a request for data on at least a first sector on a first track of a storage device, wherein the first sector is part of a first volume;
program instructions to read data requested in the first data request, and reading at least a second sector of the first track, in addition to data requested in the first data request;
program instructions to determine whether the second sector should be replicated to a second volume; and
in response to determining that the second sector should be replicated to the second volume, program instructions to write the second sector to the second volume;
wherein the computer-readable storage media is not a transitory signal.
11. The computer program product of claim 10, wherein writing the second sector to the second volume comprises program instructions, stored in the one or more computer-readable storage media, to:
read the second sector from a disk buffer of the storage device; and
write the second sector to the second volume.
12. The computer program product of claim 11, wherein said determining whether the second sector should be replicated to the second volume comprises program instructions, stored in the one or more computer-readable storage media, to:
subsequent to reading the data requested in the first data request, notify a replication process that the first sector on the first track has been read;
determine, by the replication process, that at least one sector preceding or subsequent to the first sector on the first track has not been replicated to the second volume, wherein the at least one sector includes the second sector; and
request at least the second sector, of the at least one sector, from the disk buffer.
13. The computer program product of claim 10, wherein the second volume is stored on a plurality of hard disk drives in at least one remote storage system, and the first data request comprises an application data request.
14. The computer program product of claim 10, further comprising program instructions, stored in the one or more computer-readable storage media, to:
subsequent to reading data requested in the first data request, read at least the second sector of the first track;
seek a third sector containing data requested by an application, wherein the seeking occurs at least partially in parallel with said writing the second sector to the second volume.
15. The computer program product of claim 10, wherein the method of replicating is a background replication process, further comprising program instructions, stored in the one or more computer-readable storage media, to:
analyze a rate of data transferred between the first and second volume during the replication of data from the first volume to the second volume; and
in response to determining that the rate of data transferred is above a specified threshold, sequentially replicate additional sectors from the first volume to the second volume.
16. The computer program product of claim 10, wherein the method of replicating is a background replication process, further comprising program instructions, stored in the one or more computer-readable storage media, to:
analyze a rate of data transferred between the first volume and an application during fulfillment of the first data request, wherein the first data request is sent to the application; and
in response to determining that the rate of data transferred is below a specified threshold, sequentially replicate additional sectors from the first volume to the second volume.
17. The computer program product of claim 10, further comprising program instructions, stored in the one or more computer-readable storage media, to:
convert the first data request to include all sectors that are located on the first track based on known geometry of the first volume available via one or more SCSI (small computer system interface) commands.
18. A computer system for replicating data from a first volume to a second volume, the computer system comprising:
one or more computer processors;
one or more computer-readable storage media;
control logic stored on the one or more computer-readable storage media for execution by at least one of the one or more computer processors, the control logic comprising:
control logic to receive a first data request comprising a request for data on at least a first sector on a first track of a storage device, wherein the first sector is part of a first volume;
control logic to read data requested in the first data request, and reading at least a second sector of the first track, in addition to data requested in the first data request;
control logic to determine whether the second sector should be replicated to a second volume; and
in response to determining that the second sector should be replicated to the second volume, control logic to write the second sector to the second volume.
19. The computer system of claim 18, wherein writing the second sector to the second volume comprises control logic, stored on the one or more computer-readable storage media, to:
read the second sector from a disk buffer of the storage device; and
write the second sector to the second volume.
20. The computer system of claim 19, wherein said determining whether the second sector should be replicated to the second volume comprises control logic, stored on the one or more computer-readable storage media, to:
subsequent to reading the data requested in the first data request, notifying a replication process that the first sector on the first track has been read;
determine, by the replication process, that at least one sector preceding or subsequent to the first sector on the first track has not been replicated to the second volume, wherein the at least one sector includes the second sector; and
request at least the second sector, of the at least one sector, from the disk buffer.
21. The computer system of claim 18, wherein the second volume is stored on a plurality of hard disk drives in at least one remote storage system, and the first data request comprises an application data request.
22. The computer system of claim 18, further comprising method, stored on the one or more computer-readable storage media, to:
subsequent to reading data requested in the first data request, and reading at least the second sector of the first track;
seek a third sector containing data requested by an application, wherein the seeking occurs at least partially in parallel with said writing the second sector to the second volume.
23. The computer system of claim 18, wherein the method of replicating is a background replication process, further comprising control logic, stored on the one or more computer-readable storage media, to:
analyze a rate of data transferred between the first and second volume during the replication of data from the first volume to the second volume; and
in response to determining that the rate of data transferred is above a specified threshold, sequentially replicate additional sectors from the first volume to the second volume.
24. The computer system of claim 18, wherein the method of replicating is a background replication process, further comprising control logic, stored on the one or more computer-readable storage media, to:
analyze a rate of data transferred between the first volume and an application during fulfillment of the first data request, wherein the first data request is sent to the application; and
in response to determining that the rate of data transferred is below a specified threshold, sequentially replicate additional sectors from the first volume to the second volume.
25. The computer system of claim 18, further comprising control logic, stored on the one or more computer-readable storage media, to:
convert the first data request to include all sectors that are located on the first track based on known geometry of the first volume available via one or more SCSI (small computer system interface) commands.

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. A radio frequency identification (RFID) system, comprising:
an RFID component that senses an RFID tag associated with an object;
a location component integral to the RFID component that facilitates determination of a location of the RFID component; and
a programmable logic controller (PLC) that receives RFID component location data and RFID tag data, and processes the RFID component location data and the RFID tag data in combination with data of PLC to facilitate the location of the tagged object.
2. The system of claim 1, wherein the location component utilizes at least one of triangulation technology and signal strength technology to determine the location of the RFID component.
3. The system of claim 1, wherein the location component utilizes GPS (global positioning system) technology to determine the location of the RFID component.
4. The system of claim 1, wherein the location component generates location data that is transmitted from the reader with RFID data.
5. The system of claim 1, wherein location data associated with the location is used for object flow and tracking.
6. The system of claim 1, wherein the RFID component is one of a mobile reader and a mobile readerwriter.
7. The system of claim 6, wherein the mobile reader is one of a handheld portable reader and a mechanically motivated reader.
8. The system of claim 1, wherein PLC data includes bar code data.
9. The system of claim 1, further comprising an artificial intelligence (AI) component that employs a probabilistic andor statistical-based analysis to prognose or infer an action that a user desires to be automatically performed.
10. A computer-readable medium having stored thereon computer-executable instructions that facilitates carrying out sensing, location determination, and data processing of the RFID component, location component, and PLC, respectively, of the system of claim 1.
11. A handheld portable RFID reader that employs the system of claim 1.
12. An RFID system, comprising:
a mobile RFID reader that reads an RFID tag associated with an object;
a location component as part of the RFID reader that facilitates determination of location data of a location of the mobile RFID reader; and
a programmable logic controller (PLC) that receives RFID reader location data and RFID tag data and processes the RFID reader location data and the RFID tag data in combination with data of PLC to facilitate the location of the tagged object.
13. The system of claim 12, wherein the location component utilizes at least one of triangulation technology and signal strength technology to determine the location data of the RFID reader.
14. The system of claim 12, wherein the location component interfaces with a remote GPS technology to determine the GPS location data of the RFID reader, which GPS location data is transmitted from the RFID reader with RFID tag data.
15. The system of claim 12, wherein the location component includes both a GPS location subsystem that receives and processes GPS location data and an inside location subsystem that interfaces to remote location system which operates inside a building or a structure, where GPS signals are impeded by the building or the structure.
16. The system of claim 12, further comprising a filter component that filters received RFID tag data according to the location data.
17. The system of claim 16, wherein the location data resides in at least one of a database and the RFID reader.
18. The system of claim 12, further comprising an artificial intelligence (AI) component as part of the RFID reader that employs a probabilistic andor statistical-based analysis to prognose or infer an action that a user desires to be automatically performed.
19. The system of claim 12, wherein the RFID reader interfaces to a remote database system that employs an AI component facilitates probabilistic andor statistical-based analysis to prognose or infer an action that a user desires to be automatically performed.
20. The system of claim 12, wherein the location data is also representative of material location, and which location data is processed with bar code data to determine a more accurate material location.
21. A method of determining location of a portable RFID reader, comprising:
receiving a portable reading device that performs at least one of reading from and writing to an RFID tag of an object;
providing a location subsystem as part of the portable reading device that communicates with an external location system to determine location data that represents the location of the portable reading device and an RFID tag read by the portable reading device;
transmitting the location data of the portable reading device and RFID tag data to a PLC; and
processing the location data of the portable reading device and RFID tag data in combination with data of PLC to determine the location of the tagged object.
22. The method of claim 21, further comprising acts of:
receiving the location data into the location subsystem; and
transmitting the location data to a remote location for storage in response to reading the RFID tag.
23. The method of claim 21, further comprising acts of:
receiving the location data into the location subsystem; and
transmitting the location data and tag data to a remote location for storage as sets of data at a time other than when the RFID tag is read.
24. The method of claim 21, further comprising an act of writing the location data to the RFID tag in response to reading the RFID tag.
25. The method of claim 21, further comprising an act of automatically switching from a first location mode of the location subsystem to a second location mode of the location subsystem when the first location mode is inoperative.
26. The method of claim 25, wherein the first location mode processes GPS data and the second location mode processes indoor location information.
27. The method of claim 26, wherein the indoor location information is derived from one of a triangulation technology and a signal strength measurement technology.
28. The method of claim 21, further comprising an act of automatically caching data related to objects associated the location data.
29. The method of claim 21, further comprising acts of:
automatically transmitting the location data and RFID tag data of the RFID tag to a PLC; and
processing the location data and PLC data to determine new location data associated with a new location of the RFID tag.
30. A portable RFID reader, comprising:
means for reading RFID data of an RFID tag;
means for interfacing to a remote geographic location system;
means for processing location data received from the remote geographic location system;
means for transmitting the RFID data and the location data for storage;
means for transmitting the location data and RFID data of an RFID tag to a PLC; and
means for processing the location data and RFID data in combination with data of PLC to determine the location of the RFID tag.
31. The reader of claim 30, further comprising means for writing to the RFID tag.
32. The reader of claim 30, wherein the remote geographic location system performs triangulation to generate the location data.
33. The reader of claim 30, wherein the remote geographic location system performs signal strength analysis to generate the location data.