WO2001048652A1

WO2001048652A1 - System and method for computerised monitoring of information

Info

Publication number: WO2001048652A1
Application number: PCT/NZ2000/000258
Authority: WO
Inventors: Gregory Mark Evans; Jason Jeffrey Lopas
Original assignee: Encos Ltd
Priority date: 1999-12-23
Filing date: 2000-12-22
Publication date: 2001-07-05
Also published as: AU2413601A; AR027086A1

Abstract

A process engine, method and system for computerised monitoring of information is disclosed. The information specifically relates to events or intangibles which are inter-connected, for example by occurring at the same time or in the same place. The processing engine (4) and method operates on a data storage means (12) and data processing means (11) in accordance with pre-determined constraints. Information about each event (entity 20) is assigned a unique identifying number (UID) as the information is input via data capture devices (DCDs 7, 8). Each UID incorporates an assigned security level for that transaction. Soft attributes of each entity (20) can be altered by recordal of a transaction. User permission profiles are assigned by organisations controlling the transactions. The profiles provide access to the transactions dependent on the security levels of each transaction.

Description

TITLE: SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR COMPUTERISED MONITORING OF INFORMATION

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates to systems and methods for monitoring information, whether this be about services, abstract information, or events in general. Particularly, the present invention relates to a system and method for capturing and monitoπng data relating to step by step events in a process which does not necessarily result m the generation of a product More particularly, the system and method is designed to capture and monitor data from many different inputs or organisations and to permit the shaπng of data regarding the monitoπng, and/or conclusions drawn from the data or from further abstraction of the data.

BACKGROUND ART

At present, there is a need for an effective, verifiable chain of process system on inter-related data with reference to a single object, entity or abstraction. Such a system is analogous to a chain of custody system or chain of supply system, but relates to what might be termed "abstract" objects or "intangibles" However, information capture and analysis for a chain of events or a plurality of events which occur in real time, is often not accessible to users/viewers in real time.

Such intangibles or events can include, for example, tracking of medical information regarding humans and animals, the tracking of people in a transportation system, bio-technology tracking for animal husbandry, tracking of large numbers of input sensors for scientific analysis, tracking of psychoses and mental patterns, and so on.

In respect of such events, when identified with products, such systems are generally known as chain of supply systems. Such is referred to m our co-pendmg application and is discussed in prior art disclosed, for example, WO 99/45486 (Sap AG) or US Patent No. 5,673,194. When looking at such information as related to an event, and to information on intangibles, the common problem exists in the manner m which the source of the data, the manner of input of the data, or the treatment of the data, once in a computer processing system, is treated The above publications each disclose inventions which operate as working withm one organisation. It can be extremely difficult to track relationships or movements of intangibles from a particular beginning point to a particular end point, regardless of the number of organisations through whose hands the information or the object passes. Likewise it can be difficult to track changes made as information passes through organisations. Each organisational system may be unique to the organisation It can be difficult to arrange systems that will "talk" to each other, to allow mter-processing of the mateπal

Further, where data is input from different sources, depending on the source of the data, each input data is treated differently. Input data maybe stored m different ways and may be correlated as required (as disclosed m US Patent No. 5,673,194). The system disclosed m this pπor art inputs data in a manner that assigns values that are not translatable to another recording system.

A further problem m the prior art is that the application of mathematical formulae to such data (for example, the application of standard formulae for statistical analysis) is difficult when all the data is stored under different standards and styles, withm different programs/protocols, and with diffeπng priorities of value.

A further disadvantage of known systems is that much of the information being gathered is stored for later reconstruction of events, rather than being capable of being monitored in real time. The ability to use such input data in a real time system that will allow also for a predictive planning quality to be overlaid on statistical analysis is not known m the prior art.

Some attempts have been made, on the basis of multiple supply chains, to provide for mter- orgamsational systems. For example, US Patent No. 5,995,145 and other patents to Notam discuss such a possibility. However, these systems are for planning analysis and optimisation rather than monitoπng and evaluation (for future planning), in real time. Also, such a system uses model agents as partial replicas of remote domains to allow for mter-domain analysis and optimisation of the local level. It is difficult to run such a system in real time. A further drawback of such a system, understood from the pπor art, is that an essential integer and integral part of any system or method to overcome these problems will need to address the question of secuπty of information and secuπty of access. Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a system and method for monitoring and recording data on a plurality of events occurπng m real time which is secure, provides for large data capacity and viewing, is effective and inexpensive to operate.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a system and method of monitoring and recording data on a plurality of events occurring in real time which can be trans-organisational.

It is an object of the present invention to address the foregoing problems or at least to provide the public with a useful choice.

Further aspects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the ensuing description which is given by way of example only

DISCLOSURE OF INVENTION

According to one aspect of the present invention there is provided a processing engine for monitoπng and recording data on a plurality of events occurπng in real time, inputting to the data storage means information regarding an individual event(s) ("entity") wherein said information includes: a unique identifying number (UID), said input of information and attachment of UTD being a 'transaction'; said engine being constrained to operated in accordance with the following rules; and m respect of each event, inputting further information regarding that event or changes to that event, all input information being by an individual transaction, whereby the data processing means incorporates a processing engine constrained to operate in accordance with the following rules:

(I) all types of events are to be treated as the same in terms of retrieval and presentation of information;

(π) all types of transactions are to be treated the same in terms of retrieval and presentation;

(in) there are user-definable differences with respect to entities or transactions and are features which may be changed ("soft" features)

(IV) there are specific relationships between entities and transactions and entities and entities which cannot be altered ("hard" features). These include'

I - the parent/child relationship

II - ownership - responsibility

III - custodianship;

wherein said events have a degree of mter-connectedness.

According to another aspect of the present invention there is provided a method for monitoπng and recording data on a plurality of events occumng in real time, said method including the steps of:

(a) providing data storage means and data processing means,

(b) inputting to the data storage means information regardingan individual event(s) ("entity") wherein said information includes: a unique identifying number (UID), said input of information and attachment of UID being a 'transaction';

(c) in respect of each event, inputting further information regarding that event or changes to that event, all input information being by an individual transaction, whereby the data processing means incorporates a processing engine constrained to operate in accordance with the following rules:

(l) all types of events are to be treated as the same in terms of retrieval and presentation of information;

(n) all types of transactions are to be treated the same m terms of retrieval and presentation;

(m) there are user-definable differences with respect to entities or transactions and are features which may be changed ("soft" features)

(iv) there are specific relationships between entities and transactions and entities and entities which cannot be altered ("hard" features). These include: I - the parent/child relationship

II - ownership - responsibility

III - custodianship;

wherein said events have a degree of mter-connectedness.

According to a further aspect of the present invention there is provided a method for monitoπng and recording data on a plurality of events occurπng in real time, substantially as described above, wherein the application of known techniques as statistical analysis to the transactions are applied to the transactions.

According to a further aspect of the present invention there provided a method for monitoπng and recording data on a plurality of events occurring in real time, substantially as described above, wherein said constraint regarding the treatment of all transactions as the same also applies to the manner in which all transactions are stored.

The level of viewing permission is determined by the profile of the user/viewer. The UID, when assigned to each transaction, also includes a level of security for that transaction The range of profiles of user is determined from the number or type of levels of security in the transaction

Thus according to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided the method, as descnbed above, wherein every user has a permission profile which profile is determined by the organisation having control over some or all of the transactions, permitting viewing of vaπous aspects of the said system.

Thus according to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided the method, as descnbed above, wherein said inter-connectedness of the events is the result of one of the group: the events are seπal m time; the events occur at the same time; the events occur in the same location; the events are the same type of activity; and a combination of these, where not inconsistent one with the other.

According to a further aspect of the present invention there is there provided a system for monitonng and recording data on a plurality of events occurπng in real time, said system including the steps of. (a) providing data storage means and data processing means,

(b) selecting a category or class of (changing) information to be monitored,

(c) repeated operation of the method for monitoring and recording data, as described above

According to a still further aspect of the present invention there is provided a system for monitoπng and recording data, as described above, said system including the further step of:

(d) the application of known techniques of statistical analysis to the transactions.

According to a yet further aspect of the present invention, there is provided the system as descnbed above, wherein said system further includes the step of:

(e) using the output from said statistical analysis in conjunction with known mathematical formulae, in a planning mode.

The special relationships which cannot be altered are those which, for example, require the operation of physical laws with reference to attributes. For example, if the pressure is atmospheric (soft attribute) and the temperature (soft attribute) of the water (entity) is -5°C, one of the physical attributes will be that it is always in the form of ice.

Such a system obviously only becomes of value if it can be viewed and monitored. From the point of view of the viewer or user, depending on the level of viewing permission or secunty, every entity and transaction relating to every entity can be monitored, retrieved and viewed in context.

Thus according to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided the system as descnbed above wherein every user has a permission profile which profile is determined by the organisation having control over some or all of the transactions, permitting viewing of vaπous aspects of the said system.

For example, (in the context of monitoπng airplane movement) a user may be part of an organisation which has control of permission profiles for two stages of a chain of transportation involving two airlines and air traffic control Each individual transaction can be viewed by a user from the respective organisations An external user (air safety monitor) may have the ability to display all information. The permission profiles are layered on the constraints descnbed above, such that they are integral with all stages of the process or system.

Preferably, the information is input to the system through DCDs (data capture devices) which can be of varying types DCDs can include: electronic scanners with bar codes, light beams, vision technology (incorporating cameras and processing of images passing the camera), weigh stations, other computers, radio frequency tags with chips and memory, manual input, the output of a computer program on a computer connectable as a DCD, and a computer on a wide area network (WAN). Thus a DCD can be any device which can send an electronic signal with a unique identifier via a land line, through wireless frequency, or which can send a signal capable of conversion to such an electronic signal

With the above treatment of transactions and entities, it can be seen that the rate and volume of transactions are the two limiting factors on the size of the server/processor required to process the method. However, the size of the processor is entirely scaleable and thus if the server size is increased, the rate of transactions and volume can be increased. This leads to the advantage that the method and apparatus is entirely scalable from a very small LAN to a global size WAN.

The type of hard and soft attributes for each particular type of entity will depend on the subject matter being monitored, viewed and used in predictive modes. For example, if the system is being used for monitoπng of an earthquake fault line, the entities may be the sensors in wells The statistical analysis and mathematical formulae are arranged to monitor a rate of change in water levels over a statistically significant range of monitors, or statistically arrayed number of monitors. In such a situation, one of the attributes that may be of importance is relative location and "unchangeable".

In another example, if the system is people tracking via airplanes, the location of a person will be a soft attribute and changeable and updated by transactions. The maximum weight of a particular entity (aiφlane) may be a hard attribute, there being an upper limit generated by aiφlane design and the laws of physics. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

Further aspects of the present invention will become apparent from the following description which is given by way of example only and with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

Figure 1 is a schematic of the method and system of operation of a preferred embodiment of the present invention;

Figure 2 is a schematic of the representation of information withm the system of the preferred embodiment of the present invention; and

Figure 3 is a diagrammatic representation of an abstract system that can be monitored and tracked using the preferred embodiment of the present invention.

BEST MODES FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION

Referπng to the drawings, the following descnption refers to an application of the system (2-6) for monitoπng a number of measurement devices (monitors 30), with reference to extracting statistical information over a period of time for use in a predictive manner to monitor and model movements along a fault line 31 , about which the monitors 30 are placed

However, it will be understood that the system (2-6) may be applied to other monitoπng situations, for example, processes for the tracking of an individual, an event, or an attribute of an individual or event. Such applications can include, for example but without limiting the system (2-6) thereto: the tracking of medication for an individual human, the tracking of one medication applied to a number of humans, tracking of hospital treatments for an individual, tracking of people or people moving vehicles, animal husbandry and gene tracking in bio-technology, weather patterns, geological events, human behaviour and human resources.

Referπng to Fig. 1, the system (2-6) mcoφorates a number of devices (7, 8) generally referred to by the level item 2, which are used to input data into a central engine processing 4 of the system. The input means are referred to or are idealised in the drawing diagrammatically generally by the reference numeral 3. These data can be viewed generally from level 6 through various means represented generally by the numeral 5. The engine 4 is generally designed to capture data (at level 2, via level 3). The data, when processed, can be viewed by a number of people denoted by level 6, by a number of means through level 5.

With the identification of a monitor 30 (entity 20), information regarding that entity 20 is input to the engine 4 via DCDs 7, 8.

The information is generally transferred, and a unique identifier or unique identity code (UTD) added as the information is input via transactions 9 and 10. The DCD 8 can also input information manually. However, the automatic DCDs 7 are generally working with one level of abstraction of information.

A DCD 7 could, for example, be the electronically stored results of a bar code scanned in electronically, input information on a UID via a light beam, be the results of cameras and processing generally referred to as 'vision' technology, be input from weigh stations, be input from radio frequency tags that are equipped with computer chips and a small amount of memory, or the output of another computer or the application of a program to information on another computer (and so on). Generally a DCD 7 can be any device which can send electronic signals via a landhne 9, wireless frequency 10, or send any signal capable of conversion to a digital format.

The information is taken by the processor 11 of the engine 4 and tested via a test program 13, to ensure the information is in a format that is usable withm the engine 4. If the information is m the correct format, the information is returned to the processor 11 and processed with reference to the entity and the UID.

Whilst the monitor 30 is in existence, or for a specified length of time (per the programming) the information regarding the monitor 30 and all transactions relating to the entity 20 are stored and moved between memory 12 and the processor 11. Once the monitor 30 is dis-solved, or the information becomes too old, the transactions are transferred to archive storage 14. The information is not destroyed.

Individual end users 17, 18 can use a view station on the LAN or WAN on which the engine 4 is running to view information about the entities 20, monitors 30 and transactions (9, 10). In the example shown in Fig. 1 , the end user 18 has a different level of security from user 17 (a different permission profile) for use of the system and is able to view archive information as well as cuπent information (from both the archive storage 14 and current storage 11). User 17 has a limited secuπty or preferential profile and can only view current information stored (11)

Once information establishing an entity (20) is received and given a unique identity via transactions 9 or transaction 10, the engine 4 will generate a number of attributes (23, 24) for that entity 20, about which further transactions (9,10) can be entered into the engine 4 and either added to each attribute or used to generate fresh attributes.

Referring to Fig. 2, each entity 20 has a unique identifier (UID) withm the engine 4. Tagged to this unique UID is the oπginal bar code or code that the monitor 30 might have had when read by a DCD 7. This oπgmal identity is generally referenced with the numeral 21. Laid beside this information, either individually or in a general manner, is a tag 22 regarding the security of the information on entity 20 This relates to the secuπty profile of the user (17, 18) as to how much of the information they may view.

Each entity 20 has a seπes of transactions entered in respect of the entity 20 which are recorded against its attributes (23, 24). For example, hard attributes 23 are those generated by the engine 4 which relate to attπbutes which cannot be changed about the entity 20. For example, usmg the schematic of Fig. 3, a hard attribute 23 would be the inter-relation of the monitors 30 one to the other, relative to other monitors 30. Soft attnbutes 24, such as the read-outs from each monitor 30 and time, are an input attribute 24, which can be changed with a transaction (9, 10). Soft attnbutes 24 may also represent location (for example, this may change with movements along the fault line 31) (Fig 3).

Soft attributes 24 can be changed with transactions (9, 10). However, the history of the transactions (9, 10) is retained in memory (11, 14) and is not destroyed. Such soft attπbutes and their interrelation can be particularly of importance m other applications of the system, particularly the tracing of people or the application of individual items, objects or abstractions to people.

When an entity 20 is destroyed or removed from the monitoπng circuit, the entity 20 ceases to exist and a new entity is generated, if entity 20 is replaced. Where this occurs, hard attπbutes 23 relating to the parent entity 20 relate to the new entity. As the attribute 23 cannot be changed but is constrained by the programming of the engine 4, the source of a monitor 30 can easily be traced through this hard attribute 23 back to the source. As fresh attributes 23, 24 are added, these can either be hard attπbutes 23 as part of the engine 4 or added by way of transaction (9, 10) as a soft attribute 24.

All incoming transactions (9, 10) are therefore treated according to a specific number of rules which are built into the programming of the engine 4. These rules include:

(1) Information on entities 20 is treated the same and are stored in the same manner. In other words, it is retrieved and presented in the same manner, and stored in the same manner.

(2) All further information on an entity 20 is a transaction and all transactions (9, 10) are treated identically in the manner of retrieval and presentation and preferentially in their manner of storage.

(3) As a corollary to 1 and 2, where there are differences applying with respect to properties of entities 20 or attributes (23, 24), these are user definable ("soft") or fixed ("hard").

(4) There are special relationships which cannot be altered ("hard").

If any relationships are changed, the entity 20 is said to be dis-solved and the entity 20 ceases to exist and a new entity is generated. A hard attribute 23 of the new entity or entities is that it came from the parent of the old entity.

Referπng to Fig. 3, a diagrammatic representation of the monitoπng of a fault line 31 is shown using the system (2-6) of the method discussed above. The particular example given is that of a fault line 31 with wells 32, each including a monitor 30 for monitoring vanous readings of each well 32. For example, each monitor 30 could be monitoπng and sending, to the DCDs 7 associated with that monitor 30, information on the following physical factors: level of dissolved gases, water level, water temperature, level of a particular dissolved gas, changes in any or all of these.

Each monitor 30 generates an entity 20 withm the system (2-6). As readings are entered into the system (2-6) via the DCDs 7 in respect of each monitor 30, each reading generates a transaction (9, 10) which is forwarded from DCD 7 to the processor 11 and assigned a UID and is tested again parameters in test area 13 to ensure sufficient information has been supplied to enable the transaction of that monitor 30 to be uniquely identified withm the system. Once the information is accepted it is transfeπed back to processor 11. The input code is tagged to the UID as an attribute 23. Monitor 30 is now represented as an entity 20, and will be given hard attributes 23, being of prime concern about the monitor 30. The monitor 30 has location as a soft attribute 24. All the information from the monitor 30 is also a soft attribute 24. A viewer 17 (Fig. 1) is able to review the attributes (23, 24) of each individual monitor 30.

The application of known statistical techniques can be applied to the attributes (23, 24) of each monitor 30, or of a range of monitors 30. A viewer may be able to automate this process so that the aspect of the system generally denoted by the numeral 5 may refer to the further application of statistical analysis 15 to the transactions (9, 10) stored m processor 11 as attribute 23. A further output (not shown) from this could be the companson of the results of the application of the statistical programs to the transactions (9, 10), as compared against known parameters. An alarm alert could be raised if such output data falls outside pre-programmed parameters, thus alerting a viewer 17 to deviations that are outside standard pre-set norms. In the particular instance, for example as in Fig. 3, such information could be a drop in the level of radon gas measured m water in the wells 32, alerting a user 17 to a possible future movement on the fault line 31.

Such monitonng and alarm alerting could be of particular value if the system (2-6) is run m real time.

With the manner of set up of recordal of transactions (9, 10), the entity 20 may be located in three dimensions, with input transactions (9, 10) from known GPS systems in three dimensions, relative to a series of points on the time line.

Every transaction (9, 10) that relates to the monitor 30 through to output processed information from the monitor 30 can be monitored, viewed and retrieved by a user. How much of each aspect of each stage of the diagrammatic process of Fig. 3 may be viewed by a user 17, 18 of the system (2-6) will depend on the level of secunty or permission profile of that user 17, 18 or of that user's organisation.

Thus for example, a public user 17 may have access to the general and processed information of the application of statistical analysis to the transactions (9, 10) of the monitors 30. A user 17 withm a research organisation, contracted to maintain the monitor 30, will have access to all transactions (9, 10) information as they are shared, and all statistically analysed information resulting from the transaction (9, 10). A user 18 from a monitoπng organisation, for example a further research organisation wishing to view the data in the abstract, may be able to monitor some of the raw data relating to some or all of the processed statistical data from archived storage 14 as well as memory 11.

The engine 4, containing user veπfication, input ID veπfication for each transaction, memory storage 11, processing area 12, and archive area 14 is entirely scaleable depending on the size and number of transactions. The engine 4 can exist and operate m a distributed manner, in that it may not be all physically in the same place. The system (2-6) may be part of a local area network (LAN) or a wide area network (WAN).

Thus it will be appreciated that should the volume of transactions increase for a specific memory size or processing capacity (thereby reducing the rate at which transmissions are processed) more memory or storage may be added in order to increase the rate at which transmissions can be viewed and accepted. As the constraints under which the system (2-6) operates allow for scaling of any scope, the addition of further processing and storage capacity will simply allow a bigger overall system and greater number of transactions to be operated.

With the above descnbed constraints, it has been found in practice that the best programming language in which to work is JADE. However, it will be appreciated by those skilled m the art that other programming languages (for example, C) may be used. The basis of the programming language is preferably one that is a data repository or OOL environment. The programming is also preferentially done in JADE because of the ease with which a relational format can be presented in that language.

It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that with adequate capacity at storage and processing (11, 12) the system (2-6), over a closed system or at large, could be operated in real time. Thus the system (2-6) and method need not provide simply a model and planner but may be a method of monitoring a chain of transactions as they occur m real time.

It will further be appreciated by those skilled in the art that the bulk of the work done by the engine 4, mcludmg the venfication of incoming transactions (9, 10), can proceed automatically, if so desired.

As has been discussed above, and given that the engine 4 may be m a distributed format, it will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that two or more engines 4 may operate in conjunction. Such could be particularly useful, for example, where there are restπctions on band-width or some other restricting factor regarding the speed or rate with which transactions (9, 10) can be entered into memory 11. It will also be appreciated by those skilled in the art that at vanous points before transactions are forwarded from a DCD 7 to the memory storage 11 , a small sub-engine (not shown) can be inserted to process information and test data whilst at the same time venfymg to the DCD 7 that the data is accurate, and stoπng information before passage as a transaction 9 to storage 11 The engine 4 can be a standard PC, a larger PC, or a Unix-type server, that supports a graphical platform, or a distributed system including a multiple number of any or all of these

It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that as the incoming information from a DCD (7, 8) is then assigned a UID within the engine 4, different systems of identification coding used by the DCDs (7, 8) can be ones which are incompatible one with the other. However, by the tagging of that identification coding with the UID withm this system (2-6), input from mutually incompatible systems is entirely possible.

Whilst the system (2-6) has been descnbed with reference to the monitoring of vaπous attnbutes of well water around a fault line 31 , and with the assignation of vaπous hard and soft attπbutes (respectively 23, 24), it will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that these hard and soft attributes may change, depending on the entities or events that the system (2-6) is monitonng. For example, of the system is being used for a form of animal husbandry in which it is important that certain genes are accurately tracked, a hard attribute 23 of each entity 20 may be the existence or absence of a particular gene sequence. A soft attribute 24 may be a second gene sequence, combining with the first gene sequence to generate a particular characteristic of the animal (entity 20).

A further example can be seen with the manner in which medication, prescπptions and medical conditions can be monitored for a person over a long penod of time. This may involve, for example, the input of data from many DCDs 7, 8 m different organisations (for example, a local GP's medical system, a specialist medical system, or one or two or more hospital systems). In such a situation, the hard attπbutes 23 are the fixed parameters about the person (entity 20) and the soft attπbutes 24 that can be changed via transaction (9, 10) include prescπptions, medications, surgical treatments or other techniques employed on that person or used by that person. It will be appreciated that with the trans- orgamsational aspect of the system (2-6), the accessing of information with the proper secunty access of the user 17, 18 then becomes very much easier with the system (2-6), regardless of where treatment is sought at a future point in time by the person (entity 20).

These embodiments and the application of the system (2-6) to such examples are given as examples only and are not meant to be limiting to the application of the system (2-6). Aspects of the present invention have been described by way of example only and it should be appreciated that modifications and additions may be made thereto without departing from the scope thereof.

Claims

CLAIMS:

1. A processing engine for monitonng and recording data on a plurality of events occurring in real time, inputting to the data storage means information regarding an individual event(s) ("entity") wherein said information includes: a unique identifying number (UID), said input of information and attachment of UID being a 'transaction'; said engine being constrained to operated in accordance with the following rules; and m respect of each event, inputting further information regarding that event or changes to that event, all input information being by an individual transaction, whereby the data processing means mcoφorates a processing engine constrained to operate m accordance with the following rules'

(I) all types of events are to be treated as the same terms of retrieval and presentation of information;

(iv) there are specific relationships between entities and transactions and entities and entities which cannot be altered ("hard" features), including:

I - the parent child relationship

II - ownership - responsibility

III - custodianship;

wherein said events have a degree of mter-connectedness.

2. A method for monitoπng and recording data on a plurality of events occurπng in real time, said method including the steps of:

(a) providing data storage means and data processing means;

(b) inputting to the data storage means information regardmg an individual event(s) ("entity") wherein said information includes: a unique identifying number (UID), said input of information and attachment of UID being a 'transaction';

(c) in respect of each event, inputting further information regarding that event or changes to that event, all input information being by an individual transaction, whereby the data processing means mcoφorates a processing engine constrained to operate m accordance with the engine of claim 1.

3. A method for monitoring and recording data on a plurality of events occurπng in real time, said method including the steps of:

(a) providing data storage means and data processing means;

(b) inputting to the data storage means information regarding an individual event(s) ("entity") wherein said information includes: a unique identifying number (UID), said input of information and attachment of UID being a 'transaction';

(c) in respect of each event, inputting further information regarding that event or changes to that event, all input information being by an individual transaction, whereby the data processing means mcoφorates a processmg engine constrained to operate in accordance with the following rules:

(iv) there are specific relationships between entities and transactions and entities and entities which cannot be altered("hard" features) including:

I - the parent/child relationship

II - ownership - responsibility

III - custodianship;

wherein said events have a degree of mter-connectedness.

4. A method for monitonng and recording data on a plurality of events occumng m real time, as claimed in either claim 2 or claim 3 wherein all transactions are stored in the same manner.

5. A method for monitonng and recording data on a plurality of events occumng in real time, as claimed in any one of claims 2 to 4 wherein each UID includes a pre-determmed security level profile, which level profile is determined by one said organisation having control over the entry of some or all transactions to the processing engine.

6 A method for monitonng and recording data on a plurality of events occurπng in real time, as claimed in any one of claims 2 to 5 wherein a permission profile, for access to the transaction by a user, is selected from a range of profiles matching one or more secuπty level profiles withm the UIDs, from: permission to access to all transactions, to permission to access only some of the transactions controlled by one organisation.

7. A method for monitoπng and recording data on a plurality of events occumng in real time, as claimed m any one of claims 2 to 6 wherein said programming language used withm the processing engine incoφorates at least one of one of a data repository and an OOL environment

8. A method for monitonng and recording data on a plurality of events occumng in real time, as claimed in claim 7 wherein said object oriented language is JADE.

9. A method for monitonng and recording data on a plurality of events occumng in real time, as claimed in any one of claims 2 to 8 wherein said said mter-connectedness of the events is the result of one of the group: the events are directly senal m time; the events occur at the same time; the events occur in the same location; the events are the same type of activity; and a combination of these, where not inconsistent one with the other.

10. A system for monitoπng and recording data on a plurality of events occurring m real time, said system including the steps of:

(a) providing data storage means and data processing means,

(b) selecting a category or class of (changing) information to be monitored;

(c) inputting to the data storage means information regarding an individual event(s) ("entity") wherein said information includes: a unique identifying number (UID), said input of information and attachment of UID being a 'transaction';

(c) (d) m respect of each event, inputting further information regarding that event or changes to that event, all input information being by an individual transaction, whereby the data processing means incoφorates a processing engine consframed to operate in accordance with the following rules:

(I) all types of events are to be treated as the same m terms of retneval and presentation of information; (n) all types of transactions are to be treated the same m terms of retrieval and presentation;

(iv) there are specific relationships between entities and transactions and entities and entities which cannot be altered. These include:

I - the parent/child relationship

II - ownership - responsibility

III - custodianship;

wherein said events have a degree of mter-connectedness.

11 A system for monitoring and recording data on a plurality of events occurring in real time, said system including the steps of:

(a) providing data storage means and data processing means,

(b) selecting a category or class of (changing) information to be monitored;

(c) repeated operation of the method for monitonng and recording data, as claimed in any one of claims 2 to 9.

12. A system for monitoπng and recording data on a plurality of events occurπng in real time as claimed in either claim 10 or claim 11 wherein said system further includes a step:

applying statistical analysis techniques to the transactions resulting in abstracted information.

13. A system for monitonng and recording data on a plurality of events occurring in real time as claimed in claim 12 wherein said system further includes a still further step:

using the abstracted information m conjunction with analysis techniques in a forward planning mode.

14 A system for monitoring and recording data on a plurality of events occurring m real time as claimed in any one of claims 10 to 13 wherein each DCD is a device capable of emitting an electronic signal, which incoφorates a UID, which signal can be transmitted via a means selected from, a wireless signal, a land line, or a means capable of later conversion to an electronic signal mcoφoratmg a UID.

15. A system for monitoring and recording data on a plurality of events occurring in real time as claimed in any one of claims 10 to 14 wherein each DCD is selected from: an electronic scanner generating electronic bar code information; a detector using light beams; a detector with vision technology (mcoφorating at least one camera and processor for processing images passing the camera); a weigh station, a data processor; a radio frequency tag reader, with chips and data memory; a manual input means; and a combination thereof.

16. A system for monitoπng and recording data on a plurality of events occurπng m real time as claimed in any one of claims 10 to 15 wherein said data processing means is stored on hardware selected from the group: a PC computer; a mainframe computer; a local area network of computers, a wide area network of computers, and a combination thereof.

17. A system for monitoπng and recording data on a plurality of events occumng in real time as claimed in any one of claims 10 to 16 wherein said processing engine is operated on hardware selected from the group, a PC computer; a mainframe computer; a local area network of computers, a wide area network of computers, and a combination thereof.

18. A method for monitonng and recording data on a plurality of events occumng in real time, as claimed m any one of claims 2 to 9 and substantially as hereinbefore descnbed and with reference to the accompanying drawings.

19. A system for monitoring and recording data on a plurality of events occumng in real time, as claimed m any one of claims 10 to 17 and substantially as hereinbefore described and with reference to the accompanying drawings.