Memory structure for inventory management

1. A computer-implemented method comprising:

receiving data comprising an RFID value transmitted by an RFID tag during a scanning task and an identifier for the scanning task;

combining the RFID value and the identifier for the scanning task to form a key;

applying the key to a hashing function to generate a memory index; and

storing the received data at a memory location indicated by the memory index.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 wherein receiving data comprises receiving data from separate scanning tasks in an interleaved manner over a period of time.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 further comprising:

receiving second data comprising the RFID value transmitted by the RFID tag during the scanning task and the identifier for the scanning task;

combining the RFID value and the identifier for the scanning task to form the key;

applying the key to a hashing function to generate the memory index;

determining that the received data is already stored at the memory location indicated by the memory index; and

in response to the determination that the received data is already stored, discarding the second data.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 3 further comprising:

receiving third data comprising the RFID value transmitted by the RFID tag during a second scanning task and an identifier for the second scanning task;

combining the RFID value and the identifier for the second scanning task to form a second key;

applying the second key to a hashing function to generate a second memory index; and

storing the received data at a memory location indicated by the second memory index.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 4 wherein the scanning task takes place in a first area of a store and the second scanning task takes place in a second area of the store that is different from the first area.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 4 wherein the scanning task takes place in a first store and the second scanning task takes place in a second store.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 further comprising:

receiving second data comprising the RFID value transmitted by the RFID tag during a second scanning task and an identifier for the second scanning task;

combining the RFID value and the identifier for the second scanning task to form a second key;

applying the second key to the hashing function to generate a second memory index; and

storing the received data at a memory location indicated by the second memory index.

8. A system comprising:

a plurality of scanning devices providing a plurality of RFID values during a plurality of scanning tasks; and

a plurality of compute services implemented on a plurality of servers, each compute service receiving an RFID value from the plurality of RFID values and an identifier for a scanning task that produced the RFID value, combining the RFID value and the identifier for the scanning task to form a key, hashing the key to form a memory index for a common memory used for all scanning tasks, and storing the RFID value in the common memory at a location indicated by the memory index.

9. The system of claim 8 further comprising:

count services that access locations of the common memory that contain RFID values to generate count values for product parameters represented by the RFID values.

10. The system of claim 9 wherein the count services store a count value for a product parameter together with the identifier for the scanning task such that a scanning device can request the count value using the identifier for the scanning task.

11. The system of claim 8 wherein the plurality of scanning tasks comprise two scanning tasks having two different identifiers that are performed in a same store.

12. The system of claim 11 wherein a first scanning device performs a first of the two scanning tasks and provides a first RFID value and an identifier for the first of the two scanning tasks and wherein a second scanning device performs a second of the two scanning tasks and provides the first RFID value and an identifier for the second of the two scanning tasks.

13. The system of claim 12 wherein a first compute service stores the first RFID value in a location indicated by a first memory index and a second compute service stores the first RFID value in a location indicated by a second memory index different from the first memory index.

14. The system of claim 8 wherein:

a first scanning device provides a first RFID value and a first identifier for a first scanning task;

a second scanning device provides the first RFID value and the first identifier for the first scanning task;

a first compute service:

receives the first RFID value and the first identifier for the first scanning task provided by the first scanning device;

combines the RFID value and the identifier for the scanning task to form a key;

hashes the key to form a memory index for the common memory; and

stores the RFID value in the common memory at a location indicated by the memory index; and

a second compute service:

receives the first RFID value and the first identifier for the first scanning task provided by the second scanning device;

combines the RFID value and the identifier for the scanning task to form the key;

hashes the key to form the memory index for the common memory;

determines that the RFID value has been stored at the location indicated by the memory index; and

in response to the determination, abstains from writing to the location indicated by the memory index.

15. The system of claim 8 wherein the plurality of scanning devices are distributed across a plurality of buildings.

16. A method comprising:

providing a plurality of RFID values during a plurality of scanning tasks; and

receiving an RFID value from the plurality of RFID values and an identifier for a scanning task that produced the RFID value, combining the RFID value and the identifier for the scanning task to form a key, hashing the key to form a memory index for a common memory used for all scanning tasks, and storing the RFID value in the common memory at a location indicated by the memory index.

17. The method of claim 16 further comprising:

accessing locations of the common memory that contain RFID values to generate count values for product parameters represented by the RFID values.

18. The method of claim 17 further comprising storing a count value for a product parameter together with the identifier for the scanning task such that a scanning device can request the count value using the identifier for the scanning task.

19. The method of claim 16 wherein the plurality of scanning tasks comprise two scanning tasks having two different identifiers that are performed in a same building.

20. The method of claim 19 wherein a first scanning device performs a first of the two scanning tasks and provides a first RFID value and an identifier for the first of the two scanning tasks and wherein a second scanning device performs a second of the two scanning tasks and provides the first RFID value and an identifier for the second of the two scanning tasks.