Method and system for identifying and managing RF-ID attached objects

• US 20030234718A1
• Filed: 06/10/2003
• Published: 12/25/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 06/24/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Inventors: Ashizawa, Minoru, Asai, Shojiro, Fujisawa, Hiromichi
• Granted Patent: US 7,761,347 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/5.1
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/0008 General problems related to the reading of electronic memory record carriers, independent of its reading method, e.g. power transfer
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/20 Point-of-sale [POS] network systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/203 Inventory monitoring

Abstract

The present invention discloses a method and system for making losses due to the counterfeiting of RF-ID tags to a minimum, enhancing the reliability of RF-ID tag read-out and improving the overall reliability of the RF-ID tag system. An ID reader for communicating by radio with the RF-ID tag and reading tag data from the RF-ID tag transmits the data read-out results to a terminal management server connected to the ID reader. The terminal management server decodes the error correction signal from the read-out result data, also extracts the identification number section from the tag, and decides whether or not that identification number is valid. When determined to be a valid identification number, an inquiry is made to the system operation server connected over the network to find out if that identification number was previously read out and if that identification number might be counterfeit. The system operation server then refers to the log database, the blacklist database and process transition rule, calculates the probability of counterfeiting and automatically sends a warning message to the related department when there is a high probability of counterfeiting.

Claims

1. An RF identification tag management method for controlling use of a non-powered RF-ID tag on a semiconductor chip, comprising:

receiving an inquiry from a terminal management server for analyzing RF-ID tag data read-out by radio and deciding the validity of said data;

searching a log database for storing RF-ID tag read-out records;

deciding whether or not there is a record of a past read-out of same said RF-ID tag data; and

verifying whether said RF-ID tag data is genuine and replies to said terminal management server.

2. An RF identification tag management method according to claim 1, wherein, in making said decision, a database is utilized for storing the geographic position of said terminal management means, and the distance between the geographic position in the past read-out record and geographic position read out from said tag data as well as the differential between said respective read-out times are found, and authenticity is verified by using said time and distance differential information.

3. An RF identification tag management method according to claim 1, wherein, in making said decision, rules are loaded from said record means relating to mutual process ID that specifies the type of process during read-out, and authenticity is verified by deciding whether or not a shift from a process ID relating to a past read-out record, to a process ID at read-out of said tag data is possible.

4. An RF identification tag management method according to claim 1, wherein said tag data comprises at least a physical header, service header and service data, and said same service data is an integer of a limited fixed length showing the identification number for said service, and is generated as a pseudo-random number.

5. An RF identification tag management method for controlling use of a non-powered RF-ID tag on a semiconductor chip, further comprising:

receiving data read out from the RF-ID tag by radio;

analyzing said RF-ID tag data and deciding the validity of said data; and

when determined said data is valid, outputting said RF-ID tag data to a connected management server and receiving verification results on whether there is a past read-out record of said same tag data.

6. An RF identification tag management method according to claim 5, wherein, in making said decision, rules are loaded from said record means relating to mutual process ID that specifies the type of process during read-out, and authenticity is verified by deciding whether or not a shift from a process ID relating to a past read-out record, to a process ID at read-out of said tag data is possible.

7. An RF identification tag management method according to claim 5, wherein said tag data includes at least a physical header, service header and service data, and said same service data is an integer of a limited fixed length showing the identification number for said service, and is generated as a pseudo-random number.

8. An RF identification tag management method according to claim 7, wherein a storage means is utilized for storing all service data generated as pseudo-random numbers in a TRIE structure handling one byte as one symbol, a search is made in byte units to find if service data of said RF ID identification tag that was read out is included among one of said pseudo-random numbers or not and validity is then decided.

9. An RF identification tag management method according to claim 5, wherein said tag data contains redundant data for error code correction, and error correction code decoding is performed on tag data read-out results, and the specified error correction is performed when an error is correctable.

10. An RF identification tag management system for controlling use of a non-powered RF-ID tag on a semiconductor chip, wherein said system comprises a system operation server for unified control and monitoring of the multiple terminal management servers dispersed over a wide area;

and said operation management server acquires all tag read-out information from all terminal management servers, and registers their logs in a log database.

11. An RF identification tag management system according to claim 10, wherein said system replies to said inquiries from said multiple management servers, accesses said log database managed by said system, searches records relating to said tag data, and also verifies the authenticity by making an overall judgment on the time, locations, and read-out process information stored in said database.