Method of processing a ticket order

• US 20060220865A1
• Filed: 03/10/2006
• Published: 10/05/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 03/11/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Avery Dennison Retail Information Services LLC (Avery Dennison Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Avery Dennison Corporation
• Inventors: Ford, Joseph, Babine, Sheila A., Troutman, Ralph
• Granted Patent: US 7,654,464 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/572.100
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/08 Logistics, e.g. warehousing, loading or distribution; Inventory or stock management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/949 Inventory

Abstract

A method of processing a ticket order requesting the production of an identification tag for an article of commerce can be accomplished in the following manner. In the first step, a ticketing services provider receives the ticket order placed by the client, the ticket order including, inter alia, order information (e.g., purchase order information) with respect to the article to which the tag is to be affixed. Having received the order, the ticketing services provider associates a unique identification code, such as an automatically-retrievable electronic product code (EPC), with the identification tag (e.g., by programming the IC chip of an RFID tag with the unique identification code). In turn, a file is stored in an electronically-accessible database which links the unique identification code for the ID tag with the order information for the article to which the tag is to be affixed. In this manner, the client can retrieve the order information relating to each individual article of commerce that it produces. The ability to track order information for individual articles of commerce is useful in, among other things, anti-counterfeit, anti-diversion, inventory management and article return applications.

Claims

1. A method of processing a ticket order for an article, the ticket order being placed by a client, the ticket order requesting the production of an identification tag for the article, wherein the identification tag can be provided with a unique identification code, the article having order information associated therewith, the method comprising the steps of:

(a) receiving the ticket order for the article,

(b) associating a unique identification code with the identification tag,

(c) creating a file which cross-references the unique identification code for the identification tag with the order information relating to the article, and

(d) storing the file in a database.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the file is electronically retrievable from the database by the client.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of generating a report using the file stored in the database.

4. The method of claim 3 further comprising the step of distributing the report to the client.

5. The method as claimed in claim 1 wherein the unique identification code can be automatically captured by a computer.

6. The method as claimed in claim 5 wherein the unique identification code can be automatically captured by a computer using barcode technology.

7. The method as claimed in claim 5 wherein the unique identification code can be automatically captured by a computer using radio frequency identification (RFID) technology.

8. The method as claimed in claim 1 wherein the unique identification code is written in compliance with the electronic product code (EPC).

9. The method as claimed in claim 1 wherein the unique identification code is calculated using a dynamic unique identification coding system.

10. The method as claimed in claim 1 wherein the order information includes the purchase order information associated with the article.

11. The method as claimed in claim 1 further comprising the step of cross-referencing the unique identification code for an article with the file stored in the database in conjunction with anti-counterfeit applications.

12. The method as claimed in claim 1 wherein the order information includes location information associated with the article.

13. The method as claimed in claim 12 further comprising the step of cross-referencing the location of the article with the location information associated with the article in conjunction with anti-diversion applications.

14. The method as claimed in claim 1 wherein the order information includes purchase information relating to the sale of the article.

15. The method as claimed in claim 14 further comprising the step of retrieving the purchase information in conjunction with article return applications.

16. The method as claimed in claim 1 wherein the order information includes manufacturing information relating to the production of the article.

17. The method as claimed in claim 16 further comprising the step of retrieving the manufacturing information in conjunction with article quality applications.

18. The method as claimed in claim 1 further comprising the step of using the unique identification code associated with the article in conjunction with article tracking applications.

19. The method as claimed in claim 1 further comprising the step of using the unique identification code associated with the article in conjunction with inventory management applications.

20. The method as claimed in claim 1 further comprising the step of using the unique identification code associated with the article in conjunction with article security applications.