Method, apparatus, system and computer readable medium for certifying and securing custody in product supply chains

• US 20060277061A1
• Filed: 05/26/2006
• Published: 12/07/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 05/27/2005
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: T3C, Inc. (Information Resources Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: T3C, Inc. (Information Resources Incorporated)
• Inventors: Revanur, Nagendra Kumar, Swan, Richard James, Mohan, Shantha
• Application Number:
  US11/442,691
• Publication Number:
  US 20060277061A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/333
• 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 10/0833 Tracking

Abstract

A method of defining custody information for a product includes generating a pedigree element, combining the pedigree element with a signature to produce an Advanced Pedigree Notice (APN) message, incorporating the pedigree element into an Electronic Product Code (EPC) tag, and applying the EPC tag to a product. The APN message and the product are routed to a distributor. The distributor compares the EPC tag to the APN message to verify the product.

Claims

1. A method of certifying custody of a product, comprising:

receiving an Advanced Pedigree Notice (APN) message including a signature and a global identifier via a computer network;

receiving a shipment of a plurality of products each having a specific global identifier in an Electronic Product Code (EPC) tag; and

matching the global identifier from the APN message with the specific global identifier, thereby certifying receipt of at least one of the plurality of products from an originator.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein receiving includes receiving an APN message including attributes.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein receiving includes receiving an APN message including custodial chain information.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising generating a second APN message including a distributor ship certificate.

5. The method of claim 1 further comprising adding a distributor ship certificate to the EPC tag to form a distributor EPC tag.

6. The method of claim 5 further comprising shipping a product with the distributor EPC tag to a target.

7. The method of claim 4 further comprising sending the second APN message to a target.

8. A method of defining custody information for a product, comprising:

generating a pedigree element;

combining the pedigree element with a signature to produce an Advanced Pedigree Notice (APN) message;

incorporating the pedigree element into an Electronic Product Code (EPC) tag;

applying the EPC tag to a product.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein generating includes generating a pedigree element specifying an EPC item.

10. The method of claim 8 wherein generating includes generating a pedigree element specifying product information.

11. The method of claim 8 wherein generating includes generating a pedigree element specifying custody information.

12. The method of claim 8 further comprising routing the APN message to a distributor.

13. The method of claim 12 further comprising shipping the product to the distributor and comparing the EPC tag to the APN message to verify the product.

14. The method of claim 13 further comprising adding a ship certificate to a second APN message.

15. The method of claim 14 further comprising adding the ship certificate to the EPC tag to form a distributor EPC tag.

16. The method of claim 15 further comprising affixing the distributor EPC tag to the product.

17. The method of claim 16 further comprising shipping the product with the distributor EPC tag to a target.

18. The method of claim 17 further comprising sending the second APN message to the target.

19. The method of claim 18 further comprising comparing the distributor EPC tag to the second APN message to verify the product at the target.