Managing Of Items Distributed In A Global Supply Chain

• US 20070285235A1
• Filed: 06/07/2006
• Published: 12/13/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 06/07/2006
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: John Rhoton, Ravigopal Vennelakanti
• Original Assignee: John Rhoton, Ravigopal Vennelakanti
• Inventors: Rhoton, John, Vennelakanti, Ravigopal
• Application Number:
  US11/422,603
• Publication Number:
  US 20070285235A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/572.100
• 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: H04L 61/45 Network directories; Name-to-address mapping
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/5084 Providing for device mobility network addressing or numbering for mobility support in wireless networks H04W8/26; mobile IP H04W80/04

Abstract

A method for managing items distributed in a global supply chain is provided. The method includes sending an identification query to an identification tag attached to an item, receiving identification data from the identification tag, determining a home address corresponding to the identification data, assigning a current address for the identification tag, sending the current address to a home agent at the determined home address, and associating the current address with the home address by the agent. According the current address of the identification tag is returned in response to a request on the location of the identification tag.

Claims

1. A method for managing items distributed in a global supply chain, the method comprising:

sending an identification query to an identification tag attached to an item;

receiving identification data from the identification tag;

determining a home address corresponding to the identification data;

assigning a current address for the identification tag;

sending a current address to a home agent at the determined home address; and

associating the current address with the home address by the home agent, such that the current address of the identification tag is returned in response to a request on the location of the identification tag.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the identification data is a code which uniquely identifies the identification tag.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the home address of the identification data is determined from a database which maps each code of the identification tag to a unique home address.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the identification tag is a Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) tag, and the identification query is sent to the identification tag using radio frequency waves.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the home address and the current address of the identification tag is compliant with the Internet Protocol version 6 (IPv6) address format.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the home agent maintains and updates a database which maps the home address of the identification tag to the current address.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the home agent and the associating of the current address to the home address by the home agent are compliant with the Mobile Internet Protocol version 6 (Mobile IPv6).

8. A method for obtaining information on a location of an item distributed in a global supply chain, the method comprising:

sending a request containing identification data of an identification tag attached to the item;

determining a home address corresponding to the identification data;

sending the request to a home agent at the determined home address;

determining a current address of the identification tag by the home agent, wherein the current address of the identification tag is determined from a database which maps the home address of the identification tag to the current address; and

returning the current address of the identification tag.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the identification data is a code which uniquely identifies the identification tag.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the home address of the corresponding identification data is determined from a database which maps each code of the identification tag to unique home address;

11. The method of claim 8, wherein the identification tag is Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) tag.

12. The method of claim 8, wherein the home address and the current address of the identification tag is compliant with the Internet Protocol version 6 (IPv6) address format.

13. The method of claim 8, wherein the home agent and the mapping of the home address of the identification tag to the current address are compliant with the Mobile Internet Protocol version 6 (Mobile IPv6).

14. A unit of a global supply system comprising a plurality of units, the unit comprises:

a reader for obtaining identification data from an identification tag;

a network interface for connecting the unit to the other plurality of units of the global supply system; and

a middleware being adapted to perform at least one of the following;

assign a current address for the identification tag;

load the current address to the network interface;

determine a home address based on the identification data of the identification tag;

send the current address to a home agent at the determined home address; and

issue a binding update to draw subsequent queries on the identification tag to itself.

15. The unit of claim 14, wherein the identification data is a code which uniquely identifies the identification tag.

16. The unit of claim 15, wherein the middleware comprises a database which maps each code of the identification tag to a unique home address, and the home address of the identification tag is determined therefrom.

17. The unit of claim 14, wherein the identification tag is a Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) tag, and the identification data is received by the reader using radio frequency waves.

18. The unit of claim 14, wherein the home address and the current address of the identification tag are compliant with the Internet Protocol version 6 (IPv6) address format.

19. The unit of claim 14, further comprising a home agent, wherein the home agent receives current addresses of other identification tags from the other unit of the global supply chain and associates them with their corresponding home addresses.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the home agent and the associating of the current addresses of the other identification tags to their corresponding home addresses by the home agent are compliant with the Mobile Internet Protocol version 6 (Mobile IPv6).