CONTROL OF SUPPLY NETWORKS AND VERIFICATION OF ITEMS

• US 20110167010A1
• Filed: 09/09/2009
• Published: 07/07/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 09/12/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: British Telecommunications PLC (BT Group PLC)
• Original Assignee: British Telecommunications PLC (BT Group PLC)
• Inventors: Burbridge, Trevor, Soppera, Andrea
• Granted Patent: US 8,660,914 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/318
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/08 Logistics, e.g. warehousing, loading or distribution; Inventory or stock management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0185 Product, service or business identity fraud

Abstract

Methods and systems for use in enabling verification by entities on a path across a supply network of an item identification means traversing said path, the network comprising: at least one supplier entity able to introduce into the network an item identification means having stored therein an item identifier and a digital signature associated with said supplier entity, and to forward said item identification means along a path across said network; at least one intermediate entity able to receive said item identification means from said at least one supplier entity or from another intermediate entity in said network and forward said item identification means along said path; and at least one receiver entity able to receive said item identification means from an intermediate entity in said network.

Claims

1. ) Control apparatus for use in enabling verification by entities on a path across a supply network of an item identification means traversing said path, the network comprising:

at least one supplier entity able to introduce into the network an item identification means having stored therein an item identifier and a digital signature associated with said supplier entity, and to forward said item identification means along a path across said network;

at least one intermediate entity able to receive said item identification means from said at least one supplier entity or from another intermediate entity in said network and forward said item identification means along said path; and

at least one receiver entity able to receive said item identification means from an intermediate entity in said network;

the control apparatus comprising;

path determination means arranged to determine path data in respect of an item identification means, said path data relating to at least one valid path by which said item identification means may traverse the network, said path data comprising data in respect of each of said at least one intermediate entity and said at least one receiver entity indicative of one or more upstream entities from which said item identification means may be received when traversing the network along a valid path; and

translation key means responsive to said path determination means and arranged to provide for said at least one intermediate entity a translation key, said translation key enabling translation by said intermediate entity of a digital signature associated with an upstream entity into a new digital signature associated with said intermediate entity in the event that said intermediate entity receives an item identification means having stored therein said digital signature associated with said upstream entity.

2. ) Control apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said path determination means is arranged to determine path data relating to different valid paths in respect of each of plurality of item identification means.

3. ) Control apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising private key means for providing a private key for said at least one supplier entity whereby to enable said supplier entity to store in said item identification means a digital signature associated with said supplier entity.

4. ) Control apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising validation key means responsive to said path determination means and arranged to provide for at least one intermediate or receiver entity at least one validation key, the or each validation key enabling validation by said intermediate or receiver entity of a digital signature stored on an item identification means in the event that said digital signature is a digital signature associated with an upstream entity from which said item identification means may be received by said intermediate or receiver entity when traversing the network along a valid path.

5. ) Control apparatus according to claim 4 wherein said validation key means is arranged to provide for at least one intermediate or receiver entity a plurality of different validation keys, each of said plurality of validation keys being associated with one or more item identifiers stored in one or more item identification means, respective validation keys enabling validation by said intermediate or receiver entity of a digital signature stored in an item identification means having an item identifier with which said validation key is associated.

6. ) Control apparatus according to claim 4 wherein said validation key means is arranged to provide validation keys enabling validation using a radio-frequency reader device of digital signatures stored on item identification means.

7. ) Control apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said translation key means is arranged to provide for at least one intermediate entity a plurality of different translation keys, each of said plurality of translation keys being associated with one or more item identifiers stored in one or more item identification means, respective translation keys enabling translation by said intermediate entity of a digital signature stored in an item identification means having an item identifier with which said translation key is associated.

8. ) Control apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said translation key means is arranged to provide translation keys for enabling translation and re-writing on item identification means of digital signatures using a radio-frequency writer device.

9. ) Control apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said control apparatus is for use in enabling verification of a radio-frequency item identification means such as an RFID tag.

10. ) A signing system for enabling verification of an item identification means traversing a path across a supply network, said signing system comprising a control apparatus according to claim 1 and at least one supplier entity signing module, said signing module being arranged to store in an item identification means a digital signature associated with said supplier entity.

11. ) A signing system according to claim 10 wherein said digital signature associated with said supplier entity is determined in dependence on a private signing key received from said control apparatus.

12. ) A signing system according to claim 10 wherein said signing module comprises a radio-frequency writer.

13. ) A re-signing system for enabling verification of an item identification means traversing a path across a supply network, said re-signing system comprising a data receiver in communication with a control apparatus according to claim 1 and at least one intermediate entity re-signing module, said re-signing module being arranged to receive one or more translations key from said control apparatus, said re-signing module comprising:

translation means for using a translation key to translate a digital signature associated with an upstream entity into a digital signature associated with said intermediate entity.

14. ) A re-signing system according to claim 12 wherein said re-signing module is arranged to receive one or more validation keys from said control apparatus, said re-signing module further comprising validation means for using a validation key to validate a digital signature stored on an item identification means.

15. ) A re-signing system according to claim 12 wherein said re-signing module comprises a radio-frequency reader and a radio-frequency writer.

16. ) A verification system for verification of an item identification means traversing a path across a supply network, said verification system comprising a data receiver in communication with a control apparatus according to claim 1 and at least one receiver entity verification module, said verification module being arranged to receive one or more validation keys from said control apparatus, said verification module comprising validation means for using a validation key to validate a digital signature stored on an item identification means.

17. ) A verification system according to claim 16 wherein said verification module comprises a radio-frequency reader.

18. ) A control method for enabling verification by entities on a path across a supply network of an item identification means traversing said path, the network comprising:

at least one supplier entity able to introduce into the network an item identification means having stored therein an item identifier and a digital signature associated with said supplier entity, and to forward said item identification means along a path across said network;

at least one intermediate entity able to receive said item identification means from said at least one supplier entity or from another intermediate entity in said network and forward said item identification means along said path; and

at least one receiver entity able to receive said item identification means from an intermediate entity in said network;

the control method comprising;

determining path data in respect of an item identification means, said path data relating to at least one valid path by which said item identification means may traverse the network, said path data comprising data in respect of each of said at least one intermediate entity and said at least one receiver entity indicative of one or more upstream entities from which said item identification means may be received when traversing the network along a valid path; and

providing for said at least one intermediate entity a translation key determined in dependence on said path data, said translation key enabling translation of a digital signature associated with an upstream entity into a new digital signature associated with said intermediate entity in the event that said intermediate entity receives an item identification means having stored therein said digital signature associated with said upstream entity.

19. ) A control method according to claim 18, further comprising providing for at least one intermediate or receiver entity at least one validation key determined in dependence on said path data, the or each validation key enabling validation by said intermediate or receiver entity of a digital signature stored on an item identification means in the event that said digital signature is a digital signature associated with an upstream entity from which said item identification means may be received by said intermediate or receiver entity when traversing the network along a valid path.

20. ) A signing method for enabling verification of an item identification means traversing a path across a supply network, said signing method comprising performing the control method of claim 18, and further comprising at least one supplier entity storing a digital signature associated with said supplier entity in an item identification means.

21. ) A re-signing method for enabling verification of an item identification means traversing a path across a supply network, said re-signing method comprising:

communicating with a control apparatus performing the control method of claim 18 whereby to receive at least one translation key from said control apparatus; and

using said translation key to translate a digital signature associated with an upstream entity into a digital signature associated with said intermediate entity.

22. ) A re-signing method according to claim 21 further comprising receiving at least one validation key from said control apparatus and using said validation key to validate a digital signature stored on an item identification means.

23. ) A verification method for verification of an item identification means traversing a path across a supply network, said verification method comprising:

communicating with a control apparatus performing the control method of claim 18 whereby to receive at least one validation key from said control apparatus; and

using said validation key to validate a digital signature stored on an item identification means.