Identification code management method and management system

• US 7,178,026 B2
• Filed: 07/12/2005
• Issued: 02/13/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 07/06/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Inventors: Fukuzawa, Yasuko, Okamoto, Chikashi, Takaragi, Kazuo
• Primary Examiner(s): Song; Hosuk
• Application Number:
  US11/178,510
• Publication Number:
  US 20050251678A1
• Time in Patent Office: 581 Days
• Field of Search: 713/156, 713/160, 713/165, 713167-170, 713176-181, 713189-190, 380/277, 705 50- 51
• US Class Current: 713/168
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 17/00 Methods or arrangements for effecting co-operative working between equipments covered by two or more of main groups G06K1/00 - G06K15/00, e.g. automatic card files incorporating conveying and reading operations
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders

Abstract

An identification code management method and management system includes that the issue and distribution of an ID code having a message authentication code are managed thereby to efficiently and reliably manage a material object using the ID code. An electronic circuit chip with an ID code having a message authentication code stored in a read-only area is used as an identification tag. The information at an ID code order receiving terminal and an identification tag production factory terminal are consolidated and collectively managed at an ID code management terminal. Thereby, the ID code management terminal is inquired of highly confidential information or requested to process the information as required so that an ID code utilization terminal is not required to store the same information.

Claims

1. An Identification (ID) management system, comprising:

an ID management terminal that receives an order for issue of an ID and manages the issued ID in accordance with the order for issue;

a production factory terminal used in an ID tag production factory that produces an ID tag storing the issued ID; and

an ID utilization terminal that reads the produced ID tag,

wherein the ID tag includes an electronic circuit chip having a ROM area storing the extension ID as data readable from an outside,

wherein the ID management terminal comprises;

an ID generating unit that issues the ID and determines the attribute information in accordance with the information accepted at the order of issuing the ID, and generates the extension ID includes the issued ID and the attribute information,

an ID registration processing unit that registers the generated extension ID on a database, and

an ID tag production request processing unit that requests, to the production factory terminal, a production of the ID tag including the electronic circuit chip storing the generated extension ID, and

wherein the ID registration request processing unit of the ID management terminal registers, on the database, a state as completion of producing the ID tag storing the generated extension ID or a missing number of the generated extension ID, in accordance with inspection result information of the produced ID tag so as to store the generated extension ID, and

includes a control unit that estimates the extension ID failed the reading from other information, when failing a read of the extension ID from the produced ID tag.

2. An ID management system according to claim 1, wherein the production factory terminal includes an ID registration processing unit that generates inspection result information of the ID tag to be notified to the ID management terminal in accordance with the inspection result for the ID tag produced so as to store the generated extension ID in accordance with production request, and

wherein the ID registration processing unit of the ID management terminal registers, on the database, that the generated extension ID is stored in the successfully produced ID tag or the generated extension ID is a missing number, in accordance with the inspection result information of the ID tag.

3. An ID management system according to claim 2, wherein the inspection result information of the ID tag indicates that the production of the ID tag storing the extension ID is completed, and

wherein the ID registration processing unit of the ID management terminal registers, on the database, that the extension ID specified by the inspection result information indicating the completion of the production is stored in the successfully produced ID tag.

4. An ID management system according to claim 2, wherein the inspection result information of the ID tag indicates that the ID tag storing the extension ID is defect, and

wherein the ID code registration processing unit of the ID management terminal registers, on the database, that the extension ID specified by the inspection result information is a missing number.

5. An ID management system according to claim 2, wherein the ID management terminal and the production factory terminal are coupled through a network one another and include a communication unit for communicating through the network, respectively, and

wherein the communication unit of the ID management terminal transmits the ID tag production request to the production factory terminal, and the communication unit of the production factory terminal transmits a registration request of the extension ID in accordance with the inspection result information to the ID management terminal.

6. The system according to claim 1, wherein said utilization terminal determines that the estimated extension ID code is invalid, and notifies to the management terminal, and

wherein the ID registration processing unit of the management terminal receives the notification of the invalid extension ID from the utilization terminal.

7. The system according to claim 6, wherein the ID registration processing unit of the management terminal resisters the invalidation of the notified extension ID to the database when the invalidation of the extension ID stored in the ID tag is notified to the registered ID tag which is already produced.