Distribution management method and system

• US 7,182,257 B2
• Filed: 03/24/2005
• Issued: 02/27/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 11/07/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Inventors: Mizuno, Yasuhiko, Itsuki, Rei, Ogihara, Masaki
• Primary Examiner(s): Le; Thien M.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Labaze; Edwyn
• Application Number:
  US11/090,803
• Publication Number:
  US 20050165792A1
• Time in Patent Office: 705 Days
• Field of Search: 235/385, 235/375, 235/485, 235/487, 705/22, 705/28
• US Class Current: 235/385
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/08 Logistics, e.g. warehousing, loading or distribution; Inventory or stock management

Abstract

In one embodiment, a product distribution management system includes a product management center. The product management center includes a management device to receive product security data on a product from a distribution site and a product management database to store the data received from the distribution site for use in a product authentication process. The data includes product identification information and security information used to authenticate the product.

Claims

1. A product distribution management system, comprising:

a product management center including;

a management device to receive product security data on a product from a distribution site, the data including product identification information and security information used to authenticate the product, wherein the product is determined to be genuine based on a time difference between shipping time of the product from a site prior to the distribution site and the current time, the security information including the shipping time; and

a product management database to store the data received from the distribution site for use in a product authentication process.

2. The product distribution management system of claim 1, wherein the product identification information is retrieved by reading a tag attached to the product.

3. The product distribution management system of claim 2, wherein the tag is an electronic device having a non-volatile memory and an antenna.

4. The product distribution management system of claim 3, wherein the electronic device has an area of no more than about 0.4 mm².

5. The product distribution management system of claim 1, wherein the security information relates to product distribution information.

6. The product distribution management system of claim 5, wherein the product distribution information relates to information on product destination or product origination, or both.

7. The product distribution management system of claim 5, wherein the product distribution information relates to information on shipping time of the product from a distribution site, or arrival time of the product at a destination, or both.

8. The product distribution management system of claim 1, further comprising:

an authenticity evaluation site coupled to the product distribution center and configured to access the product security data stored in the product management database to evaluate the authenticity of the product.

9. The product distribution management system of claim 1, wherein the product management center is coupled to a plurality of distribution sites including a manufacturer, a wholesaler, and a retailer, wherein the management device of the product management center is configured to receive product security data from the plurality of distribution sites.

10. A product distribution management center, comprising:

a management device to receive product security data from a distribution site, the data including tag identification information that is associated with the product and security information generated by the distribution site for use in a product authentication process, wherein genuineness of the product is determined based on a time difference between a first point in time and a second point in time, the first point in time being associated with shipping time of the product from a first site in a distribution chain of the product, the second point in time being time associated with the distribution site, the security information including the first point in time; and

a product distribution management database to store the product security data for use by another distribution site to authenticate the product.

11. The management center of claim 10, wherein the security information includes information relating to shipping time of the product, or arrival time of the product, or both.

12. The management center of claim 10, wherein the security information includes information relating to a destination site or origination site, or both.

13. The management center of claim 10, wherein the management database is configured to store a record including security information generated by a manufacturer, a wholesaler, and a retailer.

14. The management center of claim 10, wherein the management database is configured to store a record including security information relating to a purchaser of the product.

15. A product distribution management method, comprising:

reading identification information identifying a product at a first site in a distribution chain of the product;

associating the identification information with first security information relating to the product to generate a first distribution record;

storing the first distribution record in a product management center located at a remote location from the first site;

receiving identification information identifying the product from a second site in the distribution chain of the product; and

determining whether or not the product is genuine based on a time difference between a first point in time and a second point in time, the first point in time being associated with a given site in the distribution chain, the second point in time being associated with another site in the distribution chain, the security information including the first point in time, the time difference corresponding to shipping time of the product from the given site to the another site.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

reading the identification information identifying the product at the second site;

associating the identification information with second security information relating to the product to generate a second distribution record; and

storing the second distribution record in the product management center, the second distribution record being associated with the first distribution record.

17. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

reading identification information identifying the product at a third site;

associating the identification information with third security information relating to the product to generate a third distribution record; and

storing the third distribution record in the product management, the third distribution record being associated with the first and second distribution records.

18. The method of claim 15, wherein the first, second, and third sites are manufacturer, wholesaler, and retailer sites, respectively.

19. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

attaching an electronic tag having the identification information to the product at a location where tag is not visible under normal circumstances,

wherein the given site is the manufacturer site, and the another site is the wholesaler site.

20. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

accessing the first distribution record stored in the management database to authenticate the product that has been received at the second distribution site;

evaluating the authenticity of the product using the first security information associated with the first distribution record; and

storing a result of the evaluation to the product management center.

21. A product authentication method, comprising:

retrieving tag identification information identifying a product at a first distribution site by reading an electronic tag attached to the product;

associating the tag identification information with first security information relating to the product to generate a first distribution record, the first security information including information on a first point in time;

transmitting the first distribution record to a product management center that is provided at a remote location from the first distribution site;

storing the first distribution record in the product management center;

retrieving the tag identification information at a second distribution site by reading the electronic tag attached to the product, wherein the product has been received from the first distribution site;

generating product data including the tag identification information at the second distribution site;

transmitting the product data to the product management center from the second distribution site;

retrieving at least a portion of the first distribution record from the product management center using the product data;

evaluating the authenticity of the product using the retrieved portions of the first distribution record, wherein the authenticity of the product is determined based on a time difference between the first point in time and a second point in time, the first point in time being associated with the first distribution site, the second point in time being associated with the second distribution site; and

storing a result of the evaluation to the product management center.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein the evaluating step is performed in the second distribution site or the product management center, wherein the time difference relates to amount of time elapsed in shipping the product from the first distribution site to the second distribution site.