Traceability system

• US 7,183,923 B2
• Filed: 02/18/2005
• Issued: 02/27/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 02/20/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Inventors: Sasaki, Shigeru, Nakatani, Takeshi, Kobayashi, Yuichi, Sato, Yoshifumi, Terada, Shuji
• Primary Examiner(s): Pham; Toan N.
• Application Number:
  US11/060,563
• Publication Number:
  US 20050231368A1
• Time in Patent Office: 739 Days
• Field of Search: 340/572.1, 340/572.4, 340/10.1, 340/10.42, 340/10.51, 340/505, 340/5.92, 235/385, 235/383, 235/384, 235/492, 235/376, 705/28, 700/226
• US Class Current: 340/572.1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/00 Administration; Management

Abstract

In a traceability system, information of a change in distribution situation and form of an individual article, and information of identification of the individual article is collected from each of distribution sites, and collected information is strung in accordance with a predetermined rule. A flow of distribution is known and managed based on the strung information. This makes it possible to know a location from which the individual article is distributed and a route through which the individual article is distributed, thus allowing safety management of the individual article.

Claims

1. A traceability system for managing an individual article distributed through a plurality of sites with a form thereof changed at least one of said plurality of sites, said traceability system comprising:

means for receiving change information indicating a change in distribution situation and form of a predetermined individual article from information processing apparatuses installed at each of said plurality of sites;

means for associating said received change information with one another; and

means for specifying a distribution route of said individual article based on associated change information.

2. The traceability system according to claim 1,

wherein said receiving means receives pre-process identification information added to said individual article at a site before the concerned site, and post-process identification information added if said individual article is processed to change the form thereof at the concerned site, and

said associating means associates said pre-process identification information and said post-process identification information with said change information.

3. The traceability system according to claim 1,

wherein said change information includes at least one of division to divide the individual article into a plurality of articles, change to change the form or name of the individual article, and integration to integrate a plurality of individual articles.

4. The traceability system according to claim 3,

wherein said individual article is a meat, and

said change information includes dressing into the meat and packing of the meat.

5. The traceability system according to claim 1,

wherein said post-process identification information is created from said pre-process identification information in accordance with a predetermined rule.

6. The traceability system according to claim 5,

wherein said pre-process identification information is expressed by a numerical value of a predetermined number of digits, and in said predetermined rule, said post-process identification information is created by adding a numerical value of a predetermined number of digits to said pre-process identification information.

7. The traceability system according to claim 1,

wherein a tag in which an identifier capable of identifying the concerned individual article is stored is attached to said individual article, and

said traceability system further comprises means for storing any one of tags attached to individual articles before integration as being active if said change information indicates said integration.

8. The traceability system according to claim 1,

wherein a tag in which an identifier capable of identifying the concerned individual article is stored is attached to said individual article, and

any one of tags attached to individual articles before integration is stored as being active if said change information indicates said integration.

9. A method of managing an individual article distributed through a plurality of sites with a form thereof changed at one or more of said plurality of sites,

wherein change information indicating a change in distribution situation and form of a predetermined individual article is received from information processing apparatuses installed at said plurality of sites,

said received change information is associated with one another and stored, and

a distribution route of said individual article is specified based on associated change information.

10. The traceability method according to claim 9,

wherein in the reception of said change information, pre-process identification information added to said individual article at a site before the concerned site, and post-process identification information added if said individual article is processed to change the form thereof at the concerned site is received, and

in the storage of said change information, said pre-process identification information and said post-process identification information is associated with said change information and stored.

11. The traceability method according to claim 9,

wherein said change information includes at least one of division to divide the individual article into a plurality of articles, change to change the form or name of the individual article, and integration to integrate a plurality of individual articles.

12. The traceability method according to claim 11,

wherein said individual article is a meat, and

said change information includes dressing into the meat and packing of the meat.

13. The traceability method according to claim 9,

wherein said post-process identification information is created from said pre-process identification information in accordance with a predetermined rule.

14. The traceability method according to claim 13,

wherein said pre-process identification information is expressed by a numerical value of a predetermined number of digits, and in said predetermined rule, said post-process identification information is created by adding a numerical value of a predetermined number of digits to said pre-process identification information.

15. A traceability method of managing an individual article distributed through a plurality of sites with a form thereof changed at one or more of said plurality of sites using a center apparatus connected via a network to information processing apparatuses installed at said plurality of sites and achieving information processing with different schemes,

wherein said center apparatus receives first individual article information about distribution of said individual article, first identification information for identifying the concerned information processing apparatus, and second identification information for identifying the information processing apparatus of the site to which said individual article is distributed after the site of the concerned information processing apparatus from said information processing apparatus,

converts said individual article information into second individual article information matching a scheme used in the information processing apparatus identified with said second identification information based on said received first identification information and second identification information, and

associates converted said second individual article information with said first individual article information and stores the same.

16. The traceability method according to claim 15,

wherein said center apparatus stores a conversion rule for converting schemes of information among information processing apparatuses identified with a plurality of identification information according to said plurality of identification information for identifying each of said plurality of information processing apparatuses, and

said individual article information is converted using said conversion rule.

17. The traceability method according to claim 16,

wherein the conversion of said individual article information is achieved by converting said first individual article information into intermediate information between said first individual article information and said second individual article information, and converting the converted intermediate information into said second individual article information.

18. A center apparatus performing management of an individual article distributed through a plurality of sites with a form thereof changed at one or more of said plurality of sites, said center apparatus connected via a network to information processing apparatuses installed at said plurality of sites and achieving information processing with different schemes, said center apparatus comprising:

a storage device storing information for management of said individual article;

a receiver receiving first individual article information about distribution of said individual article, first identification information for identifying the concerned information processing apparatus, and second identification information for identifying the information processing apparatus of the site to which said individual article is distributed after the site of the concerned information processing apparatus from said information processing apparatus; and

a processor converting said individual article information into second individual article information matching a scheme used in the information processing apparatus identified with said second identification information based on said received first identification information and second identification information, and associating converted said second individual article information with said first individual article information and stores the same in said storage device.

19. The center apparatus according to claim 18,

wherein said storage device stores a conversion rule for converting schemes of information among information processing apparatuses identified with a plurality of identification information according to said plurality of identification information for identifying each of said plurality of information processing apparatuses, and

said processor converts said individual article information using said conversion rule.

20. The center apparatus according to claim 19,

wherein said processor achieves the conversion of said individual article information by converting said first individual article information into intermediate information between said first individual article information and said second individual article information, and converting the converted intermediate information into said individual article information.