Egg code management method and egg search code management system

• US 8,082,191 B2
• Filed: 12/07/2006
• Issued: 12/20/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 12/07/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Consumer Cooperative Company-Op Sapporo
• Original Assignee: Consumer Cooperative Company-Op Sapporo
• Inventors: Omatsu, Shigehisa
• Primary Examiner(s): Gort, Elaine
• Assistant Examiner(s): Hayles, Ashford S
• Application Number:
  US12/085,953
• Publication Number:
  US 20090078213A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,839 Days
• Field of Search: 705/28, 715/500
• US Class Current: 705/28
• CPC Class Codes: A01K 29/00 Other apparatus for animal husbandry
• CPC Class Codes: A01K 43/10 Grading and stamping
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 99/00 Subject matter not provided for in other groups of this subclass

Abstract

An egg search code, that can be used for accurately searching history information of an egg using a number of digits printable on the egg, is assigned to the egg, and the history information of the egg can be accurately identified based on the egg search code assigned to the egg. An unused egg search code out of the totality of egg search codes is determined and will be used as the egg search code to be assigned to the egg. The determined egg search code is assigned to all eggs having identical history information. The egg search code assigned to the egg is related to the egg history code and an egg collection date code, and is stored. The egg history code related to the egg collection date code and the egg search code is searched for, in compliance with a provision request, submitted from a consumer terminal, for history information, the provision request containing the egg collection date code and/or the egg search code. The history information identified by the searched egg history code is transmitted to the consumer terminal through a communication network.

Claims

1. A method for managing an egg search code that, in order to provide history information of an egg in a traceability system, assigns an egg search code to the egg so as to identify the history information of the egg and manages the assigned egg search code, the method performed using an egg search code management server, the method comprising:

determining, in an egg search code management server, any of unused egg search codes out of available egg search codes, related to a history identification code in order to identify the history information of each egg, as the egg search code to be assigned to the egg, assigning the determined egg search code to eggs each having identical history information;

relating the egg search code assigned to the eggs to the history identification code and an egg collection date code that can identify an egg collection date;

storing, by the egg search code management server, the egg search codes assigned to the eggs so as to relate the egg search codes to the history identification codes and an egg collection date code that can identify an egg collection date;

in compliance with a provision request for the history information of the egg from a terminal apparatus which presents history request information in which the egg search code is attached to a lower side of the egg collection date code, searching by the egg search code management server for the history identification code which is related to the lower side of the egg search code related to the egg collection date code identified by an egg collection date related code which is related to an upper side of the egg search code and the egg search code, the provision request being performed by presenting the egg collection date related code that can identify the egg collection date code and/or the egg search code; and

transmitting, by the egg search code management server, the history information identified by using the searched history identification code to the terminal apparatus through a communication network.

2. The method for managing the egg search code according to claim 1, wherein the egg collection date related code is defined to be a code related uniquely to the egg collection date code.

5. The method for managing the egg search code according to claim 1, wherein the number of digits of the egg search code is defined so that all of the egg search codes are not issued within a predetermined period.

7. The method for managing the egg search code according to claim 1, wherein the history information of each egg identified by using the searched history identification code includes a poultry house name, a poultry house location, a size of eggs, and a ship date of shipping the eggs.

9. The method for managing the egg search code according to claim 1, wherein the egg collection date related code is defined to be a code related uniquely to a use-by date code indicating a use-by date.

10. The method for managing the egg search code according to claim 1, wherein the egg collection date related code is defined to be a code related uniquely to a sell-by date code indicating a sell-by date.

11. The method for managing the egg search code according to claim 1, wherein the egg collection date related code is defined to be a code related uniquely to the egg search code.

3. An egg search code management system comprising:

an egg search code management server issuing an egg search code related to a history identification code to identify history information of each egg and managing the issued egg search code;

an egg search code assigning apparatus assigning an egg search code to each egg; and

an apparatus management server performing an issue request for issuance of the egg search code to the egg search code management server and notifying the egg search code;

assigning apparatus that of the egg search code issued by the egg search code management server as the egg search code to be assigned to the egg, wherein the egg search code management server further comprises;

an egg search code issuer for issuing any of unused egg search codes out of available egg search codes as the egg search code to be assigned to the egg in compliance with the issue request from the apparatus management server; and

a code storer for relating the egg search code issued by the egg search code issuer to the history identification code and an egg collection date code that can identify an egg collection date and for further storing the related code, wherein the egg search code assigning apparatus comprises;

an egg search code assigner for assigning the egg search code issued by the egg search code issuer to eggs each having identical history information, wherein the egg search code management server searches the history information of the egg from a terminal apparatus which presents history request information in which the egg search code is attached to a lower side of the egg collection date code, searching by the egg search code management server for the history identification code which is related to the lower side of the egg search code related to the egg collection date code identified by an egg collection date related code which is related to an upper side of the egg search code and the egg search code, the provision request being performed by presenting the egg collection date related code that can identify the egg collection date code and/or the egg search code; and

transmitting, by the egg search code management server, the history information identified by using the searched history identification code to the terminal apparatus through a communication network.

4. The egg search code management system according to claim 3, wherein the egg collection date related code is a code related uniquely to the egg collection date code.

6. The egg search code management system according to claim 3, wherein the number of digits of the egg search code is defined so that all of the egg search codes are not issued within a predetermined period.

8. The egg search code management system according to claim 3, wherein the history information of each egg identified by using the searched history identification code includes a poultry house name, a poultry house location, a size of eggs, and a ship date of shipping the eggs.

12. The egg search code management system according to claim 3, wherein the egg collection date related code is a code related uniquely to the use-by date code indicating the use-by date.

13. The egg search code management system according to claim 3, wherein the egg collection date related code is a code related uniquely to the sell-by date code indicating the sell-by date.

14. The egg search code management system according to claim 3, wherein the egg collection date related code is a code related uniquely to the egg search code.