RFID enabled dynamic object verification with GTIN decoded from EPC

• US 9,483,748 B2
• Filed: 10/08/2008
• Issued: 11/01/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 10/08/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Oracle International Corporation (Oracle Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Oracle International Corporation (Oracle Corporation)
• Inventors: Huang, Qiming, Rusnak, Christopher
• Primary Examiner(s): TRAIL, ALLYSON NEEL
• Application Number:
  US12/247,827
• Publication Number:
  US 20100084463A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,946 Days
• Field of Search: 235/375, 235/385, 235/492, 705/22, 705/330, 705/337, 705/28
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/08 Logistics, e.g. warehousing, loading or distribution; Inventory or stock management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders

Abstract

Electronic Product Codes (EPCs) can be read from RFID labels and tags to verify shipments. The EPCs are decoded to Global Trade Item Numbers (GTINs), which are then matched to GTINs of products on a shipping list. If all of the decoded GTINs match and there are no GTINs in the shipment list that are left unmatched, then shipment verification is successful. If some of the decoded GTINs fail to match, the verification process fails with extra, unexpected products. If some of the GTINs in the shipping list are left unmatched, the verification process fails with the missing products.

Claims

1. A method for verifying individual items during loading into a container by a pickup worker of a shipper, the method comprising:

at a computer system of the pickup worker, the computer system having a display device, a processor, and a memory, the memory storing an electronic shipping list associated with a shipment, wherein the electronic shipping list itemizes each of a plurality of individual items forming the shipment according to product type using at least a Global Trade Item Number (GTIN), wherein the electronic shipping list exists independently of a list of items loaded into the container, and wherein the electronic shipping list specifies items to be shipped prior to any items being loaded into the container;

generating a user interface at the display device that indicates whether individual items in the electronic shipping list are present in the container, at least one of the individual items in the electronic shipping list indicated to not be present in the container;

receiving information read from a tag affixed to an item by one or more tag reading devices associated with the container in response to the pickup worker of the shipper loading the item into the container, wherein the information read comprises a unique identifier associated with the item;

in response to receiving the information read from the tag affixed to the item, decoding the unique identifier to obtain a Global Trade Item Number (GTIN) that uniquely identifies a product type of the item;

determining, on an item by item basis, that the GTIN of the item matches the GTIN in the electronic shipping list of one of the at least one of the individual items indicated to not be present in the container; and

modifying the user interface at the display device to indicate that the one of the at least one of the individual items indicated to not be present in the container is present in the container.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the unique identifier is an Electronic Product Code (EPC) stored in the tag affixed to the item.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

generating one or more notifications indicating that one or more individual items in the shipment are physically present.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

generating one or more notifications indicating that one or more individual items in the shipment are not physically present.

5. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

determining, on an item by item basis, whether the GTIN of the item indicates presence of an item not itemized in the electronic shipping list associated with a shipment that specifies items to be shipped prior to any items being loaded into the container; and

modifying the user interface at the display device to indicate that the item is present and not itemized in the electronic shipping list.

6. The method of claim 5 further comprising:

generating one or more notifications indicative of presence of one or more individual items not itemized in the electronic shipping list.

7. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing computer-executable code for verifying individual items during loading into a container by a pickup worker of a shipper, the non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising:

code for receiving an electronic shipping list associated with a shipment, wherein the electronic shipping list itemizes each of a plurality of individual items forming the shipment according to product type using at least a Global Trade Item Number (GTIN), wherein the electronic shipping list exists independently of a list of items loaded into a container, and wherein the electronic shipping list specifies items to be shipped prior to any items being loaded into the container;

code for generating a user interface at a display device of the pickup worker that indicates individual items in the electronic shipping list are present in the container, at least one of the individual items in the electronic shipping list indicated to not be present in the container;

code for receiving information read from a tag affixed to an item by one or more tag reading devices associated with the container in response to the pickup worker of the shipper loading the item into the container, wherein the information read comprises a unique identifier associated with the item;

code for, in response to receiving the information read from the tag affixed to the item, decoding the unique identifier to obtain a Global Trade Item Number (GTIN) that uniquely identifies a product type of the item;

code for determining, on an item by item basis, that the GTIN of the item matches the GTIN in the electronic shipping list of one of the at least one of the individual items indicated to not be present in the container; and

code for modifying an inclusion status in the user interface at the display device to indicate that the one of the at least one of the individual items indicated to not be present in the container is present in the container.

8. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 7 wherein the unique identifier is an Electronic Product Code (EPC) stored in the tag affixed to the item.

9. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 7 further comprising:

code for generating one or more notifications indicating that one or more individual items in the shipment are physically present.

10. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 7 further comprising:

code for generating one or more notifications indicating that one or more individual items in the shipment are not physically present.

11. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 7 further comprising:

code for determining, on an item by item basis, whether the GTIN of the item indicates presence of an item not itemized in the electronic shipping list associated with a shipment that specifies items to be shipped prior to any items being loaded into the container; and

modifying the user interface at the display device to indicate that the item is present and not itemized in the electronic shipping list.

12. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 11 further comprising:

code for generating one or more notifications indicative of presence of one or more individual products not itemized in the electronic shipping list according to the decoded GTINs.

13. A system for verifying individual items during loading into a container by a pickup worker of a shipper, the system comprising:

a hardware processor; and

a non-transitory memory storing an electronic shipping list associated with a shipment, wherein the electronic shipping list itemizes each of a plurality of individual items forming the shipment according to product type using at least a Global Trade Item Number (GTIN), wherein the electronic shipping list exists independently of a list of items loaded into a container, and wherein the electronic shipping list specifies items to be shipped prior to any items being loaded into the container,

the memory further storing a set of instructions which when executed by the processor configure the processor to;

generate a user interface at a display device the pickup worker loading the container that indicates whether individual items in the electronic shipping list are present in the container, at least one of the individual items in the electronic shipping list indicated to not be present in the container;

receive information read from a tag affixed to an item by one or more tag reading devices associated with the container in response to the pickup worker of the shipper loading the item into the container, wherein the information read comprises a unique identifier associated with the item;

in response to receiving the information read from the tag affixed to the item, decode the unique identifier to obtain a Global Trade Item Number (GTIN) that uniquely identifies a product type of the item;

determine, on an item by item basis, that the GTIN of the item matches the GTIN in the electronic shipping list of one of the at least one of the individual items indicated to not be present in the container; and

modify the user interface at the display device to indicate that the one of the at least one of the individual items indicated to not be present in the container is present in the container.

14. The system of claim 13 wherein the unique identifier is an Electronic Product Code (EPC) stored in the tag affixed to the item.

15. The system of claim 13 wherein the processor is further configured to generate one or more notifications indicating that one or more individual items in the shipment are physically present.

16. The system of claim 13 wherein the processor is further configured to generate one or more notifications indicating that one or more individual items in the shipment are not physically present.

17. The system of claim 13 wherein the processor is further configured to determine, on an item by item basis, whether the GTIN of the item indicates presence of an item not itemized in the electronic shipping list associated with a shipment that specifies items to be shipped prior to any items being loaded into the container;

and

code to modify the user interface at the display device to indicate that the item is present and not itemized in the electronic shipping list.

18. The system of claim 17 wherein the processor is further configured to generate one or more notifications indicative of presence of one or more individual products not itemized in the electronic shipping list according to the decoded GTINs.