EP1371033A1 - A method for tracking and/or verifying articles - Google Patents

Abstract

In a system for tracking articles and verifying the authenticity of articles individual article numbers (3) are affixed to each article (1). The articles are packed into containers (4), and an individual container number (5) is affixed to each container. A database is provided for storing the article numbers and the corresponding container numbers. Using the database, the container number (5) can be used for easily for tracking all articles within a container. For verifying an article or container, the article number (3) and the container number can be fed to the database for verification. This increases the reliability as compared to systems based on a single number while being easy to implement.

Description

A method for tracking and/or verifying articles

Cross References to Related Applications This application claims the priority of international patent application PCT/IB01/00356 , filed 14 March 2001, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

Technical Field

The invention relates to a method for tracking and/or verifying articles according to the preamble of claim 1.

Background Art

EP 967 459 describes a system for verifying ownership of articles where a unique article number is affixed to each article. In addition to this, a certifi- cate carrying a certification number is provided for each article. For verifying ownership of an article, both numbers are transferred to a database where they are checked. However, this method requires the delivery of certificates, which, in many applications, requires fur- ther logistic and administrative efforts.

Another system is described in DE 100 19 721 (WO 01/15097) . Here, an article number is affixed to each article and a container number to its container. The container number is generated by cryptographically encrypt- ing the article number. This allows to verify if a given article belongs in a given container provided that the corresponding encryption algorithms and parameters are known.

Combining the method of EP 967 459 and DE 100 19 721 (WO 01/15097) would result in a system where the articles are stored with their certificates in a common container and the container receives a cryptographically encrypted container number. Even though this might further improve security, it is a highly complicated system that can only be implemented with large logistic and administrative overhead. Further systems are known for tracking and tracing articles in a distribution network. These usually require a database holding a record with path information for each article. When the number of articles is large, such systems are, however, fairly complicated to keep up- to-date and they don't provide security against counterfeiting and diversion.

Disclosure of Invention Hence, the problem to be solved by the present invention is to provide a method of the type mentioned above that alleviates at least some of these problems. This problem is be solved by the method of the independent claims. In a first aspect of the invention, the path information is kept up-to-date by storing the number of the container the article is placed in. When the container passes a given point in the distribution network, the container number is scanned and the records of all articles in the container are located for being updated. This allows to update the records of a large number of articles with a single operation.

In a further aspect of the invention directed at authenticating articles reliably and with small logis- tic and administrative overhead, the database also stores the container number of each article. For checking the authenticity of an article, the article number as well as the number of the container it was located in is transferred through a communication network to a central data- base. This database contains the article numbers of all registered articles as well as the container number for each article and can therefore be used for a redundant check of the received article number and container number .

As there is preferably no fixed, predetermined relationship between an article number and its con- tainer number, but the two numbers can be scanned and entered into the database in a flexible manner, there is no need to ensure that a certain article goes into a certain container while commissioning the articles. Rather, when packaging an article in its container, the article and container numbers can be read quickly on-site and be sent to the database for updating the article's record, without need to synchronize the flow of articles and containers .

Preferably, the article and corresponding container number cannot be derived from each other in obvious manner. In other words, even after inspecting a plurality of containers and articles placed therein, a third party will be unable to generate article numbers for a given container number or vice versa. For this pur- pose, at least one or both types of numbers can be created independently using random or pseudo-random algorithms .

The method is iterative, i.e. the container or containers can be placed in "super-containers" having super-container numbers affixed thereto, and the database can store the corresponding hierarchy of numbers. When opening a super-container, its authenticity as well as the authenticity of the containers it holds can be checked by submitting a super-container number and a con- tainer number to the database.

Brief Description of Drawings The invention will be better understood and objects other than those set forth above will become apparent when consideration is given to the following de- tailed description thereof. Such description makes reference to the annexed drawings, wherein:

Fig. 1 shows articles, containers and super- containers carrying identification numbers,

Fig. 2 is a possible supply chain,

Fig. 3 is a second embodiment of the invention,

Fig. 4 shows a repackaging of containers.

Modes for Carrying Out the Invention

The basic principle of an embodiment of the invention is shown in Fig. 1. Here, a plurality of arti- cles 1 is to be packaged and shipped. For this purpose, each article 1 is packaged in an individual package and a label 2 carrying a unique article number 3 is attached to each package. The article number may be any numeric or alpha-numeric string of suitable length. It may e.g. be encoded as bar code (as shown) and/or in human readable digits or letters or in any other type of marking technique. In particular, the article number may also be encoded in an RF tag or a magnetic stripe affixed to each package or article. A plurality of articles are packaged in a common container 4. In the present embodiment, each container 4 holds three articles. However, this number may vary widely depending on the nature of the article and its distribution chain. Each container is provided with a unique container number 5, which is e.g. again printed on a suitable label 6 or directly on the container's surface. Again, the container number may be any numeric or alphanumeric string of suitable length and it can be encoded using any suited marking technique.

As mentioned above, this process can be iterated by placing a plurality of containers 4 in a common super-container 7, which can again be marked with a label 8 carrying a unique super-container number 9, etc.

In one embodiment and for reasons that will become clearer as this description proceeds, the labels can be designed as seals that must be broken for accessing the insides of a package, container or supercon- tainer .

The articles packaged in this way can be any type of articles where authentication may be required. In particular, they might be brand articles where falsification may appear attractive, such as cigarettes, perfumes, fashion wear, etc.

Fig. 2 shows how the articles are distributed and how they can be tracked and/or their authenticity can be verified.

In a first step, a manufacturer 10 packages the articles 1 and places them in containers 4 and super- containers 7 in the manner explained above. Whenever an item is placed in a next larger container, its number is read or scanned, e.g. manually or by a suitable scanner device, and it is recorded together with the number of the container. The corresponding information (the container number and the article number (s) of the article (s) going into the container) is then sent to a secure data- base 11. In this way, database 11 can maintain a list of all article numbers 3 and, for each article, the number 5 of the container 4 it has been placed in. Similarly, it can maintain a list of all container numbers 5 and the numbers 9 the super-containers 7 they are placed in. The numbers and corresponding items recorded in the database 11 are in the following called "registered numbers" and "registered items".

Instead of reading the individual numbers before placing the items in their containers, the corre- sponding labels may e.g. manufactured and attached in a controlled manner such that the information of what article numbers are in which container is known without need to scan the numbers. This type of procedure requires, however, a controlled flow of articles and containers.

The manufacturer 10 will usually ship the largest type of container (the above "super-container" 7) to distributors 12. Before shipping a "super-container" 7, the manufacturer scans again its label 8 and instructs database 11 that the super-container is being shipped to a given destination. This allows database 11 to identify and locate the records of all containers and articles within it and update them to specify that the container/article is on its way to the given destination.

Upon receipt of a super-container 7, the distributor 12 should first check if the label 8, which acts as a seal, has been broken. If yes, he must assume that the super-container was opened and that the container- numbers 5 inside it may have been read by an unauthorised third party. If this is the case, he should alert database 11 or manufacturer 10 (who will in his turn alert database 11) . Database 11 will mark the corresponding su- per-container number and container-numbers as insecure and possibly known (in their combination) to a third party.

If label 8 is not broken, distributor 12 accepts the super-container 7. He scans the label 8, which tells database 11 that all containers and articles within it have arrived at the distributor 12, which allows it to update all corresponding records.

If distributor 12 wants to verify the authenticity of the shipment more carefully, he can open the super-container and proceed as follows:

- For verifying the authenticity of the super-container 7, he may read or scan the super-container number 9 and the container number 5 of any container 4 inside it. He sends this pair of numbers to database 11, where it is checked if the container number 5 corresponds to a registered container number. If yes, it is further checked if the super-container number 9 corresponds to the super-container 7 that was registered for the given container number 5. If these conditions are fulfilled, database 11 affirms the authenticity of the number pair and therefore the authenticity of the super-container 7. - For an even more thorough authentication, the distributor 12 can send all container numbers 5 in the super-container to database 11, which then runs the same check for each container.

In a next step, distributor 12 will sell the (e.g. unopened) containers 4 to retailers 13. Again, when a container 4 leaves the distributor or arrives at a retailer, its label 6 is scanned in order to let database 11 update the records of all articles within the container. Upon receipt of a container 4, a retailer can take similar steps for verifying the shipment as the distributor 12. He first checks if the label 6 is broken and alerts distributor 12, manufacturer 10 and/or database 11 if this is the case. If not, he can open container 4. He can then check the authenticity of the delivery by sending container number 5 together with at least one article number 3 to database 11 for verification.

Finally, retailer 13 will sell the individual articles 1 to end users 14. If an end user 14 wants proof of the authenticity of an article, he can either query database 11 using the article number (which may then e.g. confirm that the article is a registered article) or, depending on the nature of the article to be sold, he can even request retailer 13 to provide the container number for the given article and send both these numbers to the database for verification in the manner described above.

In addition to the above, the authenticity of containers 4 or super-containers 7 can be checked at any time, e.g. by custom authorities, by taking a sample, e.g. of a container 4, opening the same, and sending the container number 5 as well as an article number 2 of an article 1 inside it, to the database 11. As it becomes clear from the above, the present system allows to track and/or verify articles and containers easily. The verification of authenticity uses two independent numbers and not only one, which inher- ently increases the reliability of the method. Furthermore, the system is immune to most attacks. For instance, in order to manufacture unauthorized articles, a fraudulent party would have to know not only individual article numbers 3 but also the corresponding container numbers 5. This would make it necessary to open containers to get access to the items inside, which would be detected in a next step of the distribution chain.

The labels and numbers on the articles and containers need not have the same format and encoding scheme. A particularly preferred embodiment of the invention is shown in Fig. 3, where the individual articles 1 are trousers. The label 2 carrying article number 3 is affixed to a part of each pair of trousers, either on the in-side, the outside or e.g. within a pocket. As trousers are design items whose visual appearance must not be impaired, label 2 is as compact as possible. Preferably, article number 3 is encoded in a two-dimensionally modulated graphical pattern. Various techniques for encoding data as two-dimensional dot or bar patterns are known, such as Data Matrix™ by RVSI Acuity CiMatrix, Canton, USA.

The labels 6 and 8 on the containers 4 and the super-containers 7, however, need not be small or unobtrusive. Preferably, they are designed such that they can be read and handled by commonly used barcode readers and software. Preferably, linear barcodes are used. Labels with barcodes adhering to a UPC or EA standard are preferred, in particular UCC/EA 128. This format has the advantage that it is widely used and flexible. UCC/EAN 128 defines an "Application Identifier", which is a prefix code used to identify the meaning and the format of the data that follows it. This allows to encode a wide range of data types in a standardized manner.

The labels 6 and 8 on the containers 4 and the super-containers 7 may also be encoded using another standard encoding format, such as "Code 39", "Code 128", "Interleaved 2 of 5" or "Plessey Code", which can be used alternatively or in combination.

The application of one of these standard encodings on the labels 4 and 7 allows to use the existing infrastructure of today's distribution centers and warehouses .

By using different encoding standards for encoding the numbers of the articles 1 and their containers 4, the present system can be optimized for any type of application. In particular, the encoding used on the articles 1 is preferably more dense (i.e. it holds more information per area) than the encoding used on the containers 4 (or super-containers 7), and the latter is preferably one of the standard encodings mentioned above, in particular UCC/EAN 128.

The labels 6, 8 on the containers and super- containers are primarily used for tracking and tracing containers and articles, while the labels 2 on the articles are primarily used for authentication of the arti- cles.

In the above examples, the item numbers are printed on a label 2, 6 or 8, which is then affixed to the article's package, a container or a super-container. Generally, the number can e.g. be affixed to the article (container, super-container) by physically attaching it thereto (e.g. by printing or engraving it on the same or by attaching a label with the number to the item) . The number can also placed as a slip or certificate into the package of the article, the container or the super- container, respectively. It is preferred, however, to place the number on the outside of the object it belongs to such that it can be inspected without opening the ob- ject. The only exception to this is that, in particular for designed items, the individual articles 1 are preferably marked inconspicuously by using small labels attached to their insides. The system described here allows not only to verify the authenticity of the various items, but it allows also to track the items in the distribution chain, as each verification request can be recorded in database 11, together with information identifying the requester, i.e. the origin of the request. A precise analysis of the flow of items becomes possible. For example, the target market of each product can be determined easily, which can be of interest in case a batch of articles has to be called back to the manufacturer for repairs. The system also allows to detect and monitor gray market activities. Furthermore, the system can be used to store and manage guarantee rights and expiry dates of the items it monitors .

For a study of gray market activities, data- base 11 can be designed to determine the origin of each verification request or request regarding other information regarding an article or type of article. In a preferred embodiment, the number of such requests originating from a given area is counted for each type of arti- cle. If the given area is an area where the article or type of article is not intended to be sold, the corresponding count allows to easily obtain an estimate for the number of observations of the type of article in a given area, which is an indication of the gray market ac- tivity in this area. If this activity is found to exceed a given threshold, further measures can be taken.

Similarly, the number of authentication requests for a given type of articles can be counted in order to find out if there is sufficient authentication ac- tivity. If not, distributors or retailers may be neglecting their duties. A further measure against gray market activities or fraud is the following:

When articles are shipped through customs, they are generally accompanied by a "bill of lading" or another shipment document that indicates at least the following items of information: the origin of the articles the destination of the articles the type and number of articles . A bill of lading carries usually a unique identifier. In order to link a bill of lading with the present system, database 11 either stores the identifier of the bill of lading attributed to a given article, or the bill of lading lists the container number of the out- most container (or, e.g. if there is no such container, the article number) . When a customs officer wants to check the authenticity of a shipment, he sends either the identifier of the bill of lading or the container or article number (s) listed in the bill of lading to the data- base. In return, he receives information stored in the database that can be compared with at least one item of information listed on the bill of lading. For instance, the type of the articles, the origin of the articles, and/or the destination of the articles can be retrieved from the database and compared to the bill of lading.

By using a database 11 for establishing the relation between the article numbers 3 and the container numbers 5 and/or super-container numbers 9, it becomes easy to reassign this relation. For instance, distributor 12 may wish to repackage the containers 4 in new super-containers 7 as shown in Fig. 4. Here, distributor 12 receives two super- containers 7a, 7b. Each super-container stores a plurality of identical containers 4a, 4b respectively. Dis- tributor 12 may open the super-containers and to check their authenticity as described above. At the same time, he alerts, via a suitable communication network, database 11 that the corresponding containers 4a, 4b have now been removed from their super-containers. This information is received by and recorded in database 11.

In a next step, e.g. when picking an order, distributor 12 packages one container 4a from super- container 7a and one container 4b from super-container 7b in a common super-container 7c. He alerts database 11 that the super-container for containers 4a, 4b is now super-container 7c, providing it with the super-container- number of the new super-container. This information is again received by and recorded in database 11, such that database 11 correctly reflects that the items 4a, 4b are now in super-container 7c. This allows to track all containers within super-container 7c using the super- container's number only, and a receiver of super- container 7c can again check its authenticity by using database 11.

The number of times a given type of article is removed from its container and placed in a new con- tainer at a given distributor is preferably counted. If the corresponding count is very high, the distributor might be involved in gray market activities.

The example of Fig. 4 was described at the level of containers and super-containers, but it can similarly be used at the level of articles and containers or any other level of the packaging hierarchy.

The communication between database 11 and any parties checking authenticity of items can be carried out by means of any communication network, e.g. by phone or by Internet.

Database 11 stores, for each article 1, its article number, the number 5 of its container, as well as (where applicable) the number 9 of its super-container. In addition to this, further data (termed "attributes") can be stored for each article. Preferably, each record holds path information of the corresponding article. This path information can e.g. contain a history of the path of said article through the distribution network, a desired path of the article through the distribution network, and/or a target market of the article indicating where a given article is allowed to be sold.

Often, the path information may have to be changed for a plurality of articles 1 at the same time, e.g. for all articles 1 in a given container 4 when this article passes a given point in the distribution network. For such cases, database 11 is designed to receive a container number and an update to be stored in or added to the path information of each article 1 in the container 4. As mentioned above, the present system allows to monitor articles, containers, super-containers and even larger container entities in hierarchic manner. The following claims use the terms "article" and "container" to express one arbitrary step in this hierarchy. For certain types of goods, such as cigarettes, the number of individual items (cigarette packets) can become exceedingly large. For such situations it may be advantageous not to store the numbers of the smallest item type (cigarette packets) in database 11 in- dividually. In the example of cigarette packets, the articles 1 would correspond to cigarette cartons (each carton containing a plurality of packets) , and the containers 4 would correspond to packages of cigarette cartons. In this model, each article 1 would contain several "items" (cigarette packets) . The items themselves may also carry a number, the item number, but for saving storage capacity in database 11 and for simplifying the production process, the item numbers are not independent of the article numbers. Rather, all item numbers share a common feature that allows to check if they belong to an article having a given article number. The following is a list of possible implementations of article numbers: a) If the article number is e.g. XXX, the items in the article carry the numbers XXX-1, XXX-2, XXX- 3, etc., or the items may simply carry the same number as the article. b) The item number is a number derived from the article number in non-obvious manner. The algorithm for deriving the item number is preferably one- directional such that the article number cannot be derived from the item number. For example, the item number can comprise a hash-value of the article number, or a cryptographically secure algorithm such as used for the generation of public and private key pairs may be applied. Using a one-directional algorithm makes it impossible to derive a valid article number for a given item number, thereby making forgery more difficult. c) The items in an article may e.g. carry the numbers YYY-1, YYY-2, YYY-3, where the value YYY is stored in database 11 together with the corresponding article number. Again, this makes it impossible to forge a valid container number from an article number without access to database 11, while keeping database requirements low.

In implementation b and c, the connection between item number and article number is non-obvious, i.e. it is virtually impossible, for a potential forger, to check if a given pair of article and item numbers match. A match can only be verified by feeding both numbers to database 11 (implementation c) or an algorithm (implementation b) to check for consistency of the numbers. In all implementations a, b and c, the item number is derived from the article number using an algorithm and the same algorithm can be used for checking if an item belongs to a given article.

Claims

Claims

1. A method for tracking the paths of individual articles (1) in a distribution network using a da- tabase (11) connected to a communication network, wherein an individual article number (3) is affixed to each article (1) and a database record is stored in the database (11) for each article (1), wherein path information relating to the path of the article through the distribu- tion network is stored in said record, characterized by the steps of placing at least one article (1) in a container (4), wherein a container number (5) is affixed to said container, storing, in the record attributed to said article (1) , the container number (5) of the container (4) the article (1) is placed in, expediting a plurality of said containers (4) through said distribution network, reading, at least at one point in said distribution network, the container number (5) of a given container, locating, in said database (11) , the records of all articles (1) stored in the container (4) having the container number (5) that was read at said point and updating the path information of the located records.

2. A method for verifying the authenticity of an article (1), wherein an individual article number (3) is affixed to the article (1), wherein the article (1) is placed in a container (4), and wherein a container number

(5) is affixed to the container (4), comprising the steps of providing a database (11) with information on each of a plurality of authentic articles, which database is storing, for each authentic article, the corresponding article number (3) as well as the container number (5) the article is placed in, receiving through a communication network the article number (3) of the article (1) to be verified as well as the container number (5) of the container (4) containing the article to be verified, checking, in said database (11), if the received article number (3) corresponds to an authentic article and if the received container number (5) corresponds to the container the registered article is placed in, and if yes, affirming the authenticity of the article (1).

3. The method of any of the preceding claims, wherein a plurality of articles (1) with article numbers (3) is placed in each container (4) and wherein there are a plurality of containers (4) .

4. The method of any of the preceding claims wherein the article number (3) is attached such that it is visible from an outside of said article (1) or, if said article is individually packaged in a package, from an outside of said package, and/or wherein the container number (5) is attached such that it is visible from an outside of said container (4).

5. The method of any one of the preceding claims wherein the article number (3) and the container number (5) are not derivable from each other in obvious manner .

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the article number (3) and/or the container number (5) are created using random or pseudo-random algorithms.

7. The method of any one of the preceding claims wherein the authenticity of the article (1) is checked when the container (4) is opened.

8. The method of any one of the preceding claims wherein each article (1) is individually packaged in a package and wherein the article number (3) is at- tached to the package.

9. The method of any one of the preceding claims wherein the container numbers (5) and correspond- ing article numbers (3) are recorded when placing the articles (1) in the container (4), wherein the container and article numbers (5, 3) are then transferred to the database (11) .

10. The method of any one of the preceding claims wherein the container number (5) and/or the article number (3) is/are placed on a seal (2, 6, 8), which seal must be broken for accessing the article (1) and/or insides of the container (4), respectively.

11. The method of any one of the preceding claims wherein a plurality of containers (4) is placed in super-containers (7), wherein a unique super-container number (9) is affixed to each super-container (7) and registered in said database (11) .

12. The method of any one of the preceding claims wherein each article (1) comprises a plurality of items, each item carrying an item number, wherein an algorithm is used for generating an item number from an article number.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein the algorithm is one-directional and does not a allow to derive an article number from an item number.

14. The methods of any one of the claims 12 or 13 wherein said algorithm is used for checking if a given item number belongs to a given article number.

15. The method of any one of the claims 12 to 14 wherein the items are cigarette packets and each article contains a plurality of cigarette packets.

16. The method of any of the preceding claims wherein said article number and said container number are encoded using different encoding schemes, in particular different barcode encoding schemes.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein said article number is encoded using a two-dimensionally modu- lated graphical pattern while said container number is encoded using a linear barcode.

18. The method of any one of the claims 16 to 17 wherein said container number is encoded using a UPC or EAN barcode, in particular UCC/EAN 128.

19. The method of any one of the preceding claims further comprising the steps of receiving through said communication network information indicating that a given article has been removed from its container and storing said information in said database (11), and receiving through said communication network information indicating that said given article has been placed in a new container and storing the container number of said new container for said given article.

20. The method of any of the preceding claims comprising the steps of storing in said database (11), for each article (1), at least one attribute besides its article and container numbers, receiving through said communication network a communication comprising the container number and a new value for said attribute, and setting, in response to said communication, in said database (11) the attribute for each article (1) in the container (4) with the given container number to said new value.

21. The method of any of the preceding claims wherein, when said article (1) is being placed in its container (4) , said article number and said container number are read from said article and said container and fed to said database (11) .

22. The method of any of the preceding claims wherein path information is stored in the record of each article, wherein said path information comprises at least one of the following a history of the path of said article through said distribution network, a desired path of said article through said distribution network, and/or a target market of said article.

23. The method of any of the preceding claims comprising the step of recording each request of data from the database by storing information regarding the identity of the origin of the request.

24. The method of any of the preceding claims comprising the steps counting, in said database, a number of requests for information regarding a given type of article.

25. The method of claim 24 comprising the step of counting the number of requests for the given type of article from a given area, in particular for de- termining the number of observations of a given article type in said area.

26. The method of any of the preceding claims comprising the steps of shipping an article or container through cus- toms, providing a shipment document, in particular a bill of lading, with items of information describing the shipped article or container, sending, to said database, an identifier of said shipment document or an article or container number listed on said shipment document, receiving, from said database, information on said article or container suitable for comparison with at least one of said items of information listed on said document.