Track and Trace System Using Encrypted Code Lookup Tables
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional track and trace systems face performance bottlenecks when managing large numbers of unique codes, particularly in generating and verifying code uniqueness, leading to unpredictable system response times and inadequate management of index data.
Innovation Solution
A computer-implemented system and method using unique codes encrypted with a key, where the codes are marked on items and decrypted to obtain references for tracking records, allowing for a flexible, distributed system architecture that eliminates the need for database storage and primary key checks, enabling scalable and secure tracking and tracing.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional database systems are used to store and manage unique codes, then code uniqueness can be controlled through primary key checks, but system response time becomes unpredictable and inadequate when managing large numbers of codes
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the code storage function from the database system by using a separate lookup table that maps codes to storage locations. This allows the database to focus solely on uniqueness control through the lookup table mechanism, eliminating the need for complex primary key checks on large datasets and improving response time while maintaining reliability.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a lookup table as an intermediary between the code generation system and the database. This lookup table stores code-to-storage-location mappings, allowing the system to verify uniqueness and retrieve storage locations without directly querying the main database for each code, thereby reducing response time while ensuring code uniqueness.
2Loss of information
If database systems store all unique codes to enable tracking, then complete tracking history can be maintained, but system complexity and data management burden increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the code storage function from the main database by using a separate lookup table. This allows the system to maintain complete tracking history through the lookup table while reducing the complexity of managing large-scale database operations, as the lookup table provides efficient code-to-storage-location mapping without requiring complex queries.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent segments the data management system into distinct components: a lookup table for code-to-storage-location mappings and a database for tracking records. This segmentation allows each component to be optimized independently, reducing overall system complexity while maintaining complete tracking capability.
3Reliability
If the system stores all tracking records for every item, then complete traceability is achieved, but storage requirements and system resource consumption increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements dynamic tracking where records are created and stored only when items are scanned at specific locations (e.g., entry/exit points, transfer points). This dynamic approach ensures complete traceability for tracked items while avoiding unnecessary storage of records for items that never enter the controlled environment, thereby reducing storage requirements.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent performs preliminary actions by pre-configuring the lookup table with code-to-storage-location mappings before items enter the tracking system. This allows the system to efficiently determine where to store tracking records without needing to store all possible tracking scenarios, reducing storage requirements while maintaining traceability.
Data Source
AI summary
A system and method for tracking and tracing items that in one aspect comprises generating a group of unique codes, where a unique code is a unique encrypted reference, transferring the group of unique codes to an item marking location, marking items with the unique codes. Further, for tracking the items, decrypting the unique codes of a marked item to obtain the unique reference, and creating and storing the tracking records in a unique storage location, where the unique reference refers to the unique storage location. A tree structure resembling the packaging hierarchy is disclosed, where the nodes are referenced by the unique reference, and tracing of entire sub-trees may be performed by entering a unique code. Storage locations and sub-trees may be assigned to tracking cells in a distributed system architecture.