GTIN Domain Name Resolution for Pharmaceutical Supply Chains
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing systems fail to effectively manage pharmaceutical drug supply chains by uniquely identifying and tracking drug products using Global Trade Item Numbers (GTINs) on the internet, lacking a standardized method to resolve GTINs as domain names for efficient inventory management and information retrieval.
Innovation Solution
A system and method are introduced to resolve GTINs as domain names in the format GTIN.gTLD, utilizing a single registrant gTLD registry database and DNS to associate GTINs with IP addresses, enabling scanning and URL creation for direct internet access, and incorporating GS1 compliant parameters for additional information retrieval.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If GTINs are used to uniquely identify drug products in the supply chain, then product identification accuracy is improved, but the ability to access and retrieve product information on the internet is worsened due to lack of domain name resolution capability
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a domain name system intermediary that bridges GTINs and internet resources. By registering GTINs as domain names (GTIN.gTLD), the system creates an intermediary layer that translates numeric GTINs into human-readable web addresses, enabling both precise identification and easy information retrieval through standard web protocols
Solution Approach 2:
The patent makes GTINs multi-functional by serving both as traditional product identification codes and as domain names for internet access. This universal approach allows the same GTIN to fulfill identification purposes while simultaneously enabling web-based information retrieval, eliminating the need for separate systems
2Ease of operation
If traditional domain name registration systems are used for GTINs, then internet accessibility is improved, but the uniqueness and supply chain tracking capabilities are worsened due to lack of standardized GTIN integration
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the parameter of domain name registration from using traditional descriptive names to using GTINs directly as the domain identifier. This parameter change ensures that the domain name system adopts the existing standardized GTIN format, maintaining product identification accuracy while enabling internet accessibility
3Productivity
If GTINs are scanned from drug product labels, then inventory tracking is improved, but the ability to directly access product information on the internet is worsened due to lack of URL generation capability
Solution Approach 1:
The patent performs preliminary action by pre-registering GTINs as domain names in the domain name system before they are needed for information retrieval. This ensures that when GTINs are scanned from labels, the corresponding domain names are already ready and can be immediately resolved to provide product information without additional registration steps
Data Source
AI summary
To address the challenges with managing a pharmaceutical drug supply chain, a system for GTIN resolving domain names in the format GTIN.gTLD, or similar, is described herein, including the functionality of a single registrant gTLD registry database adapted to contain one or more second-level domains including the GTIN, and a DNS adapted to resolve one or more nameservers retrieved from the registry database.