Product Passport System for Item-Specific Lifecycle Tracking
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current systems lack an efficient method to provide item-specific product information throughout the entire lifecycle of a product, from manufacture to disposal, leading to challenges in tracking ownership, location, and product authenticity.
Innovation Solution
A product information system utilizing a unique alphanumeric code associated with each product item, hosted within a product information server, which creates and manages product passports, enabling real-time tracking and verification of product information across the supply chain.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If a product information system uses a unique alphanumeric code and product passport for each individual product, then tracking precision and product authenticity verification are improved, but system complexity and data management requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system divides product information tracking into individual unit-level records, where each product receives a unique alphanumeric code and dedicated product passport. This segmentation enables precise tracking of each individual product through its lifecycle while maintaining organized, manageable data structures through standardized fields and categories.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a digital dimension by creating product passports that exist in both physical (attached to product) and digital (hosted on server) forms. This dual-dimensional approach enables comprehensive tracking across multiple layers: individual product level, batch level, and enterprise level, resolving the complexity through structured hierarchical organization.
2Reliability
If the system tracks detailed item-specific product information throughout the entire product lifecycle, then product authenticity and ownership tracking are improved, but information management overhead and processing time increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary actions by pre-assigning unique alphanumeric codes and creating product passport templates before products enter the supply chain. This advance preparation enables immediate tracking and verification operations without requiring complex processing during critical lifecycle events, thereby reducing processing time while maintaining high reliability.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses digital copies of product information stored in standardized passport formats on the information server. These digital replicas enable rapid retrieval and verification of product authenticity without requiring access to physical product documentation, significantly reducing verification processing time while maintaining accurate tracking.
3Ease of operation
If the product information system hosts comprehensive product data on a centralized server, then data accessibility and transaction transparency are improved, but network dependency and system vulnerability increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system introduces a centralized product information server as an intermediary between products, enterprises, and end users. This mediator consolidates product passport data and enables standardized information exchange across the supply chain, improving data accessibility and transaction transparency while providing a single point of control to manage and mitigate network-related vulnerabilities.
Solution Approach 2:
The product information server performs multiple functions: storing product passport data, verifying product authenticity, tracking ownership transfers, and providing information to authorized users. This multi-functional approach consolidates data accessibility needs into a single robust platform, reducing overall system vulnerability compared to distributed data storage while maintaining universal access for authorized entities.
Data Source
AI summary
A computer-implemented method of providing information about an individual product includes: using a product information server comprised in a product information system, deciding, by the product information system, using the product information server, an application by a system applicant applying to register as a system user of the product information system; creating, by the product information system, using the product information server, a product passport configured to provide item-specific product information regarding a unique individual product; populating the product passport, by the product information system, using the product information server, with item-specific product information regarding the product; receiving from a system user, by the product information system, using the product information server, a user request for item-specific product information regarding the product; providing, by the product information system, the item-specific product information to the system user; and recording, by the product information system, a product transaction involving the product.