Method for managing life cycles and system for the same

Abstract

A method and system for managing the overall life cycle of a product from its manufacture to its destruction or recycling. To the product is affixed a storage medium storing a product identifier uniquely identifying the product and information about the parts that are contained in the product. At each site that the product passes through during its life cycle, product life cycle information is recorded in the storage medium affixed to the product. When the product is to be destroyed or recycled, the information stored in the recording medium is used to determine the method for destroying or recycling. The product is then destroyed or recycled according to this method.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . A life cycle managing method for managing a life cycle of a product from production to destruction comprising the steps of: 
 affixing a storage medium onto said product, said storage medium storing a product identifier uniquely identifying said product and information about parts of said product;    storing in said storage medium information relating to a product life cycle at each site that said product passes through during said life cycle; and    performing destruction of said product based on information recorded in said storage medium when said product is destroyed.    
     
     
         2 . A life cycle managing method as described in  claim 1  wherein said affixing step includes a step for storing information for determining a destruction method for said product in said storage medium.  
     
     
         3 . A life cycle managing method as described in  claim 2  further comprising a step for providing a disposal database accessible from at least a site where said destruction of said product is performed, said disposal database containing a destruction method for at least a portion of said parts in said product, said information for determining a destruction method for said product including information for accessing said destruction method stored in said disposal database.  
     
     
         4 . A life cycle managing method as described in  claim 3  wherein said step for performing said destruction includes: 
 a step for acquiring said information for determining a destruction method from said storage medium;  
 a step for acquiring said destruction method by accessing said disposal database using access information contained in said acquired information for determining a destruction method; and  
 a step for destroying said product using said acquired destruction method.  
 
     
     
         5 . A life cycle managing method as described in  claim 2  wherein said step for performing said destruction includes: 
 a step for acquiring said information for determining a destruction method from said storage medium;  
 a step for determining a destruction method for said product based on said acquired information for determining a destruction method; and  
 a step for destroying said product using said determined destruction method.  
 
     
     
         6 . A life cycle managing method as described in  claim 1  further comprising the steps of: 
 acquiring operating conditions of a product using means for measuring operating conditions disposed on said product; and  
 recording information representing said operating conditions in said recording medium.  
 
     
     
         7 . A life cycle managing method as described in  claim 6  wherein said destroying step includes a step for determining a destruction method for said product using information representing said operating conditions recorded in said storage medium.  
     
     
         8 . A life cycle managing method as described in  claim 1  wherein said step for recording information about said life cycle, includes a step for recording site information used to identify said sites in recording medium.  
     
     
         9 . A life cycle managing method as described in  claim 1  wherein said step for recording information about said life cycle includes a step for recording information about said product passing through a site into a product life cycle database installed at said site.  
     
     
         10 . A life cycle managing system for managing a life cycle of a product from production to destruction/recycling of said product comprising: 
 a storage medium affixed to said product and storing a product identifier uniquely identifying said product and information about parts contained in said product; and    a plurality of management systems installed at sites involved in a flow of said product from production to destruction of said product and, as said product passes through a site, storing into said storage medium information about said site.    
     
     
         11 . A life cycle managing system as described in  claim 10  wherein said storage medium is an IC card storage medium allowing data to be read and written without contact.  
     
     
         12 . A life cycle managing system as described in  claim 11  wherein said information from the passage, of said product through a site includes an identifier identifying said site.  
     
     
         13 . A life cycle managing system as described in  claim 11  further comprising a plurality of product life cycle databases installed in said plurality of management systems and storing information about the passage of said product through each site at which said management system is installed.  
     
     
         14 . A life cycle, managing system as described in  claim 13  further comprising a network connecting said plurality of management systems.  
     
     
         15 . A life cycle managing system as described in  claim 14  wherein said storage medium includes, as information about said parts, information used to determine destruction or recycling methods for said parts.  
     
     
         16 . A life cycle managing system as described in  claim 15  further comprising: 
 a disposal database containing, for each of said parts contained in said product, information representing destruction or recycling methods for said parts; and  
 said information in said storage medium used to determine said disposal method includes information for accessing said disposal database.  
 
     
     
         17 . A life cycle managing system as described in  claim 16  wherein said management system installed at said site where said product is destroyed or recycled includes means for acquiring information representing said disposal method stored in said disposal database by acquiring from said storage medium information for accessing said disposal database.