Computer program product, system and methods for tracking supply chain items

Abstract

The present inventive subject matter relates to a computer program product, system and method which allows multiple parties to monitor items in a supply chain via a network.

1 - 29 . (canceled)  
     
     
         30 . A computer program product, tangibly embodied in an information carrier, for use in a commercial data processing environment where the environment includes multiple enterprises in a supply chain, the computer program product being operable to cause data processing apparatus to: 
 provide the enterprises with real-time visibility of the disposition of items in the supply chain, by: 
 (i) receiving from a first enterprise multiple instances of tag-read-data, each instance including information read from a tag bound to an item, the information read including a unique tag identifier read automatically from the tag, each instance also including a location of the corresponding tag and its bound item when the tag identifier was read from the tag, the location including a latitude and a longitude, the multiple instances of tag-read-data received from the first enterprise collectively including information read from tags bound to multiple items;  
 (ii) using the tag-read-data received from the first enterprise to maintain disposition information for the items;  
 (iii) receiving from a second enterprise multiple instances of second tag-read-data, each instance including information read from a tag bound to an item, the item being either the same or not the same as the item for which tan-read-data was received from the first enterprise, the information read including a unique tag identifier read automatically from the tag, each instance also including a location of the corresponding tag and its bound item when the tag identifier was read from the tag, the location including a latitude and a longitude, the multiple instances of tag-read-data received from the second enterprise collectively including information read from tags bound to at least one of the multiple items;  
 (iv) using the tag-read-data received from the second enterprise to maintain disposition information for the items, where tag-read-data received from either enterprise for a particular item is used to update the disposition information; and  
 (v) making the disposition information visible to the multiple enterprises in the supply chain, including the first and second enterprises.  
   
     
     
         31 . The product of  claim 30 , wherein the computer program product is further operable to: 
 (a) receive from a third enterprise multiple instances of third tag-read-data, each instance including information read from a tag bound to an item, the information read including a unique tag identifier read automatically from the tag, each instance also including a location of the corresponding tag and its bound item when the tag identifier was read from the tag, the multiple instances of tag-read-data received from the third enterprise collectively including information read from tags bound to at least one of the multiple items; and    (b) use the tag-read-data received from the third enterprise to maintain disposition information for the items, where tag-read-data received from any enterprise for a particular item is used to update the disposition information.    
     
     
         32 . The product of  claim 30 , wherein the tags bound to the multiple items include radio frequency identification (RFID) tags.  
     
     
         33 . The product of  claim 32 , wherein each RFID tag has an electronic product code (ePC) as the unique tag identifier.  
     
     
         34 . The product of  claim 30 , wherein: 
 (a) the visibility is controlled visibility; and    (b) the product is further operable to:    (i) receive authorization information indicating the extent to which the disposition information should be made visible to a particular enterprise within the supply chain; and    (ii) make visible to the particular enterprise only the disposition information which is permitted by the authorization information.    
     
     
         35 . The product of  claim 34 , wherein: 
 (a) the disposition information includes a plurality of item attributes; and    (b) the authorization information specifies, for at least one of the item attributes, the enterprises to which the item attribute can be made visible.    
     
     
         36 . The product of  claim 30 , wherein: 
 (a) the multiple enterprises include a source enterprise and a destination enterprise;    (b) the source enterprise has an order document for an order placed by the destination enterprise and a shipping document for a physical shipment of goods prepared to satisfy the order placed by the destination enterprise;    (c) visibility includes visibility of relationships between the tag-read-data and business documents including the order document and the shipping document; and    (d) providing the enterprises with real-time visibility of the disposition of items further includes: 
 (i) receiving shipping information including the following: tag identifiers for items corresponding to goods in the shipment; information associating each tag identifier with a shipment number for the shipping document, and information associating the shipment number with an order number for the order document;  
 (ii) correlating the tag-read-data with the shipping information; and  
 (iii) making the correlations available to the destination enterprise such that the destination enterprise can use a tag identifier for an item in the shipment to confirm the shipment.  
   
     
     
         37 . A system operating in conjunction with multiple enterprises in a supply chain, comprising: 
 (a) a receiver for receiving from a first enterprise multiple instances of tag-read-data, each instance including information read from a tag bound to an item, the information read including a unique tag identifier read automatically from the tag, each instance also including a location of the corresponding tag and its bound item when the tag identifier was read from the tag, the location including a latitude and a longitude, the multiple instances of tag-read-data received from the first enterprise collectively including information read from tags bound to multiple items;    (b) one or more computers for using the tag-read-data received from the first enterprise to maintain disposition information for the items;    (c) a receiver for receiving from a second enterprise multiple instances of second tag-read-data, each instance including information read from a tag bound to an item, the item being either the same or not the same as the item for which tag-read-data was received from the first enterprise, the information read including a unique tag identifier read automatically from the tag, each instance also including a location of the corresponding tag and its bound item when the tag identifier was read from the tag, the location including a latitude and a longitude, the multiple instances of tag-read-data received from the second enterprise collectively including information read from tags bound to at least one of the multiple items;    (d) one or more computers for using the tag-read-data received from the second enterprise to maintain disposition information for the items, where tag-read-data received from either enterprise for a particular item is used to update the disposition information; and    (e) at least one interface for making the disposition information visible to the multiple enterprises in the supply chain, including the first and second enterprises.    
     
     
         38 . The system of  claim 37 , further comprising: 
 (i) a receiver for receiving from a third enterprise multiple instances of third tag-read-data, each instance including information read from a tag bound to an item, the information read including a unique tag identifier read automatically from the tag, each instance also including a location of the corresponding tag and its bound item when the tag identifier was read from the tag, the multiple instances of tag-read-data received from the third enterprise collectively including information read from tags bound to at least one of the multiple items; and    (ii) one or more computers for using the tag-read-data received from the third enterprise to maintain disposition information for the items, where tag-read-data received from any enterprise for a particular item is used to update the disposition information.    
     
     
         39 . The system of  claim 37 , wherein the tags bound to the multiple items include radio frequency identification (RFID) tags.  
     
     
         40 . The system of  claim 39 , wherein each RFID tag has an electronic product code (ePC) as the unique tag identifier.  
     
     
         41 . The system of  claim 37 , wherein: 
 (a) the visibility is controlled visibility; and    (b) the system further comprises:    (i) a receiver for receiving authorization information indicating the extent to which the disposition information should be made visible to a particular enterprise within the supply chain; and    (ii) one or more computers for making visible to the particular enterprise only the disposition information which is permitted by the authorization information.    
     
     
         42 . The system of  claim 41 , wherein: 
 (1) the disposition information includes a plurality of item attributes; and    (2) the authorization information specifies, for at least one of the item attributes, the enterprises to which the item attribute can be made visible.    
     
     
         43 . The system of  claim 37 , wherein: 
 (a) the multiple enterprises include a source enterprise and a destination enterprise;    (b) the source enterprise has an order document for an order placed by the destination enterprise and a shipping document for a physical shipment of goods prepared to satisfy the order placed by the destination enterprise;    (c) visibility includes visibility of relationships between the tag-read-data and business documents including the order document and the shipping document; and    (d) the one or more computers for providing the enterprises with real-time visibility of the disposition of items further include: 
 (i) an interface for receiving shipping information including the following information: 
 (1) tag identifiers for items corresponding to goods in the shipment,  
 (2) information associating each tag identifier with a shipment number for the shipping document, and  
 (3) information associating the shipment number with an order number for the order document;  
 
 (ii) one or more computers for correlating the tag-read-data with the shipping information; and  
 (iii) an interface for making the correlations available to the destination enterprise such that the destination enterprise can use a tag identifier for an item in the shipment to confirm the shipment.  
   
     
     
         44 . A method for use in a commercial data processing environment that includes multiple enterprises in a supply chain, comprising: 
 (a) receiving from a first enterprise multiple instances of tag-read-data, each instance including information read from a tag bound to an item, the information read including a unique tag identifier read automatically from the tag, each instance also including a location of the corresponding tag and its bound item when the tag identifier was read from the tag, the location including a latitude and longitude, the multiple instances of tag-read-data received from the first enterprise collectively including information read from tags bound to multiple items;    (b) using the tag-read-data received from the first enterprise to maintain disposition information for the items;    (c) receiving from a second enterprise multiple instances of second tag-read-data, each instance including information read from a tag bound to an item, the item being either the same or not the same as the item for which tag-read-data was received from the same enterprise, the information read including a unique tag identifier read automatically from the tag, each instance also including a location of the corresponding tag and its bound item when the tag identifier was read from the tag, the location including a latitude and longitude, the multiple instances of tag-read-data received from the second enterprise collectively including information read from tags bound to at least one of the multiple items;    (d) using the tag-read-data received from the second enterprise to maintain disposition information for the items, where tag-read-data received from either enterprise for a particular item is used to update the disposition information; and    (e) making the disposition information visible to the multiple enterprises in the supply chain, including the first and second enterprises.