Systems and Methods for Secure Supply Chain Management and Inventory Control

Abstract

Systems for encoding and reading RFID tags on a collection of items are shown. One embodiment of the invention includes a plurality of items, where each item possesses an item identifier string, and a plurality of RFID tags, where an RFID tag is affixed to each of the items and each RFID tag is encoded with a code word element generated using at least all of the item identifier strings. In many embodiments, the collection is a plurality of goods contained within a case, pallet, container or storage area.

1 . A collection, comprising:
 a plurality of items, where each item possesses an item identifier string; and   a plurality of RFID tags, where an RFID tag is affixed to each of the items and each RFID tag is encoded with a code word element generated using at least all of the item identifier strings.   
     
     
         2 . The collection of  claim 1 , wherein a subset of the code word elements contain information indicative of all of the item identifier strings. 
     
     
         3 . The collection of  claim 1 , wherein all of the code word elements form a code word that comprises:
 information indicative of all of the item identifier strings; and   error correction code.   
     
     
         4 . The collection of  claim 3 , wherein the code word further comprises manifest information. 
     
     
         5 . The collection of  claim 3 , wherein the information indicative of all of the item identifier strings is a compressed set of item identifier strings, where the set of item identifier strings is formed from the item identifier strings of all of the items in the collection. 
     
     
         6 . The collection of  claim 5 , wherein the error correction code is derived by applying error correction coding to the information indicative of all of the item identifier strings. 
     
     
         7 . The collection of  claim 5 , wherein the information indicative of all of the item identifier strings is encrypted. 
     
     
         8 . The collection of  claim 5 , wherein the code word is interleaved in accordance with an interleaver defined by a pseudo-random key. 
     
     
         9 . The collection of  claim 8 , further comprising a collection RFID tag encoded with an encrypted copy of the pseudo-random key. 
     
     
         10 . The collection of  claim 1 , wherein:
 each item identifier string includes an item sequence number for the item; and   each RFID tag is encoded with the item sequence number of the item to which the RFID tag is attached in addition to the code word element.   
     
     
         11 . The collection of  claim 10 , wherein:
 the collection possesses a collection serial number; and   the RFID tag on each item in the collection is encoded with the collection serial number in addition to a code word element and an item sequence number.   
     
     
         12 . The collection of  claim 11 , wherein each RFID tag is also encoded with information identifying the item to which the RFID tag is attached in addition to a code word element. 
     
     
         13 . A method of producing RFID tags for identifying a collection of items, where each item is identified by an item identifier string, comprising:
 creating a set of identifier strings using the item identifier strings of all of the items in the collection;   generating a code word using at least the set of identifier strings;   breaking the code word into a number of code word elements equal to the number of items in the collection; and   using each code word element to encode a separate RFID tag.   
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein the code word is generated using at least the set of identifier strings and manifest information. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein generating a code word using the set of identifier strings further comprises:
 compressing the set of identifier strings; and   adding error correction code to the compressed set of item identifier strings.   
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein generating a code word using the set of identifier strings further comprises encrypting the compressed set of identifier strings and error correction code. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein generating a code word using the set of identifier strings further comprises interleaving the compressed set of identifier strings and error correction code using an interleaver defined by a pseudo-random key. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 17 , further comprising encrypting the pseudo-random key. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 13 , further comprising:
 assigning a serial number to the collection of items; and   encoding each RFID tag with a unique word generated using at least the serial number of the collection of items and an item sequence number included in the item identifier string of the item for which the RFID tag is produced.   
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein the unique word further comprises error correction code.