GPS World, August 2009

TRANSPORTATION Freight Tracking Producer ID 1 P 1 T 1 Value added Reseller ID 2 P 2 T 2 Export Customs ID L P L T L GNSS Tracking ID G P G T G Import Customs ID M P M T M Logistics ID M 1 P M 1 T M 1 Store ID M 2 P M 2 T M 2 Consumer ID N P N T N p TABLE 2 Tracking method ber are assigned by an authorized agency The producer adds or writes Product ID Position Time to Information A field of the chips user data Value Added Reseller This goods handler which may include a warehouse adds value added ID position time to Information B field of the microchips user data Export Customs Export customs reads tracking data from the microchip and adds an authorized ID position time to Information D field GNSS Area Trans shipment brings the goods into the GNSS area proper where an onboard GNSS receiver RFID writer stores position and time to Information C field perhaps with updates as often as every 30 minutes continuously repeated Import Customs Import customs reads current data and adds authorized import data to Information E field Domestic Logistics This is similar to the trans shipment stage described earlier Store When the material reaches its end destination the recipient whether a store owner or other type of manager can with his or her RFID terminal read the μ Chip Hibiki stamp data and verify if this is indeed the exact unique and proper item he or she expects to receive including country ID serial number and all tracking data from interim points A B C D and E that have been added to the μ Chip Hibiki with position and time stamp data If the data is vague or does not match expectations the merchant can refuse the shipment or at least not put it on immediate display for sale pending investigation Consumer Purchasers potentially may also be able to check the food or other goods to see if they agree with its provenance freshness or other data either with terminals of their own or by the merchant printing out the position and time data enabling customers to know they are buying secure and safe products Product Lifecycle Tracking As shown in TABLE 2 three tracking elements ID position time are crucial for system continuity During the products lifecycle from producer to consumer these three elements will answer these questions What is it Where is it When did it arrive In the case of repackaging at a valueadded reseller the data will show the relation between food itself ID1 and the food cover box or container IDi then the next set of data IDi 1 Pi 1 Ti 1 shows the time domain relationship and p FIGURE 3 Update flowchart update of the same product as indicated in FIGURE 3 Conclusion In proposing this basic concept of seamless tracking technology we have outlined the equipment system and methodology integrating identifi cation communication and position time functions This approach can solve the current problems of uncertainness of tracking route the lack of visibility and quality control of the tracking route from export country to import country through checkpoints such as immigration customs and means of transportation the lack of certification of the route and the lack of authorized agency certification Acknowledgments We thank Mr Shigeru Matsuoka of SPAC and Dr Ryo Imura of the University of Tokyo for support and comments on our research KOICHI CHINO is a visiting researcher at Center for Spatial Information Science University of Tokyo He is also a senior manager at Hitachi Information Control Solutions Ltd He received an M Sc in computer science with focus in networking research from University of California Berkeley DINESH MANANDHAR is a visiting researcher at Center for Spatial Information Science He is also a senior researcher at GNSS Technologies Inc He received a Ph D from the University of Tokyo RYOSUKE SHIBASAKI is a professor at the University of Tokyo and director of the Center for Spatial Information Science He received a doctoral degree in civil engineering from the University of Tokyo 3XOVH HDGHU LQ QWHQQDV IRU 7HOHPDWLFV SSOLFDWLRQV URP YHKLFXODU PRXQW DQWHQQDV WR HPEHGGHG FHUDPLF FKLS VROXWLRQV 3XOVH KDV WKH ULJKW DQWHQQD IRU RXU DSSOLFDWLRQ 9LVLW RXU ZHE VLWH DW ZZZ SXOVHHQJ FRP DQWHQQDV GPS World August 2009 www gpsworld com 34