Method and apparatus for storage of data for tracking manufactured items

1. A method for generating and storing tracking data for manufactured items in a batch of manufactured items, the method comprising the steps of:

at a production line:

generating a unique identifier for each item, the unique identifier comprising production details and a counter value of an incremental counter, wherein an item comprises an individual product or a package containing a plurality of products, and wherein a plurality of items is packaged in a carton and a plurality of cartons are packaged in a shipping case; and

applying to each item the corresponding unique identifier, applying to each carton a unique carton identifier containing product details, and applying to each shipping case a unique shipping case identifier;

correlating the items and cartons allocated to each shipping case by:

reading the unique identifiers associated with each item in the batch of the items and reading the unique carton identifiers to provide a list of read identifiers, wherein at least some unread counter values of the incremental counter, that are not associated with the items in the batch or not successfully read, are not in the list of read identifiers; and

linking the unique identifiers for the items with corresponding unique carton identifiers, linking unique carton identifiers with corresponding unique shipping case identifiers, and linking unique shipping case identifiers with corresponding unique carton identifiers of all the cartons contained in a given shipping case;

for all the items in a shipping case and for each shipping case identifier, generating a plurality of ranges of read carton identifiers where unread counter values of the incremental counter, that are not associated with the items in the batch or not successfully read, are put together for each shipping case and a plurality of ranges of read item identifiers where unread counter values of the incremental counter, that are not associated with the items in the batch or not successfully read, are put together for each carton, each range comprising a number of read identifiers having common production details and sequential counter values; and

storing, in an electronic database, the plurality of ranges of read carton identifiers having common production details as a single data record and the plurality of ranges of read item identifiers having common production details as a single data record, at least one of the single data records comprising: the production details, an indication of each of the ranges of sequential counter values, and at least one of:

counter values that are not associated with the items in the batch or not successfully read, but which are between the counter values contained in the ranges of the single data record, and

a count of unread counter values of the incremental counter that are not associated with the items in the batch or not successfully read.

2. A method according to claim 1 , wherein the production details comprise a production time.

3. A method according to claim 1 , wherein the production details comprise a production location or a location of an apparatus that generates unique identifiers.

4. A method for tracking an item having a unique identifier generated and stored in accordance with claim 1 , comprising the steps of:

reading the unique identifier associated with the item;

extracting the production details from the unique identifier; and

extracting data records having matching production details from the electronic database.

5. A method according to claim 4 , further comprising identifying the unique identifier from the data records having matching production details.

6. A method according to claim 4 , further comprising the steps of recording the location of the item where the step of reading is performed and storing the location in the electronic database.

7. A method according to claim 1 , wherein, prior to generating a plurality of ranges of read carton identifiers and a plurality of ranges of read item identifiers, reordering the data to put together the counter values that are not associated with the items in the batch or not successfully read.

8. Apparatus for generating and storage of tracking data for manufactured items in a batch of manufactured items comprising:

at a production line, means for generating a unique identifier for each item, the unique identifier comprising production details and a counter value of an incremental counter, wherein an item comprises an individual product or a package containing a plurality of products, and wherein a plurality of items is packaged in a carton and a plurality of cartons are packaged in a shipping case;

at the production line, means for applying to each item the corresponding unique identifier for associating each item with the corresponding unique identifier, applying to each carton a unique identifier containing product details, and applying to each shipping case a unique shipping case identifier;

reading means for reading the unique identifiers associated with each item in the batch of the items to provide a list of read identifiers, reading the unique identifiers associated with cartons to provide a list of read identifiers, and reading the unique identifiers associated with shipping cases to provide a list of read identifiers, wherein at least some unread counter values of the incremental counter, that are not associated with the items in the batch or not successfully read, are not in the list of read identifiers;

processing means for generating, for each shipping case identifier, a plurality of ranges of read carton identifiers where unread counter values of the incremental counter, that are not associated with the items in the batch or not successfully read, are put together for each shipping case and a plurality of ranges of read item identifiers where unread counter values of the incremental counter, that are not associated with the items in the batch or not successfully read, are put together for each carton, each range comprising a number of read identifiers having common production details and sequential counter values; and

memory means for hosting an electronic database storing the plurality of ranges of read carton identifiers having common production details as a single data record and storing the plurality of ranges of read item identifiers having common production details as a single data record, at least one of the single data records comprising: the production details, an indication of each of the ranges of sequential counter values, and at least one of:

counter values that are not associated with the items in the batch or not successfully read, but which are between the counter values contained in the ranges of the single data record, and

a count of unread a count of unread counter values of the incremental counter that are not associated with the items in the batch or not successfully read.

9. Apparatus according to claim 8 , wherein the production details comprise a production time.

10. Apparatus according to claim 8 , wherein the production details comprise a production location or a location of an apparatus that generates unique identifiers.

11. A system for generating and storing data for manufactured items in a batch of manufactured items comprising:

at a production line, a code generator adapted and configured to create a unique identifier for each item, the unique identifier comprising production details and a counter value of an incremental counter, wherein an item comprises an individual product or a package containing a plurality of products, and wherein a plurality of items is packaged in a carton and a plurality of cartons are packaged in a shipping case;

at the production line, a labeler constructed to apply to each item the corresponding unique identifier, apply to each carton a unique carton identifier containing product details, and apply to each shipping a case a unique shipping case identifier;

a code reader constructed to read the unique identifiers associated with each item in the batch of the items to provide a list of read identifiers, read the unique identifiers associated with cartons, and read the unique identifiers associated with shipping cases, wherein at least some unread counter values of the incremental counter, that are not associated with the items in the batch or not successfully read, are not in the list of read identifiers;

a processor operably coupled to the code reader and configured to generate, for each shipping case identifier, a plurality of ranges of read carton identifiers where unread counter values of the incremental counter, that are not associated with the items in the batch or not successfully read, are put together for each shipping case and a plurality of ranges of read item identifiers where unread counter values of the incremental counter, that are not associated with the items in the batch or not successfully read, are put together for each carton, each range comprising a number of read identifiers having common production details and sequential counter values, and to compress a plurality of ranges into a single data record, the single data record comprising the production details, an indication of each of the ranges of sequential counter values, and at least one of:

counter values that are not associated with the items in the batch or not successfully read, but which are between the counter values contained in the ranges of the single data record, and

a count of unread counter values of the incremental counter that are not associated with the items in the batch or not successfully read; and

a memory comprising an electronic database adapted and configured to store the single data record.

12. The system of claim 11 , wherein the labeler is a printer or a label applicator.

13. The system of claim 11 , wherein code generator is a bar code generator.

14. The system of claim 11 , wherein the code reader comprises an optical scanner.