Tracking code generation, application, and verification using blockchain technology
Use of a blockchain distributed ledger to manage tracking code and physical article lifecycle. A first peer generates a cryptographic key for each of a plurality of peers, each key enabling a peer to access the distributed ledger. The first peer also generates a plurality of tracking codes and inserts first block(s) onto the distributed ledger that initiate a lifecycle for each code and make each code visible to the peers. A second peer imprints each code onto a corresponding physical article, inserts second block(s) onto the distributed ledger recording this imprinting, and inserts third block(s) onto the distributed ledger indicating that custody of the tracking codes has been transferred to a third peer. The third peer inserts fourth block(s) onto the distributed ledger indicating that receipt of custody of the tracking codes and their corresponding physical articles from the second peer has been confirmed by the third peer.
1. A computing system that uses a blockchain distributed ledger to manage tracking code and physical article lifecycle, the computing system comprising a plurality of peer computer systems, each peer computer system comprising one or more corresponding processors and storing at least a portion of the blockchain distributed ledger, the plurality of peer computer systems including at least:
a first peer computer system that:
generates at least one cryptographic key for each of the plurality of peer computer systems, each cryptographic key enabling its corresponding peer computer system to view blocks on the blockchain distributed ledger and to insert blocks onto the blockchain distributed ledger; and
generates a plurality of tracking codes and inserts one or more first blocks including the plurality of tracking codes onto the blockchain distributed ledger, inserting the one or more first blocks onto the blockchain distributed ledger (i) initiating a lifecycle for each of the plurality of tracking codes, and (ii) making each of the plurality of tracking codes visible to the plurality of peer computer systems; and
a second peer computer system that:
imprints each of the plurality of tracking codes onto a corresponding physical article; and
inserts one or more second blocks onto the blockchain distributed ledger recording the imprinting of each of the plurality of tracking codes onto its corresponding physical article; and
inserts one or more third blocks onto the blockchain distributed ledger indicating that custody of the plurality of tracking codes and their corresponding physical articles has been transferred to a third peer computer system; and
the third peer computer system that:
inserts one or more fourth blocks onto the blockchain distributed ledger indicating that receipt of custody of the plurality of tracking codes and their corresponding physical articles from the second peer computer system has been confirmed by the third peer computer system.
2. The computing system of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of tracking codes includes at least one group tracking code and a plurality of unit tracking codes that are part of the group tracking code, and in which:
the second peer computer system imprinting each of the plurality of tracking codes onto a corresponding physical article includes:
imprinting the group tracking code onto a physical article comprising a container; and
imprinting each of the plurality of unit tracking codes onto a corresponding physical article that is placed within the container; and
the second peer computer system inserting one or more second blocks onto the blockchain distributed ledger recording the imprinting of each of the plurality of tracking codes onto its corresponding physical article includes the second peer computer system inserting at least one block onto the blockchain distributed ledger that confirms that the group tracking code and each of the plurality of unit tracking codes were properly imprinted onto their corresponding physical articles.
3. The computing system of claim 2 , wherein the second peer computer system inserting one or more second blocks onto the blockchain distributed ledger recording the imprinting of each of the plurality of tracking codes onto its corresponding physical article includes the second peer computer system inserting at least one block onto the blockchain distributed ledger that confirms that each physical article having one of the plurality of unit tracking codes imprinted thereon have been placed within the container.
4. The computing system of claim 1 , wherein the third peer computer system records one or more custody change events and/or one or more lifecycle events relating to the plurality of tracking codes by devices internal to the third peer within a private database at the third peer computer system.
5. The computing system of claim 1 , wherein the third peer computer system records one or more custody change events and/or one or more lifecycle events relating to the plurality of tracking codes by devices internal to the third peer within the blockchain distributed ledger.
6. The computing system of claim 1 , the plurality of peer computer systems also including a fourth peer computer system, and in which:
the third peer computer system inserts one or more fifth blocks onto the blockchain distributed ledger indicating that custody of the plurality of tracking codes and their corresponding physical articles has been transferred to the fourth peer computer system; and
the fourth inserts one or more sixth blocks onto the blockchain distributed ledger indicating that receipt of custody of the plurality of tracking codes and their corresponding physical articles from the third peer computer system has been confirmed by the fourth peer computer system.
7. The computing system of claim 6 , wherein the fourth peer computer system records one or more custody change events and/or one or more lifecycle events relating to the plurality of tracking codes by devices internal to the fourth peer within a private database at the third peer computer system or within the blockchain distributed ledger.
8. The computing system of claim 1 , wherein two or more of the plurality of peer computer systems participate in a private channel on the blockchain distributed ledger.
9. The computing system of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the plurality of peer computer systems participates in a smart contract when inserting a block onto the blockchain distributed ledger.
10. The computing system of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of tracking codes is a first plurality of native tracking codes, and wherein the third peer computer system:
requests a second plurality of native tracking codes from the first peer computer system; and
inserts one or more fifth blocks onto the blockchain distributed ledger indicating that the at least one of the second plurality of native tracking codes is associated with the at least one legacy tracking code associated with a physical article.
11. The computing system of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of tracking codes is a first plurality of tracking codes, and wherein the third peer computer system:
requests a second plurality of tracking codes from the first peer computer system, the second plurality of tracking codes including a group tracking code and a plurality of unit tracking codes that are associated with the group tracking code; and
inserts one or more fifth blocks onto the blockchain distributed ledger indicating that the plurality of unit tracking codes have been packaged within the group tracking code.
12. A computing system that uses a blockchain distributed ledger to manage tracking code and physical article lifecycle, including mapping legacy tracking codes to native tracking codes, the computing system comprising a plurality of peer computer systems, each peer computer system comprising one or more corresponding processors and storing at least a portion of the blockchain distributed ledger, the plurality of peer computer systems including at least:
a first peer computer system that:
generates a plurality of native tracking codes and inserts one or more first blocks including the plurality of native tracking codes onto the blockchain distributed ledger, inserting the one or more first blocks onto the blockchain distributed ledger (i) initiating a lifecycle for each of the plurality of native tracking codes, and (ii) making each of the plurality of native tracking codes visible to the plurality of peer computer systems; and
a second peer computer system that:
communicates the plurality of native tracking codes to an internal mobile device associated with the peer;
receives from the internal mobile device an association of at least one of the plurality of native tracking codes with at least one legacy tracking code associated with a physical article; and
inserts one or more second blocks onto the blockchain distributed ledger indicating that the at least one of the plurality of native tracking codes is associated with the at least one legacy tracking code associated with a physical article.
13. The computing system of claim 12 , wherein the plurality of native tracking codes include a group tracking code and a plurality of unit tracking codes, and wherein the at least one of the plurality of native tracking codes that is associated with the at least one legacy tracking code associated with the physical article is one of the plurality of unit tracking codes.
14. The computing system of claim 12 , wherein the plurality of native tracking codes include a group tracking code and a plurality of unit tracking codes, and wherein the second peer computer system inserts one or more third blocks onto the blockchain distributed ledger indicating that the plurality of unit tracking codes have been packaged into a container corresponding to the group tracking code.
15. The computing system of claim 14 , wherein the internal mobile device prints a label comprising the group tracking code.
16. A computing system that uses a blockchain distributed ledger to manage tracking code and physical article lifecycle, including managing a verified packaging, the computing system comprising a plurality of peer computer systems, each peer computer system comprising one or more corresponding processors and storing at least a portion of the blockchain distributed ledger, the plurality of peer computer systems including at least:
a first peer computer system that:
generates a plurality of tracking codes including a group tracking code and a plurality of unit tracking codes that are associated with the group tracking code; and
inserts one or more first blocks including the plurality of tracking codes onto the blockchain distributed ledger, inserting the one or more first blocks onto the blockchain distributed ledger (i) initiating a lifecycle for each of the plurality of tracking codes, and (ii) making each of the plurality of tracking codes visible to the plurality of peer computer systems; and
a second peer computer system that:
communicates the plurality of tracking codes to an internal mobile device associated with the peer;
receives from the internal mobile device:
a first indication that the group tracking code has been scanned by the internal mobile device to open the group tracking code;
one or more second indications that each of the plurality of unit tracking codes have been scanned by the internal mobile device as part of packaging articles associated with the plurality of unit tracking codes into a container associated with the group tracking code; and
a third indication that the group tracking code has been scanned by the internal mobile device to close the group tracking code after each of the plurality of unit tracking codes have been scanned; and
inserts one or more second blocks onto the blockchain distributed ledger indicating that the plurality of unit tracking codes have been packaged within the group tracking code.
17. The computing system of claim 16 , wherein the internal mobile device operates in an online mode, and the first, second, and third indications are received by the second peer computer system substantially in real-time as the internal mobile device scans the group tracking code and the plurality of unit tracking codes.
18. The computing system of claim 16 , wherein the internal mobile device operates in an offline mode, and the first, second, and third indications are received by the second peer computer system after closing of the group tracking code.
19. The computing system of claim 16 , wherein the second peer computer system receives from the internal mobile device an association between at least one legacy tracking code associated with a physical article and at least one of the plurality of unit tracking codes.
20. The computing system of claim 16 , wherein the internal mobile device prints a label comprising the group tracking code.