Method and system for tracking a plurality of animals with a portable computing device
View Patent ↗A computer-implemented method and system for tracking near-field communication (NFC)-enabled animals with a portable computing device (PCD) (i.e. mobile phone) may include providing an NFC-tag comprising memory in which the memory contains a unique identifier. The NFC-tag may be coupled to an animal and then the NFC-tag may be scanned with the PCD. A tag identification server may determine if data from the NFC-tag exists in a database and then transmits an animal production facility identifier and one or more animal records associated with data from the NFC-tag from the tag identification server if the data from the NFC-tag exists in the database. Access to a secure memory area on the portable computing device containing a complete set of animal records for an entire animal facility may be granted if the software identifier matches the animal production facility identifier received from the tag identification server.
1. A computer-implemented method for tracking near-field communication (NFC)-enabled animals with a portable computing device (PCD), the computer-implemented method comprising:
providing an NFC-tag comprising memory, the memory containing a unique identifier; coupling the NFC-tag to an animal; scanning the NFC-tag with the PCD;
the PCD receiving tag information from the scan, the tag information comprising the unique identifier and a universal resource locater;
the PCD transmitting the URL over a communications network to a domain name service computer server;
the domain name service computer server transmitting over the communications network to the PCD an internet protocol address of a NFC-tag identification server assigned to the URL that was part of the tag information;
the PCD transmitting the tag info from the scan over the communications network to the NFC-tag identification server;
if the NFC-tag identification server is available, the NFC-tag identification server receives tag info and then transmits a message comprising a link to an on-line store where animal management software that may communicate with the NFC-tag may be purchased; the NFC-identification server is a first NFC-identification server,
if the first NFC-identification server is unavailable, then the first NFC-identification server transmits a redirect message over the communications network to the PCD, the redirect message causing the PCD to re-transmit the tag info to the domain name service server;
wherein the domain name service server receives the tag information and then reviews a list and identifies an internet protocol address for a second NFC-identification server assigned to the NFC-tag according to the sub-domain of the URL which is part of the tag information stored in the memory of the NFC-tag.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the on-line store is associated with a jurisdiction of the NFC-tag identification server.
3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the domain name service server transmits the internet protocol address for the second NFC-identification server over the communications network to the PCD.
4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the list comprises internet protocol addresses of a plurality of NFC-identification servers located in different countries.
5. The method of claim 4 , wherein a sequence in the list of the NFC-identification servers located in different countries is governed by a protocol established by a government entity.
6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the portable computing device comprises at least one of a cellular telephone, a smartphone, a portable digital assistant (PDA), a portable game console, a navigation device, and a tablet computer.
7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the portable computing device is a hand-held device.