Traceability signature system, signature method and program product

1. A multiple signature system for verifying a delivery route for items comprising:

at least one signature device at a location for generating signature information on items; and

at least one signature verification device for verifying the signature information on received items, wherein said at least one signature device and said at least one signature verification device are connected to communicate with each other,

and wherein said at least one signature device comprises:

an item selection input section for accepting selection of a group of items formed by combining a delivered item delivered from at least one supplier and an item generated at the signature device location;

a path verification information updating section for updating path verification information for verifying a delivery route included in signature information of the delivered;

a signature information preparation section for preparing new signature information from a signature prepared by said at least one signature device and the updated path verification information with respect to a selected item group; and

a signature information transmitting section for transmitting the new signature information to the at least one signature verification device,

and wherein the at least one signature verification device comprises:

a signature information receiving section for receiving the new signature information; and

a signature information verification section for verifying delivery routes for all the items included in the selected item group based on the new signature information.

2. The multiple signature system according to claim 1 , wherein the signature information preparation section prepares a signature using a Merkle tree, said preparing comprising the steps of, repeating concatenation of hash values with respect to nodes of a binary tree structure having items as leaf nodes, and computing the hash value of a route node of said tree structure.

3. The multiple signature system according to claim 1 , wherein the signature device further comprises an item identification (ID) transmitting section which transmits to the signature verification device IDs for all items included in the selected item group and said new signature information.

4. A multiple signature method of verifying a delivery route for at least one item in a system comprising a signature device at a location for generating signature information for an item connected to communicate with a signature verification device for verifying the signature information on a received item, the method comprising the steps of:

accepting a selection of a group of items formed by combining an item delivered from at least one supplier and an item generated at said location;

updating path verification information to verify a delivery route included in the signature information on the delivered item;

preparing new signature information from a signature prepared by said signature device and the updated path verification information with respect to the selected item group; and

transmitting the new signature information to the signature verification device; and

verifying the delivery routes for all the items included in the selected item group at said signature verification device based on the new signature information.

5. The multiple signature method according to claim 4 , wherein the preparing of the signature information uses a Merkle tree, said preparing comprising the steps of repeating concatenation of hash values with respect to nodes of a binary tree structure having items as leaf nodes, and computing the hash value of a route node of said tree structure.

6. The multiple signature method according to claim 4 , further comprising transmitting identifications (IDs) for all the items included in the selected item group to the signature verification device when transmitting the new signature information to the signature verification device.

7. A multiple signature program product for verifying a delivery route for an item in a system having a signature device which generates signature information on an item and is connected to communicate with a signature verification device which verifies the signature information on a received item,

the program product enabling the signature device to perform by means of a computer method steps comprising:

accepting a selection of a group of items formed by combining an item delivered from at least one supplier and an item generated at said location;

updating path verification information to verify a delivery route included in the signature information on the delivered item;

preparing new signature information from a signature prepared by said signature device and the updated path verification information with respect to the selected item group; and

transmitting the new signature information to the signature verification device; and

verifying the delivery routes for all the items included in the selected item group at said signature verification device based on the new signature information.

8. The multiple signature program product according to claim 7 , the program product enabling the signature device to perform by means of the computer a function to prepare a signature using a Merkle tree, said preparing comprising steps of repeating concatenation of hash values with respect to nodes of a binary tree structure having items as leaf nodes, and computing the hash value of the route node.