Blockchain-based system and method for supply chain control

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10521806-B2
Application number	US-201916284485-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 25, 2019
Priority date	Feb 28, 2018
Publication date	Dec 31, 2019
Grant date	Dec 31, 2019

Abstract

A blockchain-based method includes: receiving, by a smart label via accessing a block of a blockchain stored on a computer system, a cold chain requirement for a product, wherein the smart label is affixed to a package containing the product, the cold chain requirement for the product is specified and stored by a manufacturer of the product in the block of the blockchain; storing, by the smart label, the cold chain requirement in a memory of the smart label; receiving, by the smart label, from a temperature sensor a temperature of the product, wherein the temperature sensor is affixed to the package containing the product; comparing, by the smart label, the temperature of the product with a temperature range of the product specified in the cold chain requirement; and adding, by the smart label, the temperature of the product and a time at which the temperature of the product is received by the smart label, to the blockchain, if the temperature of the product is outside of the temperature range specified in the cold chain requirement.

First claim

We claim:

1. A blockchain-based method comprising:
receiving, by a smart label via accessing a block of a blockchain stored on a computer system, a cold chain requirement for a product, wherein the smart label is associated with a package containing the product, the cold chain requirement for the product is stored in the block of the blockchain;
storing, by the smart label, the cold chain requirement in a memory of the smart label;
receiving, by the smart label, from a temperature sensor a temperature of the product, wherein the temperature sensor is affixed to the package containing the product;
comparing, by the smart label, the temperature of the product with a temperature range of the product specified in the cold chain requirement; and
adding, by the smart label, the temperature of the product and a time at which the temperature of the product is received by the smart label, to the blockchain, if the temperature of the product is outside of the temperature range specified in the cold chain requirement.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the smart label is a radio frequency identifier (RFID).

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the cold chain requirement comprises an allowable temperature versus time profile for the product.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the smart label is affixed to outside of the package, and the temperature sensor is located inside the package.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the temperature and the time at which the temperature of the product is received by the smart label, is added in an unencrypted side-chain of the blockchain.

6. The method of claim 5 , the method further comprising identifying a temperature change trend of the product based on the side-chain of the blockchain.

7. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
storing the temperature of the product and the time at which the temperature of the product is received by the smart label, in the memory of the smart label; and
transferring the temperature of the product and the time at which the temperature of the product is received by the smart label, from the memory of the smart label to a memory of a smart label of the product.

8. A blockchain-based system, comprising:
a computer system configured to store a blockchain of a product;
a smart label configured to:
receive, via accessing a block of the blockchain by communicating with the computer system, a cold chain requirement for the product, wherein the smart label is associated with a package containing the product, the cold chain requirement for the product is specified and stored by a manufacturer of the product in the block of the blockchain;
store the cold chain requirement in a memory of the smart label;
receive from a temperature sensor a temperature of the product, wherein the temperature sensor is affixed to the package containing the product;
compare the temperature of the product with a temperature range of the product specified in the cold chain requirement; and
add the temperature of the product and a time at which the temperature of the product is received by the smart label, to the blockchain, if the temperature of the product is outside of the temperature range specified in the cold chain requirement; and

the temperature sensor configured to:
detect the temperature of the product; and
transmit the temperature of the product to the smart label.

9. The system of claim 8 , wherein the smart label is a radio frequency identifier (RFID).

10. The system of claim 8 , wherein the cold chain requirement comprises an allowable temperature versus time profile for the product.

11. The system of claim 8 , wherein the smart label is affixed to outside of the package, and the temperature sensor is located inside the package.

12. The system of claim 8 , wherein the temperature and the time at which the temperature of the product is received, is recorded in an unencrypted side-chain the blockchain.

13. The system of claim 12 , wherein the computer system is further configured to identify a temperature change trend based on the side-chain of the blockchain.

14. The system of claim 8 , wherein the smart label is further configured:
store the temperature of the product and the time at which the temperature of the product is received by the smart label, in the memory of the smart label; and
transfer the temperature of the product and the time at which the temperature of the product is received by the smart label, from the memory of the smart label to a memory of a smart label of the product.

15. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having instructions stored which, when executed by a computing device, cause the computing device to perform operations comprising:
receiving, by a smart label via accessing a block of a blockchain stored on a computer system, a cold chain requirement for a product, wherein the smart label is affixed to a package containing the product, the cold chain requirement for the product is specified and stored by a manufacturer of the product in the block of the blockchain;
storing, by the smart label, the cold chain requirement in a memory of the smart label;
receiving, by the smart label, from a temperature sensor a temperature of the product, wherein the temperature sensor is affixed to the package containing the product;
comparing, by the smart label, the temperature of the product with a temperature range of the product specified in the cold chain requirement; and
adding, by the smart label, the temperature of the product and a time at which the temperature of the product is received by the smart label, to the blockchain, if the temperature of the product is outside of the temperature range specified in the cold chain requirement.

16. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 15 , wherein the smart label is a radio frequency identifier (RFID).

17. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 15 , wherein the cold chain requirement comprises an allowable temperature versus time profile for the product.

18. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 15 , wherein the smart label is affixed to outside of the package, and the temperature sensor is located inside the package.

19. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 15 , wherein the temperature and the time at which the temperature of the product is received by the smart label, is recorded in an unencrypted side-chain the blockchain.

20. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 19 , wherein the instructions stored which, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to further perform operations:
identifying a temperature change trend based on the side-chain of the blockchain.

Assignees

• Walmart Apollo Llc

Inventors

• Cantrell Robert
• Young Daniel W
• Mchale Brian
• O'Brien John J
• Mattingly Todd

Classifications

• G06K19/0723

  the record carrier comprising an arrangement for non-contact communication, e.g. wireless communication circuits on transponder cards, non-contact smart cards or RFIDs · CPC title

• G06Q30/0185 Primary

  Product, service or business identity fraud · CPC title

• G06K19/0717

  the sensor being capable of sensing environmental conditions such as temperature history or pressure · CPC title