Item tracking system architectures providing real-time visibility to supply chain

A system operating in conjunction with multiple enterprises in a supply chain, comprising:

• means for receiving from a first enterprise multiple instances of tag-read-data, each instance including information read from a tag bound to an item, the information read including a unique tag identifier read automatically from the tag, each instance also including a location of the corresponding tag and its bound item when the tag identifier was read from the tag, the location including a latitude and a longitude, the multiple instances of tag-read-data received from the first enterprise collectively including information read from tags bound to multiple items;
• means for using the tag-read-data received from the first enterprise to maintain disposition information for the items;
• means for receiving from a second enterprise multiple instances of second tag-read-data, each instance including information read from a tag bound to an item, the item being either the same or not the same as the item for which tag-read-data was received from the first enterprise, the information read including a unique tag identifier read automatically from the tag, each instance also including a location of the corresponding tag and its bound item when the tag identifier was read from the tag, the location including a latitude and a longitude, the multiple instances of tag-read-data received from the second enterprise collectively including information read from tags bound to at least one of the multiple items;
• means for using the tag-read-data received from the second enterprise to maintain disposition information for the items, where tag-read-data received from either enterprise for a particular item is used to update the disposition information;
• and
• means for making the disposition information visible to the multiple enterprises in the supply chain, including the first and second enterprises.

A method for use in a commercial data processing environment that includes multiple enterprises in a supply chain, comprising:

• receiving from a first enterprise multiple instances of tag-read-data, each instance including information read from a tag bound to an item, the information read including a unique tag identifier read automatically from the tag, each instance also including a location of the corresponding tag and its bound item when the tag identifier was read from the tag, the location including a latitude and longitude, the multiple instances of tag-read-data received from the first enterprise collectively including information read from tags bound to multiple items;
• using the tag-read-data received from the first enterprise to maintain disposition information for the items;
• receiving from a second enterprise multiple instances of second tag-read-data, each instance including information read from a tag bound to an item, the item being either the same or not the same as the item for which tag-read-data was received from the same enterprise, the information read including a unique tag identifier read automatically from the tag, each instance also including a location of the corresponding tag and its bound item when the tag identifier was read from the tag, the location including a latitude and longitude, the multiple instances of tag-read-data received from the second enterprise collectively including information read from tags bound to at least one of the multiple items;
• using the tag-read-data received from the second enterprise to maintain disposition information for the items, where tag-read-data received from either enterprise for a particular item is used to update the disposition information;
• and
• making the disposition information visible to the multiple enterprises in the supply chain, including the first and second enterprises.