THE NU-ERA TECHNOLOGY SUITE - ENABLING COST-AFFORDABLE INDIVIDUAL IDENTIFICATION

NU-ERA - stands for:

Numerically
Unique
Encrypted
Redundant
Array

Introduction

Purpose of NU-ERA.  The aim of Project NU-ERA is to develop a complete suite of technology that makes practical the cost-affordable, individual identification of every entity (inanimate and animate) of interest within an organisation, no matter how trivial that entity might be.  A demonstrator system featuring the NU-ERA system of identification at the Defence National Supply and Distribution Centre (DNSDC) proved that dPId's system of individual identification involved something in the order of less than 60% of the effort required of other systems of individual identification, such as "Global Standard 1" (GS1).  The method of ID also provided a more practical solution for situations where determining the manufacturer's part number or catalogue number just not cost-effective or feasible, as is often the case in the military or small business.
Overview of Technology Suite.  This technology suite is based on a number registry from which encrypted, unique numbers are drawn.  Because the numbers encrypted it is possible to verify that they are genuine, ie, they did originate from a dPId registry.  Other systems of individual ID do not provide this facility.  Registry numbers are typically 128 bits in size but this system of individual identification can be applied to numbers of any length.  The numbers are represented by either a 2D Bar Code or a very simple, low-cost Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) Device operating in any frequency range both for powering (in the case of passive devices) and transmission.  Numbers are made up of a "payload" and validation bits of various natures to ensure the number has been read correctly. 

As a part of this suite, dPId invented a new type of bar code (from which the name "NU-ERA" is partially based).  This 2D bar code is deliberately designed to only consist of an array of dots.  This then allows the use of crude (and hence low-cost), printing, peening or laser etching devices to indelibly mark any object rather than having to resort to labels and tags.  It should be noted, however, that it is possible to use any commonly available 2D bar code, such as DataMatrix, QR Code or PDF417 to represent a NU-ERA unique number.  Users are not locked into the dPId bar code but it does have its advantages; the main ones being the ease with which it can be printed and its superior resistance to dirt and damage.  The NU-ERA 2D bar code uses a large number of bits to display its number so as to give the bar code a high level of resistance to dirt and damage.  The repetitive nature of the pattern presented by the bar code also facilitates its location by the reader in a field of view. 

The supply of unique numbers from the dPId registry is effectively inexhaustible.  The 128 bit NU-ERA number has a 96 bit payload giving it a numerical range of 0 to 7.922816251×10²⁸.  This means it is possible to issue, say, 7,922,816,251,000,000 numbers per year for 10,000 billion years before the source of unique numbers would be exhausted.  The whole point of this technology suite is to assist, in every practical way, the use of this system of individual identification.  The suite consists of the following "components":

• the NU-ERA 2D Bar Code,
• the Reader,
• the Laser Etcher,
• the Number Registry,
• the encryption/decryption hardware, and
• a library of application software modules and useful utilities.

For a complete description of this technology suite, download the information paper.

Inventors.  Kevin Loughrey conceived this technology in collaboration with Ivan Curtis of Keyworks in Adelaide and another engineer, Mick Evans, in the UK.

Investors.  A group of investors in Sydney then provided funds for the development of a prototype reader.  dPId Pty Ltd was formed for this purpose.

Field Trials and Demonstrators.  Acting as consultants to dPId Pty Ltd, (See www.dPId.biz), NVTech provided services to BAE Systems Australia to develop a "demonstrator" item tracking system at the Defence National Supply and Distribution Centre, Moorebank.  Because the NU-ERA reader and related technology were not yet sufficiently developed to employ, DataMatrix codes were used in lieu of NU-ERA 2D Bar Codes along with a PSION bar code reader.  The demonstrator system did, however, utilise unique numbers drawn from the dPId registry.  In doing this it was found that the NU-ERA method of individually identifying items involved around 60% less effort than that which would have been expended had the GS1 system of individual identification been used instead.  The reason for this lies in the method used by GS1 to create and then allocate its unique numbers to items in an inventory.  GS1 creates a unique ID by appending to a NATO Stock Number (NSN) or a manufacturer's part number a serial number drawn from any one of a number of registries.  (This results in a variable length string of characters which can't be used as the primary key in a database; resulting in severely degraded database performance when compared to the fixed length NU-ERA unique ID.)  When using the GS1 system one must pre-print labels and tags and then locate the item to which the tag is to be attached.  With the NU-ERA system, the item is simply allocated the next unique number off the pile and this number is then associated with the item's record in the inventory database; a much simpler, quicker operation.