Patent ID: 7552860

Claim:
In combination: a product history management apparatus for managing a product history by attaching a recording medium recording identification information to a product produced in each of production steps from raw material production to final product production, the product history management apparatus comprising: identification information receiving means for receiving, from identification information issuing apparatuses provided at least for each of partially continuous steps, identification information recorded on a recording medium attached in a step immediately preceding the step for which each of the identification information issuing apparatuses are provided; first identification information transmitting means for issuing new identification information with respect to the received identification information and transmitting the issued identification information to the identification information issuing apparatus; and identification information storage means for storing the received identification information in the immediately preceding step in association with the transmitted identification information; and a product history management system comprising: an upstream step group for electronically recording identification information to a semiconductor circuit and attaching the semiconductor circuit to a product; and a downstream step group for recording identification information on a label and affixing the label on a product; wherein the identification information receiving means of the product history management apparatus receives identification information issued in the upstream step group from the identification information issuing apparatuses; and wherein the identification information storage means of the product history management apparatus stores the received identification information in the upstream step group in association with the transmitted identification information to be printed.