Auto-ID mobile information system for vehicle life cycle data management

This paper concerns the use of automatic identification devices (Auto-ID tags) as permanent escort memories associated to the car during its whole life cycle. These memories provide an integration frame for vehicle lifecycle information, which are necessary to support the manufacturing, after-sales services and recycling processes. Additionally they will allow developing new value-added services for customers. Distribution of the information system onto each individual product requires tools and methods to manage and provide access to product related information for both automated systems and human operators. Automatic identification technology using electronic data carriers can provide such functionality and act as product information vectors. The presented approach is based on ISO STEP technology to define computer-aided tools for data structuring and management of product knowledge implemented on mobile database nodes circulating in an open environment from manufacturing to recycling. This work has been conducted with a french car manufacturer.