How are the data elements for unique identification structured so they are machine-readable?
For the IUID data elements to be machine-readable by any AIT device, they must be identified by some means such that the reader device can recognize, through its resident software, what data element it is reading. This is accomplished by employing the concept of semantics, which is literally “the meaning of language.” For the purposes of constructing machine-readable data elements, semantics take the form of data qualifiers. There are three types of data qualifiers used to encode UIIs: Application Identifiers (AIs, Format Indicator 05), Data Identifiers (DIs, Format Indicator 06), and Text Element Identifiers (TEIs, Format Indicator 12). Data qualifiers define each data element placed on the item to tell the AIT devices how to derive the unique item identifier. ISO/IEC International Standard 15418, Information Technology – EAN/UCC Application Identifiers and ASC MH 10 Data Identifiers and Maintenance, governs AIs and DIs. Air Transport Association (ATA) Common Support Data Dictionary (
