Method of doing business that encourages the release of fish caught by anglers

• US 20040220856A1
• Filed: 03/05/2004
• Published: 11/04/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 04/16/2003
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Jeffrey Robert Moore
• Original Assignee: Jeffrey Robert Moore
• Inventors: Moore, Jeffrey Robert
• Application Number:
  US10/794,199
• Publication Number:
  US 20040220856A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/14
• CPC Class Codes: A01K 61/90 Sorting, grading, counting or marking live aquatic animals, e.g. sex determination
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/07758 arrangements for adhering the record carrier to further objects or living beings, functioning as an identification tag
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0222 During e-commerce, i.e. online transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0251 Targeted advertisements

Abstract

The present invention provides a means for obtaining and maintaining reasonably reliable data on individual fish in an accessible database. The present invention also includes a method of doing business that encourages returning fish caught by anglers back into the ecosystem. The method of doing business generally relates to using unique fish identification to provide data to people and organizations trying to lean more about fish. The present invention also provides a specially coded tag with a identification sequence for use with the business method. The present invention may also comprise a kit including a suitable coded tag, a means of recording the data of fish tagged and a means for reading and recording the data from previously tagged fish.

Claims

1. A method of doing business on an Internet for at least a first user and a second user to identify and update information on at least one fish wherein:

an article with an identification sequence is applied by the first user to the fish prior to the fish being release;

at least a portion of the identification sequence is used to identify the fish,

at least a portion of the identification sequence is used to identify the second user as a subsequent possessor of the fish;

a database accessible from the Internet includes a first data set containing information on the fish and at least a portion of the identification sequence; and

the second user uses at least a portion of the identification sequence to obtain access to change at least a portion of the database.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein at least a portion of the identification sequence is not ascertainable on the Internet.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the second user obtains the identification sequence and uses at least a portion of the identification sequence and the Internet to add data to the database.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the second user uses the identification sequence to add a second data set on the fish to the database.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein at least the second user receives a reward for adding the second data set on the fish to the database.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein the reward is a coupon, gift certificate, or product.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the database includes data on more than one fish.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein at least a portion of the database may be searched and sorted.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein the database may be searched and sorted by a third user on the Internet.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein the database is downloadable from the Internet to a local storage medium.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein the first user and the second user are different and unknown to one another.

12. A method for tracking a fish wherein:

an identification article with an identification sequence is applied to the fish;

at least a portion of the identification sequence is used to identify the fish;

at least a portion of the identification sequence is used to gain access through the Internet to at least a a portion of a database; and

wherein

the access includes the ability to edit the database.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein the accessible portion of the database is limited to adding a dataset.

14. A method for encouraging the release of a fish caught by a fisherman including:

Attaching to the fish an article with an identification sequence;

recording at least the identification sequence and at least one characteristic of the fish;

releasing the fish;

accessing at least a portion of a database;

storing at least a portion of the identification sequence and the at least one characteristic of the fish as a data set in the database;

recapturing the fish;

accessing at least a portion of the database; and

adding at least one updated characteristic of the fish to the data set in the database.

15. The Method of claim 14 wherein the database is accessed through the Internet.

16. The method of claim 15 wherein the Internet includes at least one website with at least one web page;

whereby the web page includes banners, links to other websites, or advertisements.

17. The Method of claim 14 wherein releasing includes returning the fish to a body of water such that the fish has as much freedom of travel as it had before being caught.

18. The Method of claim 14 wherein the method includes:

recapturing the fish by a second fisherman;

scanning the fish with a reader to determine the identification sequence;

acquiring at least one second characteristic of the fish;

releasing the fish a second time;

accessing at least a portion of a database using the identification sequence;

adding the at least one second characteristic of the fish as additional data to the database.

19. A method for tracking at least one fish comprising the steps of:

tagging the fish with an identification sequence comprising a public sequence and an access sequence;

recording at least one piece of data about the fish in a data set,

placing the data set in an internet accessible and searchable database such that the dataset is relatable to the public sequence;

allowing a subsequent possessor of the fish to obtain the identification sequence and use the access sequence to add at least one second data set to the database, the second data set is also relatable to the public sequence.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the fish is tagged with an external indicator.

21. The method of claim 19, wherein the database uses a software based communication protocol.

22. A fish identification tag including:

an identification sequence having;

a first indicia for public access and dissemination to facilitate identification of the fish and differentiating the fish from other fish;

a second indicia with limited access to identify individuals in possession of the tag, the second indicia identifying the individual as a possessor of the tag and a legitimate source of at least one piece of data related to the fish; and

the second indicia providing limited access to edit an internet accessible searchable database.

23. The tag of claim 22, wherein the tag includes an antibiotic, anti-fungal, antiviral, or vaccine.

24. The tag of claim 22, wherein a reader is used to read the identification sequence.

25. The tag of claim 22, wherein the tag is disposed internal to the fish.

26. A fish tagging kit including:

at least one tag;

a tag attachment device;

instructions on how to tag the fish;

instructions for recording data; and

and a web address of an Internet accessible web site.

27. A method of creating an accessible and searchable database of information on fish, the method including:

at least one first user tagging at least one fish with a sequence identifier having a public sequence and an access sequence, the first user entering a data set about the fish into a searchable database;

at least one second user recapturing at least one fish and using the access sequence to enter at least a second data set of additional information about the fish into the searchable database;

the public sequence being used to link both data sets to the fish; and

wherein

the database is obtainable for review by a third user.

28. An identification tag including an identification sequence,

the identification sequence having

at least one public sequence, and

at least one access sequence.

29. The tag in claim 28 wherein the identification sequence is generated by a radio frequency.