System, method, and software for facilitating the recovery and/or identification of a missing person

• US 20040243542A1
• Filed: 05/27/2004
• Published: 12/02/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 05/27/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: National Association For Child Abduction Prevention
• Original Assignee: National Association For Child Abduction Prevention
• Inventors: Meltzer, Andrew Mitchell
• Granted Patent: US 6,973,449 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 707/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/077 Constructional details, e.g. mounting of circuits in the carrier
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/07732 the record carrier having a housing or construction similar to well-known portable memory devices, such as SD cards, USB or memory sticks housings for electrical equipment in general, see H05K5/02
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 10/65 stored on portable record carriers, e.g. on smartcards, RFID tags or CD
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99931 Database or file accessing

Abstract

A system, method, and software for facilitating the identification and recovery of missing persons. In one aspect, the invention is a system comprising a portable device comprising a computer memory medium and means for interfacing with a computer system having a display device; a software program loaded on said computer memory medium, said software comprising means for receiving data indicative of a person'"'"'s unique identification information, means for storing said received data on said computer memory medium, said computer memory containing data indicative of said person'"'"'s unique identification information stored thereon, and means for displaying said stored data on said display device when said portable device is interfaced to the computer system. The invention stores all necessary data identification data for a person in a single location for ease of access and distribution to authorities in time of crisis.

Claims

1. A system for facilitating the identification or recovery of a missing person comprising:

a portable device comprising a computer memory medium and means for interfacing with a computer system having a display device;

a software program loaded on said computer memory medium, said software comprising means for receiving data indicative of a person'"'"'s unique identification information, means for storing said received data on said computer memory medium, said computer memory containing data indicative of said person'"'"'s unique identification information stored thereon, and means for displaying said stored data on said display device when said portable device is interfaced to the computer system.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein said portable device is a writable DVD, diskette, or CD.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein said portable device is a USB key.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein said unique identification information comprises personal and biological information.

5. The system of claim 4 wherein said personal and biological information comprises fingerprints, photographs, video, audio, DNA information, medical history, name, age, height, weight, eye color, and color of hair.

6. The system of claim 1 wherein said means for receiving comprises a user interface comprising a plurality of templates having data entry fields in which a user can input said data.

7. The system of claim 6 wherein said means for storing comprises a save data button located within the user interface that when activated stores data that has been inputted into said data entry fields onto said computer memory medium.

8. The system of claim 6 wherein each of said templates further comprises a window for displaying information and/or instruction for completing that template.

9. The system of claim 6 wherein said user interface comprises a section displaying an expiration date for said stored data.

10. The system of claim 6 comprising a template having data entry fields for receiving data indicative of said person'"'"'s name, nickname, address, social security number, birth date, gender, nationality, native language, guardian'"'"'s address, guardian'"'"'s name, and guardian'"'"'s phone number.

11. The system of claim 10 wherein said template further comprises a window for displaying safety tips and/or a message from a sponsor.

12. The system of claim 6 comprising a template having data entry fields for receiving data indicative of said person'"'"'s eye color, hair color, length of hair, hair style, facial hair, height, weight, build size, skin color, complexion, birth marks, identifying scars, identifying marks, physical disabilities, and mental disabilities.

13. The system of claim 12 wherein said template further comprises a window for displaying informational statistics relating to missing persons.

14. The system of claim 12 wherein said template further comprises an automated time and date stamp that is automatically updated when data is entered into the template and stored.

15. The system of claim 6 comprising a template having data entry fields for receiving digital photographs of said person, digital fingerprints of said person, digital video of said person, or digital audio clips of said person.

16. The system of claim 15 wherein said template further comprises a window for displaying instructions for importing said digital photographs, said digital fingerprints, said digital video, and said digital audio clips into said data entry field of said template.

17. The system of claim 16 wherein upon importation of said digital photograph into said data entry field, said digital photograph is automatically sized to fit in the corresponding data entry field.

18. The system of claim 6 comprising a template having a data entry field for receiving for receiving data indicative of a person'"'"'s DNA sequence.

19. The system of claim 6 comprising a template having links to websites providing safety and/or abduction prevention information.

20. The system of claim 6 comprising a template having data entry fields for receiving data indicative of said person'"'"'s medical history.

21. The system of claim 6 comprising a template having a window displaying a sponsor'"'"'s message and/or information.

22. The system of claim 6 comprising a template having data entry fields for receiving data indicative of telephone numbers to contacts in the event of an abduction.

23. The system of claim 6 comprising a template for receiving missing information data.

24. The system of claim 23 further comprising means to automatically create an electronic poster based on said unique identification information and missing information data inputted into said data entry fields.

25. The system of claim 24 wherein upon creation, said electronic poster is saved on said computer memory medium as a single file that can be printed or electronically transferred.

26. The system of claim 1 further comprising a computer hard drive interfaced with said portable device and a display device.

27. The system of claim 1 wherein said means for displaying comprises a user interface comprising a plurality of templates having data fields, the stored unique identification information being displayed in data fields corresponding to the that characteristic.

28. A method of facilitating the recovery of a missing person comprising:

downloading a software program to a portable device comprising a computer memory medium and means for interfacing with a computer system having a display device, said software comprising means for receiving data indicative of a person'"'"'s unique identification information, means for storing said received data on said computer memory medium, said computer memory containing data indicative of said person'"'"'s unique identification information stored thereon, and means for displaying said stored data on said display device when said portable device is interfaced to the computer system.

interfacing said portable device to a computer system having a display device; and

displaying said person'"'"'s unique identification information on said display device.