Lost personal accessory return method and article

• US 4,271,352 A
• Filed: 05/07/1979
• Issued: 06/02/1981
• Est. Priority Date: 05/07/1979
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Lon G. Thomas
• Original Assignee: Lon G. Thomas
• Inventors: Thomas, Lon G.
• Primary Examiner(s): Cook, Daryl W.
• Application Number:
  US06/036,307
• Time in Patent Office: 757 Days
• Field of Search: 235/492, 235/487, 235/441, 235/483, 235/375, 235/488, 235/489, 235/490, 340/149 A, 340/149 R, 40/2 A, 40/17, 101/369
• US Class Current: 235/375
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/077 Constructional details, e.g. mounting of circuits in the carrier
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/346 Cards serving only as information carrier of service
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/21 having a variable access code
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 7/1008 Active credit-cards provided with means to personalise their use, e.g. with PIN-introduction/comparison system
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/14 by lifting or attempted removal of hand-portable articles
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/24 Reminder alarms, e.g. anti-loss alarms
• CPC Class Codes: G09F 3/00 Labels, tag tickets, or similar identification or indication means medals or badges A44C3/00; making labels B31D1/02; sheets temporarily attached together B42F; labelling B65C; labels on record carriers G11B23/38, G11B23/40; Seals; Postage or like stamps

Abstract

An owner identification method and article for collecting, identifying, addressing, and mailing lost personal accessories to their proper owner, whereby a coded card carrying on its face only such uncoded alphanumeric information as will facilitate delivery, so that the card and lost item will arrive at a central lost item processing location at which coded information from the card can be converted into the true owner'"'"'s uncoded mailing label to be applied to the packaging in which the lost item is to be mailed to its rightful owner. The card includes means for attachment to personal accessories and it may be adapted for use with a variety of memory and coding technologies including optical character recognition, magnetics, infra-red (magic middle), embossed character recognition, and semiconductor memory.

Claims

1. A method for confidential return of a lost personal accessory item to its owner, comprising the steps of:

(a) printing generally applicable finder'"'"'s return instructions on at least one surface of a holder,

(b) incorporating coded credit, expenditure, authorization, address, and personal accessory item classification information into the holder,

(c) attaching the holder to a personal accessory item subject to loss,

(d) accessing the coded information to a distributed data processing system when lost.

2. A method for confidential return of a lost personal accessory item to its owner as defined by claim 1, wherein said step of incorporating said coded information into said card further comprises:

(e) placing an electrically programmable read-only-memory chip within a leadless chip carrier,

(f) enclosing the leadless chip carrier within a smooth polyvinyl chloride card stock having dimensions of 54 millimeters by 28.5 millimeters and overall thickness of 3.86 millimeters,

(g) providing slots in one side of the card stock suitable for inserting elastomeric connectors in electrical contact with one face of said leadless chip carrier,

(h) drilling alignment holes in the card stock near corners of the leadless chip carrier,

(i) fashioning an adapter out of circuit board with at least twenty-four exposed electrical pathways suitable for elastomeric connection to the leadless chip carrier,

(j) forming bus connectors at an edge of the adapter,

(k) fixing threaded alignment posts to the adapter suitable for inserting into the alignment holes,

(l) inserting elastomeric connectors into said slots,

(m) passing the four alignment posts through the alignment holes from the slotted side to the smooth side of the card stock,

(n) placing nuts on the alignment posts,

(o) tightening the adapter against the card stock by turning the nuts,

(p) connecting the electronically programmable read only memory chip through the adapter to a programming device,

(q) programming the electronically programmable read only memory with the programming device so that codes for credit authorization, expenditure authorization, address and personal accessory item classification information are stored therein.

3. A method for confidential return of a lost personal accessory item to its owner as defined in claim 2, wherein said step of accessing the coded information to a distributed data processing system further comprises:

(r) inserting elastomeric connectors into said slots,

(s) passing said alignment posts through said alignment holes from the slotted side to the smooth side of the card stock,

(t) placing nuts on the alignment posts,

(u) tightening said adapter against the card stock and elastomeric connectors by turning the nuts,

(v) connecting the bus connectors of the adapter to data and address buses of a memory interface so that electrical communication is established between the electronically programmable read only memory chip, a universal asynchronous receiver transmitter, and a decoding circuitry,

(w) connecting the universal asynchronous receiver-transmitter to a modulator-demodulator for virtual telecommunication access to a remote data processing facility.

4. A method for confidential return of a lost personal accessory item to its owner as defined in claim 1, wherein said step of incorporating said coded information into said holder further comprises:

(e) punching coded information onto punched tape,

(f) inserting the punched tape into the holder.

5. A method for confidential return of a lost personal accessory item to its owner as defined in claim 4, wherein said step of accessing the coded information to a distributed data processing system further comprises:

(g) removing the punched tape from the holder,

(h) reading the punched tape with a punched tape reader.

6. A method for confidential return of a lost personal accessory item to its owner as defined in claim 1, wherein said step of incorporating said coded information into said holder further comprises:

(e) embossing raised indicia coded account identification numbers onto a surface of the holder.

7. A method for confidential return of a lost personal accessory item to its owner as defined in claim 1, wherein said steps of incorporating said coded information into said holder further comprises:

(e) encoding optical character recognition indicia onto a surface of the holder.

8. A method for confidential return of a lost personal accessory item to its owner as defined in claim 1, wherein said step of incorporating said coded information into said holder further comprises:

(e) affixing magnetic tape to the holder.

9. A method for confidential return of a lost accessory item to its owner as defined in claim 1, wherein said step of incorporating said coded information into said holder further comprises:

(e) putting bar code optical one scanning indicia onto a surface of the holder.

10. A method for confidential return of a lost personal accessory item to its owner as defined in claim 1, wherein said step of incorporating said coded information into said holder further comprises:

(e) embedding infra-red light sensitive indicia within the holder.

11. A method for confidential return of a lost personal accessory item to its owner, comprising the steps of:

(a) printing generally applicable finder'"'"'s return instructions on at least one surface of a holder,

(b) creating coded credit, expenditure authorization, address, and personal accessory item classification information,

(c) punching the coded information onto punched tape,

(d) inserting the punched tape into the holder,

(e) attaching the holder to a personal accessory item subject to loss,

(f) removing the punched tape from the holder when lost,

(g) reading the punched tape with a punched tape reader.

12. A method for confidential return of a lost personal accessory item to its owner, comprising the steps of:

(a) printing generally applicable finder'"'"'s return information on at least one surface of a holder,

(b) embossing raised indicia coded account identification numbers onto a surface of the holder,

(c) attaching the holder to a personal accessory item subject to loss,

(d) accessing the coded information to a distributed data processing system when lost.

13. A method for confidential return of a lost personal accessory item to its owner, comprising the steps of:

(a) printing generally applicable finder'"'"'s return instructions on at least one surface of a holder,

(b) placing an electrically programmable read only memory chip within a leadless chip carrier,

(c) enclosing the leadless chip carrier within a smooth polyvinyl chloride card stock,

(d) providing slots in one side of the card stock suitable for inserting elastomeric connectors in electrical contact with one face of said leadless chip carrier,

(e) drilling alignment holes in the card stock near corners of the leadless chip carrier,

(f) fashioning an adapter out of circuit board with at least twenty-four exposed electrical pathways suitable for elastomeric connection to the leadless chip carrier,

(g) forming bus connectors at an edge of the adapter,

(h) fixing alignment posts to the adapter suitable for inserting into the alignment holes,

(i) inserting elastomeric connectors into said slots,

(j) passing the four alignment posts through the alignment holes from the slotted side to the smooth side of the card stock,

(k) placing tightening means on the alignment posts,

(l) tightening the adapter against the card stock,

(m) connecting the electronically programmable read only memory chip through the adapter to a programming device,

(n) programming the electronically programmable read only memory with the programming device so that codes for credit authorization, expenditure authorization, address and personal accessory item classification information are stored therein,

(o) attaching the holder to a personal accessory item subject to loss,

(p) losing the holder and the attached personal accessory item,

(q) inserting elastomeric connectors into said slots,

(r) passing said alignment posts through said alignment holes from the slotted side to the smooth side of the card stock,

(s) placing tightening means on the alignment posts,

(t) tightening said adapter against the card stock and elastomeric connectors,

(u) connecting the bus connectors of the adapter to data and address buses of a memory interface so that electrical communication is established between the electronically programmable read only memory chip, a universal asynchronous receiver-transmitter, and a decoding circuitry,

(v) connecting the universal asynchronous receiver-transmitter to a modulator-demodulator for virtual telecommunication access to a remote data processing facility.