Identification bracelet for child and guardian matching

• US 5,978,493 A
• Filed: 12/16/1996
• Issued: 11/02/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 12/16/1996
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Kravitz, Jeff Kenneth, Palmer, Elaine Rivette
• Primary Examiner(s): Couso, Jose L.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Dang, Duy M.
• Application Number:
  US08/767,730
• Time in Patent Office: 1,051 Days
• Field of Search: 382/115, 382/118, 283/75, 283/74, 283/72, 283/900, 380/23, 380/25
• US Class Current: 382/115
• CPC Class Codes: G09F 3/005 Identification bracelets, e.g. secured to the arm of a person

Abstract

Information including images of the parent and child are stored in an integrated circuit device in a child'"'"'s watch or bracelet. The device contains write only once, non-volatile, storage and contacts for coupling the device to data entry and reader stations. At the time of entry into a protected facility, information identifying the child and guardian, along with digitized photos of the child and the guardian, are stored in the non-volatile storage at an entry station. Once the identification information is written into the device at the entry station, the child'"'"'s watch or bracelet is attached with a tamper proof seal to the child in such a way that it cannot be easily removed by the child. If, while in the protected premises, the child is lost, found and taken to a security station, the watch is removed from the child and placed in the reader at that station and the information retrieved. This information is used to comfort the child by name, to contact the parents at their hotel and to verify the parents identities through their photographs when they come to pick up the child.

Claims

1. Apparatus for preventing misidentification of an individual and the individual'"'"'s guardian comprising:

an identification bracelet for affixing to the individual, said identification bracelet including semiconductor means containing information in digital form about that individual and the guardian for that individual, said information including data about the individual and the guardian and digitized image information of both the individual and the guardian;

a personalization station for entering said information including the digitized images of both the individual and the guardian; and

a reading station for confirming the identify of the individual and guardian from the information including images of both the individual and the guardian generated on a computer screen from the digitized image information.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said identification bracelet affixed to the individual is a children'"'"'s wrist watch including write once nonvolatile programmable storage therein, said watch including a removable tamper proof seal for assuring a child wearing the wrist watch does not remove the watch at the premises.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 including means in the reading station at exit for the public facility for removing the removable means.

4. The apparatus of claim 3 wherein said information is encoded to prevent misuse.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said identification means, personalization station means and reading station means have mechanical contact means to connect the identification means to the two station means for the transfer of data to and from the identification means.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said identification means is a wrist band with a case thereon containing the semiconductor device.

7. The apparatus of claim 6 wherein said identification bracelet, the personalization station, and the reading station have electromagnetic coupling apparatus for transferring data to and from the identification bracelet using a radiated electromagnetic signal.

8. The apparatus of claim 7 wherein said case has a back which is transparent to the radiated electromagnetic signal for loading data and reading data from the case without removing the back.

9. The apparatus of claim 6 wherein case includes a children'"'"'s watch face.

10. A method for preventing misidentification of an individual and the individual'"'"'s guardian at a facility comprising:

affixing to the individual an identification bracelet including a semiconductor device with a storage medium containing information in digital form about that individual and a guardian for that individual, said information including data about the individual and the guardian and digitized image information of both the individual and the guardian;

entering at a personalization station said information including digitized images of both the individual and guardian; and

confirming the identity of the individual and guardian before their leaving the facility at a reading station from the information by generating two images from the digitized image information and comparing those images with the physical features of the individuals.

11. The method of claim 10 including the step of providing a removable tamper proof sealing means for assuring the individual does not remove the watch at the premises.

12. The method of claim 10 including the step of restricting exit of the individual from an area only when the individual and guardian are both identified by their images.

13. The method of claim 10 including broadcasting the images of the individual on display screens of the facility if the individual is reported missing or is found without the guardian.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein the digitized image information is a picture of the individual and child together.

15. An identification bracelet for preventing misidentification of an individual and the individual'"'"'s guardian comprising:

a semiconductor device attached to the bracelet containing information stored in binary data form about that individual and the guardian for that individual, said information including personal data about the individual and the guardian and images of both the individual and the guardian; and

an input/output mechanism for first entering said information in binary data form into said semiconductor device at a personalization station and then for reading said information out of said semiconductor device at a reading station to confirm the identify of the individual and guardian by comparing images of the two persons generated on a computer screen from the digitized image information with the physical features of the individual and the guardian.

16. The identification bracelet of claim 15 wherein said identification bracelet is a wrist band with a case thereon containing the semiconductor device.

17. The identification bracelet of claim 16 wherein said case has a back which is transparent to the radiated electromagnetic signals for loading data and reading data from the case without removing the back.

18. The identification bracelet of claim 17 wherein case includes a children'"'"'s watch face.

19. The identification bracelet of claim 18 wherein said identification bracelet comprises a children'"'"'s wrist watch including nonvolatile write once programmable storage therein and a removable tamper proof seal for assuring a child wearing the wrist watch does not remove the watch at the premises.

20. The identification bracelet of claim 15 wherein the digitized image information is a picture of the individual and child together.