Gemstons identification tracking and recovery system

• US 5,983,238 A
• Filed: 12/26/1997
• Issued: 11/09/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 12/26/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Gemological Appraisal Association, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Diamond ID
• Inventors: Becker, Paul J., Becker, Seth P., Becker, Scott E., Lombardo, Paul V.
• Primary Examiner(s): Lintz, Paul R.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Mizrahi, Diane D.
• Application Number:
  US08/998,525
• Time in Patent Office: 683 Days
• Field of Search: 707/3, 707/4, 707/5, 707/6.1, 707/100, 707/101, 707/104, 705/28, 705/402, 705/2, 705/35, 395/200.31, 380/25, 380/51, 233/81, 235/383, 340/551, 340/825.31, 382/126, 382/137, 376/164
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/87 Investigating jewels G01N21/88 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/248 Presentation of query results
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 18/00 Pattern recognition
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/66 Trinkets, e.g. shirt buttons or jewellery items recognising microscopic objects G06V20/69
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99931 Database or file accessing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99933 Query processing, i.e. searching
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99945 Object-oriented database structure processing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99948 Application of database or data structure, e.g. distributed, multimedia, or image

Abstract

An identification, tracking and recovery system includes a central database for electronically storing unique and relevant information of a plurality of gemstones to assist with the recovery of lost or stolen gemstones. The information of each gemstone is stored as a gemstone entry in the database which includes the characteristics of the gemstone, a unique identification number inscribed into a surface of the gemstone by a laser, and personal information of the owner of the gemstone. A user interface enables a user to communicate with a processor which stores and retrieves the relevant information from the database in accordance with an algorithm. The user interface may be located remotely from the database which is located at a central headquarters. The processor is capable of cross-referencing the information of the stored gemstone entry to enable retrieval of a gemstone entry based on any known information, such as the diamond identification number and information pertaining to owner of the gemstone. In addition, the user may flag the gemstone entry of a lost or stolen gemstone to easily identify the status of the ownership of the gemstone and also enable the system. The flagged gemstone entries may then be retrieved to generate a report that lists all of the lost or stolen gemstones stored in the database.

Claims

1. A computer networking system for recording of gemstones comprising:

a database for electronically storing a plurality of gemstone entries, each of said gemstone entries including a plurality of parameters relating to a gemstone, said parameters of the gemstone including indicia unique to the gemstone and personal information of an owner of the gemstone, said indicia being inscribed into a surface of each of the gemstones;

a user interface for displaying at least one parameter of a selected gemstone entries stored in said database and entering gemstone entries for storage in said database; and

a processor for retrieving gemstone entries selected by said user interface from said database and storing said gemstone entries provided by said user interface to said database in accordance to an algorithm.

2. The system, as defined in claim 1, wherein the processor further flags gemstone entries based on the status of ownership of the gemstone.

3. The system, as defined in claim 2, wherein the status of ownership of a gemstone includes at least one of lost, found, stolen, and change of ownership.

4. The system, as defined in claim 1, wherein the processor, in response to a signal to transfer ownership of a gemstone from said user interface, verifies the gemstone entry in the database and stores information of a transferee of the gemstone provided by said user interface.

5. The system, as defined in claim 1, wherein the processor, in response to a request to amend a selected gemstone entry, retrieves the selected gemstone entry in said database for display at said user interface and stores the amended gemstone entry in said database.

6. The system, as defined in claim 1, wherein the processor, in response to a request to display a parameter of the selected gemstone entry entries, retrieves said gemstone entries in said database that include a parameter by said user interface for display at said user.

7. The system, as defined in claim 6, wherein the parameter includes at least one of the owner of the gemstone, the seller of the gemstone, the transferee of the gemstone, the status of ownership of the gemstone, and a characteristic of the gemstone.

8. The system, as defined in claim 1, wherein the processor, in response to a request to display selected gemstone entry having a selected ownership status, retrieves at least one parameter of said selected gemstone entries for display at said user interface.

9. The system, as defined in claim 1, wherein the parameters of the gemstone entries include the characteristics of the gemstone.

10. The system, as defined in claim 9, wherein the characteristics of the gemstone include the shape and weight of the gemstone.

11. The system, as defined in claim 1, wherein the personal information of the owner of a gemstone includes the name and address of the owner.

12. The system, as defined in claim 1, wherein the personal information of the owner of a gemstone includes the name of the insurer of the gemstone.

13. The system, as defined in claim 1, wherein the personal information of the owner of a gemstone includes the name and address of the store where the gemstone was purchased.

14. The system, as defined in claim 1, wherein the indicia is not visible by the naked eye.

15. The system, as defined in claim 1, wherein the user interface is located remotely from said database.

16. The system, as defined in claim 1, wherein the database comprises:

a first table for storing parameters of each of said gemstone entries relating to characteristics of the gemstone, said characteristics of the gemstone including said indicia; and

a second table for storing parameters of each of said gemstone entries relating to said personal information of said owner;

wherein said parameters of said first and second tables of each gemstone entry includes a unique parameter for cross-referencing each of said gemstone entries of said first and second tables.

17. The system, as defined in claim 1, wherein the parameters of the gemstone entries further include the status of ownership of each respective gemstone.

18. The system, as defined in claim 17, wherein the processor, in response to a signal to change the status of ownership of a gemstone entry from said user interface, verifies said gemstone entry in said database and changes said status of ownership of said gemstone entry.

19. The system, as defined in claim 17, wherein the status of ownership of a gemstone includes at least one of lost, found, stolen, and change of ownership.

20. The system, as defined in claim 1, wherein the user interface includes at least a monitor and a printer for displaying a parameter of a selected gemstone entry.

21. The system, as defined in claim 1, further comprising a second user interface for displaying at least one parameter of a gemstone entry stored in said database.

22. The system, as defined in claim 1, further comprising a second user interface for entering gemstone entries for storage in said database.

23. The system, as defined in claim 22, wherein the second user interface is located remotely from said database.

24. A computer implemented method in a network system of recording information relating to gemstones;

said method comprising;

receiving a plurality of gemstone entries from a user interface;

storing electronically the gemstone entries into a database, each of said gemstone entries including a plurality of parameters relating to a gemstone, said parameters of the gemstone including unique indicia parameter and a parameter relating to the owner of the gemstone, wherein said unique indicia is inscribed into a surface of each gemstone; and

retrieving a gemstone entry of a gemstone from said database based on a selected parameter of the gemstone entry for displaying a parameter of the selected gemstone entry at a user interface.

25. The method, as defined in claim 24, further comprising storing a supplemental gemstone entry including information of a transfer of ownership of a corresponding gemstone, said storing the supplemental gemstone entry includes:

receiving a request from the user interface to retrieve the corresponding gemstone entry;

verifying said corresponding gemstone entry is stored in said database;

receiving a parameter relating to a transferee for said supplemental gemstone entry, said transferee parameter including the name and address of the transferee of the corresponding gemstone;

linking said supplemental gemstone entry to said corresponding gemstone entry; and

storing electronically said supplemental gemstone entry in said database.

26. The method, as defined in claim 24, further comprises amending a gemstone entry that includes:

receiving a request from the user interface to retrieve a gemstone entry;

verifying said gemstone entry is stored in said database;

receiving said gemstone entry; and

storing electronically said gemstone entry in said database.

27. The method, as defined in claim 24, further comprises displaying selective gemstone entries that includes:

receiving a selected parameter of a gemstone entry; and

retrieving gemstone entries having said selected parameter for display at said user interface.

28. The method, as defined in claim 27, wherein the selected parameter includes at least one of the owner of the gemstone, the seller of the gemstone, the transferee of the gemstone, the status of ownership of the gemstone, and a characteristic of the gemstone.

29. The method, as defined in claim 24, further comprises displaying selected parameters of gemstone entries of missing gemstones that includes:

receiving a selected parameter of a gemstone entry; and

retrieving gemstone entries that are designated as at least one of lost and stolen for display at said user interface.

30. The method, as defined in claim 24, wherein the parameters of the gemstone entries further include the status of ownership of each respective gemstone.

31. The method, as defined in claim 30, wherein the status of ownership of a gemstone includes at least one of lost, found, stolen, and change of ownership.

32. The method, as defined in claim 30, further comprising flagging a gemstone entry based on the status of ownership of the gemstone.

33. The method, as defined in claim 24, further comprising changing the status of the ownership of a gemstone entry, said changing the status includes:

receiving a request from the user interface to change a gemstone entry;

verifying said gemstone entry is stored in said database;

retrieving selected parameters of the selected gemstone entry;

displaying said gemstone entry to said user interface; and

storing said status of ownership of said selected gemstone entry.

34. The method, as defined in claim 24, wherein the user interface includes at least a monitor and a printer for displaying a parameter of a selected gemstone entry.

35. The method, as defined in claim 24, further comprising retrieving a selected gemstone entry for displaying at least one parameter of a gemstone entry at a second user interface.

36. The method, as defined in claim 24, wherein the user interface is located remotely from said database.

37. The method, as defined in claim 24, further comprising displaying at least one parameter of a gemstone entry stored in said database at a second user interface.

38. The method, as defined in claim 24, further comprising entering gemstone entries for storage in said database at a second user interface.

39. The method, as defined in claim 38, wherein the second user interface is located remotely from said database.

40. A computer implemented method in a network system of recording information relating to gemstones;

said method comprising;

inscribing unique indicia onto a surface of each of the gemstones;

receiving a plurality of gemstone entries from a user interface;

storing electronically the gemstone entries into a database, each of said gemstone entries including a plurality of parameters relating to a gemstone, said parameters of the gemstone including unique indicia parameter and a parameter relating to the owner of the gemstone; and

retrieving a gemstone entry of a gemstone from said database based on a selected parameter of the gemstone entry for displaying a parameter of the selected gemstone entry at a user interface.