System/method for secure storage of personal information and for broadcast of the personal information at a time of emergency

• US 6,034,605 A
• Filed: 12/08/1998
• Issued: 03/07/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 12/08/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Family Trusted Products LLC
• Original Assignee: I.D. Relay International Incorporated
• Inventors: March, Anthony W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Lee, Benjamin C.
• Application Number:
  US09/207,641
• Time in Patent Office: 455 Days
• Field of Search: 340/573.1, 340/825.34, 340/825.31, 128/690, 379/38, 379/45, 342/357, 342/457, 705/3
• US Class Current: 340/573.1
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/0202 Child monitoring systems using a transmitter-receiver system carried by the parent and the child
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 10/60 for patient-specific data, e.g. for electronic patient records
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 80/00 ICT specially adapted for facilitating communication between medical practitioners or patients, e.g. for collaborative diagnosis, therapy or health monitoring

Abstract

A method and system are provided for storing an individual'"'"'s personal information and for broadcast thereof at a time of emergency. A sealed package contains a medium storing personal information associated with an individual. The sealed package is stored at a facility until an emergency occurs. At a time of emergency, a missing person report concerning the individual generated by a law enforcement agency is processed. The personal information in the individual'"'"'s sealed package is accessed in response to the missing person report and then broadcast on an electronic bulletin board accessible via the internet.

Claims

1. A system for storage of an individual'"'"'s personal information and for broadcast thereof at a time of emergency to facilitate a search for said individual, said system comprising:

a sealed package containing a medium storing personal information associated with an individual;

a facility for storing said sealed package;

means for processing a missing person report concerning said individual, said missing person report having been generated by a law enforcement agency;

an electronic bulletin board accessible via the internet;

means for accessing said personal information only in response to said missing person report; and

means for broadcasting said personal information associated with said individual on said electronic bulletin board only in response to said missing person report.

2. A system as in claim 1 wherein said personal information includes inherent information specific to said individual.

3. A system as in claim 2 wherein said inherent information includes visually discernible biological information specific to said individual.

4. A system as in claim 2 wherein said inherent information is visually imperceptible information specific to said individual.

5. A system as in claim 4 wherein said inherent information includes DNA information on said individual.

6. A system as in claim 4 wherein said inherent information includes fingerprints of said individual.

7. A system as in claim 2 wherein said inherent information includes photographic information of said individual.

8. A system as in claim 1 wherein said personal information includes custodial rights information specific to said individual.

9. A system as in claim 1 further comprising means for notifying a plurality of parties when said personal information has been broadcast on said electronic bulletin board.

10. A system as in claim 9 wherein said means for notifying includes a telephonic transmission device.

11. A system as in claim 9 wherein said means for notifying includes an electronic mail transmission device.

12. A system as in claim 1 wherein said medium comprises data forms.

13. A system as in claim 1 wherein said means for processing comprises:

means for receiving an electronically transmitted version of said missing person report; and

means for verifying authenticity of said missing person report.

14. A system as in claim 1 wherein said means for broadcasting comprises:

a digitizer for converting said personal information into digital data that can be reproduced as an image;

means for converting said digitized data into formatted data having a format that is compatible with the internet;

means for encrypting said formatted data wherein encrypted formatted data is formed; and

means for posting said encrypted formatted data to a first internet domain and for posting a portion of said formatted data to a second internet domain.

15. A system as in claim 14 further comprising means for processing said digital data from said digitizer wherein said image reproducible therefrom is enhanced.

16. A system as in claim 14 further comprising means for notifying a plurality of parties when said encrypted formatted data has been posted to said first internet domain and for supplying each of said plurality of parties with a unique password required for gaining internet access to said encrypted formatted data associated with said individual.

17. A method for storage of an individual'"'"'s personal information and for broadcast thereof at a time of emergency to facilitate a search for said individual, said method comprising the steps of:

receiving, at a secure facility, a medium in a sealed package, said medium storing personal information associated with an individual;

storing said sealed package in said secure facility;

processing a missing person report concerning said individual, said missing person report having been generated by a law enforcement agency;

accessing said personal information in response to a missing report;

providing an electronic bulletin board accessible via the internet; and

broadcasting said personal information associated with said individual on said electronic bulletin board only in response to said missing person report.

18. A method according to claim 17 further comprising the step of coding said sealed package with a unique identifying code prior to said step of receiving.

19. A method according to claim 17 further comprising the steps of:

receiving a subsequent sealed package at said secure facility, said subsequent sealed package containing another medium storing updated personal information associated with said individual; and

replacing said sealed package with said subsequent sealed package wherein said subsequent sealed package is made available for said step of opening and said updated personal information is made available for said step of broadcasting.

20. A method according to claim 19 further comprising the step of destroying said sealed package along with said medium contained therein.

21. A method according to claim 19 further comprising the step of requesting said updated personal information associated with said individual on a periodic basis.

22. A method according to claim 17 wherein said step of processing comprises the steps of:

receiving an electronically transmitted version of said missing person report; and

verifying authenticity of said missing person report.

23. A method according to claim 17 wherein said step of broadcasting comprises the steps of:

converting said personal information into digital data that can be reproduced as an image;

converting said digitized data into formatted data having a format that is compatible with the internet;

encrypting said formatted data wherein encrypted formatted data is formed; and

posting said encrypted formatted data to a first internet domain and for posting a portion of said formatted data to a second internet domain.

24. A method according to claim 23 further comprising the step of processing said digital data wherein said image reproducible therefrom is enhanced.

25. A according to claim 23 further comprising the steps of:

notifying a plurality of parties when said encrypted formatted data has been posted to said first internet domain; and

supplying each of said plurality of parties with a unique password required for gaining internet access to said encrypted formatted data associated with said individual.

26. A method according to claim 25 wherein each said unique password is randomly selected.