Pet identification system and method

• US 6,845,382 B2
• Filed: 02/02/2004
• Issued: 01/18/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 12/22/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Snoutscan LLC
• Original Assignee: Louis B. Meadows
• Inventors: Meadows, Louis B.
• Primary Examiner(s): Metjahic, Safet
• Assistant Examiner(s): AL HASHEMI, SANA A
• Application Number:
  US10/770,120
• Publication Number:
  US 20040153477A1
• Time in Patent Office: 351 Days
• Field of Search: 707/104.1, 707/102, 707/10, 382/115, 427/1
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A01K 11/00 Marking of animals marking poultry or other birds A01K35/00
• CPC Class Codes: A01K 11/006 Automatic identification systems for animals, e.g. electronic devices, transponders for animals identification systems for access to feeding pens A01K1/0209; ear tags with electronic identification means A01K11/004
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 18/00 Pattern recognition
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• 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

A system and method for identification and retrieval of lost pets such as dogs. The system includes methods to obtain accurate noseprints either by chemical transfer system or with closeup photography for entry into a database. The system assigns locations where noseprints are acquired with an account number which in turn automatically assign an identification number to a dog when registered. Data relating to and including the noseprint, a photograph, description, and information regarding the owner are transferred to a central database optionally from pet shops by E-Mail or by giving all photos and registration forms to a dog owner who then fills out forms and sends all materials to central office via mail. The system includes a program to automatically assign an account number to a pet shop or store and an identification number for the dog. The program includes photograph enhancing software as well as pattern recognition software to identify a lost dog via the noseprint. To recover a lost dog, the system is scanned either by identification number, if known, or by using the pattern recognition software to compare a noseprint of a found dog with those in the noseprint database to identify and locate the owner of the pet. If a match is achieved by an identification number or by pattern recognition of noseprints, the owner is notified and the lost dog can be retrieved.

Claims

1. A pet identification method comprising;

forming a flexible pad having a window;

covering said window with flexible plastic material having an interior side and exterior side;

coating said interior side with an indelible ink, said interior coated with indelible ink being away from said exterior side to be applied to a pets nose;

forming a registration form on having a shape and size equal to said flexible pad;

covering said window with said registration form so that said registration form is spaced from and aligned with said interior side coated with indelible ink;

pressing said exterior side of said flexible plastic material against a pet'"'"'s nose until said interior side with said indelible ink firmly abuts said registration form producing a clear print of said pets nose;

photographing said pet;

collecting identifying data entering said noseprint, about said pet;

said photograph and data into a database;

whereby a lost pet can be accurately and quickly identified by retrieving and comparing a lost pet'"'"'s noseprint with noseprints in said database and related data.

2. The method according to claim 1 in which said pet is a dog.

3. The method according to claim 1 including printing identification card for an owner.

4. The method according to claim 1 in which said printed identification card is printed with a description of the animal, color, breed, weight, sex, name of owner, photograph of animal, identification number, and noseprint.

5. The method according to claim 1 including searching said database;

said search through said database comprising;

pattern matching a lost pet'"'"'s noseprint with a noseprint in said database.

6. The method according to claim 5 including producing lost pet notices regarding whether a match is found in said database;

transmitting said notices to locations where a lost pet may be kept.

7. The method according to claim 1 including receiving a form with information regarding a lost pet;

entering data regarding said lost pet into said database system;

searching said database for data corresponding to information on said form;

producing lost pet notices from the data found in the database search;

transmitting the lost pet notices to locations where a lost pet may be found.

8. The method according to claim 7 including searching said database for a corresponding pet identification and owner name.

9. The method according to claim 1 in which said printable material comprises a registration form having an area for said noseprint and areas for entering data about said pet.

10. A pet identification system comprising;

a flexible plastic material having an interior side and exterior side attached to said flexible pad and covering said window;

a coating of ink on said interior side of said flexible plastic window;

a registration form covering such window aligned with and on an opposite side of said flexible pad from said interior side of said flexible plastic material having said ink;

whereby when said exterior side of said flexible plastic window is firmly pressed on a pet'"'"'s nose an accurate copy of the pets nose is imprinted on said registration form.

11. The system according to claim 10 in which said ink is an indelible ink.

12. The system according to claim 11 in which said registration form includes data recording areas for recording identifying data about said pet.

13. The system according to claim 12 including a database;

said noseprint and said identifying data about said pet being stored in said database.

14. The system according to claim 13 in which said database includes a program for comparing a stored noseprint and identifying data with a noseprint and identifying data of a lost pet;

whereby a lost pet can be quickly and accurately identified.

15. A pet identification method comprising;

taking a closeup photograph of a pets nose to acquire a noseprint, said nose photograph being taken by a high-magnification camera having a magnification of at least 3×

;

taking a photograph of said pet;

collecting identifying data about said pet on a database

registration form;

storing said noseprint, said photograph and registration data in a central database;

assigning an identification number to said pet;

providing a search engine for searching said central database to retrieve registration data and a noseprint;

providing a comparison program for comparing said registration data and noseprint in said central database with data and a noseprint received about a lost pet;

connecting said central database to a network to receive data and a noseprint about a lost pet and transmitting the result of said comparison program;

whereby a lost pet can be identified by retrieving data or said noseprint from said database.

16. A pet identification method according to claim 15 in which said high-magnification camera has a focus system of a pair of light beams that are in correct focus when said two beams come together as a single beam.

17. A pet identification method according to claim 15 in which said magnification is up to 5×

.