Evidence tracking

• US 7,436,304 B1
• Filed: 07/07/2006
• Issued: 10/14/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 07/19/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Visible Assets Incorporated (NOV, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Visible Assets Incorporated (NOV, Inc.)
• Inventors: Waterhouse, Paul, Stevens, John K, August, Jason, Olson, Jessica L
• Primary Examiner(s): Bugg, George A
• Assistant Examiner(s): BLOUNT, ERIC
• Application Number:
  US11/456,182
• Publication Number:
  US 20080238672A1
• Time in Patent Office: 830 Days
• Field of Search: 340/572.1, 340/572.7, 340/573.1, 340/539.13, 340/10.1, 340/10.2, 235/375, 235/385
• US Class Current: 340/572.1
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 17/00 Methods or arrangements for effecting co-operative working between equipments covered by two or more of main groups G06K1/00 - G06K15/00, e.g. automatic card files incorporating conveying and reading operations

Abstract

A system uses a large loop antenna, connected with a transceiver operating below 1 MHz. The loop antenna is deployed from a spool to surround a crime scene, and may carry indicia communicating that it is a crime scene boundary. The system interrogates devices, including evidence bags and badged personnel, as they enter and leave the scene. The system can optionally log the time of salient events. A second loop antenna can log evidence bags as they enter a vehicle. The devices can be silenced by the transceiver and thus collisions can be reduced and avoided among responses from devices. The system performs “area reads” that would not be possible if higher RF frequencies were employed.

Claims

1. A method for use with an electrically conductive line and with tags, the line having first and second ends and being at least twenty feet in length, the tags each having a respective identifier and disposed to receive queries at a radio frequency no greater than 1 MHz and to emit responses thereto at a radio frequency no greater than 1 MHz, the tags each mechanically affixed to a respective bag having an opening and a closure for the opening, the method comprising the steps of:

defining a first scene of interest having a perimeter, the scene of interest having an area, the area exceeding twenty-five square feet, the perimeter extending at least twenty feet;

deploying the line starting with its first end at a first point at the perimeter, along the perimeter around the first scene of interest, and returning with its second end to the first point;

connecting the first and second ends to a first apparatus operating at a radio frequency no greater than 1 MHz;

operating said apparatus to emit a query;

operating said apparatus to listen for a response to the query from a tag;

in the event of a response, extracting an identifier from the response, storing the identifier in said apparatus, and transmitting a silence request with respect to the identifier;

repeating the emitting, listening, extracting, storing, and transmitting steps, thereby accumulating a list of identifiers;

recording times at which the list changes, thereby detecting events of tags entering and leaving the first scene of interest;

after the preceding steps, removing the line;

after removing the line, defining a second scene of interest having a perimeter, the second scene of interest having an area, the area exceeding twenty-five square feet, the perimeter extending at least twenty feet;

deploying the line starting with its first end at a first point at the perimeter, along the perimeter around the second scene of interest, and returning with its second end to the first point; and

connecting the first and second ends to said first apparatus operating at a radio frequency no greater than 1 MHz.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of deploying the line at the first scene of interest comprises laying the line on the ground along the perimeter.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein each tag has a button which, when pressed, causes the tag to respond differently due to the pressing of the button,

the method further characterized in that in the event of a response that is different due to the pressing of a button, what is stored additionally includes information thereof, thereby detecting events of the pressing of a button on a tag.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein each tag has a motion sensor which, when triggered, causes the tag to respond differently due to sensed motion,

the method further characterized in that in the event of a response that is different due to sensed motion, what is stored additionally includes information thereof, thereby detecting events of motion of a tag.

5. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of:

placing a first item in the bag affixed to a first tag;

closing the closure of the bag affixed to the first tag;

placing a second item in the bag affixed to a second tag;

closing the closure of the bag affixed to the second tag;

removing the first tag and the second tag, and their respective bags, from the enclosure; and

detecting the events of the first and second tags leaving the scene of interest.

6. The method of claim 1, the method performed with respect to badges, the badges each having a respective identifier and disposed to receive queries at a radio frequency no greater than 1 MHz and to emit responses thereto at a radio frequency no greater than 1 MHz, the method further characterized in that the step of making note of times at which the list changes further detects events of badges entering and leaving the first scene of interest.

7. The method of claim 5, the method performed with respect to badges, the badges each having a respective identifier and disposed to receive queries at a radio frequency no greater than 1 MHz and to emit responses thereto at a radio frequency no greater than 1 MHz, the method further characterized in that the step of making note of times at which the list changes further detects events of badges entering and leaving the first scene of interest.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of deploying the line comprises unspooling the line from a spool.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein each tag has a sensor sensing a closed condition of the closure, the sensor causing the tag to respond differently due to the closed condition,

the method further characterized in that in the event of a response that is different due to the closed condition, what is stored additionally includes information thereof, thereby detecting events of the closure being opened or closed on the bag of a tag.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein the line further comprises a tape bearing printed indicia visible from a distance.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein the indicia comprise the words “

CRIME SCENE”

.