System for locating an object owner

• US 8,812,476 B2
• Filed: 03/12/2013
• Issued: 08/19/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 06/07/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Save This Life, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Save This Life, Inc.
• Inventors: Hope, Lucy Byrd, White, Christian Robert
• Primary Examiner(s): HICKS, MICHAEL J
• Application Number:
  US13/795,162
• Publication Number:
  US 20130332439A1
• Time in Patent Office: 525 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 707/706
• 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 16/907 Retrieval characterised by using metadata, e.g. metadata not derived from the content or metadata generated manually
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/951 Indexing; Web crawling techniques
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/955 using information identifiers, e.g. uniform resource locators [URL]

Abstract

Systems, methods, and computer program products are provided for locating an object owner. The system provides a microchip database that stores a plurality of microchip records containing microchip identification codes, owner contact information and the like. Microchips are embedded in objects such that when the object is scanned the microchip identification code can be retrieved and used to search and retrieve contact information from the microchip database using one or more search engines. When using the microchip identification code to conduct a search a link to a website displaying information associated with the microchip record is presented first in the list of search results.

Claims

1. An apparatus configured for locating an object owner, the apparatus comprising:

a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium including computer-readable program code stored therein;

a processor operatively coupled to the computer readable storage medium and configured to execute the computer readable program code to;

provide a microchip database having one or more microchip records stored therein, wherein the microchip database is queried using one or more general search engines for use in querying a worldwide network, and wherein the one or more general search engines are not internally associated with the microchip database;

provide a microchip identification code such that the microchip identification code is associated with a microchip, wherein the microchip is implanted into an object;

create a microchip record to be stored in the microchip database, wherein the microchip record is associated with the microchip identification code, wherein the microchip record comprises contact information associated with the object owner, and wherein the one or more general search engines are queried using a search term associated with the microchip record, and wherein creating the microchip record further comprises repeatedly posting the microchip record to a plurality of third party websites not associated with the microchip database in order to influence the ranking of the microchip record to be higher within one or more search results of the general search engines such the microchip record can be queried to be listed in one or more search results of the general search engine;

receive, via a user interface associated with the microchip database, contact information from an individual, other than the object owner, that has located the object, wherein the individual'"'"'s contact information is received via input into a contact form displayed on the user interface, and wherein the contact information associated with the object owner is not visible to the individual via the contact form;

generate a message comprising the individual'"'"'s contact information and a location of a lost object; and

send the message to the object owner based at least in part on the contact information associated with the object owner, whereby the contact information associated with the object owner remains anonymous to the individual that has located the object.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to repeatedly post the microchip record to one or more blog websites.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein querying the microchip database comprises using the microchip identification code as the search term in the plurality of search engines.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the microchip emits a unique signal when scanned by a scanning device such that the microchip identification code is displayed on the scanning device.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to provide information for manufacturing an object tag such that the microchip identification code is displayed on the object tag, wherein the object tag is attached to the object.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to provide a user interface such that a user is able to enter information to be associated with the microchip record.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to create a website, wherein the website is associated with the microchip database such that the microchip records are posted on the website, and wherein the website comprises built-in search capabilities for querying the microchip database.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to contact the object owner.

9. A method for locating an object owner, the method comprising:

providing a microchip database having one or more microchip records stored therein, wherein the microchip database is queried using one or more general search engines for use in querying a worldwide network, and wherein the one or more general search engines are not internally associated with the microchip database;

providing a microchip identification code such that the microchip identification code is associated with a microchip, and wherein the microchip is implanted into an object;

creating a microchip record to be stored in the microchip database, wherein the microchip record is associated with the microchip identification code, wherein the microchip record comprises contact information associated with the object owner, and wherein the one or more general search engines are queried using a search term associated with the microchip record, and wherein creating the microchip record further comprises repeatedly posting the microchip record to a plurality of third party websites not associated with the microchip database in order to influence the ranking of the microchip record to be higher within one or more search results of the general search engines such that the microchip record can be queried to be listed in one or more search results of the general search engine;

receiving, via a user interface associated with the microchip database, contact information from an individual, other than the object owner, that has located the object, wherein the individual'"'"'s contact information is received via input into a contact form displayed on the user interface, and wherein the contact information associated with the object owner is not visible to the individual via the contact form;

generating a message comprising the individual'"'"'s contact information and a location of a lost object; and

sending the message to the object owner based at least partially on the contact information associated with the object owner, whereby the contact information associated with the object owner remains anonymous to the individual that has located the object.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein creating a microchip record further comprises repeatedly posting the microchip record to one or more blog websites.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein querying the microchip database comprises using the microchip identification code as the search term in the plurality of search engines.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein the microchip emits a unique signal when scanned by a scanning device such that the microchip identification code is displayed on the scanning device.

13. The method of claim 9, the method further comprising providing an object tag such that the microchip identification code is displayed on the object tag, wherein the object is attached to the object.

14. The method of claim 9, wherein creating a microchip record further comprises providing a user interface such that a user is able to enter information to be associated with the microchip record.

15. The method of claim 9, the method further comprising creating a website, wherein the website is associated with the microchip database such that the microchip records are posted on the website, and wherein the website comprises built-in search capabilities for querying the microchip database.

16. The method of claim 9, the method further comprising contacting the object owner.

17. A computer program product comprising a non-transitory computer-readable medium, wherein the computer-readable medium comprises computer-executable program code portions stored therein, and wherein the computer-executable program code portions comprise:

a first program code portion operable to provide a microchip database having one or more microchip records stored therein, wherein the microchip database is queried using one or more general search engines for use in querying a worldwide network, and wherein the one or more general search engines are not internally associated with the microchip database;

a second program code portion operable to provide a microchip identification code such that the microchip identification code is associated with a microchip, and wherein the microchip is implanted into an object;

a third program code portion operable to create a microchip record to be stored in the microchip database, wherein the microchip record is associated with the microchip identification code, wherein the microchip record comprises contact information associated with the object owner, and wherein the one or more general search engines are queried using a search term associated with the microchip record, and wherein creating the microchip record further comprises repeatedly posting the microchip record to a plurality of third party websites not associated with the microchip database in order to influence the ranking of the microchip record to be higher within one or more search results of the general search engines such that the microchip record can be queried to be listed in one or more search results of the general search engine;

a fourth program code portion operable to receive, via a user interface associated with the microchip database, contact information from an individual, other than the object owner, that has located the object, wherein the individual'"'"'s contact information is received via input into a contact form displayed on the user interface, and wherein the contact information associated with the object owner is not visible to the individual via the contact form;

a fifth program code portion operable to generate a message comprising the individual'"'"'s contact information and a location of a lost object; and

a sixth program code portion operable to send the message to the object owner based at least partially on the contact information associated with the object owner, whereby the contact information associated with the object owner remains anonymous to the individual that has located the object.

18. The computer program product of claim 17, a seventh program code portion operable to repeatedly post the microchip record to one or more blog websites.

19. The computer program product of claim 17, a seventh code portion operable to cause a microchip to emit a unique signal when scanned by a scanning device such that the microchip identification code is displayed on the scanning device.

20. The computer program product of claim 17, a seventh program code portion operable to provide information for manufacturing an object tag such that the microchip identification code is displayed on the object tag, wherein the object is a tag attached to the object.

21. The computer program product of claim 17, a seventh program code portion operable to provide a user interface such that a user is able to enter information to be associated with the microchip record.

22. The computer program product of claim 17, a seventh program code portion operable to create a website, wherein the website is associated with the microchip database such that the microchip records are posted on the website, and wherein the website comprises built-in search capabilities for querying the microchip database.

23. The computer program product of claim 17, a seventh program code portion operable to contact the object owner.