Systems and methods for the tracking of evidence
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A system for tracking of evidence, the system comprising:
- an evidence tag including a machine readable indicia;
an evidence bag identification label including the same machine readable indicia;
a handheld device, said handheld device including a camera and a memory;
an evidence bag;
a printer; and
a central server computer;
wherein, said evidence tag is designed to be attached to a piece of evidence at the time of collection in such fashion as to indicate if said evidence tag is later removed,wherein said evidence is identified using said handheld device;
wherein an evidence entry comprising a description and a photograph of said evidence is stored in said memory;
wherein said evidence is placed in said evidence bag once said evidence entry has been entered into said handheld device such that said evidence is removable from said evidence bag without destruction of said evidence bag or removal of said evidence tag;
wherein said printer is used to print said evidence bag identification label, which label is attached to said evidence bag used for said evidence in such fashion as to allow indication that said label is later removed;
wherein said evidence entry in said memory is transferred from said handheld device to said central server computer and said evidence is transferred to a storage facility; and
wherein said central server computer provides for an alert system which indicates when said evidence bag is to be disposed of.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A system for the tagging, organization and tracking of evidence during the course of an investigation. The system generally utilizes an onsite handheld mobile computer device which is capable of taking input information including a description of evidence and a photo of evidence, reading a machine readable tag placed on the evidence, and printing an evidence bag label for identification the storage into which the evidence is placed. The handheld device can store this information in onboard memory until it is uploaded to a central server computer.
16 Citations
27 Claims
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1. A system for tracking of evidence, the system comprising:
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an evidence tag including a machine readable indicia; an evidence bag identification label including the same machine readable indicia; a handheld device, said handheld device including a camera and a memory; an evidence bag; a printer; and a central server computer; wherein, said evidence tag is designed to be attached to a piece of evidence at the time of collection in such fashion as to indicate if said evidence tag is later removed, wherein said evidence is identified using said handheld device; wherein an evidence entry comprising a description and a photograph of said evidence is stored in said memory; wherein said evidence is placed in said evidence bag once said evidence entry has been entered into said handheld device such that said evidence is removable from said evidence bag without destruction of said evidence bag or removal of said evidence tag; wherein said printer is used to print said evidence bag identification label, which label is attached to said evidence bag used for said evidence in such fashion as to allow indication that said label is later removed; wherein said evidence entry in said memory is transferred from said handheld device to said central server computer and said evidence is transferred to a storage facility; and wherein said central server computer provides for an alert system which indicates when said evidence bag is to be disposed of. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. A system for tracking evidentiary materials identified during an investigation, the system comprising:
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a plurality of evidence tags comprising machine readable indicia, wherein said evidence tags are designed to be attached to the evidentiary materials; an evidence container for holding the evidentiary materials with said evidence tags attached to the evidentiary materials; a handheld device comprising a computer processor and a memory, wherein a plurality of evidence entries are entered into said computer processor and stored in said memory, said evidence entries comprising a plurality of alphanumeric codes corresponding with said machine readable indicia and further comprising a plurality of descriptions corresponding with the evidentiary materials and correlated with said alphanumeric codes in said memory; and an evidence container identification label attached to said evidence container, said evidence container identification label comprising a listing of said machine readable indicia on said evidence tags attached to the evidentiary materials in said evidence container, wherein the evidentiary materials are removable from said evidence container without destruction of said evidence container and without removal of said evidence tags from the evidentiary materials. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
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19. A system for tracking evidentiary materials identified during an investigation, the system comprising:
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a plurality of evidence tags comprising machine readable indicia, wherein said evidence tags are designed to be attached to the evidentiary materials; an evidence container for holding the evidentiary materials with said evidence tags attached to the evidentiary materials; a central server, wherein a plurality of evidence entries are stored in said central server, said evidence entries comprising a plurality of alphanumeric codes corresponding with said machine readable indicia and further comprising a plurality of descriptions corresponding with the evidentiary materials and correlated with said alphanumeric codes in said central server, wherein said central server comprises an alert system for a disposition of the evidentiary materials, said alert system comprising a plurality of notification options comprised of a future trigger date following a closure of a case and a corresponding instruction for a disposal action; and an evidence container identification label attached to said evidence container, said evidence container identification label comprising a listing of said machine readable indicia on said evidence tags attached to the evidentiary materials in said evidence container. - View Dependent Claims (20)
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21. A system for one or more custodians of evidentiary materials to use in tracking the evidentiary materials identified during investigations and disposing the evidentiary materials following conclusion of the corresponding cases, the system comprising:
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a plurality of evidence tags comprising machine readable indicia, wherein said evidence tags are designed to be attached to the evidentiary materials; a central server comprising a data storage module in operative communication with a processing module and a communications module, wherein a plurality of evidence entries are stored in said data storage module, wherein said evidence entries comprise a plurality of alphanumeric codes corresponding with said machine readable indicia and further comprise an identifier of at least one of the evidentiary material custodians and a corresponding set of evidence descriptions, evidence disposal trigger dates, and evidence disposal instructions correlated with said alphanumeric codes stored in said data storage module, wherein said processing module maintains a calendar and determines a current date, wherein a plurality of said evidence disposal trigger dates are subsequent to said current date, wherein said processing module comprises comparison logic to determine a match between said current date and at least one of said evidence disposal trigger dates stored in said data storage module for at least one of the cases, wherein said processing module produces a disposal notice identifying the evidentiary materials corresponding to said matched evidence disposal trigger date and including said evidence disposal instructions for the evidentiary materials identified in said disposal notice, and wherein said communications module transmits said disposal notice to said custodian identifier; and a computer operatively used by at least one of the custodians and communicating with said central server to access said evidence entries in said central server computer, wherein said computer receives said disposal notice from said central server via said custodian identifier. - View Dependent Claims (22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27)
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Specification