WO1994015797A1

WO1994015797A1 - A data information certificate of an animal or object

Info

Publication number: WO1994015797A1
Application number: PCT/GB1993/002666
Authority: WO
Inventors: Robert James Cook
Original assignee: Photo Data Information Service Limited
Priority date: 1993-01-06
Filing date: 1993-12-29
Publication date: 1994-07-21
Also published as: GB9300189D0; AU5712094A

Abstract

A data information certificate (2) of an animal or object, which data information certificate (2) is for use in identifying the animal or object in the event of a need to prove ownership of the animal or object, and which data information certificate (2) comprises written information (8) relating to the animal or object and a plurality of different pictures of the animal or object which are provided in spaces (4, 6) for the pictures, and the data information certificate (2) comprising a data information sheet which has been obtained as a hard copy printout from a printer associated with a computer fed with the written information and the pictures in a computer usable form.

Description

A DATA INFORMATION CERTIFICATE OF AN ANIMAL OR OBJECT

This invention relates to a data information certificate of an animal or object.

Animals such for example as horses and objects such for example as paintings and antiques are frequently stolen. In the case of horses, it is known to have a data information sheet with drawings which just represent any horse and parts of the horse. On these drawings a veterinary surgeon writes markings related to the particular horse in question and then provides written information relating to these markings. Such a horse data information certificate is often completely inadequate when it is required to identify the horse with a good degree of certainty, for example during a theft or during a sale of the horse. Other animals and most objects are generally not provided with any form of data information certificate whatsoever so that there is always a problem when proof of ownership is required to be established with any reasonable degree of certainty.

It is an aim of the present invention to reduce the above mentioned problems.

Accordingly, in one non-limiting embodiment of the present invention there is provided a data information certificate of an animal or object, which data information certificate is for use in identifying the animal cr object in the event of a need to prove ownership of the animal or object, and which data information certificate comprises written information relating to the animal or object and a plurality of different pictures of the animal or object, and the data information certificate comprising a data information sheet which has been obtained as a hard copy printout from a printer associated with a computer fed with the written information and the pictures in a computer usable form.

The data information certificate of the present invention is thus able to provide detailed pictures and written information of the animal or the object. The data information certificate may be regarded as forming a type of passport. Because the written information and the pictures are in a computer usable form, copies of the data information certificate can always be generated, for example from a central registry in the event of loss of a data information certificate by a client of the central information registry.

The animal may be a horse, greyhound, racing pigeon or any other suitable and appropriate type of animal. The object may be an antique, a picture, jewellery, a car or other vehicle, or any other suitable and appropriate type of object. The data information certificate may be in the form a laminate with the data information sheet laminated and sealed between sheets of a plastics material . Usually the sheets of the plastics material will be transparent.

The pictures of the animal or object may be in any suitable size and form. Thus, for example, the pictures of the animal or object may be in the form of one large picture showing a general view of the animal or object, plus a plurality of smaller pictures showing either the whole or parts of the animal or object but emphasising different aspects of the animal or object for identification purposes.

Where the pictures are of an animal, then the pictures may show the animal at different times of the year. Such pictures are especially preferred where the animal is a horse. With horses, they are often given different cuts at different times of a year and these different cuts can cause the horse to have a different appearance. These different appearances can be very easily recorded on the data information certificate of the present invention. The different cuts at different times of the year may tend to emphasise or de-emphasise whorls, flecking and/or other distinguishing marks.

The data information certificate may be one in which the pictures are taken by a still video camera. With a still video camera, movement between the still video camera and the animal or object is not recorded. Usually, the still video camera will be held motionless when the pictures are taken.

A presently preferred still video camera is that marketed by Canon UK Limited of Wallington, Surrey, England under the name of an ion-pc camera. The Canon ion-pc camera is IBM (registered trade mark) personal computer compatible with an 80286 or 80386 processor. The Canon ion-pc camera may capture images on a small removable disk that may be a 2-inch (5.08cm) removable disk. The disk then allows the user to convert the recorded images into any chosen file format, for example for use by standard software such as desk top publishing software. The ability to have the pictures and written information on computer enables many alternatives in presentation easily to be achieveable. Colour or monochrome for the images may be employed, together with scaling and/or rotating of the images. Editing is simply done.

If desired, the pictures may be taken by a moving video camera. The moving video camera will be one which records movement between the moving video camera and the animal or object. The animal or object may move, the moving video camera may move, or both the animal or object and the moving video camera may move. With the use of a moving video camera, stills from the moving recording may be used as the pictures. Frames can be frozen where required in order to obtain the best still pictures. Frame freezing is easily effected via the computer.

The moving video camera may be a camcorder (which records pictures and sound) or the moving video camera may be an older-type video camera that just records pictures.

If desired, the pictures may be obtained from a combination of those taken using a still video camera and those taken using a moving video camera.

Where a moving video camera is used, then the entire video may be retained for subsequent reference in any cases of doubt. The use of a moving video camera also enables the surroundings of an animal or object easily to be recorded.

The written information may be typed, otherwise printed, handwritten or otherwise provided. Generally, the written information can be provided in any suitable and appropriate manner.

Preferably, the printer is a laser printer. Other types of printer may be employed.

In another non-limiting embodiment of the present invention there is provided a process for producing a data information certificate of an animal or object, which data information certificate is for use in identifying the animal or object in the event of a need to prove ownership of the animal or object, and which data information certificate comprises written information relating to the animal or object and a plurality of pictures of the animal or object, which process comprises providing a plurality of pictures of the animal or object using a video camera, loading the pictures and written information relating to the animal or object into a computer, and obtaining a data information sheet from a printer associated with the computer.

The computer may be directly linked to the printer.

Alternatively, the computer may be indirectly linked to the printer, for example via other computers, or disks.

The process of the invention may include the step of forming a laminate with the data information sheet laminated and sealed between sheets of a plastics material. As indicated above, the sheets of plastics material will usually be transparent.

In the process of the invention, the pictures may be as indicated above. Also as indicated above, the pictures may be taken with a still video camera and/or a moving video camera.

In the process of the invention, the data information sheet may be obtained from a laser printer or any other suitable and appropriate printer. Embodiments of ^' the invention will now be described solely by way of example and with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

Figure 1 shows a data information certificate for a horse; and

Figure 2 shows a similar data information certificate but for use in notifying loss of a horse.

Referring to Figure l, there is shown a data information certificate 2 for a horse. The data information certificate 2 is for use in identifying the horse in the event of a need to prove ownership of the horse, for example in the case of a theft or sale of the horse.

As can be seen from Figure 1, the data information certificate 2 comprises one large space 4, for example for a large picture of the entire horse, and nine small spaces 6 for different pictures of the entire horse and/or of parts of the horse. Thus, for example, the small spaces 6 may contain pictures showing parts of the horse at different times of the year and/or whorls flecking and/or other distinguishing marks of the horse. The nine spaces 6 are marked 1 - 9 for the convenience of the user.

The data information certificate 2 further includes written information 8 which needs to be completed as shown. Thus, for example, details need to be provided regarding the nine pictures in the spaces 6 together with details of the horse's name, birthdate, colour, breed, sex, approximate adult height, breed number and previous owner. In order to be prepared for an insurance claim on a dead horse which may be partly decomposed or dismembered, the data information certificate 2 may be such that the written information 8 needs to be completed to give the horse's DNA details. Other details that may be required are freeze, tattoo, hoof and tag details.

Generally, any suitable and appropriate written information may be provided. Preferably, the information should only be provided by a veterinary surgeon and the information should be signed and stamped by the issuing veterinary surgeon, for example in the space 10. The written information may be typed, otherwise printed or handwritten as may be required.

The data information certificate 2 is in the form of a laminate. The laminate comprises a data information sheet which has been obtained as a hardcopy printout from a laser printer associated with a personal computer fed with the written information and the pictures in a computer-usable form. The data information sheet is laminated and sealed between two sheets of a transparent plastics material.

The pictures for the spaces 4 and 6 may be obtained using a still video camera or a moving video camera. If desired, the pictures for the spaces 4 and 6 may be a combination of pictures taken from a still video camera and stills taken from a moving video camera. Where a still video camera is used, this may be a Canon ion-pc still video camera. Where a moving video camera is employed, this may be a camcorder.

In the event of loss of the horse, for example by stealing, then the data information certificate 2 shown in Figure 2 may be completed as a notification of loss certificate which may then be sent to the owner's insurance company.

It is to be appreciated that the embodiments of the invention described above with reference to the accompanying drawings have been given by way of example only and that modifications may be effected. Thus, for example, the above mentioned DNA information may be provided in bar code form. The data information certificate of the present invention may contain pictures of any other animal or object instead of the above mentioned horse. Also, the layout of the spaces 4 and 6 may be varied as may be desired. In addition to helping to prevent loss due to theft, the data information certificate of the present invention may enable owners of animals and objects to obtain reduced insurance premiums.

Claims

1. A data information certificate of an animal or object, which data information certificate is for use in identifying the animal or object in the event of a need to prove ownership of the animal or object, and which data information certificate comprises written information relating to the animal or object and a plurality of different pictures of the animal or object, and the data information certificate comprising a data information sheet which has been obtained as a hard copy printout from a printer associated with a computer fed with the written information and the pictures in a computer usable form.

2. A data information certificate according to claim 1 and which is in the form of a laminate with the data information sheet laminated and sealed between sheets of a plastics material.

3. A data information certificate according to claim 2 in which the sheets of the plastics material are transparent.

4. A data information certificate according to any one of the preceding claims in which the pictures of the animal or object are in the form of one large picture showing a general view of the animal or object, plus a plurality of smaller pictures showing either the whole or parts of the animal or object but emphasizing different aspects of the animal or object for identification purposes.

5. A data information certificate according to any one of the preceding claims in which the pictures are taken by a still video camera.

6. Apparatus according to any one of claims 1 - 4 in which the pictures are taken by a moving video camera.

7. A data information certificate according to any one of claims l - 4 in which the pictures are obtained from a combination of pictures taken from a still video camera and from a moving video camera.

8. A process for producing a data information certificate of an animal or object, which data information certificate is for use in identifying the animal or object in the event of a need to prove ownership of the animal or object, and which data information certificate comprises written information relating to the animal or object and a plurality of pictures of the animal or object, which process comprises providing a plurality of pictures of the animal or object using a video camera, loading the pictures and written information relating to the animal or object into a computer, and obtaining a data information sheet from a printer associated with the computer.

9. A process according to claim 8 and including the step of forming a laminate with the data information sheet laminated and sealed between sheets of a plastics material.

10. A process according to claim 9 in which the sheets of the plastics material are transparent.