Patent Application
20050192828
This application is an improvement of U.S. Pat. No. 6,604,018 issued Aug. 5, 2003 which relied for priority purposes on U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/235,811 filed Sep. 27, 2000, all of which are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety. This invention serves the purpose of providing special emotional comfort to family members and friends (“survivor” or “patron”) of a deceased human or animal by allowing them to view the remains at a time and place convenient to the survivor. This invention would allow the time of remembrance to take place directly in a survivor's home or at any place of their choice, i.e. vacation place, office, etc and at their convenience. Final disposition of a body after death can include i) burial or entombment of the body in a cemetery; ii) cremation of the body followed by disposition of the remains by burial, scattering of the remains, placement in a columbarium, or retention by family; and iii) donation of the body to medical science. In cases where the body or remains are buried, entombed, or placed in a columbarium, the survivor still must travel to the location where the remains or body reside, this invention eliminates traveling altogether, which is especially advantageous for very busy, or elderly and handicapped people.
This invention is intended to provide special emotional comfort to those individuals who survive a deceased human or animal. This invention would allow the
This invention is intended to provide special emotional comfort to those individuals who survive a deceased human or animal. This invention would allow the time of remembrance to take place directly in a survivor's home or at any place of their choice, i.e. vacation place, office, etc and at their convenience, regardless of time of day, weather, or location. This invention provides a less costly means of disposition and may prevent scattering of cremated remains.
Final disposition of a body after death can include (i) burial or entombment of the body; (ii) cremation of the body followed by disposition of the remains by burial, scattering of the remains, placement in a columbarium, or retention by family; and (iii) donation of the body to medical science, with cremation following. In any of these cases, there might just be a memorial stone in some far away cemetery as a reminder of the location where the deceased was laid to rest. Currently unless survivors have decided to retain their deceased cremated remains in their possession, survivors must travel to a cemetery, mausoleum, or a cremation repository facility in order to mentally connect with the deceased. In addition for cremated remains, if several survivors exist unless the remains are divided between all the survivors so that each individual retains some of the remains in their possession, some survivors must still travel to the location of the individual with the remains in their possession. However, due to lack of time and/or transportation, due to age and/or health related reasons, people cannot or do not want to travel to far-away cemeteries. In spite of that, every human being wishes to be remembered long after death, and would feel comforted by knowing that there is a means of extending and enhancing the memory in the hearts and minds of their relatives and friends. This present invention eliminates traveling altogether, which is especially advantageous for very busy, or elderly and handicapped people.
By the deceased, it is meant an entity such as a human or animal, to which the survivor has an interest in mentally and/or visually connecting with after death of the deceased.
By remains, it is meant the cremated remains of the deceased housed in a urn or vessel; the gravesite, marker, or headstone at which the deceased's body or the cremated remains of the deceased was buried; the mausoleum or columbarium at which the deceased's body or the cremated remains of the deceased was entombed; or the Garden of Remembrance or similarly named location for the scattering of cremated remains.
By visually connecting, it is meant to see the urn or vessel; the gravesite, marker, or headstone at which the deceased's body or the cremated remains of the deceased was buried; the mausoleum or columbarium at which the deceased's body or the cremated remains of the deceased was entombed; or the Garden of Remembrance or similarly named location for the scattering of cremated remains.
By patron, it is meant an individual who has an established identity account allowing the individual or the individual's designee access to one or more sets of remains. A patron can be the deceased who had established an identity account prior to death and has designated another individual to preserve their identity account.
Establishment of an identity account by a patron may include receiving or creating an assigned personal identification code and/or password which are entered into a computer by the patron via a keyboard or other interface device. Identification of the patron can be as simple as entering a personal identification code and/or password intro a keyboard or keypad, which then automatically searches a computer database to identify the remains which the patron has proper access to view. Alternative identification methodologies include magnetic codes and bar codes which may be imprinted on identification cards, tags, rings, etc.
Payment for services rendered for each identity account can be via (i) one-time all inclusive fee, (ii) installment plan, (iii) payment at time services are rendered, or (iv) other arrangement. Additionally, the identity account can be linked to a credit or debit card which identifies the holder of the credit or debit card as having proper access to one or more sets of remains but also facilitates payment by the patron for the services provided. A credit or debit card account of any individual patron may be charged in installments, for instance, monthly, independently of actual viewings. Alternatively or additionally, a charge may be made to the patron's account every time the patron views the remains. Moreover, ancillary services that are provided may bear respective additional charges. The charges may be made to the accounts of respective patrons at the time of requesting or utilizing the basic and ancillary services or thereafter, for example, at the end of the month. Fees for the storage of the cremated remains may be waived if patron participates in an installment plan for the viewing of the remains.
With the present invention, patrons do not need to leave the comfort of their homes to mentally and/or visually connect with the deceased. They can, at any time, request to have access to viewing the remains via Internet, television, cable, satellite TV, or the telephone. The remains will then be displayed on their TV screen, computer monitor, or telephone screen with a visual and audible background of their choice. Alternative methods of viewing the remains via different electronic devices may be incorporated as additional technology is developed in those areas.
The following examples are provided to illustrate or exemplify certain preferred embodiments of the present invention illustrative of the present invention but are not intended in any way to limit the present invention
In a preferred embodiment, the images of remains can be viewed on the Internet by a patron by (i) establishment of an identity account of a patron, (ii) receiving from patron the cremated remains of the deceased for deposit and storage into a cremation repository as described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,604,018, (iii) receiving from a patron identification of the patron and identification of the remains patron requests viewing of, (iv) operating a database to verify patron is entitled to view the requested remains, (v) operating a transport system to transport the remains to a predetermined setting where cameras take high-definition (HD) images of the remains in the setting, (vi) transmitting live images of the remains in the setting utilizing Internet web browsers to home computers or laptops or by broadcasting stations and then transmitting via satellite or cable to home TVs, and (vii) returning the unaltered remains to their storage location after the viewing is complete.
In a preferred embodiment, the live images created from Example 1 can be combined with a plurality of environmental conditions (
In a preferred embodiment, the images of remains can be viewed on the Internet by a patron by (i) establishment of an identity account of a patron, (ii) receiving from patron the cremated remains of the deceased for deposit and storage into a cremation repository as described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,604,018, (iii) preparing images of the remains prior to storage, such as using a camera to take high-definition (HD) images (
In a preferred embodiment and a modification of Example 1, a plurality of independently operating robots or other mechanical device with video capabilities, such as a camera to take high-definition (HD) images, located at cemeteries, columbariums, or crematories that are computer controlled access the location of remains of the deceased (gravesite, tomb, memorial stone, etc.). The robots can be self-propelled machines capable of traveling over various terrain (grass, gravel, pavement, etc.) to a set of predetermined coordinates designating the location of the remains of the deceased. Cameras take high-definition (HD) images of the remains in its natural setting and transmit live images of the remains utilizing Internet web browsers to home computers or laptops or by broadcasting stations and then transmitting via satellite or cable to home TVs.
In a preferred embodiment, patrons who wish to retain the cremated remains of the deceased in their home, scatter the remains at sea, etc. could provide personal images, such as photos (still images) or videos (moving images—with or without audio) of the deceased singly or with others that would be stored in databanks and could be combined with any requested environmental conditions, as outlined in Example 2 and transmitted utilizing Internet web browsers to home computers or laptops or by broadcasting stations and then transmitting via satellite or cable to home TVs without the need for the remains.
In a preferred embodiment, a plurality of independent photographers with video capabilities, such as a camera to take high-definition (HD) images of the location of the remains of the deceased (gravesite, tomb, memorial stone, etc.). High-definition (HD) images of the remains in its natural setting are then stored in databank. These images could be combined with any requested environmental conditions, as outlined in Example 2 and transmitted utilizing Internet web browsers to home computers or laptops or by broadcasting stations and then transmitting via satellite or cable to home TVs without the need for the remains.
In a preferred embodiment, the video clips and still images created from Examples 1-6 can also be hosted and superimposed by the cable and broadband communication providers and/or other program and the Internet service providers.
In a preferred embodiment, the video clips and still images created from Examples 1-6 can be used to create media carriers, such as DVDs or VHS tapes, that could be made available to patrons.
Specifically, this invention would be available to the general public who would like to be remembered after death by their friends and family members and who would like to provide this special comfort to them.
The invention has been described in an illustrative manner, and it is to be understood the terminology used is intended to be in the nature of description rather than of limitation. Obviously, many modifications and variations of the present invention are possible in light of the above teachings and one of ordinary skill in the art, in light of this teaching, can generate additional embodiments and modifications without departing from the spirit of or exceeding the scope of the claimed invention. Therefore, it is to be understood that within the scope of the appended claims, the invention may be practiced otherwise than as specifically described. Accordingly, it is to be understood that the drawings and descriptions herein are proffered by way of example to facilitate comprehension of the invention and should not be construed to limit the scope thereof.
The present application claims the benefit of priority of U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 60/548,015, filed Feb. 27, 2004, which is hereby incorporated by reference herein in its entirety, including any figures, tables, or drawings.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 60548015 | Feb 2004 | US |
