Patent Application
20110228071
Forensic evidentiary item examination is a process commonly performed during and for investigations and legal proceedings. Law enforcement at the scene of a crime, for instance, may recover a bullet, and may then subsequently recover a firearm at the residence of a potential suspect. To determine whether the bullet was fired from the firearm, a forensic expert is employed. The forensic expert may fire another bullet from the recovered gun, and compare the two bullets to determine if the recovered bullet was indeed fired from the recovered firearm.
A remote forensic evidentiary item examination system can include a first station and a second station. The first station is locatable at a first location, and the second station is locatable at a second location different than and remote to the first location. The first station is adapted to have a forensic evidentiary item mounted at a fixture thereof. The second station is in communicative connection with the first station. The second station is adapted to permit a user at the second location to examine the forensic evidentiary item at the first location. Other aspects and embodiments of the invention will become apparent by reading the description that follows, and by referring to the accompanying drawings.
The drawings referenced herein form a part of the specification. Features shown in the drawing are meant as illustrative of only some embodiments of the invention, and not of all embodiments of the invention, unless otherwise explicitly indicated, and implications to the contrary are otherwise not to be made.
In the following detailed description of exemplary embodiments of the invention, reference is made to the accompanying drawings that form a part hereof, and in which is shown by way of illustration specific exemplary embodiments in which the invention may be practiced. These embodiments are described in sufficient detail to enable those skilled in the art to practice the invention. Other embodiments may be utilized, and logical, mechanical, and other changes may be made without departing from the spirit or scope of the present invention. The following detailed description is, therefore, not to be taken in a limiting sense, and the scope of the embodiment of the invention is defined only by the appended claims.
As noted in the background section, forensic evidentiary item examination is a process that is commonly performed during and for investigations and legal proceedings. Forensic experts require substantial expertise and training to ensure that the results they provide are sufficiently accurate to be used in such investigations and legal proceedings. However, forensic experts may not be located in the same place where the forensic evidentiary items that they are to examine are located.
For instance, military forensic experts may be asked to examine forensic evidentiary items that are located across the globe. As another example, domestic law enforcement is increasingly expected to cover criminal cases over wider geographic areas, with fewer resources. In both these cases, a forensic expert may thus have to travel to the location of the recovered evidence, or the recovered evidence may have to be sent to the location of the forensic expert. In the former case, the time of the forensic expert is wasted traveling, whereas in the latter case, questions can be raised as to whether the evidence was tampered during transport.
Embodiments of the invention disclosed herein, by comparison, permit remote forensic evidentiary item examination. A system can include two stations. A first station can be located where the forensic evidentiary item is, or to where the forensic evidentiary item can be easily and securely shipped. The first station is adapted to have the forensic evidentiary item mounted at a fixture thereof.
A second station can be located at a different location, remote to the location of the first station. For instance, the second station can be located where a particular forensic expert is located, or where a forensic expert can easily or expediently travel. The two stations are in communicative connection with one another. The second station is adapted to permit a user, such as a forensic expert, to remotely examine the forensic evidentiary item.
The station 102A and the station 104 are in indirect communicative connection with one another via a network 106 in the embodiment of
The station 102A is located at a location different than and remote to the station 104. A forensic evidentiary item 118A is located at the station 102A, whereas a user, such as a forensic expert, is located at the station 104. More generally, forensic evidentiary items 118A, 118B, . . . , 118N, collectively referred to as the evidentiary items 118, are located at the stations 102, as depicted in
In general, a forensic evidentiary item 118 is a piece of physical evidence that requires examination during the course of or for an investigation or a proceeding. Examples of such investigations and proceedings include criminal investigations and legal proceedings. Examples of forensic evidentiary items 118 include bullets or cartridges, thread or fiber samples, fingerprints, blood samples, documents, as well as other types of forensic evidentiary items.
The station 102A includes a fixture 108, a microscope 109, a video camera 110, a light source 112, one or more motors 114, and logic 116. The forensic evidentiary item 118A is mounted at the fixture 108. The forensic evidentiary item 118A is viewed through the microscope 109. The video camera 110 transmits video of the forensic evidentiary item 118A mounted at the fixture 108 to the station 104, as viewed through the microscope 109, through the network 106. The light source 112 illuminates the forensic evidentiary item 118A mounted at the fixture 108. The motors 114 physically move at least a portion of the fixture 108 so that desired portions of the forensic evidentiary item 118A are incident to the video camera 110.
The logic 116 is implemented as software stored on a non-transitory computer-readable data storage medium that is executed by a processor. The logic 116 receives commands from the station 104, through the network 106, for controlling the video camera 110, the light source 112, and the motors 114. The logic 116 further may perform image processing, or another type of digital signal processing, on the video output by the video camera 110 prior to transmission to the station 104.
The station 104 includes one or more input mechanisms 120, a display 122, and logic 124. The input mechanisms 120 can include keyboards, pointing devices such as mice and trackpads, as well as microphones, joysticks and other types of input mechanisms. The input mechanisms 120 are used to control the video camera 110, the light source 112, and the motors 114 of the station 102A. The input mechanisms 120 may also be used by a user at the station 104, such as a forensic expert, to communicate with a user at the station 102A, such as a technician.
The display 122 can be or include flat-panel displays, cathode-ray tube displays, and other types of displays. The display 122 is used to display the video of the forensic evidentiary item 118A (or items 118) mounted at the fixture 108 of the station 102A as transmitted by the video camera 110. The display 122 may also be used to display a graphical user interface that is manipulated by the user at the station 104 to control the video camera 110, the light source 112, and the motors 114 of the station 102A. The display 122 may further be used for communication purposes between the user at the station 104 and the user at the station 102A station, such as via text, video, and/or audio chat and/or conferencing.
The logic 116 is implemented as software stored on a non-transitory computer-readable data storage medium that is executed by a processor. The logic 116 receives commands input by the user at the station 104 via the input mechanisms 120, and transmits the commands to the station 102A. The logic 116 further receives the video of the forensic evidentiary item 118A mounted at the fixture 108, as transmitted by the video camera 110, and displays the video on the display 122. It is noted that the stations 102 and 104 may include other components, in addition to and/or in lieu of those depicted in
In operation of the remote forensic evidentiary item system 100, a forensic expert at the station 104 is remote to the forensic evidentiary item 118A mounted at the fixture 108 of the station 102A. A technician or other user at the station 102A may only be required to mount the forensic evidentiary item 118A at the fixture 108. Thereafter, the station 104 permits the forensic expert (or other user) to examine the forensic evidentiary item 118A without (or with extremely limited) further assistance from any user at the station 102A. When multiple forensic evidentiary items 118 are present at the station 102A, or when multiple forensic evidentiary items 118 are present at multiple stations 102, the forensic expert can examine each such item 118, and compare the items 118 with one another.
A forensic expert remotely located at the station 104 is thus able to control which portion of the forensic evidentiary item 118 is incident to the video camera 110 via remote control of the motors 114. The forensic expert is able to control illumination of this portion of the forensic evidentiary item 118 via remote control of the light source 112. The forensic expert is further able to control the video camera 110, such as to zoom, focus, pan, and so on, the forensic evidentiary item 118 within the video transmitted by the video camera 110 to the station 104. All such control may be effected without any assistance from any user at the station 102.
In general, a user like a technician mounts a forensic evidentiary item 118 at a fixture 108 of a station 102 (302). A user like a forensic expert then examines the item 118 mounted at the station 102, and can compare multiple items 118 mounted at multiple stations 102 (304). This user can further remotely control the video camera 110, the light source 112, and the motors 114 at each station 102 (306).
More specifically, after the user at the station 102 has mounted a forensic evidentiary item 118 at the fixture 108, the light source 112 illuminates the item 118 (308). The video camera 110 then transmits video of the forensic evidentiary item 118 as viewable through the microscope 109 (310), which is received at the station 104 and is displayed on the display 122 (312), for each item 118 mounted at each station 102.
The station 104 can receive a command at the input mechanisms 120 to control the video camera 110 as effected by a user at the station 104, and transmit this command (314). The command is received at the station 102 for which the command is intended, and the video camera 110 is correspondingly controlled (316), such as without any assistance from any user at this station 102. For instance, the video camera 110 may be controlled to perform zoom, pan, and/or focus operations, among other types of operations that the video camera 110 can perform.
The station 104 can also receive a command at the input mechanisms 120 to control the light source 112 as effected by a user at the station 104, and transmit this command (318). The command is received at the station 102 for which the command is intended, and the light source 112 is correspondingly controlled (320), such as without any assistance from any user at this station 102. For instance, the light source 112 may be controlled to vary the amount and type of illumination output by the light source 112 and directed onto the forensic evidentiary item 118 in question.
The station 104 can further receive a command at the input mechanisms 120 to control the motors 114 as effected by a user at the station 104, and transmit this command (322). The command is received at the station 102 for which the command is intended, and the motors 114 are correspondingly controlled (324), such as without any user assistance from any user at this station 102. For instance, the motors 114 may be controlled to move the forensic evidentiary item 118 in question so that a desired portion of the item 118 is incident to the video camera 110.
The station 104 can further receive a command at the input mechanisms 120 to control the microscope 109 as effected by a user at the station 104, and transmit this command (326). The command is received at the station 102 for which the command is intended, and the microscope 109 is correspondingly controlled (328), such as without any user assistance from any user at this station 102. For instance, the microscope 109 can be controlled to change the lens through which forensic evidentiary item 118 is viewed, as well as focus and zoom of the microscope 109 in relation to the item 118. Other ways in which the microscope 109 can be controlled include controlling the stage and diaphragm positions of the microscope 109, the light intensity of any internal light of the microscope 109, as well as for certain types of microscopes 109, the objective lens(es) of the microscope 109.
Embodiments of the invention that have been described permit remote forensic evidentiary item examination. A user, such as a forensic expert, does not have to be located at the same location where the forensic evidentiary item is currently located. This is advantageous, because it means that a forensic expert can leverage his or her skills over a larger geographical area in a time and cost-effective manner.
It is finally noted that, although specific embodiments have been illustrated and described herein, it will be appreciated by those of ordinary skill in the art that any arrangement calculated to achieve the same purpose may be substituted for the specific embodiments shown. This application is thus intended to cover any adaptations or variations of embodiments of the present invention. As such and therefore, it is manifestly intended that this invention be limited only by the claims and equivalents thereof.
The present patent application claims priority to the previously filed and presently pending provisional patent application entitled “Microscope for Forensic Examination,” filed on Feb. 10, 2010, assigned application No. 61/303,169, and which is hereby incorporated in its entirety by reference.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 61303169 | Feb 2010 | US |
