Identification method and wearing article

Abstract

To provide a simple method to ensure the safe return of people who have difficulty in finding their way home, such as young children or people with memory impairments, and animals that have become separated from their owners.SOLUTION: A method includes generating an identification code containing personal information about an identified entity, such as a person who has difficulty in finding his / her way home or an animal that has become separated from its owner, and assigning this identification code to a wearing article worn by the identified entity. By implementing such an identification method, people who have difficulty in finding their way home and animals that have become separated from their owners can return safely.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an identification method and a worn article. [Background technology]

[0002] People with memory disorders such as dementia patients, people who have difficulty finding their way home such as lost young children, and animals that have become separated from their owners may have difficulty finding their way home. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a dementia patient outing support system that provides a patient terminal for a dementia patient or the like with a position detection means, a status detection means, an audio input / output means, a video input means, and an audio recognition means, and that provides safe and appropriate support for dementia patients and the like to go out alone. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Patent Publication No. 2021-60772 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, conventional methods for helping people who have difficulty finding their way home or animals that have become separated from their owners to return home require complex systems and highly accurate sensors, etc. Therefore, there is a need for a simple method to help people who have difficulty finding their way home, such as young children or people with memory impairments, and animals that have become separated from their owners, return home safely.

[0005] Therefore, the present invention aims to provide a simple method to enable people who have difficulty finding their way home, such as young children or people with memory disorders, and animals that have become separated from their owners, to return home safely. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] An identification method according to a first aspect of the present invention for solving the above problem is characterized by generating an identification code including personal information about an identification subject, and assigning the identification code to an article of wear worn by the identification subject.

[0007] According to this aspect, an identification code containing personal information about an identifying subject is generated and attached to a garment worn by the identifying subject. Because the identification code can be generated easily and inexpensively using, for example, a QR Code (registered trademark), the personal information of the identifying subject can be easily read by, for example, reading the identification code using an image reading app on a smartphone or the like. Therefore, for example, a police officer at a police station or the like can read the personal information of a lost child or other child and contact the child's guardian or other guardian by contacting the contact information stored as personal information, thereby enabling the lost child to be returned home safely.

[0008] The identification method according to the second aspect of the present invention is an aspect dependent on the first aspect, characterized in that the personal information includes at least one of the name of the identifying subject, the contact information of the identifying subject, the identifying subject's regular medications, and the name and contact information of the identifying subject's owner.

[0009] According to this aspect, the personal information includes at least one of the following: the name of the identifying subject, the contact information of the identifying subject, the medications the identifying subject regularly takes, and the name and contact information of the owner of the identifying subject. This allows a third party who discovers the identifying subject to easily recognize the information needed when a problem occurs with the identifying subject.

[0010] An identification method according to a third aspect of the present invention is an aspect dependent on the first aspect, and is characterized in that the identification subject or the guardian of the identification subject selects the personal information from multiple types of information to generate the identification code.

[0011] According to this aspect, the identification subject or the guardian of the identification subject selects personal information from multiple types of information and generates an identification code. Therefore, while suppressing the disclosure of information that should not be known to third parties, it is possible to allow a third party who discovers the identification subject to easily recognize information that is necessary when a problem occurs with the identification subject.

[0012] An identification method according to a fourth aspect of the present invention is an aspect dependent on the first aspect, characterized in that the identification code is a QR code.

[0013] According to this embodiment, the identification code is a QR code. QR codes can be easily generated, making it possible to safely help people who are unable to find their way home or animals that have become separated from their owners, in a particularly simple manner.

[0014] An identification method according to a fifth aspect of the present invention is an aspect dependent on the first aspect, characterized in that the identification code is generated directly by being printed on the wearable item.

[0015] According to this aspect, the identification code is generated by being printed directly on the worn article, which makes it possible to prevent the identification code from becoming detached from the worn article.

[0016] An identification method according to a sixth aspect of the present invention is an aspect dependent on the first aspect, characterized in that the identification code is generated by printing it on a sticker that can be attached to the wearable item.

[0017] According to this aspect, the identification code is generated by printing it on a sticker that can be attached to the wearable article. Therefore, when updating personal information, for example, by replacing the sticker with the identification code, the personal information can be easily updated.

[0018] An identification method according to a seventh aspect of the present invention is an aspect dependent on the fifth or sixth aspect, characterized in that the identification code is generated by inkjet printing, which ejects ink to form an image.

[0019] According to this aspect, the identification code is generated by inkjet printing, which forms an image by ejecting ink. Inkjet printing allows printing at high resolution, so the identification code can be made smaller.

[0020] An identification method according to an eighth aspect of the present invention is an aspect dependent on the seventh aspect, characterized in that the ink is a pigment ink that uses a pigment as a coloring material.

[0021] According to this aspect, the identification code is generated using pigment ink. Pigment ink, which uses pigment as a coloring material, has higher weather resistance and light resistance than dye ink, which uses dye as a coloring material, so the identification code can be used for a long time.

[0022] An identification method according to a ninth aspect of the present invention is an aspect dependent on the seventh aspect, characterized in that the inks include a white base ink and a colored ink, and after forming a base with the base ink, the identification code is generated on the base with the colored ink.

[0023] According to this aspect, after forming a base with white undercoat ink, the identification code is printed on the base with colored ink, thereby enabling the identification code to be printed with particularly high resolution.

[0024] A wearing article according to a tenth aspect of the present invention is a wearing article to be worn by an identification subject, and is characterized by having an identification code including personal information about the identification subject.

[0025] According to this aspect, an identification code containing personal information about an identifying entity is provided. The identification code can be generated easily and inexpensively using, for example, a QR code, and therefore the personal information of the identifying entity can be easily read by, for example, reading the identification code using an image reading app on a smartphone or the like. Therefore, for example, a police officer at a police station or the like can read the personal information of a lost child or the like and contact the child's guardian or the like by contacting the contact information as personal information, thereby enabling the lost child to be returned home safely. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0026] [Figure 1] 1 is a flowchart of an identification method according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing an example of a worn article to which an identification code is attached. [Figure 3] FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram showing another example of a worn article to which an identification code is attached. [Figure 4] FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram showing yet another example of a wearing article to which an identification code is attached. [Figure 5] FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram illustrating an example of a sheet on which a plurality of stickers with identification codes are printed. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0027] Hereinafter, examples of an identification method of the present invention and a worn article having an identification code generated by the identification method will be described. First, an identification method according to one embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. 1. Note that the flowchart in FIG. 1 is based on the premise that an inkjet printer is used to print a QR code as an identification code on a sheet whose printing surface serves as a sticker, and the sticker is then affixed to the worn article worn by the person to be identified. However, the present invention is not limited to this identification method.

[0028] When the identification method of this embodiment is started, first, personal information is selected, as shown in step S110 of FIG. 1. Specifically, in this embodiment, a QR code 101 (see FIGS. 2 to 5) is attached as an identification code to a wearable item 10 worn by an identification subject 1, such as a person or a pet. The QR code 101 can include personal information selected from multiple types of information in response to a request from the identification subject 1 or the parent or guardian of the identification subject 1. Therefore, in step S110, the identification subject 1 or the parent or guardian of the identification subject 1 selects the personal information to be included in the QR code 101, for example, at a printing company. Alternatively, the personal information to be included in the QR code 101 may be selected by a printing company or the like in response to a request from the identification subject 1 or the parent or guardian of the identification subject 1. Here, the "guardian" refers to a person who has a duty to protect the identification subject 1, such as a parent if the identification subject 1 is a minor, or the owner if the identification subject 1 is a pet.

[0029] As described above, the selection of the personal information in step S110 may be performed by the identification subject 1 or the identification subject's guardian, or may be performed by a printer of the QR code 101, etc. Note that in the present invention, step 110 may be omitted and predetermined personal information may be included in an identification code such as the QR code 101. Examples of personal information that can be selectively adopted include the name, address, telephone number, social networking service (SNS) URL (Uniform Resource Locator) of the identification subject 1 or the identification subject's guardian, the blood type of the identification subject 1, information on medications required by the identification subject 1 such as the identification subject's regular medications, the name of a disease in the identification subject 1's routine, any allergies the identification subject 1 has, etc.

[0030] Next, in step S120, a QR code 101 is generated as an identification code. Note that in step S120, the QR code 101 is generated so as to include the personal information selected in step S110. Here, in step S120, a printing company or the like may be the executing entity that generates the QR code 101 using, for example, a computer, but there is no particular limitation on the executing entity.

[0031] Next, in step S130, the QR code 101 generated in step S120 is printed. In this embodiment, the QR code is printed on a sticker 102 having a printing surface made of Yupo paper manufactured by Yupo Corporation, which is synthetic paper that combines the properties of paper and plastic film (see FIG. 5). Then, in step S140, the sticker 102 on which the QR code 101 was printed in step S130 is attached to the wearable item 10 worn by the identification subject 1.

[0032] However, in the present invention, it is also possible to print the QR code 101 generated in step S120 directly on the wearable article 10 worn by the identifying subject 1 in step S130. In this case, step S140 can be omitted.

[0033] In step S130, the identification code can be printed using, for example, a RICOH Ri 2000 garnet printer manufactured by Ricoh Japan Co., Ltd. Using the RICOH Ri 2000 garnet printer makes it possible to print the QR code 101 at high resolution on a variety of printing media.

[0034] The print medium in step S130 is not limited to stickers 102 with Yupo paper on the printing surface. In addition to stickers 102 with paper printing surfaces and stickers 102 with film printing surfaces, when printing directly on the wearable item 10, items such as clothing, hats, gloves, mufflers, shoes, canes, scarves, and ties are also possible. Furthermore, items such as mobile phones, mobile phone cases, wallets, coin purses, key cases, fans, folding fans, dog collars and leashes are also possible.

[0035] From another perspective, print media can be made of various materials, including not only Yupo paper but also various types of paper such as Western paper and Japanese paper, various resins such as film and plastic, cloth, wood, metal, glass, ceramics, etc. From yet another perspective, in addition to clothing, hats, gloves, mufflers, shoes, canes, scarves, ties, etc., mobile phones, mobile phone cases, wallets, coin purses, key cases, fans, folding fans, name tags, dog collars and leashes, etc. can also be considered as wearable articles 10 worn by identification subject 1 in the present invention.

[0036] Next, in step S150, the identifying subject 1 puts on the wearable article 10 on which the QR code 101 is printed as an identification code. By having the identifying subject 1 wear the wearable article 10 with an identification code attached in this way, for example, if the identifying subject 1 is a small child, a person with memory impairment, or an animal (pet) that has become separated from its owner, a third party who finds the identifying subject 1 can contact the police or the like, and the police or the like can read the identification code to help the identifying subject 1 return home safely.

[0037] As described above, in the identification method according to this embodiment, an identification code including personal information about the identification subject 1 is generated (step S120), and the identification code is attached to the wearable article 10 worn by the identification subject 1. By using a method of printing, for example, a QR code 101 as the identification code, as described above, the identification code can be generated easily and inexpensively. Therefore, the identification code can be easily read using, for example, an image reading app on a smartphone. Reading the identification code allows the personal information of the identification subject 1 to be read. Therefore, by executing the identification method according to this embodiment, for example, a police officer at a police station or the like can read the personal information of a lost child or the like, contact the child's guardian by contacting the contact information stored as the personal information, and can return the lost child safely home.

[0038] To explain the above from the perspective of a worn article 10 on which the identification method according to this embodiment has been implemented, the worn article 10 on which the identification method according to this embodiment has been implemented is worn by an identification subject 1, and has an identification code that includes personal information about the identification subject 1. Therefore, using the worn article 10 on which the identification method according to this embodiment has been implemented, a police officer at a police station or the like can read the personal information of a lost child or the like, and contact the child's guardian or the like by contacting the contact information included as personal information, thereby enabling the lost child to be returned home safely.

[0039] Here, the personal information preferably includes at least one of the following: the name of the identifying subject 1, the contact information of the identifying subject 1, the medications the identifying subject 1 regularly takes, the name of the illness the identifying subject 1 has, any allergies the identifying subject 1 has, and, if the identifying subject 1 is a pet, the name and contact information of the owner of the identifying subject 1. Using such personal information allows a third party who discovers the identifying subject 1 to easily recognize information needed in the event of trouble with the identifying subject 1. However, the personal information is not limited to this. For example, a photograph of the identifying subject 1, the voice of the identifying subject 1, the fingerprints of the identifying subject 1, or other physical characteristics of the identifying subject 1 may also be used as personal information. Including such information in the identification code makes it possible to provide emergency response to, for example, elderly people living alone or dementia patients.

[0040] Furthermore, in the identification method according to this embodiment, in step S110, the identification subject 1 or the guardian of the identification subject 1 can select personal information from multiple types of information and generate an identification code. By using such an identification method, it is possible to prevent the disclosure of information that should not be known to third parties, while allowing a third party who discovers the identification subject 1 to easily recognize information that is necessary when trouble occurs with the identification subject 1.

[0041] In the identification method according to this embodiment, the identification code is a QR code 101. The QR code 101 can be easily generated, and therefore can be used in a particularly simple manner to help people who are having difficulty finding their way home or animals that have become separated from their owners to return home safely.

[0042] In the identification method according to this embodiment, the identification code is generated by printing it on a sticker 102 that can be attached to the wearing article 10 (step S130). By adopting this method, when updating personal information, for example, the personal information can be easily updated by replacing (replacing) the sticker 102 with the identification code.

[0043] However, the method is not limited to this. The identification code may be generated by being printed directly on the worn article 10. By adopting such a method, it is possible to prevent the identification code from being detached from the worn article 10 in cases where the identifying subject 1 does not intend to do so.

[0044] As described above, in the identification method according to this embodiment, the identification code can be printed using a printer such as the RICOH Ri 2000. In other words, in the identification method according to this embodiment, the identification code can be generated by inkjet printing, which ejects ink to form an image. By employing such a method, the identification code can be made smaller. This is because inkjet printing allows high-resolution printing on various types of printing media, such as fabrics and Yupo paper.

[0045] The ink used in the RICOH Ri 2000 is a pigment ink that uses a pigment as the coloring material. It is preferable to generate an identification code using a pigment ink. This is because pigment ink, which uses a pigment as the coloring material, has higher weather resistance and light resistance than dye ink, which uses a dye as the coloring material, allowing the identification code to be used for a longer period of time.

[0046] Furthermore, the RICOH Ri 2000 has a white base ink and colored inks, and after forming a base on the print medium with the base ink, it is possible to generate an identification code on the base with colored inks. In this way, it is preferable to form a base with white base ink and then generate an identification code on the base with colored inks. This is because the identification code can be generated with particularly high resolution.

[0047] However, it is also possible to print the identification code using a method other than the above, such as inkjet printing using UV-curable ink, or by methods other than inkjet printing, such as offset printing or on-demand printing. For example, the identification code may be printed using UV-curable ink on a thin metal film such as gold foil, on such a thin film with a film attached, or on a Yupo paper sticker with such a thin film. Alternatively, a hologram made of a thin film such as gold foil may be used as the printing medium, and a name tag or the like may be formed by combining the identification code with such a hologram. Furthermore, the identification code may be printed using ink containing a metal such as gold.

[0048] Stickers using holograms or the like can have a variety of designs depending on the identification subject 1, can be attached to a variety of wearable items, and can be used in a variety of ways. By attaching a transparent film or the like to the thin film forming the hologram or the like, the water resistance, weather resistance, light resistance, heat resistance, etc. of not only the hologram but also the identification code attached thereto can be improved.

[0049] Next, a specific example of a worn article 10 on which the identification method according to this embodiment is performed will be described with reference to Figs. 2 to 5. Fig. 2 shows an example of the worn article 10 in which the identification subject 1 is a person and the worn article 10 is a T-shirt 10A. A maneki-neko image 100A as an example of an image 100 is printed on the T-shirt 10A in Fig. 2, and a QR code 101 (QR code 101A) as an identification code is printed in part of the maneki-neko image 100A.

[0050] Fig. 3 shows an example of a cloth garment 10 in which the identification subject 1 is a dog 1A, which is an example of a pet, and the garment 10 is dog clothing 10B. A pattern 100B, which is an example of an image 100, is printed all over the dog clothing 10B in Fig. 3, and a QR code 101 (QR code 101B) is printed as an identification code in part of the area in which the pattern 100B is formed in the dog clothing 10B.

[0051] Fig. 4 shows an example of a cloth garment 10 in which the identification subject 1 is a cat 1B, which is an example of a pet, and the garment 10 is a cat apron 10C. A pattern 100C, which is an example of an image 100, is printed on the entire surface of the cat apron 10C in Fig. 4, and a QR code 101 (QR code 101C) is printed as an identification code in part of the area in the cat apron 10C where the pattern 100C is formed.

[0052] Fig. 5 shows an example of a sheet 103 having a printed surface made of Yupo paper and having a plurality of stickers 102 printed thereon, each having a QR code 101 as an identification code, to be attached to a wearable article 10. On the sheet 103 of Fig. 5, a plurality of cat images 100D, bird images 100E, and dog images 100F are printed as images 100. A QR code 101 as an identification code is printed on each of the cat images 100D, bird images 100E, and dog images 100F. In more detail, a QR code 101D is printed on the cat image 100D, a QR code 101E on the bird image 100E, and a QR code 101F on the dog image 100F.

[0053] Each of the multiple stickers 102 shown in Fig. 5 has printed thereon the message "If you have any doubts, please scan the QR code." In this manner, it is preferable to display the identification code and a statement urging the wearer to read the identification code somewhere on the wearable article 10. However, this is not limited to this configuration, and there are no particular limitations on the statement urging the wearer to read the identification code. It is also possible to form only the identification code on the wearable article 10, as in the wearable article 10 shown in Figs. 2 to 4.

[0054] The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various modifications are possible within the scope of the invention as defined in the claims, and it goes without saying that these modifications are also included within the scope of the present invention. At sporting events such as golf, fishing, and marathons, as well as other events and theme parks where large numbers of people gather, articles 10 such as bracelets or neck straps printed with an identification code containing personal information about the identifying subject 1 may be distributed. The present invention may also be employed in a business model that allows a person who reads the identification code and contacts the parent or guardian of the identifying subject 1 to receive a reward.

[0055] Furthermore, for tourists visiting Japan from overseas, information such as photos and videos taken at the travel destination, travel itinerary, etc. may be included in an identification code and attached to the souvenir itself or its packaging. Also, for tourists visiting Japan from overseas, for example, a fan made of Japanese paper may be used as a wearable item, on which photos of travel memories may be printed, as well as an identification code containing information such as the travel itinerary, photos, videos, and audio. [Explanation of symbols]

[0056] 1...identifier, 1A...identifier (dog), 1B...identifier (cat), 10...wear, 10A...wear (T-shirt), 10B...wear (dog clothing), 10C...wear (cat apron), 100...image, 100A...maneki-neko image, 100B...pattern, 100C...pattern, 100D...cat image, 101...QR code (identification code), 101A...QR code, 101B...QR code, 101C...QR code, 101D...QR code, 101E...QR code, 101F...QR code, 102...sticker, 103...sheet

Claims

1. generating an identification code including personal information about an identification subject, and attaching the identification code to an article of wear worn by the identification subject; The method for identifying an identification subject,

2. 2. The identification method according to claim 1, The personal information includes at least one of the following: the name of the subject of identification, the contact information of the subject of identification, the medications the subject of identification regularly takes, the name of the disease in the subject of identification's Luohan Zhuang, any allergies the subject of identification has, and the name and contact information of the owner of the subject of identification; The method for identifying an identification subject,

3. 2. The identification method according to claim 1, The identification subject or a guardian of the identification subject selects the personal information from a plurality of types of information to generate the identification code. The method for identifying an identification subject,

4. 2. The identification method according to claim 1, The identification code is a QR code. The method for identifying an identification subject,

5. 2. The identification method according to claim 1, The identification code is generated by being printed directly on the wearable article. The method for identifying an identification subject,

6. 2. The identification method according to claim 1, The identification code is generated by printing it on a sticker that can be attached to the wearable article. The method for identifying an identification subject,

7. 7. The identification method according to claim 5 or 6, the identification code is generated by inkjet printing, which forms an image by ejecting ink; The method for identifying an identification subject,

8. 8. The identification method according to claim 7, The ink is a pigment ink that uses a pigment as a coloring material. The method for identifying an identification subject,

9. 8. The identification method according to claim 7, The inks include a white base ink and a colored ink, forming a base with the base ink, and then forming the identification code on the base with the colored ink; The method for identifying an identification subject,

10. An article of clothing worn by an identifying entity, having an identification code containing personal information about the identified entity; A wearable article characterized by:

Images