This invention relates to a method of tracking and tracing lost property, and a lost property tracking and tracing system.

The invention is expected to be advantageously applicable to the tracking and tracing of lost property of end-users at private and government institutions, such as police stations, airports, exhibitions, hotels, schools, shopping malls, hospitals, public transport stations, and the like. Accordingly, such applications should particularly, but not exclusively, be borne in mind when considering this specification.

Background of the invention

The inventors are familiar with the concept of a lost and found or so-called lost property office. Such offices are usually located in a public buildings or areas where people can go to retrieve lost articles that may have been found by others. Typically, lost and found offices will attempt to contact the owners of lost items if the owners and their property can be identified.

The present invention provides for a lost property tracking and tracing method and system that aim to automate and streamline the tracking and tracing of lost property.

Summary of the invention

According to a first aspect of the invention there is provided a method of tracking and tracing lost property, the method being conducted at a lost property tracking and tracing system, and including the steps of: capturing of a found item description by a first end-user at a first client terminal of the lost property tracking and tracing system; creating a found item description record at a server of the lost property tracking and tracing system, the server having installed thereon a lost property database; taking the found item into custody; capturing of a lost item description request by a second end-user at a second client terminal of the lost property tracking and tracing system; creating a lost item description record at the server; searching the found item description record for the lost item description record, and in case of a match between the found item description record and the lost item description record, flagging the lost item as found and returning the found item to the second end-user.

The found item description record may include any one or more attributes selected from the group consisting of: a found item record identifier; the identity of the first end-user; contact details of the first end-user; a found item attribute; a category of found item; a find location; and a find date.

Likewise, the lost item description record may include any one or more attributes selected from the group consisting of: a lost item record identifier; the identity of the second end-user; contact details of the second end-user; a lost item attribute; a category of lost item; a lost location; and a lost date.

Taking of the found item into custody may include receiving the found item at a lost and found station.

Returning of the found item may include any one or more of: transferring the found item between lost and found stations of the kind and delivering the found item to the second end-user. The method may include capturing the found item description at the first client terminal via a browser-based lost property software application being installed on the first client terminal and capturing of the lost item description request at the second client terminal via the browser-based lost property software application being installed on the second client terminal.

The method may include performing a search of the found item description record according to the one or more attributes of the found item description record at a graphical user interface of the browser-based lost property software application and reporting a search result to the first end-user at the graphical user interface of the browser-based lost property software application.

The method may include performing a search of the lost item description record according to the one or more attributes of the lost item description record at the graphical user interface of the browser-based lost property software application and reporting the search result to the second end-user at the graphical user interface of the browser-based lost property software application.

The method may include capturing the found item description at the first client terminal via a mobile lost property software application being installed on the first client terminal and capturing of the lost item description request at the second client terminal via the mobile lost property software application being installed on the second client terminal.

The method may include performing a search of the found item description record according to the one or more attributes of the found item description record at a graphical user interface of the mobile lost property software application and report a search result to the first end-user at the graphical user interface of the mobile lost property software application. The method may include performing a search of the lost item description record according to the one or more attributes of the lost item description record at the graphical user interface of the mobile lost property software application and reporting the search result to the second end-user at the graphical user interface of the mobile lost property software application.

It should be appreciated that the first end-user may include an administrator of the lost property tracking and tracing system.

According to another aspect of the invention there is provided a lost property tracking and tracing system which includes: a first client terminal of a first end-user having installed thereon a clientside lost property software application; a second client terminal of a second end-user having installed thereon a client-side lost property software application; and a server including a server-side lost property software application having a lost property database installed thereon, the server being operable to: receive a captured found item description from the first client terminal of the first end-user; generate a found item description record; receive a captured lost item description request from the client terminal of the second end-user; generate a lost item description record; search the found item description record for the lost item description record, and in case of a match between the found item description record and the lost item description record, flagging the lost item as found.

The system may include one or more lost property stations, for example a police station and a lost property station at an airport.

The client-side lost property software application may include a browser-based lost property software application. The client-side lost property software application may include a mobile lost property software application.

The client-side lost property software application may be operable to perform a search according to the one or more attributes of the found item description record via a graphical user interface and report a search result to any one of the first end-user and the second end-user.

The client-side lost property software application may be operable to perform a search according to the one or more attributes of the lost item description record via a graphical user interface and report a search result to any one of the first end-user and the second end-user.

The invention is now described, by way of non-limiting example, with reference to the accompanying diagrammatic drawings.

Drawings

In the drawings,

Figure 1 illustrates, schematically, a lost property tracking and tracing system in accordance with one aspect of the invention.

Figure 2 illustrates, schematically, a method of tracking and tracing lost property, the method being conducted at the lost property tracking and tracing system of figure 1 in accordance with another aspect of the invention.

Detailed Description of the Invention

With reference to figure 1 , reference numeral (10) denotes, generally, a lost property tracking and tracing system according to one embodiment of the invention. The system (10) includes a first client terminal (14) of a first end-user (12) and having installed thereon a client-side lost property software application (16), and a second client terminal (34) of a second end-user (32) having installed thereon the client-side lost property software application (36). In this embodiment, the first end-user is an official at a lost property station (22) having taken into custody a lost property item (11 ) of the second end-user (32) in the form of a watch and whose first client terminal (14) is a desktop computer of which the client-side lost property software application (16) is a browser-based lost property software application being installed on the desktop computer, whereas the second end-user (32) is a member of the public, for example an airline passenger having lost the item (11 ) and whose second client terminal (34) is a mobile device (34) of which the client-side lost property software application (36) is a mobile lost property software application.

The first client terminal (14) and the second client terminal (34) are in logical operative communication with a server (19) having installed thereon a server-side lost property software application (18) and a lost property database (20), the server (19) being operable to receive a captured found item description from the first client terminal (14) of the first end-user (12); generate a found item description record (28); receive a captured lost item description request from the second client terminal (34) of the second end-user (32); generate a lost item description record similar to the found item description record not shown here; search the found item description record (28) for the lost item description record, and in case of a match between the found item description record (28) and the lost item description record, flagging the lost item as found. In use and in case of a match, the found item (11 ) is returned to the owner and second end-user (32) by transferring the found item (11 ) to another lost property station (24) for subsequent collection by, or deliver to, the second end-user (32), as will become more apparent in the method described with reference to figure 2 hereunder.

With reference to figure 2 of the drawings, reference numeral (100) denotes generally a method of tracking and tracing lost property, the method being performed at the property tracking and tracing system (10) of figure 1 . At a first step (101 ), a lost property item (11 ) of a second end-user (32) is found, brought to a lost property station (22), and taken into custody by a first end-user (12), the first end-user (12) being a public official working at the lost property station (22).

Next at step (102), a found item description of the lost property item (11) is captured by the first end-user (12) at a first client terminal (14) in the form of a desktop computer of the first end-user (12), the first client terminal (14) having installed thereon a client-side lost property software application (16) being a browser-based lost property software application.

Next at step (103), a found item description record (28) is created at a server (19) of the lost property tracking and tracing system, the server (19) having installed thereon a server-side lost property software application (18) and a lost property database (20). To this end, the found item description record includes any one or more attributes selected from the group consisting of: a found item record identifier; the identity of the first end-user; contact details of the first end-user; a found item attribute; a category of found item; a find location; and a find date.

Next at step (104), a lost item description of the lost property item (11 ) is captured by a second end-user (32), the second end-user being the owner of the item (11 ) and who captures the lost item description via a second client terminal (34) in the form of a mobile device having installed thereon a client-side lost property software application (36) being a mobile lost property software application. Also, at step (104), a lost item description record (similar to the found item description record (28) and not shown here) is created at the server (19). To this end, as is the case with the found item property description record (28), the lost item description record includes any one or more attributes selected from the group consisting of: a lost item record identifier; the identity of the second end-user; contact details of the second end-user; a lost item attribute; a category of lost item; a lost location; and a lost date. Next at step (105), the found item description record (28) is searched for the lost item description record, and in the case of a match between the found item description record and the lost item description record, the lost item (11 ) is flagged as being found.

At step (106), a search of the lost item description record is performed by the second end-user (32) according to the one or more attributes of the lost item description record, in this case according to the lost date (42), the category (44), the lost item identifier (46), and the lost item location (48). The search is performed at a dashboard of a graphical user interface (40) of the client-side lost property software application and the search results are reported to the second end-user (32) on-screen. It should be appreciated that a similar search may be conducted by the first end-user (12) on the found item description record (28).

At step (107). the found item (11 ) is transferred to another lost property station (24), from where the found item (11) is returned to the second end-user (32) at step (108) by the second end-user’s collecting of the item from the other lost property station (24) or by delivery of the found item (11 ) to the second end-user (32).