# US 2014/0156657 A1 · System and method for documenting evidence

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- Number: US 2014/0156657 A1
- Document ID: US20140156657A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 13/705,330
- Filed: 2012-12-05
- Published: 2014-06-05
- Earliest claimed: 2012-12-05
- Assignees: Siamese Systems Incorporated
- Applicants: Siamese Systems Incorporated
- Inventors: Alex Kottoor; Adrian Markie Bubalo; Kamil Sebastian Salagan
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20140156657A1

## CPC

- G06Q 50/26: Government or public services (business processes related to the transportation industry G06Q50/40)
- G06Q 10/10: Office automation; Time management
- G06F 16/00: Information retrieval; Database structures therefor; File system structures therefor
- G06Q: INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY [ICT] SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES; SYSTEMS OR METHODS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
- G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N)

## Abstract

A system and method for documenting evidence. Investigators are provided a mobile client device enabling them to document evidence directly at a crime scene. Documentation is provided to an evidence gathering module which collects the documentation and stores it to an evidence database. Once the investigation is complete, a chain of custody document is generated. Documentation is time and date stamped and each documented item of evidence is linked to the particular investigator that documented it. The mobile client device provides automated location and environmental data, reducing error and overhead for the investigator.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A system for documenting evidence comprising an evidence gathering module enabling at least one investigator to document at least one item of evidence for a case and provide the documentation to an evidence database for storage, the evidence gathering module further enabling the generation of a chain of custody form identifying the documented items of evidence.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, wherein the documentation comprises an image of each item of evidence.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The system of claim 2, wherein the evidence gathering module further enables the investigator to annotate each image.

### Claim 4 (depends on 2)

The system of claim 2, wherein the evidence gathering module further enables the investigator to edit each image while retaining the captured image.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, further comprising a host device linked to a plurality of said evidence gathering modules, the host device configurable to collect the documentation from each said evidence gathering module to generate a chain of custody form.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, wherein the evidence gathering module generates a first time stamp corresponding to commencement of documentation and a second time stamp corresponding to conclusion of documentation, the chain of custody form being generated to include the first time stamp and second time stamp.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, wherein the evidence gathering module obtains environmental conditions during the documentation, the chain of custody form being generated to include the environmental conditions.

### Claim 8 (depends on 5)

The system of claim 5, wherein the host device enables a supervisor to review, modify and approve the documentation prior to storage on the evidence database.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, wherein the investigator identifies, for each item of evidence, an evidence type, each evidence type being associated with preconfigured instructional information.

### Claim 10 (depends on 9)

The system of claim 9, wherein the evidence gathering module is operable to generate and display a notification using the instructional information.

### Claim 11 (depends on 5)

The system of claim 5, wherein the host device enables a supervisor to direct a plurality of the investigators to each document particular items of evidence for the case.

### Claim 12 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, wherein the documentation comprises a location for the item of evidence.

### Claim 13 (depends on 12)

The system of claim 12, wherein the evidence gathering module is operable to generate a map in which one or more tokens are displayed corresponding to the locations for each item of evidence.

### Claim 14 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, wherein the evidence gathering module is linked to an analytic engine to provide analytics relating to the documentation of evidence.

### Claim 15 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, wherein the chain of custody form is a secured document.

### Claim 16

A method for documenting evidence comprising enabling, by a processor:
a) documenting, by at least one investigator, of at least one item of evidence for a case;
b) storing the documentation on an evidence database; and
c) generating a chain of custody form identifying the documented items of evidence.

### Claim 17 (depends on 16)

The method of claim 16, wherein the documentation comprises an image of each item of evidence.

### Claim 18 (depends on 17)

The method of claim 17, further enabling the investigator to annotate each image.

### Claim 19 (depends on 17)

The method of claim 17, further enabling the investigator to edit each image while retaining the captured image.

### Claim 20 (depends on 16)

The method of claim 16, further comprising enabling a host device to collect the documentation from each said investigator and to generate a chain of custody form.

### Claim 21 (depends on 16)

The method of claim 16, further comprising enabling the generation of a first time stamp corresponding to commencement of documentation and a second time stamp corresponding to conclusion of documentation, the chain of custody form being generated to include the first time stamp and second time stamp.

### Claim 22 (depends on 16)

The method of claim 16, further comprising enabling the processor to obtain environmental conditions during the documentation, the chain of custody form being generated to include the environmental conditions.

### Claim 23 (depends on 20)

The method of claim 20, further comprising enabling a supervisor to review, modify and approve the documentation prior to storage on the evidence database.

### Claim 24 (depends on 16)

The method of claim 16, wherein the investigator identifies, for each item of evidence, an evidence type, each evidence type being associated with preconfigured instructional information.

### Claim 25 (depends on 24)

The method of claim 24, further comprising generating and displaying a notification using the instructional information.

### Claim 26 (depends on 20)

The method of claim 20, wherein the host device enables a supervisor to direct a plurality of the investigators to each document particular items of evidence for the case.

### Claim 27 (depends on 16)

The method of claim 16, wherein the documentation comprises a location for the item of evidence.

### Claim 28 (depends on 27)

The method of claim 27, further comprising generating a map in which one or more tokens are displayed corresponding to the locations for each item of evidence.

### Claim 29 (depends on 16)

The method of claim 16, further comprising providing an analytic engine to provide analytics relating to the documentation of evidence.

### Claim 30 (depends on 16)

The method of claim 16, wherein the chain of custody form is a secured document.