System and method for viewing micro-markings on jewelry and other objects

Abstract

A method and system are described for viewing markings in a piece of jewelry or other object. The piece of jewelry or object comprises a medium that includes markings, and a lens positioned relative to the medium to allow the lens to magnify the markings for viewing.

1 . A piece of jewelry comprising: 
 a medium that includes markings; and    a lens positioned relative to the medium to allow the lens to magnify the markings for viewing, wherein the distance between the lens and the markings remains substantially constant.    
   
   
       2 . The piece of jewelry of  claim 1 , wherein the piece of jewelry further comprises a sufficiently transparent portion fashioned at one end to form the lens so as to constitute an integral part thereof.  
   
   
       3 . The piece of jewelry of  claim 1 , wherein the piece of jewelry further comprises affixing means to affix the lens.  
   
   
       4 . The piece of jewelry of  claim 1 , wherein the markings includes at least one of symbols, numbers, letters, and natural imperfections.  
   
   
       5 . The piece of jewelry of  claim 4 , wherein each of the symbols, numbers and letters has a dimension in the range of 1 μm to 1 mm.  
   
   
       6 . The piece of jewelry of  claim 5 , wherein each of the symbols, numbers and letters is formed by pixels.  
   
   
       7 . The piece of jewelry of  claim 1 , wherein the markings includes at least one of personal markings, medical markings and general markings.  
   
   
       8 . The piece of jewelry of  claim 7 , wherein personal markings includes at least one of a name, a date of birth, an address, an emergency contact telephone, an emergency contact person, a health card number, a bank card number, a social security number, a pin number, a password, a username, a passport number, a clothes size and an anniversary date.  
   
   
       9 . The piece of jewelry of  claim 7 , wherein medical markings includes at least one of a blood group type, a rhesus factor, an allergy, a disease and a medication.  
   
   
       10 . The piece of jewelry of  claim 7 , wherein general markings includes at least one of a security phone number, an address, an aphorism, a poem, a picture and a portrait.  
   
   
       11 . The piece of jewelry of  claim 1 , wherein the markings includes at least one of a two-dimensional pattern and a three-dimensional pattern.  
   
   
       12 . The piece of jewelry of  claim 1 , wherein the piece of jewelry is one of a ring, a locket, a bracelet, an earring, a pendant, a brooch, a souvenir and a key chain.  
   
   
       13 . The piece of jewelry of  claim 1 , wherein the medium is substantially transparent.  
   
   
       14 . The piece of jewelry of  claim 11 , wherein the medium includes at least one of a gemstone, glass and plastic.  
   
   
       15 . The piece of jewelry of  claim 1 , further comprising a cavity wherein the medium is affixed.  
   
   
       16 . The piece of jewelry of  claim 1 , wherein the medium includes markings recorded with a recording device, and the medium is disposed on a surface of the piece of jewelry or in the interior of the piece of jewelry.  
   
   
       17 . The piece of jewelry of  claim 16 , wherein the markings include laser engraved markings disposed on the surface.  
   
   
       18 . The piece of jewelry of  claim 16 , wherein the markings include laser markings disposed in the interior.  
   
   
       19 . The piece of jewelry of  claim 18 , wherein the markings include internal laser drilling markings.  
   
   
       20 . The piece of jewelry of  claim 16 , wherein the markings include ion implantation markings.  
   
   
       21 . The piece of jewelry of  claim 1 , wherein a focal length of the lens is greater than a distance of the lens to the markings.  
   
   
       22 . The piece of jewelry of  claim 1 , wherein the lens produces an erect, enlarged and virtual image of the markings.  
   
   
       23 . The piece of jewelry of  claim 1 , further comprising a protective cover, that covers the medium for protection.  
   
   
       24 . A method for viewing markings stored in a piece of jewelry, the method comprising providing a lens in the piece of jewelry to allow the lens to magnify the markings for viewing, wherein the distance between the lens and the markings remains substantially constant.  
   
   
       25 . The method of  claim 24 , wherein, where the piece of jewelry includes a sufficiently transparent portion, the step of providing includes fashioning the lens at one end of the portion so that the lens constitutes an integral part of the sufficiently transparent portion.  
   
   
       26 . The method of  claim 24 , wherein the step of providing includes affixing the lens to a portion of the piece of jewelry.  
   
   
       27 . The method of  claim 26 , wherein the step of affixing includes affixing the lens within a cavity in the piece of jewelry.  
   
   
       28 . The method of  claim 24 , wherein the markings includes at least one of symbols, numbers, letters, and natural imperfections.  
   
   
       29 . The method of  claim 24 , wherein the markings includes at least one of personal markings, medical markings and general markings.  
   
   
       30 . The method of  claim 29 , wherein personal markings includes at least one of a name, a date of birth, an address, an emergency contact telephone, an emergency contact person, a health card number, a bank card number, a social security number, a pin number, a password, a username, a passport number, a clothes size and an anniversary date.  
   
   
       31 . The method of  claim 29 , wherein medical markings includes at least one of a blood group type, a rhesus factor, an allergy, a disease and a medication.  
   
   
       32 . The method of  claim 29 , wherein general markings includes at least one of a security phone number, an address, an aphorism, a poem, a picture and a portrait.  
   
   
       33 . The method of  claim 24 , wherein the markings includes at least one of a two-dimensional pattern and a three-dimensional pattern.  
   
   
       34 . The method of  claim 24 , wherein the piece of jewelry is one of a ring, a locket, a bracelet, an earring, a pendant, a brooch, a souvenir and a key chain.  
   
   
       35 . The method of  claim 24 , wherein the piece of jewelry includes at least one of a gemstone, glass and plastic.  
   
   
       36 . The method of  claim 24 , further comprising utilizing a recording device to produce the markings on a surface of the piece of jewelry or in the interior of the piece of jewelry.  
   
   
       37 . The method of  claim 24 , further comprising laser engraving the markings on a surface of the piece of jewelry.  
   
   
       38 . The method of  claim 24 , further comprising laser drilling internally to produce the markings.  
   
   
       39 . The method of  claim 24 , further comprising ion implanting the markings in the piece of jewelry.  
   
   
       40 . The method of  claim 24 , wherein the step of providing includes providing a lens having a focal length that is greater than a distance of the lens to the markings.  
   
   
       41 . The method of  claim 24 , wherein the step of providing includes providing a lens capable of producing an erect, enlarged and virtual image of the markings.  
   
   
       42 . The method of  claim 24 , further comprising covering the markings with a protective cover for protection.  
   
   
       43 . A method of conveying information contained in an object, the method comprising 
 forming markings on the object that are difficult to discern with an unaided eye because of the size of the markings, the markings representing the information; and    affixing a magnifying lens to the object so that the markings are discernible when viewed with the magnifying lens, wherein the distance between the lens and the markings remains substantially constant.    
   
   
       44 . The method of  claim 43 , wherein the object is a bijouterie, a key chain, a key, a souvenir, and a piece of jewelry.  
   
   
       45 . The method of  claim 43 , wherein the object is a tube containing the magnifying lens at one end and the markings at the other end.  
   
   
       46 . A system for conveying information, the system comprising 
 an object containing markings for conveying information, the markings being of a size that make the markings difficult to discern with an unaided eye; and    a magnifying lens affixed to the object so that the markings are discernible when viewed with the magnifying lens, wherein the distance between the lens and the markings remains substantially constant.    
   
   
       47 . A method of conveying information contained in an object, the method comprising 
 forming markings on the object that are difficult to discern with an unaided eye because of the size of the markings, the markings representing the information; and    affixing a magnifying lens to the object so that the markings are discernible when viewed with the magnifying lens, the lens being capable of undergoing translations relative to the medium to place the lens into a proper position for viewing.    
   
   
       48 . A system for conveying information, the system comprising an object containing markings for conveying information, the markings being of a size that make the markings difficult to discern with an unaided eye; and 
 a magnifying lens affixed to the object so that the markings are discernible when viewed with the magnifying lens, the lens being capable of undergoing translations relative to the medium to place the lens into a proper position for viewing.    
   
   
       49 . A system for viewing markings, the system comprising 
 a tube shaped body;    a magnifying lens disposed at one end of the body; and    a medium containing markings, the medium disposed at the other end of the tube shaped body, wherein the distance between the markings and the lens is such that the markings are intelligible when viewed with the aid of the lens.    
   
   
       50 . The system of  claim 49 , wherein the medium is substantially transparent to aid in viewing.  
   
   
       51 . A system for viewing markings, the system comprising 
 a tube shaped body;    a first lens medium at a first end of the body for magnified viewing and for including a first set of markings therein; and    a second lens medium at a second end of the body for magnified viewing and for including a second set of markings therein, wherein a person can discern the second set of markings when viewed through the first lens medium, and the first set of markings when viewed through the second lens medium.