Patent Document ID: 8270719
Application ID: 12287834
Patent Status: 1

Claim One:
1. A method and gem pattern matching technique to analyze a target gemstone comprising: forming a refraction pattern of a target gemstone by transmitting light from a light source into the target gemstone to create the refraction pattern which is recorded on a medium which permits a permanent record of the refraction pattern to be created and stored as an image, wherein the refraction pattern is formed of an arrangement of a multiplicity of spots; analyzing the refraction pattern and comparing that refraction pattern to a database of known gemstone refraction patterns to determine the percentage likelihood that the target gemstone matches a known gemstone in the database; wherein the step of determining the percentage likelihood that the target gemstone matches a gemstone in the database comprises the steps of: calculating a radius (R) for each spot in the refraction pattern, wherein the radius is a distance from a center of the spot to a center of the refraction pattern, normalizing the radius (R) for each spot to an integer between 0 and 96 so as to form 96 defined, concentric circular bands of the refraction pattern; determining a largest spot, in terms of area, in each of the 96 defined, concentric circular bands of the refraction pattern, wherein a location of the largest spot is determined based on the radius (R) of the spot relative to the center of the refraction pattern; determining a clockwise angle of each of the largest spots relative to an origin (zero) angle in the refraction pattern of the target gemstone; storing for each radius (R), the location and clockwise angle of the largest spot of the refraction pattern of the target gemstone; comparing the stored radii associated with the target gemstone with radii that are stored in the database and associated with known gemstones and generating a list of matching radii; for each of the matching radii, the refraction pattern of the target gemstone is compared to the known gemstone refraction patterns by comparing a binary pattern of the refraction pattern of the target gemstone with a binary pattern of each known gemstone refraction pattern, wherein the binary pattern is formed on binary bits that are either “on” or “off” depending upon a presence of the spot therein, with the binary bit being “on” when the spot is present at an x,y location of the respective binary bit; determining, for each matching radii, which binary bits are “on”, as measured by location, in both the binary pattern of the refraction pattern of the target gemstone and the binary pattern of the known gemstone refraction pattern and thus overlap and thereby represents a matching “on bit” indicative of the presence of the spot at the x,y location of the binary bit; calculating a number of matching “on bits” for each matching radii and calculating a percentage of match (MP) of the “on bits” for each matching radii: determining a final match percentage (FMP) of the refraction pattern of the target gemstone relative to each of the known gemstone refraction patterns in the database, wherein the final match percentage (FMP) comprises the percentage of match (MP) that has a greatest value relative to all of the percentages of match (MP) for all of the matching radii contained in the list of matching radii; and determining a percentage likelihood that the target gemstone matches one known gemstone in the database based on the final match percentage (FMP).