Communications: electrical – Continuously variable indicating – With meter reading
Patent
1982-07-13
1984-10-09
Yusko, Donald J.
Communications: electrical
Continuously variable indicating
With meter reading
340539, H04Q 900, H04B 504, G08B 2100
Patent
active
044764693
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates essentially to the field of human necessities while the embodiments thereof described herein relate to the fields of physics (signalling) and electricity (communication technique) or, more particularly, to transmitter-transponder systems employing electronic circuitry.
DISCLOSURE OF INVENTION
The invention was conceived to meet a basic human need--a long-felt want--namely, to have some means for helping to find lost articles of a domestic nature, such as spectacles, keys, pets, pens, jewellery, etc. The initial concept was soon extended to other applications in domestic and other environments (as will become apparent from the subsequent description herein) and can be generally described as the provision of means for assisting to ascertain the location of an object or a plurality of objects and, according to a development of the concept, assisting to ascertain selectively the location of one or more objects selected from a larger number of objects. The term "object" is intended to embrace animate objects (including human beings) as well as inanimate objects.
According to the present invention, there is provided locator means for assisting in locating an object (as hereinbefore defined), said means comprising a transmitter-transponder system which comprises: a hand-held "searcher" device comprising a short-range signal transmitter powered by an electric cell or battery in the device and having electronic circuitry for generating an address signal which will be emitted on activation of the transmitter by switching means incorporated in the searcher device; and a miniature "locator" device comprising a transponder of small size (no larger than a pocket match-box) powered by an electric cell or battery within the locator device and having electronic circuitry and means for emitting a sound signal and/or a light signal in response to the address signal received from the searcher device.
The term "short range" is, of course, to be interpreted in the context of domestic environments. It is preferably at least 20 feet or about 6 meters in normal domestic or office conditions, but there is no need to activate the transponder until the searcher is within audible or visual range when the system is used for its originally conceived purpose of helping to find lost articles of a domestic nature. In certain conditions and with certain kinds of signal emission, however, it becomes possible to transmit signals through walls or other barriers, and this extends the field of application of the invention to attention-calling or summoning of a person or thing (for example a spouse in a house or a secretary in an office or a tool in a toolroom) in another room or area which is partitioned off from the one in which the searcher is situated. It also becomes possible to adapt the system to serve as a warning or other alarm system, which may be activated by a sensor (for example, contacts on a door) which is connected to searcher when it is placed so that it is normally passive, to energise a bleeper on or near a person elsewhere in the house, for example--or even in the garden, for example--within the range of the transmitter.
As to the signal transmission, this could take various forms including air waves or vibrations (sonic or ultra-sonic) or electromagnetic waves such as radio, infra-red or visible light. The address signal is preferably coded, the transponder being designed to sense its own address code so as not to be activated by extraneous signals.
The preferred mode of signal transmission is radio (with directional or omni-directional propagation, not inductive loop) but difficulties have been encountered in designing such a system having sufficient range within specified constraints of locator size and cost and a reasonable life from its small cell or battery (say, twelve months) even with a relatively low frequency carrier wave in the range 10 to 150 kHz. Infra-red requires excessive power and suffers from the disadvantage of line-of-sight transmission so that, for
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