Communications: directive radio wave systems and devices (e.g. – Radar reflector
Reexamination Certificate
1999-09-23
2001-05-01
Gregory, Bernarr E. (Department: 3662)
Communications: directive radio wave systems and devices (e.g.,
Radar reflector
C342S007000, C342S008000, C342S010000, C342S041000, C343S709000, C343S710000, C441S035000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06225940
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a radar reflecting system and method for water craft, and more particularly to such a system and method which would be particularly adapted for small water craft, such as kayaks, which have water craft accessories, such as paddles.
2. Background Art
It is quite common for larger water craft to be equipped with a radar warning system to avoid collisions. However, small size water craft, such as kayaks, canoes, etc. are notoriously difficult to be detected by such radar systems, and many marine accidents with small water craft result from this lack of radar visibility. Also, if waves are present so that the water craft is dropping to lower and higher levels relative to the water surface, the problem of detection by radar is substantially increased.
A search of the patent literature has disclosed a number of concepts relating in general to the detection of people and/or objects in a nautical environment. Among these are the following:
U.S. Pat. No. 5,454,742 (Robertson) deals with the problem of locating buoys. Fisherman commonly use floating buoys to indicate the location of fish traps and lobster pots to provide rapid identification and recovery of traps or pots. Metal type buoys are often detected under poor visibility conditions employing the vessel's navigational radar. This patent show an inflatable buoy which is provided with a radar reflecting element. There is a thickened portion of the buoy to which is mounted a corner radar reflector that can be positioned so that the location is more visible to the radar.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,421,287 (Yonover) shows a locating device for a person who is lost at sea. There is an elongate brilliant colored streamer made up of a flat, flexible buoyant material which is unrolled to its flat configuration and floats on the surface of the body of water. This sheet includes a surface of radiation reflecting material.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,987,848 (Todd) shows what is called “radar reflecting safety flag”. There is a flag, such as a national flag, made of a highly radar reflective material. This is a dual purpose safety flag carrying non emergency identification (such as the idicia on the flag) and also a flexible radar reflecting portion of silver anodized rip-stop nylon.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,970,516 (Nicolson) relates to a system for “diverting attention” from a sea going vessel which is vulnerable to enemy attack by projectiles, whether traveling on the sea, under the sea, or in the air, and whether the detection be by radar, sonar or infra-red detectors. There is provided a “sacrificial sea-going vessel” that is made with a greater signature so that the sacrificial decoy vessel constitutes a “preferred target” over the ocean vessel. The propulsion and directional steering of the decoy vessel is controlled so as to maintain the vessel within a predetermined distance of the sea-going vessel as the sea-going vessel moves along its travel path. The sacrificial decoy generates signals which attract hostile projectiles and which are substantially greater in magnitude than the projectile attracting signals from the sea-going vessel.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,809,638 (Kolesar) describes a system for locating a person who is floating in the ocean or other body of water. A material is spread around the person on the surface of the water to provide reduced surface tension on the surrounding water to eliminate “capillary waves” on the water surface. Thus, the adjacent water surface has a slick appearance relative to the surrounding water so as to have a reduced radar back scatter with respect to the surrounding water. This enables better visual, radar and IR detection.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention is particularly adapted to enable a small water craft and/or a person in the water craft to reduce the possibility of a collision by causing a reflection of a radar signal to enhance detection of the water craft and/or person in the water craft.
This is accomplished by providing a radar reflective layer in a surface area of a surface of the water craft or a water craft accessory. The surface area having the reflective material has an alignment axis or an array of alignment axes perpendicular to the surface area and/or portions of the surface area. For example, the surface area could be substantially flat, in which case there would be only a single alignment axis perpendicular to the plane of the flat surface. Alternatively, the surface area could be curved or have multiple angled surface segments so that there would be a plurality or an array of alignment axes extending in generally the same direction but angled somewhat from one another. This would reduce the necessity of having a very accurate alignment of the surface area relative to the direction of the radar waves.
The person in the water craft may observe or otherwise detect the presence of a second water craft, possibly at a nearby location where there is a possibility of a collision. If the water craft is a large water craft, there is a higher likelihood of this water craft having a radar detection apparatus. Thus, when the person in the smaller water craft sees or otherwise detects the larger water craft, the person in the smaller water craft would orient his smaller water craft so that the radar reflective surface area of the surface of the water craft would be oriented so that the axis or array of axes of the surface area is or are aligned with an alignment axis from the radar unit to the water craft and/or person. Also, in addition to orienting the water craft (or as an alternative) the person could place a water craft accessory in a position so that the radar reflective surface of the accessory would be oriented to reflect the radar back to the source of the radar wave. The accessory could be, for example, a paddle, a cushion, or a life vest. Thus, the radar waves traveling from the radar apparatus to the surface area of the water craft or the accessory are reflected back to the radar apparatus to cause detection of the water craft and/or the person in or adjacent to the water craft.
With regard to the placement of the surface area, this could also be placed in a horizontal or near horizontal portion of the water craft, such as in the floor of a life boat, or in the top deck portion of the water craft. Thus, if the radar apparatus is an aircraft that is in a search and rescue mission, the water craft would provide a better reflected target for a radar apparatus in the aircraft.
Also, the present invention is directed toward the water craft itself, incorporating the radar reflective surface or surfaces, and also to the accessories associated with the water craft incorporating the radar reflective surface or surfaces. Other features will become apparent from the following detailed description.
REFERENCES:
patent: 3019457 (1962-02-01), Lowery
patent: 3130406 (1964-04-01), Jones-Hinton et al.
patent: 3155992 (1964-11-01), Shewmake et al.
patent: 5179382 (1993-01-01), Decker
Gregory Bernarr E.
Hughes Robert B.
Hughes & Schacht, PLLC
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