TRACKING SAFETY DEVICE

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

The present application claims priority under 35 U. S. C. §119(e) to U.S. provisional application 60/785,665, filed March 23, 2006, which is hereby incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The invention relates to devices that can be used to track the distance of an individual from one or more other individuals. Such devices may be used to alert an individual when such individual is within a preprogrammed distance from one or more other individual. Such devices may also be used to alert an individual when such individual is beyond a preprogrammed distance from one or more other individual.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Sport hunting has become one of the most popular sports in the United States and Europe. As the number of hunters increases every year, the availability of open hunting areas decreases. The danger of hunting accidents has risen significantly as the hunting areas become more populated. If every hunter could be made aware of the presence of other hunters, the likelihood of accidental shootings would be dramatically reduced or perhaps even eliminated.

Adults often wish to keep track of children and keep them within a certain distance. Children, for example, may wander off, become lost, or be abducted, in

public spaces, such as a park or a mall. The ability to monitor the distance of children would lower the incidence of children wandering off, becoming lost or being abducted.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In certain embodiments, the invention provides a hunting safety device whose purpose is to warn a hunter that there is another hunter in the vicinity. The invention is capable of communicating with other devices within a pre-selected range. When two or more devices come within range of each other, each device will send a signal to and receive a signal from the other device, which in turn will activate an indicator in each device. The indication mode of the device can be user- selectable as audible, visual, vibrating, or any combination of the above. The method or methods for communicating between devices can be, but is not limited to, radio frequency, infrared and GPS transmitters.

The device can also have the capability to selectively indicate the direction or location of other devices or indicate the distance from other devices.

The device can also selectively disable transmission of a signal to or receiving of a signal from a device within a specific range. This mode of operation is intended to allow hunters to hunt in groups without activating the device. In this way, short-range communications from hunters in one's own party can be excluded while long range communications with the devices of unknown hunters could remain enabled for safety reasons.

A further embodiment of the invention provides a distress signal feature. This allows the user to send a signal to all devices in the area, indicating help is

needed. The alert for this feature will use one or more of the indication methods described above.

The device can also incorporate a GPS receiver to provide a locating feature that could be used by rescue personnel.

The physical shape of the device can be, but is not limited to, the following embodiments. The unit may be a wrist-strapped device similar to a wristwatch, allowing for a very user- friendly interface for all of the alert modes. The basic operation of the device would require a piezo speaker for the audio alert, LEDs for the visual alert and a vibration mechanism for the vibratory alert. Advanced devices can have an LCD display or similar type of display to implement the "distance to other units", "direction of alert" and GPS alert functions. The device can also be shaped like an ID-type tag which the user would attach to his/her clothing. The device can also assume a cylindrical shape. This allows the device to be easily carried in a user's pocket.

The device can also be adapted to attach directly to the hunting weapon.

The ultimate goal of this device if to make it a mandatory piece of safety equipment for any hunter seeking a hunting license.

In alternative embodiments, the invention is configured to monitor and provide an alert when two or more individuals or devices are not within a specified distance of each other.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

The basic hunting safety device of the present invention is designed to warn a hunter that there is another hunter in the area. To achieve that goal, the device is

designed to continuously send and receive a coded signal that will activate the user interface in a like device.

In a preferred embodiment, the hunter safety device is a passive device and requires little or no action by a user to operate. The device may not be turned off and would not require the user to program in any other hunters. The only requirement for the user is that the device is carried at all times when in the field, so as to realize the safety enhancement that is provided.

The device is designed such that it may be worn on the wrist (watch-style), or it may be clipped to a user's belt or lapel. Either method may be employed to carry the device, but it is very important that the user choose a place that does not reduce his ability to perceive the visual, audible or vibratory alert signal that is currently selected.

The user will have the ability to select one of three alert modes, including a lighted indicator, vibration, or a buzzer (audio alert), or any combination of two or more of these modes. The choice of alert mode should be that which will ensure perception by the user given the mounting location of the device, be it the user's wrist or some article of clothing.

While the present invention has as one of its purposes the indication to a given hunter that other hunters are present in the area, it is also designed for use by groups of hunters, operating in what might be called a "buddy mode". Hunters who are part of such a group may not want the device to alert them of the presence of others in their party, in which case the device may be programmed to ignore signals received from others in the same group. Each device will have a code that will allow hunters to program their own devices so that an alert indication will not be

triggered when the device receives signals from a "buddy" device. For safety reasons, this programming is only temporary and will reset to individual mode after 24 hours.

The operation of the device of the present invention is further described below, making reference to the drawings filed herewith.

Four drawing figures are provided. FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the major components of the device of the present invention, including a GPS receiver and associated decoding logic. FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating schematically how multiple devices will communicate with one another. FIGS. 3 and 4 are analogous to FIGS. 1 and 2, respectively, and show an alternate embodiment of the present invention wherein the GPS receiver is removed so as to reduce cost.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 3, the device is controlled by a CPU with control logic. The CPU is used to assign a unique code to each device, to process the transmitted and received messages, and to activate the user interface. The device will transmit and receive signals using radio frequency (RF) and/ or infrared (IR) communications. As shown in the figures, a radio antenna is required to transmit and receive the radio band signals. The IR transmit and receive modules required for IR communications are also shown in the figures. A key element of using both of these technologies is the ability to adjust the range to which the device transmits and receives signals.

The user interface incorporates all of the components necessary to alert the user and/ or program the device. The alert component can be comprised of, but is not limited to, LEDs, speakers (piezo), an LCD display, vibration device, or any combination thereof. Switches or the like are used to program the device.

The operation of the device of the present invention is controlled by the CPU. It will continually transmit (TX) a unique signal that may be received by another device. Received signals are processed and decoded by the CPU. If the signal received is recognized by the CPU, it will send data to be displayed by the user interface module.

As an example of the operation of the device, assume the range of the transmit/receive function is set at 100 yards (300 feet). When two or more devices come within the specified 100-yard range, they will each receive respective signals from each of the other devices and alert the user that another device is within range. The alert can be an audible tone, a flashing light, a vibration, a message on a display or any combination thereof. Further, all devices will have a unique code, allowing them to be programmed to ignore signals from other devices so that hunters may hunt in groups.

The embodiment of the present invention that incorporates a GPS receiver has all of the same functions and features of the basic unit while adding the capability to communicate with other units using Global Positioning System (GPS) technology. Display modules will be able to show map terrain and the exact location of the user, as well as the locations of other hunters. This device may also be used to find lost or injured hunters, or as a navigation system.

In additional embodiments, the invention may be configured to monitor and provide an alert when two or more devices are not within a specified distance of each other. In such embodiments, devices as described above are worn by each member of a group and are programmed to provide an alert, e.g. , activate an alarm, when two or more members of the group are not within a specified preprogrammed

distance of each other. Distances and members of the group may be programmed into devices as set forth above in connection with the hunting device. In certain embodiments, the invention may provide, for example and without limitation, a device and method for adults to keep track of children, e.g. , in large areas such as parks or crowded establishments, such as malls, thus guarding against the chance of a child wandering off or being abducted.