Catastrophic event responsive travel case with flotation and alerting

• US 10,039,359 B2
• Filed: 01/27/2017
• Issued: 08/07/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 06/28/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Jack Barron
• Original Assignee: Jack Barron
• Inventors: Barron, Jack
• Primary Examiner(s): BROWN, VERNAL U
• Application Number:
  US15/418,672
• Publication Number:
  US 20170367452A1
• Time in Patent Office: 557 Days
• Field of Search: 340 81
• CPC Class Codes: A45C 13/001 Accessories
• CPC Class Codes: A45C 13/262 for wheeled luggage
• CPC Class Codes: A45C 15/00 Purses, bags, luggage or other receptacles covered by groups A45C1/00 - A45C11/00, combined with other objects or articles A45C1/08, A45C3/14, A45C11/321, A45C13/28 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A45C 5/14 with built-in rolling means
• CPC Class Codes: A45C 9/00 Purses, Luggage or bags convertible into objects for other use sacks or packs carried on the body and convertible into other articles A45F4/02; trunk-wardrobes A47B61/06; trunk-beds A47C17/82
• CPC Class Codes: B63C 2009/0017 characterised by making use of satellite radio beacon positioning systems, e.g. the Global Positioning System [GPS]
• CPC Class Codes: B63C 2009/042 inflatable
• CPC Class Codes: B63C 9/20 characterised by signalling means, e.g. lights arrangement or adaptation of signalling or lighting devices for ships or other waterborne vessels B63B45/00
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/14 specially adapted for specific applications
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/17 Emergency applications
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/35 Constructional details or hardware or software details of the signal processing chain
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2205/06 Emergency
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/02 using radio waves using satellite radio beacon systems for determining position G01S19/00
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0231 Emergency, distress or locator beacons
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/183 Emergency, distress or locator beacons

Abstract

A travel case includes a case body defining an interior cavity in which to carry articles and an exterior shell; an inflatable floatation aid fixed to the exterior shell; an inflator in communication with the inflatable floatation aid, for inflation of the inflatable floatation aid; and a locator beacon fixed to the exterior shell, including a communications transmitter capable of signaling a remote party and a geo-locating apparatus.

Claims

1. A travel case comprising:

a case body defining an interior cavity in which to carry articles and an exterior shell, having a mass and volume when fully loaded with articles suitable for an individual to carry;

an inflatable floatation aid fixed to the exterior shell;

an inflator in communication with the inflatable floatation aid, constructed and arranged to automatically without user intervention inflate the inflatable floatation aid with buoyancy-producing material; and

a locator beacon fixed to the exterior shell, including a communications transmitter capable of signaling a remote party and a geo-locating apparatus;

sensors sensitive to plural environmental parameters of the travel case;

wherein the locator beacon and the inflator operate automatically responsive to plural sensor inputs which combined are indicative of a catastrophic event.

2. The travel case of claim 1, wherein the locator beacon employs a Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) to determine location.

3. The travel case of claim 2, wherein the GNSS is the US Global Positioning System.

4. The travel case of claim 1, wherein the locator beacon employs radio tower triangulation to determine location.

5. The travel case of claim 1, wherein the inflatable floatation aid is separable from the case body and fixed to the exterior shell by an extendible tether.

6. The travel case of claim 1, wherein the inflator operates by introduction of water.

7. The travel case of claim 6, wherein the introduction of water dissolves a pill-cage pill.

8. The travel case of claim 6, wherein the introduction of water includes submersion.

9. The travel case of claim 8, wherein the submersion is detected via hydrostatic pressure sensing.

10. The travel case of claim 1, wherein the locator beacon further operates automatically responsive to operation of the inflator.

11. The travel case of claim 1, wherein the sensors include at least one of a GPS locator, an accelerometer, a microphone and a magnetometer.

12. The travel case of claim 11, further including a processor that activates and prevents operation of the inflator.

13. The travel case of claim 11, further including a processor that activates and prevents operation of the locator beacon.

14. The travel case of claim 1, wherein the locator beacon operates automatically on a periodic basis.

15. The travel case of claim 1, further comprising:

the locator beacon connectable to a two-way, wireless data network, whereby the locator beacon can send and receive messages to a recipient endeavoring to locate the travel case after it has become lost.

16. The travel case of claim 15, wherein the locator beacon operates on demand, responsive to an operator.

17. The travel case of claim 1, the locator beacon further comprising:

a search and rescue beacon operating on 121.5 MHz and/or 406 MHz.

18. The travel case of claim 1, the locator beacon further comprising:

a beacon communicating with a cell-tower.

19. The travel case of claim 1, the locator beacon further comprising:

a satellite phone service.

20. The travel case of claim 1, further comprising:

a programmable display affixed to the case body on which origin, destination, owner, and/or vessel identification information is displayed.

21. The travel case of claim 20, wherein the programmable display is affixed to the inflatable floatation.

22. The travel case of claim 20, wherein the programmable display is of a type that retains on display a most recently programmed data set in the event of a power failure.

23. The travel case of claim 22, wherein the programmable display is an electronic ink display.

24. A method of deploying safety, tracking, or recovery apparatus from a vehicle transporting articles desired to be moved from a source location to a destination location, comprising:

providing a travel case in which articles desired to be moved are carried;

integrating safety, tracking, or recovery apparatus with the travel case;

detecting a catastrophic event occurring to the vehicle using the integrated apparatus, without user intervention, the catastrophic event defined by plural environmental parameters; and

deploying the safety, tracking, or recovery apparatus from the travel case upon detecting the catastrophic event using the integrated apparatus, without user intervention, and using the plural environmental parameters.

25. The method of claim 24, wherein detecting the catastrophic event comprises:

evaluating a history of inputs from at least one of a GPS locator, an accelerometer, a microphone, and a magnetometer.

26. The method of claim 25, wherein deploying further comprises:

triggering deployment of a floatation device upon immersion in water.

27. The method of claim 26, wherein deploying further comprises:

triggering a search and rescue communication beacon transmission.