Transmitter tag

• US 20070026968A1
• Filed: 07/27/2006
• Published: 02/01/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 07/27/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ashley Ratcliffe
• Original Assignee: Ashley Ratcliffe
• Inventors: Ratcliffe, Ashley
• Granted Patent: US 7,811,163 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 473/353
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2024/0053 for locating an object, e.g. a lost ball
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2225/50 Wireless data transmission, e.g. by radio transmitters or telemetry
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 24/0021 Tracking a path or terminating locations
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 43/00 Balls with special arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: G01V 15/00 Tags attached to, or associated with, an object, in order to enable detection of the object record carriers for use with machines having a detectable tag or marker G06K19/00

Abstract

A transmitter tag for a ball, the tag comprises a transmitter configured to issue a signal for location of the ball, a power source for powering the transmitter, activation means operable for activating the transmitter when the ball is in use, and deactivation means operable for remote manual deactivation of the transmitter after the ball is located.

Claims

1. A transmitter tag for a ball, the tag comprising:

a transmitter configured to issue a signal for location of said ball;

a power source for powering said transmitter;

activation means operable for activating said transmitter when said ball is in use;

and deactivation means operable for remote manual deactivation of said transmitter after said ball is located.

2. A tag as claimed in claim 1 wherein said activation means comprises an impact switch operable to activate said transmitter in response to said ball being struck.

3. A tag as claimed in claim 2 wherein said impact switch is operable to produce a voltage depending on acceleration induced when the ball is struck.

4. A tag as claimed in claim 3 wherein said impact switch comprises a ceramic based resonator.

5. A tag as claimed in claim 1 wherein said deactivation means comprises a magnetic switch operable to deactivate said transmitter in response to the presence of a magnetic field.

6. A tag as claimed in claim 5 wherein said magnetic switch is a Hall effect switch.

7. A tag as claimed in claim 5 wherein said magnetic switch is an omnipolar.

8. A tag as claimed in claim 5 wherein said magnetic switch has an internal clocking mechanism.

9. A tag as claimed in claim 1 wherein said transmitter is configured for issuing a signal comprising a series of pulses modulated with a carrier signal.

10. A tag as claimed in claim 9 wherein said signal is allocated to a specific carrier frequency, said frequency being configurable to provide an identifier for identifying said ball.

11. A tag as claimed in claim 9 wherein said issued signal has a duty cycle of less than 1%.

12. A tag as claimed in claim 9 wherein each pulse has a width in the region of 200 μ

s, and wherein one pulse is issued in the region of every 60 ms.

13. A tag as claimed in claim 9 wherein said transmitter comprises an oscillator for producing said carrier signal.

14. A tag as claimed in claim 13 wherein said oscillator comprises a surface acoustic wave resonator.

15. A golf ball comprising a tag according to claim 1.

16. A golf ball according to claim 15, comprising a substantially spherical core embedded concentrically within said golf ball, wherein said tag is embedded in said core, and wherein said core, tag, and golf ball share substantially the same centre of mass.