Illuminated trail marker apparatus

• US 20080042866A1
• Filed: 08/15/2006
• Published: 02/21/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 08/15/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Patented Technology Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Patented Technology Incorporated
• Inventors: Morse, Jeffrey T., Morse, Kevin C.
• Granted Patent: US 7,525,424 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/691.1
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/02 Alarms for ensuring the safety of persons
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/14 Toxic gas alarms G08B21/16 takes precedence

Abstract

A remotely actuated trail marker apparatus includes a transmitter unit designed to be carried by a hiker or hunter, which selectively broadcasts an interrogation signal throughout a predetermined range. One or more associated receiver units are adapted for pre-positioning at specific trail waypoints or a final destination. Each receiver unit generates a user sensible reply signal, such as self-illumination, in response to receiving the interrogation signal.

Claims

1. A trail marker device adapted for prepositioning at a specific trail waypoint or destination and operative to self-illuminate in response to an actuation signal, said trail marker device comprising:

a housing;

a closure member cooperating with said housing to define a substantially sealed cavity;

a light source;

a power supply; and

a control circuit at least partially disposed within said cavity and operative to selectively electrically interconnect said light source and power supply to effect externally viewable illumination.

2. The trail marker device of claim 1, wherein said control circuit comprises a receiver operative to generate said actuation signal in response to receiving an interrogation signal from a remote transmitter.

3. The trail marker device of claim 2, wherein said interrogation signal is in the radio frequency band.

4. The trail marker device of claim 1, wherein said control circuit comprises a wake-up circuit and a timer operative to generate or disable said actuation signal at a predetermined time of day.

5. The trail marker device of claim 1, wherein said power supply comprises a battery.

6. The trail marker device of claim 1, wherein said power supply comprises a photovoltaic device disposed to receive ambient light, and an electrical energy storage device.

7. The trail marker device of claim 6, wherein said energy storage device comprises a capacitor.

8. The trail marker device of claim 1, further comprising an optical lens juxtapositioned with said light source to focus and project light emitted by said light source within a predetermined viewing sector disposed about a focus axis.

9. The trail marker device of claim 8, wherein said lens is integrally formed with said closure member.

10. The trail marker device of claim 8, further comprising a light reflector disposed adjacent said lens and configured to direct light received from said light source into said viewing sector.

11. The trail marker device of claim 10, wherein said reflector is further configured to reflect light received from a remote source in said viewing sector light back along said viewing sector towards said remote source.

12. The trail marker device of claim 8, further comprising hood means selectively affixable to said housing and operative to selectively reduce or limit said viewing sector.

13. The trail marker device of claim 1, wherein said closure member is releasably affixed to said housing.

14. The trail marker device of claim 13, further comprising a tool receiving recess formed at an interface of said housing and closure member.

15. The trail marker device of claim 1, further comprising fixation means operative to secure said trail marker device to a trailside object in a predetermined orientation.

16. The trail marker device of claim 15, wherein said fixation means comprises a sharpened rigid elongated member affixed to and extending outwardly from said housing.

17. The trail marker device of claim 16, further comprising a tool receiving surface defined on an outer surface of said device disposed generally normal to the axis of elongation of said sharpened member.

18. The trail marker device of claim 1, wherein at least a portion of selected outer surfaces of said device is camouflaged to restrict visibility of said device.

19. The trail marker device of claim 1, further comprising means operative to effect the emission of substantially mono-chromatic light from said device.

20. The trail marker device of claim 19, wherein said means operative to effect the emission of substantially mono-chromatic light comprises a translucent light filter overlaying said light source.

21. The trail marker device of claim 1, further comprising switch means operative to electrically isolate said power supply from said control circuit.

22. The trail marker device of claim 1, wherein said light source operates to emit light in at least one of the following frequency spectrums, infrared, visible light and ultraviolet.

28. The trail marker apparatus of claim 8, further comprising a plurality of spaced calibration marks disposed on a surface of said hood means for effecting an objective calibration of said viewing sector.

29. The trail marker apparatus of claim 6, further comprising an optical lens operative to effect focusing of ambient light upon said photovoltaic device.

30. The trail marker apparatus of claim 28, wherein said optical lens is integrated within said closure member.

31. The trail marker apparatus of claim 28, wherein said optical lens is omni-directional.

32. The trail marker apparatus of claim 1, further comprising an externally visible message surface.

23. A remotely actuated trail marker apparatus comprising:

a transmitter unit adapted to be carried by a user and operative to selectively broadcast an interrogation signal throughout a predetermined range; and

at least one receiver unit adapted for prepositioning at a specific trail waypoint or destination and operative to generate a user sensible reply signal in response to receiving said interrogation signal.

24. The trail marker apparatus of claim 23, wherein said transmitter unit comprises:

a transmitter power supply,

a radio frequency transmitter including a transmitting antenna,

a transmitter control circuit operative to selectively interconnect said transmitter power supply and radio frequency transmitter for transmitting said interrogation signal, and

a transmitter housing substantially enclosing said transmitter and transmitter control circuit, and

wherein said at least one receiver unit comprises;

a receiver power supply;

a radio frequency receiver including a receiving antenna;

a light source;

a receiver control circuit interconnected with said receiver power supply, receiver and light source and operative to illuminate said light source in response to receiving said interrogation signal; and

a receiver housing substantially enclosing said receiver and receiver control circuit.

25. The trail marker apparatus of claim 23, wherein said interrogation signal is digitally encoded to effect illumination of a predetermined limited subset of receiver units within said range.

26. The trail marker apparatus of claim 23, wherein said transmitter unit comprises an output power selection circuit operative to selectively broadcast interrogation signals having substantially different ranges.

27. The trail marker apparatus of claim 23, wherein said interrogation signal is generated within a radiation frequency band selected from radio frequency, audio frequency, infrared, visible light and ultraviolet.