SIGNAL AND MARKER TOOL

• US 20120024221A1
• Filed: 07/20/2011
• Published: 02/02/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 06/15/2009
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Clothier Steven R
• Original Assignee: Clothier Steven R
• Inventors: Clothier, Steven R.
• Application Number:
  US13/187,028
• Publication Number:
  US 20120024221A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 116/3
• CPC Class Codes: G11C 27/026 associated with an amplifier G11C27/028 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H03M 1/0607 Offset or drift compensation removal of offset already present on the analogue input signal H03M1/1295
• CPC Class Codes: H03M 1/442 using switched capacitors
• CPC Class Codes: H03M 3/356 Offset or drift compensation removal of offset already present on the analogue input signal H03M3/494
• CPC Class Codes: H03M 3/458 Analogue/digital converters using delta-sigma modulation as an intermediate step

Abstract

A marking and signaling tool may include one or more lights and a sound generating device within a housing. A protective sheath may be positioned about the housing and permit light and/or sound to exit from the housing. An actuator may be provided to permit a user to select one of a plurality of illumination modes. One or more of the illumination modes may include the creation of sound. The housing may include a plurality of magnets for adhering the tool to a magnetic surface.

Claims

1. A method of marking a location of evidence by a police officer during a pursuit, the method comprising:

providing a marking device releasably mounted to a mounting arrangement, the marking device including electrical circuitry and elements within a housing with at least one signal mode and a standby mode, the marking device maintained in the standby mode while mounted to the mounting arrangement, the marking device further including a housing configured to resist movement when the marking device is placed to mark a location;

the police officer identifying the evidence to be marked during the pursuit;

the police officer releasing the marking device from the mounting arrangement, wherein releasing the marking device activates one of the signal modes of the marking device;

the police officer placing the marking device adjacent the location of the evidence and continuing the pursuit;

the police officer returning to the location of the evidence after concluding the pursuit and locating the evidence based on the signal mode of the marking device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the marking device includes a soft deformable housing about the electrical circuitry and elements and deformation of the housing aids the marking device in resisting movement from adjacent the location of the evidence.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the soft deformable housing is a bean bag.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the housing of the marking device includes a shape that resists movement when the marking device is placed adjacent the location of the evidence.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the housing of the marking device is generally triangular in shape with a generally flat profile, and includes lights mounted adjacent the vertices of the triangular shape.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the marking device further includes a protective sheath positioned about at least a portion of the housing and permitting visibility of the lights.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the marking device includes a plurality of lights that are illuminated when the signal modes of the marking device are activated.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the marking device includes a sound generating device and sound is generated by the marking device when at least one of the signal modes is activated.