Interpersonal-introduction signalling system

• US 4,173,016 A
• Filed: 01/04/1973
• Issued: 10/30/1979
• Est. Priority Date: 01/04/1978
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Carlisle H. Dickson
• Original Assignee: Carlisle H. Dickson
• Inventors: Dickson, Carlisle H.
• Primary Examiner(s): Wilbur, Maynard R.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Goodwin, Lawrence
• Application Number:
  US05/866,921
• Time in Patent Office: 2,490 Days
• Field of Search: 343/6.5 R, 343/6.5 LC, 343/6.8 R, 340/152 T, 340/213.2, 340/226, 340/408, 340/258 R, 340/504, 340/505, 340/567, 325/55
• US Class Current: 342/42
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/74 Systems using reradiation of radio waves, e.g. secondary radar systems; Analogous systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 99/00 Subject matter not provided for in other groups of this subclass
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 2001/085 Partner search devices

Abstract

An interpersonal-introduction signalling system includes a receiving and transmitting transceiver having a relatively short range response and of such size as to permit convenient carrying by a person. A code system defines a plurality of categories, each of which has a particularly identifiable characteristic. Each person carrying a similar receiving and transmitting transceiver can select a particular code to send and a particular code to accept, such that designated information is transmitted and/or received. When accepting a signal or information, a different signal is sent by the receiver to indicate the acceptance to the person transmitting. The transceiver includes an indicator to alert the receiving person and indicate the necessity of transmitting a response. Thus, the encoding permits the several persons involved to define the different categories of persons having selected unique characteristics for contact.

Claims

1. An interpersonal-signal apparatus for selective signalling of at least two persons each having a small portable transceiver adapted for personal use and selectively operable as a request unit and as an acknowledge unit, said transceivers comprising radio signal broadcasters being of a size adapted to be hand carried and attached on human apparel for support such as a conventional shirt pocket, a conventional trouser pocket, a belt and the like, each transceiver comprising a transmission channel and a receiver channel whereby the use of two separate transceivers permits signalling between the two persons, said transmission channel of said one transceiver operating as a request unit including a signal transmission means for broadcasting a first signal having a unique characteristic encoded to a particular personal trait and having selector means for personal selection of the first signal for transmission, said receiver means having a decoding means responsive to a second signal from said acknowledge unit having a unique characteristic encoded to acknowledgement of said first signal, said decoding means being settable to respond to a selected second signal from said acknowledge unit and having selector means to set said decoding means to one of said second signals, said second of the transceivers operating as an acknowledge unit with said decoding means of said receiver channel of said acknowledge unit responsive to said first signal and said transmission channel of said acknowledge unit broadcasting said second signal, means to indicate an output of said request unit decoding means and said first and second transceiver means include signal modifying means to increase the signal level as the distance between a pair of transceivers approach each other for directing the requesting and acknowledging persons to facilitate movement toward each other and including decoy means for establishing a false signal condition and including means to disconnect the signal modifying means thereby thwarting such facilitated movement.

2. An interpersonal-signal apparatus for selective signalling of at least two persons each having a small portable transceiver adapted for personal use and selectively operable as a request unit and as an acknowledge unit, said transceivers being of a size adapted to be hand carried and attached on human apparel for support such as a conventional shirt pocket, a conventional trouser pocket, a belt and the like, each transceiver comprising a transmission channel and a receiver channel whereby the use of two separate transceivers permits signalling between the two persons, said transmission channel of said one transceiver operating as a request unit including a signal transmission means for broadcasting a first signal having a unique characteristic encoded to a particular request, said transmission means being operable to transmit a plurality of different first signals each encoded to a particular personal trait and having selector means for personal selection of the first signal for transmission, said receiver channel of said request unit including a signal receiver means having a decoding means responsive to a second signal from said acknowledge unit having a unique characteristic encoded to acknowledgement of said first signal, said decoding means being settable to respond to a selected second signal from said acknowledge unit and having selector means to set said decoding means to one of said second signals, said second of the transceivers operating as an acknowledge unit with said decoding means of said receiver channel of said acknowledge unit responsive to said first signal and said transmission channel of said acknowledge unit broadcasting said second signal, means to indicate an output of said request unit decoding means, said first and second transceiver means include signal modifying means for directing the requesting and acknowledging persons to facilitate movement toward each other, and timing means operable to transmit at a first periodic rate when requesting a person and at a second periodic rate when acknowledging receipt of either one of a request signal and an acknowledge signal.

3. An interpersonal-signal apparatus for selective signalling of at least two persons each having a small portable transceiver adapted for personal use and selectively operable as a request unit and as an acknowledge unit, said transceivers being of a size adapted to be hand carried and attached on human apparel for support such as a conventional shirt pocket, a conventional trouser pocket, a belt and the like, each transceiver comprising a transmission channel and a receiver channel whereby the use of two separate transceivers permits signalling between the two persons, said transmission channel of said one transceiver operating as a request unit including a signal transmission means for broadcasting a first signal having a unique characteristic encoded to a particular request, said transmission means being operable to transmit a plurality of different first signals each encoded to a particular personal trait and having selector means for personal selection of the first signal for transmission, said receiver channel of said request unit including a signal receiver means having a decoding means responsive to a second signal from said acknowledge unit having a unique characteristic encoded to acknowledgement of said first signal, said decoding means being settable to respond to a selected second signal from said acknowledge unit and having selector means to set said decoding means to one of said second signals, said second of the transceivers operating as an acknowledge unit with said decoding means of said receiver channel of said acknowledge unit responsive to said first signal and said transmission channel of said acknowledge unit broadcasting said second signal, means to indicate an output of said request unit decoding means, said first and second transceiver means include signal modifying means for directing the requesting and acknowledging persons to facilitate movement toward each other, and timing means to actuate said signal transmission means to periodically transmit said first signal and having means responsive to decoding of said second signal to change the periodic rate of said first signal.

4. The apparatus of claim 3 wherein said timing means includes a first timer having a first timing period, a second timer of a substantially shorter timing period than said first timer and connected to be actuated by said first timer, and a third timer actuated by said decoding means operable to actuate said second timer and to reset said first timer, said third timer having an intermediate timing period intermediate said first and second timers.

5. An interpersonal-signal apparatus for selective signalling of at least two persons each having a small portable transceiver adapted for personal use and selectively operable as a request unit and as an acknowledge unit, said transceivers being of a size adapted to be hand carried and attached on human apparel for support such as a conventional shirt pocket, a conventional trouser pocket, a belt and the like, each transceiver comprising a transmission channel and a receiver channel whereby the use of two separate transceivers permits signalling between the two persons, said transmission channel of said one transceiver operating as a request unit including a signal transmission means for broadcasting a first signal having a unique characteristic encoded to a particular request, said transmission means being operable to transmit a plurality of different first signals each encoded to a particular personal trait and having selector means for personal selection of the first signal for transmission and including an encoder for selecting one of a plurality of request signals each having a different unique characteristic encoded to a particular request, first and second timers of a long and a short period connected in series to actuate the encoder at a predetermined frequency equal to the sum of said periods, said receiver channel of said request unit including a signal receiver means having a decoding means responsive to a second signal from said acknowledge unit having a unique characteristic encoded to acknowledgement of said first signal and having a third timer of a period intermediate said long and short periods connected to said decoding means, said third timer being connected to reset the first timer and to actuate the second timer and thereby broadcast at the sum of the second and third timers, said decoding means being settable to respond to a selected second signal from said acknowledge unit and having selector means to set said decoding means to one of said second signals, said second of the transceivers operating as an acknowledge unit broadcasting said second signal, means to indicate an output of said request unit decoding means, and said first and second transceiver means include signal modifying means for directing the requesting the acknowledging persons to facilitate movement toward each other.

6. The apparatus of claim 5 having an indicating means connected to be driven from said decoding means, said indicating means having an input control means connected to said third timer and to a manual control means for disabling the indicating means during broadcast from its transmission channel.

7. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein said indicating means is a loudspeaker, and said input control means includes switch means connected to mute the loudspeaker.

8. An interpersonal-signal system for selective signalling of at least two persons, comprising a plurality of transceiver units one for each of said at least two persons and each of which is adapted to be set to operate as a request unit and as an acknowledge unit and in operation a first transceiver set to operate as a request unit and the second as an acknowledge unit, each of said units including a transmission channel and a receiver channel, said transmission channel of said request unit including a signal transmission means for selective broadcasting of one of a plurality of request signals each having a unique characteristic encoded to a particular request, manually operable selector means for selecting the particular one of said request signals for broadcast, said receiver channel of said request unit including a signal receiver means having a decoding means responsive to receipt of an acknowledge signal from said acknowledge unit having a unique characteristic encoded to acknowledgement of said request, said acknowledge unit including a receiver means having a decoding means including selector means for presetting of the receiver means to be responsive to the particular one of said request signals and having a transmission means for broadcasting the acknowledge signal having said unique acknowledgement characteristic for acknowledging receipt of the particular one of the request signals, each of said receiver means of each transceiver unit includes an automatic volume control means, said transceiver means each having directing means to facilitate movement of requesting and acknowledging persons toward each other and including response control means including amplifying means with an automatic gain control input to relate the output of the transmission means to the distance between said persons to relate the output of the receiver means of the transceiver units to the distance between said persons, each of said transceiver units having a small personal portable support means, said transmission means and receiver means being affixed to said corresponding support means.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein said response control means includes a manual switch means to open the connection of said gain control input to said volume control means and thereby maintain said output at an original output.