Emergency locator device
First Claim
Patent Images
1. An emergency locator device comprising:
- a housing, said housing being environmentally sealed and including an antenna section, an electronics section, and a power supply section, said housing having a vertical axis with upper and lower ends, said antenna section being located at said upper end;
wherein said antenna section includes;
a downlink receiving antenna;
a communications uplink antenna arrangement including a microwave satellite transmitting antenna and a microwave satellite receiving antenna; and
an antenna mounting form for providing buoyancy to said device, the downlink receiving antenna and the microwave satellite receiving antenna being mounted on the antenna mounting form, the transmitting antenna extending vertically from the antenna mounting form and being positioned at a higher level than the downlink receiving antenna and the microwave satellite receiving antenna, thereby providing an unobstructed line-of-sight to orbiting satellites, the downlink receiving antenna receiving information signals from global positioning satellites (GPS), the communications uplink antenna arrangement establishing a communications link with a telecommunications satellite, the buoyancy provided by the antenna mounting form causing the device to be self-righting in water, thereby maintaining the downlink receiving antenna and uplink antenna arrangement above the surface of the water; and
wherein said electronics section includes;
a main circuit board including means for determining a latitude and longitude of the emergency locator device in response to the received GPS information signals;
means for transmitting the latitude and longitude information via the communications uplink antenna arrangement to the telecommunications satellite, the communications link established by the communications uplink antenna arrangement including transmission of said latitude and longitude information to and receipt of RF signals from said telecommunications satellite to verify establishment of said link; and
display means for displaying desired information thereon.
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Abstract
An emergency locator device which is adapted to receive information signals from global positioning satellites (GPS) and determine a position of the device in terms of latitude and longitude includes a downlink antenna to receive GPS position information, a receiver/processor for processing the GPS information, a microcontroller for controlling the operation of the device, a transceiver and an uplink antenna to establish a communications link with a telecommunications satellite and transmit a rescue signal from the emergency locator device to rescue authorities.
213 Citations
19 Claims
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1. An emergency locator device comprising:
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a housing, said housing being environmentally sealed and including an antenna section, an electronics section, and a power supply section, said housing having a vertical axis with upper and lower ends, said antenna section being located at said upper end; wherein said antenna section includes; a downlink receiving antenna; a communications uplink antenna arrangement including a microwave satellite transmitting antenna and a microwave satellite receiving antenna; and an antenna mounting form for providing buoyancy to said device, the downlink receiving antenna and the microwave satellite receiving antenna being mounted on the antenna mounting form, the transmitting antenna extending vertically from the antenna mounting form and being positioned at a higher level than the downlink receiving antenna and the microwave satellite receiving antenna, thereby providing an unobstructed line-of-sight to orbiting satellites, the downlink receiving antenna receiving information signals from global positioning satellites (GPS), the communications uplink antenna arrangement establishing a communications link with a telecommunications satellite, the buoyancy provided by the antenna mounting form causing the device to be self-righting in water, thereby maintaining the downlink receiving antenna and uplink antenna arrangement above the surface of the water; and wherein said electronics section includes; a main circuit board including means for determining a latitude and longitude of the emergency locator device in response to the received GPS information signals; means for transmitting the latitude and longitude information via the communications uplink antenna arrangement to the telecommunications satellite, the communications link established by the communications uplink antenna arrangement including transmission of said latitude and longitude information to and receipt of RF signals from said telecommunications satellite to verify establishment of said link; and display means for displaying desired information thereon. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
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13. An emergency locator device, which comprises:
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a downlink satellite communications receiving antenna, the downlink receiving antenna providing an output signal in response to digital timing code signals transmitted from global positioning satellites (GPS); a receiver/processor, the receiver/processor being responsive to the output signal from the downlink receiving antenna and generating a latitude and longitude information signal in response thereto, the latitude and longitude information signal defining the latitudinal and longitudinal coordinate location of the emergency locator device; a microcontroller coupled to the receiver/processor and controlling the operation thereof, the microcontroller having a memory for storing therein rescue information data, the rescue information data including data corresponding to the latitude and longitude information signal from the receiver/processor, the microcontroller generating an output signal corresponding to the rescue information data stored in the memory; a transceiver, the transceiver being coupled to the microcontroller and controlled thereby, the transceiver being responsive to the output signal from the microcontroller, the transceiver generating a rescue signal; an uplink satellite communications transmitting antenna, the uplink transmitting antenna being responsive to the rescue signal from the transceiver and transmitting the rescue signal to a telecommunications satellite; an uplink satellite communications receiving antenna, the uplink receiving antenna receiving RF signals from said telecommunications satellite to verify establishment of a communications link therewith; an environmentally sealed housing including an antenna section, the housing having mounted therein the receiver/processor, the microcontroller and the transceiver, the housing having a vertical axis with upper and lower ends, the antenna section being located at the upper end of the housing; and an antenna mounting form for providing buoyancy to said device, the form being located on the antenna section at the upper end of the housing, the downlink receiving antenna and the uplink satellite receiving antenna being mounted on the antenna mounting form, the transmitting antenna extending vertically from the antenna mounting form and being positioned at a higher level than the downlink receiving antenna and the uplink satellite receiving antenna, thereby providing an unobstructed line-of-sight to orbiting satellites, the buoyancy provided by the antenna mounting form causing the device to be self-righting in water, thereby maintaining the downlink receiving antenna, the uplink receiving antenna and the uplink transmitting antenna above the surface of the water. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
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Specification