Game alert system

• US 5,517,201 A
• Filed: 10/19/1993
• Issued: 05/14/1996
• Est. Priority Date: 10/19/1993
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Everett E. Thompson Jr
• Original Assignee: Everett E. Thompson Jr
• Inventors: Thompson, Everett E. Jr.
• Primary Examiner(s): Issing, Gregory C.
• Assistant Examiner(s): PHAN, DAO LINDA
• Application Number:
  US08/139,261
• Time in Patent Office: 938 Days
• Field of Search: 342/417, 250/341.1, 250/338.1, 250/339.14, 340/565, 340/552, 340/555, 340/573, 340/557
• US Class Current: 342/417
• CPC Class Codes: A01M 31/002 Detecting animals in a given area
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 17/04 Systems determining the presence of a target
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 17/87 Combinations of systems using electromagnetic waves other than radio waves
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/16 using electromagnetic waves other than radio waves
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/003 Transmission of data between radar, sonar or lidar systems and remote stations

Abstract

A plurality of monitors are distributed throughout a surveillance area chosen in the wild habitat of animals by a sportsman. Each monitor transmits at least one infrared signal to the surveillance area. An animal intersected the beam reflects incident radiation on a detector situated in the same housing as the transmitter. When the signal is detected, an RF transmitter is energized for detection at a remote site by an RF receiver. The RF receiver includes a clock for establishing the date and time of the transmitted signal. In the preferred embodiment, each monitor is provided with three (3) infrared transmitters, each with an associated receiver. The transmitters are driven by encoded signals that uniquely identify each transmitter of the monitor as well as the transmitters of all other monitors that may be in use thereby to enable detected directional movement in the surveillance area. The receiver includes a decoder for establishing the identity of the received RF signal. The storage medium is used to allow recovery of detected events through a read command.

Claims

1. An apparatus for recording the presence of an infrared reflective animal in a surveillance area, said apparatus including:

at least one monitor means including an IR transmitter and IR receiver responsive to incident IR radiation reflected by the animal to said IR receiver for producing an infrared receiver output signal, said monitor means further including an radio frequency transmitter responsive to said infrared receiver output signal for transmitting a radio frequency signal indicative of the presence of an animal in said surveillance area;

a radio frequency receiver responsive to said radio frequency signal by said monitor at a site remote to said surveillance area for generating a corresponding electrical signal, said radio frequency receiver further including means for displaying indicia corresponding to the occurrence of each transmission of a radio frequency signal by said monitor without inhabiting the wild habitat of the surveillance area; and

means for controlling access to said electrical signal generated by said radio frequency receiver.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said means for displaying indicia include an alphanumeric display.

3. The apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said means for displaying indicia include a speaker for an audio signal.

4. The apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said monitor means includes a plurality of infrared transmitters for transmitting infrared radiation and a plurality of detector means for detecting reflected infrared radiation from said infrared transmitters, and means for modulating infrared radiation transmitted by said infrared transmitters with identifying indicia to uniquely identify each of said plurality of infrared transmitters.

5. The apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said monitor means further include switch means for turning ON and OFF each infrared transmitter and associated detector means.

6. The apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said radio frequency receiver includes means for storing said electrical signals and means for accessing said means for storing to provide a read-out of occurring electrical signals from said means for storing.

7. The apparatus according to claim 1 further including a camera controllable in response to a detection signal corresponding to detected infrared radiation from an animal within the surveillance area.

8. The apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said radio frequency receiver further includes means for delivering said electrical signal to a printer, said printer forming said means for displaying indicia.