Multi passenger frequency controlled alarm system

• US 6,150,928 A
• Filed: 04/24/1997
• Issued: 11/21/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 04/24/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Steve Murray
• Original Assignee: Steve Murray
• Inventors: Murray, Steve
• Primary Examiner(s): POPE, DARYL C
• Application Number:
  US09/193,664
• Time in Patent Office: 1,307 Days
• Field of Search: 340/426, 340/573.6, 340/539, 340/984, 340/604, 340/686.6, 440/1, 441/80, 455/95, 455/96, 455/100, 180/271, 180/272
• US Class Current: 340/426.14
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2325/205 Mobile phones
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/04 operating on the propulsion system, e.g. engine or drive motor
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/33 of global position, e.g. by providing GPS coordinates
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2556/50 of positioning data, e.g. GPS [Global Positioning System] data
• CPC Class Codes: B63C 9/0011 enabling persons in the water to control the propulsion or manoeuvring means of the boat
• CPC Class Codes: B63J 99/00 Subject matter not provided for in other groups of this subclass

Abstract

The invention discloses an engine alarm system for use with user operated vehicles, such as boats. The system has multiple, independently powered portable remote transceivers, each transmitting a data packet of predetermined data, including an individual ID code. A base transceiver recognizes each of the individually identifiable ID codes and contains multiple display panels to reflect the information received by the base transceiver from the remote transceivers. The base transceiver is in communication with the vehicle engine, the communication being determined by the data packet and dictating an action by the engine. The base unit sequentially polls each of the remote transceivers, with an accurate return of the transmitted data packet, and subsequent base transceiver verification, indicating a non-alert status. The base transceiver continues to sequentially poll the remote transceivers. If the remote transceivers inaccurately return the data packet, the base transceiver continues repolling that remote transceiver for a predetermined number of times. If inaccurate information continues to be returned the information is displayed on the panels. If the polled remote transceiver does not return the data packet to the base transceiver, the base transceiver reads the ID code and activates the alarms on the display panel and institutes communication with the engine based on the ID code. The ID code indicates if the remote transceiver is used by the vehicle operator or a passenger. The lack of signal from a passenger remote causes the base transceiver to activate the alarms while lack of signal from the operator remote causes the base transceiver to communicate to the engine to place the transmission in neutral.

Claims

1. An engine alarm system for use with user operated vehicles, said system having:

at least one remote transceiver, each of said at least one remote transceiver being an individually identifiable independently powered portable device capable of transmitting a data packet containing at least an individually identifiable signal;

a base transceiver, said base transceiver sequentially polling each of said at least one remote transceiver and recognizing said individually identifiable signal from each of said at least one remote transceiver, said base transceiver being in communication with said vehicle engine, said communication dictating an action by said engine wherein when a polled remote transceiver does not transmit said data packet to said base transceiver, said base transceiver communicates a signal to said engine causing the operation of said engine to be restricted in one of a plurality of distinct and different manners, said plurality of distinct and different manners being different for at least a plurality of said individually identifiable remote transceivers, such that the engine restriction corresponds to the individually identifiable remote transceiver that did not transmit its data packet;

an antenna, said antenna transmitting said signal between said remote transceiver and said base transceiver;

wherein said base transceiver sequentially polls each of said at least one remote transceiver, each of said at least one remote transceiver returning a data packet to said base transceiver, said base transceiver verifying receipt of each of said data packets and communicating with said engine based on the return of said data packet.

2. The engine alarm system of claim 1 wherein said base transceiver further comprises multiple display panels, each of said display panels reflecting information received by said base transceiver from said remote transceivers.

3. The engine alarm system of claim 1 wherein accurately returning said data packet to said base transceiver causes said base transceiver to verify receipt of each of said data packets and continue to sequentially poll said remote transceivers.

4. The engine alarm system of claim 1 wherein inaccurately returning said data packet to said base transceiver causes said base transceiver to repoll said remote transceiver for a predetermined number of times and, if said data packet continues to be inaccurately returned, displaying said inaccurate return on one of said display panels.

5. The engine alarm system or claim 1 wherein not returning said data packet to said base transceiver causes said base transceiver to activate said display panels.

6. The engine alarm system or claim 1 wherein said action taken by said engine from said communication from said base transceiver is based on said individually identifiable signal.

7. The engine alarm system of claim 1 further comprising at least one of a visual alarm and an audio alarm.

8. The engine alarm system of claim 7 wherein failure to receive a response from one of said remote transceivers causes said alarms to activate.

9. The engine deactivation system of claim 1 wherein said signal has a low threshold of transmission through water.

10. The engine deactivation system of claim 1 wherein said individually identifiable signal indicates to said base unit that the user is a passenger or a vehicle operator.

11. The engine deactivation system of claim 10 wherein lack of response from said vehicle operator remote transceiver causes said base unit to place said vehicle transmission in neutral.

12. The engine deactivation system of claim 11 further comprising auto pilot means communicating with said base unit, said base unit communicating to said auto pilot means the coordinates of an operator, thereby enabling said auto pilot means to return said vehicle to said operator.

13. An engine alarm system for use with user operated water vehicles, said system having:

at least one waterproof remote transceiver, each of said at least one remote transceiver being an independently powered portable device capable of transmitting a data packet of predetermined data, said data packet containing at least an individually identifiable signal, said signal having a low threshold of transmnission through water;

a waterproof base transceiver, said base transceiver recognizing said individually identifiable signal from each of said at least one remote transceiver and sequentially polling each of said at least one remote transceiver, said base transceiver being in communication with said vehicle engine, said communication dictating an action by said engine said action being determined by said data packet received from each of said at least one remote transceiver;

multiple display panels, each of said display panels reflecting information received by said base transceiver from said remote transceivers; and

an antenna, said antenna transmitting said signal between said remote transceiver and said base transceiver;

wherein said base transceiver sequentially polls each of said remote transceivers, each of said remote transceivers;

accurately returning said data packet to said base transceiver, said base transceiver verifying receipt of each of said data packets and continuing to sequentially poll a next of said at least one remote transceiver;

inaccurately returning said data packet to said base transceiver, said base transceiver repolling said remote transceiver a predetermined number of times and, if said data packet continues to be inaccurately returned, displaying said inaccurate return on one of said display panels

not returning said data packet to said base transceiver, said base transceiver, missing said individually identifiable signal and activating said display panels and communicating with said engine thereby causing the operation of said engine to be restricted in one of a plurality of distinct and different manners, said plurality of distinct and different manners being different for at least a plurality of individually identifiable remote transceivers, such that the engine restriction corresponds to the individually identifiable remote transceiver that did not transmit its data packet.

14. The engine alarm system of claim 13 wherein said individually identifiable signal is an ID code, and said ID code indicates if said remote transceiver was used by said vehicle operator or said vehicle passenger.

15. The engine alarm system of claim 14 wherein lack of signal from said passenger remote transceiver causes said base transceiver to activate said alarms.

16. The engine alarm system of claim 15 wherein said lack of signal further causes said base transceiver to communicate to said engine to reduce said vehicles speed.

17. The engine alarm system of claim 14 wherein said lack of signal from said operator remote causes said base transceiver to communicate to said engine to put said transmission in neutral.

18. The engine alarm system of claim 17 wherein lack of signal further causes said base transceiver to activate said alarms.

19. The engine alarm system of claim 14 wherein said signal is frequency generated.

20. The method of creating an alarm system for a vehicle, said alarm system being activated by the lack of response of an individually recognized ID code, said ID code indicating if said remote transceiver is used by said vehicle operator or said vehicle passenger, at least one independently powered portable waterproof remote transceiver, each of said at least one remote transceiver being capable of transmitting a data packet of predetermined data containing an individually identifiable signal having a low threshold of transmission through water;

a waterproof base transceiver recognizing said individually identifiable signal from each of said at least one remote transceiver and sequentially polling each of said at least one remote transceiver, said base transceiver being in communication with said vehicle engine, said communication being determined by said data packet and dictating an action by said engine, said action being determined based on information received from said remote transceiver;

multiple display panels, each of said display panels reflecting information received by said base transceiver from said remote transceivers; and

an antenna, said antenna transmitting said signal between said remote transceiver and said base transceiver;

comprising the steps of;

a) activating said base transceiver;

b) verifying the power status of each of said at least one remote transceiver on said display panel;

c) attaching each of said remote transceivers to a user;

d) polling sequentially each of said at least one remote transceiver by said base transceiver;

e) returning said data packet accurately to said base transceiver;

f) verifying receipt of each of said data packets by said base transceiver;

g) repeating steps d-f for each remote transceiver;

h) continuing to sequentially poll said remote transceivers;

wherein

accurately returning said data packet to said base transceiver causes no charge in communication with said engine;

inaccurately returning said data packet to said base transceiver causes said base transceiver to repoll said remote transceiver a predetermined number of times and, if said data packet continues to be inaccurately returned, displaying said inaccurate return on one of said display panels

not returning said data packet to said base transceiver causes said base transceiver to read said ID code and activate said display panels and communicate with said engine based on said ID code;

whereby lack of signal from said passenger remote transceiver causes said base transceiver to activate said alarms and communicate with said engine thereby causing said engine to operate in a distinct and different manner and lack of signal from said vehicle operator causes said base transceiver to communicate with said engine thereby causing the operation of said engine to be restricted in a distinct manner based on the individually identifiable remote transceiver that did not transmit its data packet.