Radio beacon with a GPS interface for automatically activated EPIRBs

• US 6,388,617 B1
• Filed: 10/01/1999
• Issued: 05/14/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 10/02/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: ACR Electronics, Inc. (Drew Marine USA, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: ACR Electronics, Inc. (Drew Marine USA, Inc.)
• Inventors: Schmidt, Robert, Flood, John F., Havens, Richard C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Tarcza, Thomas H.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Mull, Fred H.
• Application Number:
  US09/410,396
• Time in Patent Office: 956 Days
• Field of Search: 342/386, 342/357.06, 342/357.09, 342/357.17
• US Class Current: 342/386
• CPC Class Codes: B63B 2201/16 Radio
• CPC Class Codes: B63B 2213/02 using satellite radio beacon positioning systems, e.g. the Global Positioning System GPS
• CPC Class Codes: B63C 9/00 Life-saving in water life-saving in general A62B; arrangement or adaptation of signalling or lighting devices for ships, other waterborne vessels or for equipment for shipping B63B45/00; rescue equipment specially adapted for submarine personnel B63G8/40
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 1/68 Marker, boundary, call-sign, or like beacons transmitting signals not carrying directional information
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/17 Emergency applications
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/34 Power consumption
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0009 Transmission of position information to remote stations involving assistance data G01S5/0236

Abstract

An emergency position information radio beacon utilized in conjunction with a global positioning system that receives latitude and longitude information continuously in which the GPS data is periodically transferred into the EPIRB before activation in order to preserve battery power in the EPIRB. The EPIRB includes a first micro controller that is connected by an electro/optical data input to the GPS with the first micro controller being a very low power drain. Periodically, such as every 10 minutes, latitude and longitude information is transferred from the GPS into the EPIRB memory after which the EPIRB memory and system is maintained in a sleep mode with no power consumption. This insures that the EPIRB has geographical position information data before activation that can be transmitted with the emergency signal to search and rescue at the same time preserving the battery power of the EPIRB which is utilized only during the emergency period. The system is power off 99.99% of the time preserving the EPIRB battery.

Claims

1. An emergency position information radio beacon having a global positioning system data interface comprising:

a waterproof housing;

radio frequency transmitter and frequency generating circuit mounted within said housing;

radio frequency antenna connected to said housing and electrically connected to said transmitting signal circuit;

a battery power supply;

an electrical switch connected to said battery;

a first low power, low clock rate micro controller mounted in said housing and including a global positioning system data input interface connected to said housing and to said first micro controller;

said first micro controller connected to said battery, said battery providing power at all times to said first micro controller;

means for continually periodically transferring geographical position data from a global positioning system to the radio beacon memory before the beacon is activated;

means for activating the beacon in an emergency situation;

said first micro controller includes firmware that provides a periodic sleep mode and a periodic awake mode such that the power is off more than 98 percent of the time;

means for listening for and storing latitude and longitude position data from said global positioning system data interface in said first microprocessor for a predetermined periodic short period of time to obtain position information on a periodic basis that is stored in said first micro controller; and

means for not listening for and not storing position data in said first micro processor for a predetermined periodic long time period, much longer than the time for listening for and storing said position data, in order to save battery power whereby said periodic awake mode and said periodic sleep mode is such that the power is off during the periodic sleep mode more than ninety-eight percent of the time while still providing periodic latitude and longitude input data to said system at a predetermined schedule.