Multiple hazard field marker and components therefor

• US 6,480,115 B2
• Filed: 07/09/2001
• Issued: 11/12/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 05/12/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Bahador Ghahramani
• Original Assignee: Bahador Ghahramani
• Inventors: Ghahramani, Bahador
• Primary Examiner(s): MULLEN, THOMAS J
• Application Number:
  US09/901,792
• Publication Number:
  US 20020014974A1
• Time in Patent Office: 491 Days
• Field of Search: 340/572.1, 340/572.8, 340/539, 340/540, 340/632, 340/562, 340/584, 340/618, 340/690, 340/521, 340/815.4, 340/691.1, 340/691.7, 340/505, 342/51, 342/42, 342/44
• US Class Current: 340/815.4
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 7/00 Arrangement or adaptation of portable emergency signal devices on vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: F21W 2111/02 for roads, paths or the like
• CPC Class Codes: F41H 11/12 Means for clearing land minefields; Systems specially adapted for detection of landmines

Abstract

A multiple hazard marker system consists of at least one multiple hazard marker, a deployment vehicle, a deployment surface and a deployment device for deploying the multiple hazard marker. The multiple hazard marker comprises a ground engaging portion, an upper portion and a central portion. The multiple hazard marker will remain erect when deployed and includes a visible marker for marking a position upon a field where deployed. The multiple hazard marker further has collapsible elements that expand upon deployment, a signaling device, a receiver for activating the signaling device and transmitter associated with the signaling device. The deployment device for deploying the multiple hazard marker collapses and retains the multiple hazard marker in the deployment device until a releasing mechanism releases the multiple hazard marker from the deployment device at deployment.

Claims

1. A field marker for a field marking system, said field marking system comprising a deployment vehicle, a deployment surface, a plurality of field markers and means to deploy said field markers carried by said deployment vehicle, each said field marker comprising a lower portion, an upper portion and a central portion associated with said upper portion, said lower portion having means to remain erect when deployed, said upper portion having means to mark a position on a field where deployed, said central portion having means for expanding and means for controlling said field marker, said means for controlling comprising at least one circuit board having at least one integrated circuit thereon, said circuit board powered by at least one on board power source, said means for controlling having means for communicating associated therewith for two way communication with a remote station.

2. A field marker as in claim 1 wherein said remote station comprises a hand-held transceiver capable of being carried by a person monitoring said field marker.

3. A field marker as in claim 2 wherein said means for communicating comprises short wave signals between said field marker and said remote station.

4. Afield marker as in claim 3 wherein said shortwave signals are selected from the group comprising radio frequency, microwave and infrared signals.

5. A field marker as in claim 1 wherein said remote station is a Geo-Positonal Satellite (GPS).

6. A field marker as in claim 5 wherein said GPS remote station fixes a geographical position for said field marker.

7. A field marker for a field marking system, said field marking system comprising a deployment vehicle, a deployment surface, a plurality of field markers and means to deploy said field markers carried by said deployment vehicle, each said field marker comprising a lower portion, an upper portion and a central portion associated with said upper portion, said lower portion having means to remain erect when deployed, said upper portion having means to mark a position on a field where deployed, said central portion having means for expanding and means for controlling said field marker, said means for controlling comprising at least one circuit board having at least one integrated circuit thereon, said circuit board powered by at least one on board power source, said means for controlling having means for communicating and a means for activating associated therewith, said means for communicating adapted for two way communication with a remote station and said means for activating adapted to initalize circuits associated with said at least one circuit board.

8. A field marker as in claim 7 wherein said remote station is a Geo-Positonal Satellite (GPS) and said means for activating absorbs power by inductive coupling from an initial transmission from said Geo-Positonal Satellite.

9. A field marker as in claim 7 wherein said remote station is a hand-held transceiver, said means for activating absorbing power by inductive coupling from an initial transmission from said hand-held transceiver.

10. A field marker for a field marking system, said field marking system comprising a deployment vehicle, a deployment surface, a plurality of field markers and means to deploy said field markers carried by said deployment vehicle, each said field marker comprising a lower portion, an upper portion and a central portion associated with said upper portion, said lower portion having means to remain erect when deployed, said upper portion having means to mark a position on a field where deployed, said central portion having means for expanding and means for controlling said field marker, said means for controlling comprising at least one circuit board having at least one integrated circuit thereon, said circuit board powered by at least one on board power source, said means for controlling having means for communicating, means for activating and means for detecting associated therewith, said means for communicating adapted for two way communication with a remote station, said means for activating adapted to initialize circuits associated with said at least one said circuit board and said means for detecting comprising at least one sensor for detecting the presence of Atomic, Biological and Chemical agents and at least one analyzer for analyzing the output of said at least one said sensor.

11. A field marker as in claim 10 wherein said at least one said circuit board having an initialization sequence pre programmed therein, said means for activating starting said initialization sequence when said field marker is deployed from said deployment vehicle.

12. Afield marker as in claim 11 wherein said means for activating initializes said at least one analyzer connected to said at least one said sensor, said at least one said analyzer selected from a group comprising passive Fourier transform mid-infrared spectrometers (FT-IR);

frequency agile mid-infrared carbon dioxide analyzers;

ultraviolet fluorescence detectors;

multi-spectral imaging;

1.06 micron and 2.0 micron Light Detection And Ranging (LIDAR) systems;

mid-infrared Mueller matrix ellipsometers;

immunoassay coated fiber-optics and hybrid active-passive mid-infrared thermoluminescence spectrometers.

13. A field marker as in claim 11 wherein said means for activating initializes said at least one said sensor, said at least one said sensor selected from the group comprising Chemical Agent Monitors (CAM), Chemical and Biological Mass Spectrometer(CBMS), ion-mobility mass spectrometer (IMS), Taguchi gas sensors, Geiger counters and Gamma Ray (y) sensitive metal oxides.

14. A field marker as in claim 10 wherein said at least one said circuit board having an initialization sequence pre programmed therein, said means for activating starting said initialization sequence upon receiving an initialization command from said remote station.

15. A field marker as in claim 14 wherein said means for activating initializes said at least one said analyzer connected to said at least one said sensor, said at least one said analyzer selected from a group comprising passive Fourier transform mid-infrared spectrometers (FT-IR);

frequency agile mid-infrared carbon dioxide analyzers;

ultraviolet fluorescence detectors;

multi-spectral imaging;

1.06 micron and 2.0 micron Light Detection And Ranging (LIDAR) systems;

mid-infrared Mueller matrix ellipsometers;

immunoassay coated fiber-optics and hybrid active-passive mid-infrared thermoluminescence spectrometers.

16. Afield marker as in claim 14 wherein said means for activating initializes said at least one said sensor, said at least one said sensor selected from the group comprising Chemical Agent Monitors (CAM), Chemical and Biological Mass Spectrometer (CBMS), ion-mobility mass spectrometer (IMS), Taguchi gas sensors, Geiger counters and Gamma Ray (y) sensitive metal oxides.

17. A field marker as in claim 10 wherein said at least one said circuit board has a feed-forward, back propagation neural network integrated therein capable of processing multiple sensors thus allowing said field marker to continuously monitor for multiple hazards and relay information regarding the output of said sensors to said remote station, said information relayed through said means for communicating.

18. A field marker as in claim 17 wherein said at least one said circuit board accumulates information from said at least one said sensors and from said at least one said analyzers, said means for communicating transmitting said accumulated information in at least one data stream to said remote station upon request from said remote station, said remote station adapted to receive and store said information.

19. A field marker as in claim 18 wherein said remote station re-initializes said field marker based upon analysis of said accumulated information by transmitting an initialization signal to said means for activating.

20. A field marker as in claim 10 wherein said at least one said sensor indicates to law enforcement personnel the presence of manufacture of the illicit drug methamphetamine by detecting the presence of ingredients and by-products of said illicit drug manufacture.