Extended life, timed pinger for aircraft

• US 9,268,310 B2
• Filed: 04/18/2014
• Issued: 02/23/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 04/18/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Spiegel H. Jay
• Original Assignee: Spiegel H. Jay
• Inventors: Spiegel, H. Jay
• Primary Examiner(s): Trammell, James
• Assistant Examiner(s): SMITH-STEWART, DEMETRA R
• Application Number:
  US14/256,253
• Publication Number:
  US 20150301151A1
• Time in Patent Office: 676 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 2045/0065 Black boxes, devices automatically broadcasting distress signals
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 45/00 Aircraft indicators or protectors not otherwise provided for camouflage F41H3/00
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 15/06 Systems determining the position data of a target
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/18 using ultrasonic, sonic, or infrasonic waves
• CPC Class Codes: G04B 47/00 Time-pieces combined with other articles which do not interfere with the running or the time-keeping of the time-piece clockwork cases for special purposes G04B37/12; clocks with magnifying glass built in the face G04B39/00; time-pieces in which parts or cases produce special effects, e.g. aesthetic effects, G04B45/00, particularly with inscriptions or pictures moved by hand G04B45/003, with specially shaped cases or parts G04B45/0069; combination of writing or drawing implements with devices for indicating time B43K29/087; combined with cameras, projectors, or photographic printing apparatus G03B29/00

Abstract

A system monitors geographical information for location of an aircraft and supplies that information to a sunrise/sunset calculator that feeds location and sunrise/sunset data to a controller. The controller controls operation of a pinger, limiting its hours of operation to save battery power and extend the time period within which the pinger is audible. The hours of operation are pre-programmed to consist of a time range from sunrise to sunset or from a time after sunrise to a time before sunset.

Claims

1. A system mounted on a movable object for controlling an indicator, comprising:

a) a controller connected to an indicator, the controller controlling activation and deactivation of the indicator;

b) a position locator, locating position of said object with respect to planet Earth, said position locator supplying data concerning each said position, while said object is moving, to a sunrise/sunset calculator;

c) said sunrise/sunset calculator programmed with data concerning at least one daily sunrise and sunset time for every geographic location on planet Earth;

d) said sunrise/sunset calculator supplying said data concerning daily sunrise and sunset times to said controller, said data corresponding to a geographic location of an antenna of said position locator with respect to planet Earth; and

e) upon stoppage of said object, said controller activating said indicator at a first time at or spaced from a sunrise time received from said calculator for a particular location where said stoppage has occurred, on a particular day and deactivating said indicator at a second time at or spaced from a sunset time received from said calculator for said particular location and day.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein said indicator is an audible indicator.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein said audible indicator is a pinger.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein said pinger emits pings at a frequency of about 37.5 kHz.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein said controller activates said audible indicator plural times per minute.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein said first time is a time at or after said sunrise time.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein said second time is a time on or before said sunset time.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein a programming input is connected to said controller to facilitate programming said first and second times.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein said at least one daily sunrise and sunset time comprises at least one year of daily sunrise and sunset times.

10. The system of claim 1, said system being mounted in an aircraft comprising said movable object.

11. The system of claim 10, further including at least one sensor, said sensor sensing when said stoppage has occurred indicating said aircraft has crashed.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein said at least one sensor is chosen from the group consisting of an impact sensor, a water immersion sensor, and a power outage sensor.

13. The system of claim 11, wherein said at least one sensor comprises an impact sensor, a water immersion sensor, and a power outage sensor.

14. The system of claim 10, wherein said controller is powered by a battery and said battery has a charge maintained by a battery charger powered by an auxiliary power unit of said aircraft.

15. The system of claim 1, wherein said position locator also supplies position data to said controller.

16. A system for controlling a pinger on an aircraft, comprising:

a) a controller connected to a pinger, the controller controlling activation and deactivation of the pinger;

b) a Global Positioning System (GPS) position locator, locating position of said aircraft with respect to planet Earth, said position locator supplying data concerning each said position while said aircraft is moving to a sunrise/sunset calculator;

c) said sunrise/sunset calculator programmed with data concerning a plurality of consecutive daily sunrise and sunset times for every geographic location on planet Earth;

d) said sunrise/sunset calculator supplying said data concerning daily sunrise and sunset times to said controller, said data corresponding to a geographic location of an antenna of said GPS with respect to planet Earth; and

e) upon stoppage of said aircraft, said controller activating said pinger at a first time at or spaced from a sunrise time received from said calculator for a particular location where said stoppage has occurred, on a particular day and deactivating said indicator at a second time at or spaced from a sunset time received from said calculator for said particular location and day.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein said controller activates said pinger plural times per minute.

18. The system of claim 16, wherein a programming input is connected to said controller to facilitate programming of times of activation and deactivation of said pinger.

19. The system of claim 18, further including at least one sensor, said sensor sensing when said aircraft has crashed, said at least one sensor being chosen from the group consisting of an impact sensor, a water immersion sensor, and a power outage sensor.

20. The system of claim 16, wherein said controller is powered by a battery and said battery has a charge maintained by a battery charger powered by an auxiliary power unit of said aircraft.