Arrow with a camera

• US 9,319,571 B2
• Filed: 02/20/2014
• Issued: 04/19/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 02/20/2014
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: James Alexander Eugene Lyren, Philip Scott Lyren
• Original Assignee: James Alexander Eugene Lyren, Philip Scott Lyren
• Inventors: Lyren, James Alexander Eugene, Lyren, Philip Scott
• Primary Examiner(s): Jerabek, Kelly L
• Application Number:
  US14/185,878
• Publication Number:
  US 20150237239A1
• Time in Patent Office: 789 Days
• Field of Search: 473/570, 473/578, 340/539.13, 340/572.8, 340/573.2, 340/578, 348/143, 348/144, 348/373
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A01M 31/00 Hunting appliances
• CPC Class Codes: A01M 31/002 Detecting animals in a given area
• CPC Class Codes: F42B 12/362 Arrows or darts F42B12/38 takes precedence, having means for implantation, e.g. hypodermic projectiles F42B12/54; arrows or darts in general F42B6/00
• CPC Class Codes: F42B 12/365 Projectiles transmitting information to a remote location using optical or electronic means F42B12/385 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F42B 12/385 Arrow or dart carrying a radio transmitter for signalling
• CPC Class Codes: F42B 12/42 of illuminating type, e.g. carrying flares
• CPC Class Codes: F42B 6/04 Archery arrows F42B6/08, F41B5/06, F42B12/362 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F42B 6/08 Arrow heads; Harpoon heads
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/51 Housings
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/55 Optical parts specially adapted for electronic image sensors; Mounting thereof
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/661 Transmitting camera control signals through networks, e.g. control via the Internet
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/663 for controlling interchangeable camera parts based on electronic image sensor signals
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/44 Receiver circuitry for the reception of television signals according to analogue transmission standards H04N5/14 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/77 between a recording apparatus and a television camera
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/772 the recording apparatus and the television camera being placed in the same enclosure

Abstract

An arrow includes an arrowhead, a shaft, a nock, and an internal cavity. The internal cavity includes a camera.

Claims

1. An arrow, comprising:

an elongated body including a cavity, an arrowhead at a first end, a nock at a second end oppositely disposed from the first end, and an opening in the body;

a camera surrounded by the body, enclosed inside the cavity, adjacent the arrowhead, and including a lens that is pointed to capture images through the opening by receiving incoming light that comes from a direction of the arrowhead; and

a second camera is adjacent the nock and includes a second lens that is pointed to capture images by receiving incoming light that comes from a direction of the nock while the arrow is in flight.

2. The arrow of claim 1, wherein the arrowhead includes a clear window at the opening, and the lens is positioned inside the cavity and adjacent to the clear window to capture images through the clear window.

3. The arrow of claim 1, wherein the lens extends through the opening and mounts to an external surface of the body to capture images external to the arrow.

4. The arrow of claim 1, wherein the lens is directed through the opening and along a shooting direction of the arrow to capture images in front of the arrow and of a target at which the arrow is aimed while in a bow.

5. The arrow of claim 1 further comprising:

a shock absorber located in the cavity and adjacent to the camera, wherein the shock absorber absorbs energy when the arrow impacts an object.

6. The arrow of claim 1, wherein the cavity has an elongated cylindrical shape and includes a stop that prevents the camera from moving while disposed inside of the cavity.

7. A method, comprising:

capturing, with a camera that is enclosed inside an elongated cylindrical body of an arrow and adjacent an arrowhead, images that are external to the arrow while the arrow is in flight;

capturing, with the camera, the images to include ones that appear in front of the arrow while the arrow is in the flight with a lens that is pointed to receive incoming light from a direction of the arrowhead of the arrow;

capturing, with a second camera adjacent the nock, images appearing behind the arrow while the arrow is in the flight with a second lens that is pointed to receive incoming light from a direction of a nock of the arrow; and

wirelessly transmitting, with a transmitter enclosed inside the elongated cylindrical body of the arrow, the images to a handheld portable electronic device (HPED) that displays the images.

8. The method of claim 7 further comprising:

connecting the transmitter to a conductive shaft of the arrow that functions as an antenna for the transmitter.

9. The method of claim 7 further comprising:

capturing, with the camera, a target at which the arrow is aimed; and

displaying, on the HPED, the target at which the arrow is aimed to assist a shooter of the arrow in aligning the arrow with the target.

10. The method of claim 7 further comprising:

detecting, with a photosensor enclosed inside the elongated cylindrical body of the arrow, ambient light external to the arrow;

activating, in response to detection from the photosensor, a light emitting diode (LED) enclosed inside the elongated cylindrical body of the arrow.

11. The method of claim 7 further comprising:

screwing an arrowhead of the arrow to a shaft of the arrow in order to activate a battery that is enclosed inside the elongated cylindrical body of the arrow;

powering the camera and the transmitter with the battery.

12. The method of claim 7 further comprising:

detecting one of the flight of the arrow and impact of the arrow on an object;

activating a light located inside of the arrow to illuminate the arrow in response to detecting the one of the flight of the arrow and the impact of the arrow on an object.

13. An arrow, comprising:

an elongated cylindrical shaft;

an arrowhead engaged at a first end of the shaft;

a nock engaged at a second end of the shaft; and

a camera enclosed inside one of the shaft and the arrowhead and adjacent the arrowhead, wherein the camera includes a first lens that is pointed through an opening in one of the shaft and the arrowhead, wherein the first lens is pointed to a shooting direction of the arrow so that the camera captures incoming light that comes from a direction of the arrowhead to capture a target at which the arrow is aimed and to capture images along a flight path of the arrow while the arrow is in flight, wherein the arrow includes a second camera adjacent the nock with a second lens that is directed toward the nock and that captures incoming light that comes from a direction of the nock to capture images appearing behind the arrow while the arrow is in flight, and wherein the camera and the second camera transmit the images from the first lens and the second lens to an external electronic device.

14. The arrow of claim 13 further comprising:

a flexible cable that connects the first lens to the camera, wherein the flexible cable bends and passes through the opening.

15. The arrow of claim 13, wherein the first lens extends through the opening and mounts to an external surface of the arrow.

16. The arrow of claim 13, wherein the arrowhead includes the opening, and the first lens is located inside the arrowhead and points through the opening to capture the incoming light that comes from the direction of the arrowhead to capture the images while the arrow is in the flight and while the camera is enclosed inside one of the shaft and the arrowhead.

17. The arrow of claim 13 further comprising:

a power source enclosed inside one of the shaft and the arrowhead;

a light emitting diode (LED) connected to the power source and enclosed inside one of the shaft and the arrowhead, wherein the LED activates when the arrow impacts a target after the flight of the arrow.