Patent ID: 8063771
Filing Date: 2011-11-22
Classification: B63C,G01S,G08B,H01Q

Abstract:
1. Marine personal locator apparatus comprising one or more transmitter units operatively wirelessly associated with one or more receiver units, the or each transmitter unit including: a transmitter power supply; a transmitter micro controller in electrical connection with the transmitter power supply for controlling electrical power and producing electrical signals according to a predetermined transmitter control program; a voltage regulator in electrical connection with the power transmitter power supply and in operative connection with the transmitter micro controller for enabling of the voltage regulator to provide a regulated potential output; a crystal oscillator modulator operatively connected to the regulated potential output from the voltage regulator and in signal connection with the transmitter micro controller for receiving the electrical signals when produced by the transmitter micro controller, the crystal oscillator modulator producing a frequency output being half of a desired frequency; a frequency doubler in operative connection with the regulated potential output from the voltage regulator and the frequency output from the crystal oscillator modulator for producing a pre-amp frequency output; filter and amplification means operatively connected to the regulated potential output from the voltage regulator and the pre-amp frequency output from the frequency doubler, the filter and amplification means being operable to provide bandpass filtering, amplification and lowpass filtering of the signal; an antenna matching network in operative connection with the filter and amplification means for providing transmission signal for broadcasting from a transmitter antenna; and activation means in electrical connection with the transmitter controller operable to provide an activation signal upon detection of a predetermined condition, wherein the transmitter control program is operable to enable the voltage regulator and provide the signal connection to the crystal oscillator modulator only upon receipt of the activation signal; and the or each receiver unit including: an omni-directional antenna and uni-directional antenna operatively connected to antenna selection means operable for selection between the omni-directional antenna and the uni-directional antenna, the uni-directional antenna having means for orientation thereof in a range of directions; a tuned radio frequency amplifier unit in operative connection with a the antenna selection means for amplifying radio frequency signals received by the omni-directional antenna and the uni-directional antenna when selected by the antenna selection means to produce an amplified radio signal; primary signal mixing means operatively associated with the tuned radio frequency amplifier unit for mixing a predetermined frequency signal with the amplified radio signal to produce a mixed signal; tuned filter and amplification means operatively associated with the primary signal mixing means for amplifying the predetermined frequency signal portion of the mixed signal to produce a conditioned signal; a secondary signal mixing means operatively associated with the tuned filter and amplification mean for mixing with a plurality of radio frequency tones, the secondary signal mixing means also incorporating a radio signal strength detection means; tone decoding and combining means operatively connected to the secondary signal mixing means and operable to receive the radio frequency tones and produce an alarm signal output upon receipt of a predetermined number of the radio frequency tones; alarm output means operatively connected to the tone decoding and combining means and operable to generate an alarm detectable by a user by sight, sound or other means; tone control means operatively connected to the secondary signal mixing means and operable in conjunction with the radio signal strength detection means for producing a range of tones correlating with the strength of the amplified radio signal with respect to the strength of the other signals mixed therewith; and output means operatively connected to the tone control means and operable to generate an output detectable by a user by sight, sound or other means.