Abstract:
A watercraft includes a light source illuminated in response to a sound signal. The light source may be a decorative light or color coded to function as a port light, a starboard light, or an aft light. The sound source may be from a wireless transmission, line level output from a media player, or speaker output from media player, as examples.

Description:
BACKGROUND 
       [0001]    The present disclosure relates to watercraft lights. 
       RELATED ART DESCRIPTIONS 
       [0002]    Watercraft lights used for navigation are typically limited by color to green, red, and white. Control of the navigation lights is typically limited to ON and OFF. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DRAWING DESCRIPTIONS 
         [0003]      FIG. 1  depicts a personal watercraft including lights synchronized to music or sound in accordance with disclosed embodiments; 
           [0004]      FIG. 2  is a cross-section view from the front of the personal watercraft from  FIG. 1 ; 
           [0005]      FIG. 3  depicts a controller for synchronizing lights in  FIG. 1  and  FIG. 2  to music, sound or other input; 
           [0006]      FIG. 4  shows a watercraft paddle with lights synchronized with the lights in  FIG. 1  in  FIG. 2  or otherwise controlled by the controller in  FIG. 3 ; and 
           [0007]      FIG. 5  shows a cross-section view of a personal watercraft hull with transparent portions and light sources on the inside of the watercraft. 
       
    
    
     SUMMARY OF DISCLOSED EMBODIMENTS 
       [0008]    An exemplary embodiment is a watercraft with a hull. It includes a light source and a controller for synchronizing operation of the light source with a sound signal. The personal watercraft may include a translucent hull portion with the light source positioned to show through the translucent portion. Alternatively, substantially all of the hull may be covered in translucent material. In some embodiments, the personal watercraft includes a microphone input for receiving sound as the sound signal. 
         [0009]    The personal watercraft may include a controller that is sensitive to sound and enabled for controlling the output (e.g., turning on, affecting the brightness, etc.) of a light emitting diode (LED). In some embodiments, the controller includes an input for receiving an external signal (e.g., an audio OUT signal from a media player or other line level output) as the sound signal. The signal may be wired or wireless (e.g., Bluetooth™). 
         [0010]    The controlled light source may be standard green and red navigation lights. In other embodiments , the light source includes red, green and blue bulbs. The red, green and blue lights may be light emitting diodes or incandescent bulbs. 
         [0011]    Other embodiments are personal watercrafts with a substantially watertight hulls having a translucent portion. They further include a light source for showing through the translucent portion when operating and a controller for causing the light source to operate in synchronization with a music source. In various embodiments, the music source couples to a media player, microphone, or electronic memory. The light source may include a light emitting diode or other suitable light used in a watercraft for navigation, decoration, or for visibility. 
       DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS 
       [0012]      FIG. 1  depicts watercraft  100 . As shown, watercraft  100  is a personal watercraft such as a kayak. Watercraft  100  includes shock cord  108  for storage. Shock cord  108  may include lights controlled in accordance with disclosed embodiments. Seat  120  includes a backrest  102 . Cockpit ring  118  provides a buffer between a user and the watercraft. Stern light  104  is illuminated during night time usage and may be controlled in accordance with disclosed embodiments. For example, stern light  104  can be synchronized to music, synchronized to sound, flashed periodically, turned on, or otherwise controlled. Bow light  110  and the other light sources may be likewise controlled. Hull light  112  is attached to the inside or outside of front hull  116  and its output is controlled by a controller as contemplated by disclosed embodiments. The outputs of optional front submerged light  114  and rear hull light  106  are likewise controlled by the controller. 
         [0013]      FIG. 2  includes further details of watercraft  100  from  FIG. 1 . Front cross section view  200  includes components that are identical to or similar to those shown in  FIG. 1 . As shown, a portion of front hull  116  is submerged below waterline  205 . Accordingly, front submerged light  114  is waterproof. Its output is controlled by controller  213 . Likewise, front submerged light  209  is submerged and has its output controlled by controller  213 . As shown, front submerged light  114  is on the port side of the watercraft and front submerged light  209  is on the starboard side and the front of the watercraft comes out of the page. Front hull  211  includes front hull light  203 . Likewise, front hull  116  includes front hull light  112 . Controller  213  is coupled to front hull light  203 , front hull light  112 , front submerged light  114 , and front submerged light  209 . They may be coupled through wires or wirelessly to the controller. Each light may include its own power source, or may be powered by a source it shares with controller  213 . In some embodiments, bow light  110  and bow light  201  are also controlled by controller  213 . 
         [0014]    Various lighting technologies (e.g., LED, LCD, fiber optic, incandescent, fluorescent) may be used for bow light  110 , bow light  201 , front submerged light  209 , front submerged light  114 , front hull light  203 , and front hull light  112 . In some embodiments, front hull light  112  is a light strip that includes red, green, and blue outputs that can be mixed by controller  213  to achieve any color. The strip may be glued, fastened, or otherwise integrated into front hull  116 . 
         [0015]      FIG. 3  illustrates additional details of an embodiment of controller  213  from  FIG. 2 . As shown, controller  213  includes antenna  302 . Antenna  302  may be used for Bluetooth communication with a music source, or for communicating with lights such as bow light  201 , bow light  110 , front hull light  112 , and so on. Controller  213  includes speaker  324  producing sound output that may be synchronize with the light output of lights controlled by controller  213 . In the event lights controlled by controller  213  are hardwired to control  213 , outputs such as navigation output  304 , submerged light output  306 , and hull light output  308  are provided. Hull light output  308  would be coupled to, for example, front hull light  116 , and front hull light  211  (from  FIG. 2 ). In addition, hull light output  308  may be coupled to rear hull light  106  ( FIG. 1 ). Similarly, navigation output  304  may be coupled to bow light  110 , bow light  201 , and one or more stern lights such as stern light  104 . Front hull light  112  may be used as a navigation light with its input commonly tied to bow light  110 . Similarly, front hull light  203  may have its input tied commonly to the input to bow light  201 . In such cases, navigation output  304  may be tied to the inputs of these hull lights so that they function as navigation lights. Similarly, front submerged light  114  and front submerged light  209  may have their inputs tied to navigation output  304  so they function as navigation lights. Typically, as is commonly known to those who operate watercraft, navigation lights such as bow light  110  and bow light  201  are either red or green in color. In contrast, stern light  104  would typically be white in color. 
         [0016]    Controller  213  in  FIG. 3 . includes power input  318  which may receive, for example, 12 volt DC power from a watercraft battery or other source. Memory  316  is for storing music, signals, data, schemes, programs, or information for synchronizing or otherwise controlling the light sources on the watercraft. In accordance with disclosed embodiments, controller  213  synchronizes the outputs of hull lights, navigation lights, and submerged lights (in some combination) with music. Power supply  314  provides an optional onboard power supply for powering controller  213 . In addition, power supply  314  may power navigation lights, submerged lights, or hull lights. Line level input  312  receives music input controller  213  uses to synchronize the outputs of light sources such as hull lights, submerged lights, or navigation lights. Likewise, microphone  310  optionally provides controller  213  with audio input to affect (e.g., synchronize to) the output of the lights. Speaker  320 , in some embodiments, provides sound output simultaneously with controller  213  controlling the output of the lights. 
         [0017]    Controller  213  affects whether particular lights are on, the brightness of the lights, and the color of the lights. Such control over the lights is done simultaneously in some embodiments to provide a desired output. For example, controller  213  may be configured to turn on standard navigation lights while also providing submerged lights with controls signals to pulsate ON and OFF with the drum beat of a song stored in memory  316  and played over speaker  320 . In some embodiments, controller  213  responds to voice commands (e.g., “turn on navigation lights) received over microphone  310  to cause navigation lights to turn on. 
         [0018]      FIG. 4  illustrates paddle  400  for watercraft  100  from  FIG. 1 . As shown, paddle  400  optionally includes blade light  401  and blade light  405 . Blade lights  401  and  405  may be powered by batteries local to paddle  400  or by an external power source (e.g., power supply  314  in  FIG. 3  or indirectly through power input  318 ). Likewise paddle  400  optionally includes handle light  403  and handle light  407 . Each of these handle lights may be powered similarly to blade lights  401  and  405 . Each of the lights may controlled through control signals sent wirelessly or through a wired connection which may also serve as a tether between watercraft  100  and paddle  400 . 
         [0019]    A disclosed embodiment is a personal watercraft (e.g., watercraft  100  in  FIG. 1 ) with one or more light sources such as front hull light  112  ( FIG. 1 ) and front submerged light  114  ( FIG. 1 ). The embodiment includes a controller such as controller  213  ( FIG. 2 ). The controller synchronizes operation of the light sources with a sound signal. For example, controller  213  has a memory  316  with stored music. The stored music generates or represents a sound signal and controller  213  determines when to brighten or turn on the light source (e.g. front hull light  112  in  FIG. 1  and  FIG. 2 ). 
         [0020]    Watercraft  100  in  FIG. 1  or other embodied watercraft may include translucent hull portions. The translucent or transparent portions may include a glass window installed in the hull. Alternatively, the entire hull may be a translucent or transparent material. For example,  FIG. 5  illustrates a cross section  500  of a watercraft with translucent portion  502  and transparent portion  504 . Translucent portion  502  is in proximity to hull light  506 , which is inside the watercraft. When hull light  506  is illuminated, light shows through translucent portion  502 . Likewise, when submerged light  508  is illuminated, light shows through transparent portion  504 , which is submerged under water. Submerged light  508  is inside the watercraft, and preferably is not submerged in water. 
         [0021]    Controller  213  in  FIG. 3  includes microphone  310 . The microphone may be extended from the physical body of controller  213  and extended under water or attached to a paddle (e.g., paddle  400  in  FIG. 4 ). Controller  213 , when enabled with a microphone, is a sound sensitive controller. To the extent any light that controller  213  controls is a light emitting diode (LED), controller  213  can be described as a sound sensitive light emitting diode controller. As shown, controller  213  includes line level input  312 , which receives an external signal as a sound signal. 
         [0022]    Smart phones often perform as music players (e.g., media players) and may be used to provide input to line level input  31 , for example via a stereo speaker jack. Alternatively, antenna  302  may receive a Bluetooth protocol signal or similar signal from a smart phone or other media player with music data used by controller  213  to synchronize outputs to the music (e.g., via navigation output  304 , submerged output  306 , or hull light output  308 ). The outputs are synchronized to music and used to control lights by adjusting their brightness and color. In some embodiments, the lights are simply turned on. In other embodiments, the color, intensity, and other characteristics of the lights are affected by controller  213 . Controller  213  may respond to a remote control signal received over radio waves or via an infrared signal (e.g., via antenna  302 , which is shown for illustration purposes and not intended to limit technologies for receiving signals to a particular type, physical phenomenon, or protocol). 
         [0023]    Objects that embody the appended claims may be described herein as “exemplary embodiments” or similar terms. Such descriptions are meant to indicate examples of claim subject matter. The descriptions are not meant to suggest, by use of the term “exemplary,” that one embodiment is better than another object.