Patent Publication Number: US-11643177-B2

Title: Facilitating search and rescue

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 17/005,530, filed 2020 Aug. 28, by Applicant Battle Sight Technologies, LLC, and having the title “FACILITATING SEARCH AND RESCUE,” which claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 62/904,757, filed Sep. 24, 2019, and having the title “FACILITATING SEARCH AND RESCUE,” the disclosures of which are hereby incorporated by reference as if expressly set forth in their entireties. 
    
    
     STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT 
     This invention was made with government support under FA 8652-19-P-WI13 awarded by the Department of Defense (Department of the Air Force, Air Force Materiel Command). The government has certain rights in the invention. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND 
     Field of the Disclosure 
     The present disclosure relates generally to search and rescue. More particularly, the present disclosure relates to maritime search and rescue. 
     Description of Related Art 
     Many hazards face individuals that are lost at sea or in other open water. The chances of survival diminish rapidly with time and, thus, there is a need to quickly find and rescue those that are in open water. 
     SUMMARY 
     An apparatus that facilitates search and rescue, for example, in open water. The apparatus comprises a substrate with a particular geometry and a perimeter. The apparatus further comprises a cover positioned atop the substrate with the cover also having a particular geometry and perimeter, which correspond to the geometry and perimeter of the substrate. An air-tight seal seals the substrate perimeter to the cover perimeter and creates a sealed internal region. A breakable vessel holding an illuminable dye located in the sealed internal region, along with an activator that is also located in the sealed internal region. When the breakable vessel is broken, the illuminable dye reacts with the activator and illuminates the illuminable dye. 
     Other systems, devices, methods, features, and advantages will be or become apparent to one with skill in the art upon examination of the following drawings and detailed description. It is intended that all such additional systems, methods, features, and advantages be included within this description, be within the scope of the present disclosure, and be protected by the accompanying claims. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       Many aspects of the disclosure can be better understood with reference to the following drawings. The components in the drawings are not necessarily to scale, emphasis instead being placed upon clearly illustrating the principles of the present disclosure. Moreover, in the drawings, like reference numerals designate corresponding parts throughout the several views. 
         FIG.  1    is a diagram showing an individual with one embodiment of an apparatus that facilitates search and rescue in open water. 
         FIG.  2    is a diagram showing one embodiment of the apparatus that facilitates search and rescue shortly after being activated. 
         FIG.  3    is a diagram showing one embodiment of the apparatus that facilitates search and rescue at a later time after being activated. 
         FIG.  4    is a diagram showing one embodiment of the apparatus that facilitates search and rescue at a point in time when the apparatus is (nearly) fully deployed. 
         FIG.  5 A  is a diagram showing a top view of another embodiment of an apparatus that facilitates search and rescue. 
         FIG.  5 B  is a diagram showing a side cut-away view of the apparatus of  FIG.  5 A  upon deployment of the apparatus. 
         FIG.  6 A  is a diagram showing a top view of another embodiment of an apparatus that facilitates search and rescue. 
         FIG.  6 B  is a diagram showing a side cut-away view of the apparatus of  FIG.  6 A  prior to deployment of the apparatus. 
         FIG.  6 C  is a diagram showing a side cut-away view of the apparatus of  FIG.  6 A  upon deployment of the apparatus. 
         FIG.  6 D  is a diagram showing a focusing behavior of light in the apparatus of  FIG.  6 A . 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS 
     Search and rescue operations take place in many different environments, with each environment presenting its own challenges. For those that are lost in open water (e.g., large lakes, seas, oceans, etc.), the hazards include hostile temperatures, dangerous marine animals, and tumultuous waves. Thus, it is not surprising that the chances of survival diminish rapidly over time. Because of this, there is a need to quickly find and rescue those that are in open water. 
     To facilitate maritime search and rescue operations (or other open-water-based search and rescue operations), the present disclosure provides an illuminable dye and an activator. Either the illuminable dye or the activator is positioned at select locations so that, when activated, the illuminable dye becomes luminescent. The apparatus has a geometry that, when released in open water, allows the apparatus to spread to a sufficiently large area, such that the apparatus becomes visible from a distance of at least six hundred meters (600 m) and, more preferably, at least 1.5 kilometers (km). The activator (or dye) is placed at select locations in the apparatus so as to maximize visibility during search and rescue operations. For some embodiments, once the apparatus begins to luminesce, it becomes detectable using drones, space-based assets (e.g., satellites), or other un-manned vehicles. 
     Having provided a broad technical solution to a technical problem, reference is now made in detail to the description of the embodiments as illustrated in the drawings. While several embodiments are described in connection with these drawings, there is no intent to limit the disclosure to the embodiment or embodiments disclosed herein. On the contrary, the intent is to cover all alternatives, modifications, and equivalents. 
       FIGS.  1 ,  2 ,  3 , and  4    are diagrams showing one embodiment of an apparatus that facilitates search and rescue in open water;  FIGS.  5 A and  5 B  (collectively,  FIG.  5   ) show another embodiment of an apparatus that facilitates search and rescue in open water; and  FIGS.  6 A,  6 B,  6 C, and  6 D  (collectively,  FIG.  6   ) show yet another embodiment of an apparatus that facilitates search and rescue in open water. 
     With this in mind,  FIG.  1    shows an individual  110  that is lost in open water  120 , which creates a large risk is hypothermia (if the water is cold) or drowning (if the waters are choppy or tumultuous). In addition to hypothermia and drowning, the individual  110  can be exposed to other hazards, such as, for example, flailing injuries to limbs and internal injuries from impacts (e.g., ejection from an aircraft, crash-related impacts, etc.). Additionally, the individual  110  can sometimes be surrounded by dangerous marine animals, such as, for example, stinging jellyfish or sharks. Furthermore, if the individual  110  is in an area that is teeming with fish, then the fish can also attract other predatory animals. Thus, a speedy rescue increases the chances of survival for an individual  110  in open water  120 . 
     As shown in  FIG.  1   , a sealed bag  130   a  is attached to the individual  110  via a tether  140 . As shown with reference to  FIGS.  2 ,  3 , and  4   , the bag  130   a  includes a mesh  150  and an illuminable dye  210 . For some embodiments, the illuminable dye  210  is a chemiluminescent dye, which requires an activator. For other embodiments, the dye  210  is a bioluminescent dye. Preferably, the dye  210  is located in one or more breakable vessels (e.g., breakable ampules, crushable beads, etc.), thereby providing some level of control to the individual  110  on when to activate the illuminable dye  210 . By way of example, the illuminable dye  210  can be an oil-based dye or a dye comprising an organic solvent, such as, for example, dibutyl phthalate, dimethyl phthalate, dioctyl phthalate, butyl benzoate, ethyl benzoate, tert-butyl alcohol, tributyl citrate, triethyl citrate, dioctyl adipate, didecyl adipate, or ditridecyl adipate. Alternatively, if the illuminable dye  210  is impregnated in the mesh  150 , then the activator is located in one or more breakable vessels. The activator can be an oxidant, such as, for example, sodium percarbonate, hydrogen peroxide, bromine, bromates, chlorinated isocyanurates, chlorates, chromates, dichromates, hydroperoxides, hypochlorites, inorganic peroxides, ketone peroxides, nitrates, nitric acid, nitrites, perborates, perchlorates, perchloric acid, periodates, permanganates, peroxides, peroxyacids, persulphates, or other oxidizers. For illustrative purposes, the embodiment with the activator-impregnated mesh is described in greater detail. However, it should be appreciated that the description is equally applicable to the embodiment with the dye-impregnated mesh. 
     For some embodiments, the mesh  150  is a net with vertical strands, horizontal strands that intersect the vertical strands, and one or more sponges  310   a  . . .  310   n  (collectively  310 ) or other absorbent material at select intersections of the vertical and horizontal strands. The activator can be impregnated in the sponges  310  or, in the alternative, impregnated directly in the mesh  150 . It should be appreciated that the sponges  310  can be secured to the mesh  150  in various ways, such as, for example, by heat pressing the sponges  310  to the mesh  150 . For other embodiments, the sponges  310  are secured to the mesh  150  by bonding, gluing, stapling, stitching, or other known means. It should also be appreciated that, in addition to or in lieu of the horizontal and vertical strands that form square-shaped or rectangular-shaped net cells, other geometric strand designs can be used, such as, for example, rhombus-shaped net cells, parallelogram-shaped net cells, triangle-shaped net cells, etc. 
     In operation, and as shown in  FIG.  2   , when in the water  120  the individual  110  activates the apparatus by crushing the contents of bag  130   a , thereby releasing the illuminable dye  210  to interact with the activator, which is impregnated in the sponges. This interaction illuminates the dye  210 , thereby making the dye  210  more visible. 
     Upon activation of the dye  210 , the individual  110  tears open the sealed bag  130   a  and the torn bag  130   b  releases its contents (including the now-activated dye  210 ) to the water  120 . For some embodiments, the apparatus includes a ripcord that facilitates tearing of the bag  130 . For other embodiments, pressurized deployment mechanisms (e.g., compressed air, etc.) are used to release the contents of the bag  130 . Because of the movement of the water  120 , the released contents (including the dye  210 ) spread outwardly in all directions  250   a  . . .  250   c  (collectively  250 ). However, because the activator is impregnated at various locations in the mesh  150  (and hence the illuminated segments are located correspondingly in the mesh  150 ), the spread of the now-illuminated dye  210  will be controlled and somewhat limited, based on the absorbency of the sponges  310  or the absorbency of the mesh  150 . 
     As shown in  FIG.  3   , the mesh  150  continues to spread in all directions  250  and continues to release the dye  210  into the water  120 . The released dye  210  provides a luminescent glow in the water  120  surrounding the individual  110 , thereby vastly increasing the visibility of the individual  110  in the water  120 . Additionally, because the activator (and thus the illuminated section) is impregnated in the sponges  310  (or the mesh  150 ), the visibility of the mesh  150  increases in proportion to the area that the mesh  150  occupies, as the mesh  150  continues to expand in all directions  250 . 
     Continuing to  FIG.  4   , when the mesh  150  is fully expanded on the surface of the water  120 , the mesh  150  creates a large, luminescent area with the sponges  310  exhibiting bright spots and the continued (but slow) release of dye  210  increasing the illuminated area on the surface of the water. For some embodiments, the mesh  150  is a net having a ten-meter (10 m) length and a one-meter (1 m) width, thereby making it a long and narrow tail that extends away from the individual  110 . However, it should be appreciated that other configurations for the mesh  150  can be implemented, for example, a square-shaped mesh, a rectangular-shaped mesh, a circular mesh, etc., and the specific dimensions of the mesh  150  can be increased or decreased as needed. 
     It should be recognized that the dye  210  diffuses on the surface of the water  120  and, thus, loses its brightness with continued diffusion. However, because the activator (or dye  210 ) is impregnated into sponges  310  on the mesh  150  (or on the mesh  150  itself), the surface area of the water  120  that is covered by the mesh  150  will continue to illuminate until the illuminable dye  210  loses its luminescence. For chemiluminescent dyes, this point will be when the dye  210  and the activator have neared the end of their chemical reaction. 
     Although the embodiment of  FIGS.  1  through  4    (designated for convenience as a net embodiment) function adequately in calm waters, it is possible that turbulent or choppy waters will dissipate the luminescent dyes much faster and, therefore, reduce the effectiveness of the net embodiment. To mitigate the effects of fast dissipation, the chemically active components can be isolated from the open waters, as shown in the embodiments of  FIGS.  5 A through  6 D . 
     Turning now to  FIGS.  5 A and  5 B , shown are both a top view ( FIG.  5 A ) and a side view ( FIG.  5 B ) of one embodiment of an environmentally isolated apparatus  500  that facilitates search and rescue (designated for convenience as a balloon embodiment  500 ). As shown in  FIGS.  5 A and  5 B  (collectively,  FIG.  5   ), the balloon embodiment  500  comprises a bottom substrate  510  that is substantially impermeable to water. Some embodiments of the bottom substrate  510  comprise reflective material. Also, for some embodiments, the bottom substrate  510  is substantially circular and has a diameter of between approximately fifty (50) centimeters and approximately two (2) meters. It should be appreciated that the bottom substrate  510  can be any geometric shape with a substantially equivalent surface area to that of a circular embodiment. 
     Next, several activators  520  are adhered to the surface of the bottom substrate  510 . Preferably, the activators  520  are arranged in a pattern that is readily distinguishable from patterns that occur naturally in open waters (meaning, a non-naturally occurring pattern). Consequently, the pattern allows for potentially faster and easier detection in open waters because it is less likely that the pattern will be mistaken for a naturally occurring reflection or naturally occurring luminescence. 
     The balloon embodiment  500  also comprises an encased dye pack  530 , which can be broken to release an illuminable dye that is contained therein. It should be appreciated that the activators  520  can also be arranged in a pattern that maximizes saturation or activation by the dye pack  530 . Preferably, the arrangement pattern of the activators  520  in the balloon embodiment strikes a balance between optimized saturation and optimized visibility. 
     The bottom substrate  510  is covered with a transparent water-impermeable top  540  and a seal  550  provides an air-tight seal  550  around a periphery of the balloon embodiment  500 , thereby isolating the contents of the balloon embodiment  500  from external elements. To the extent that industrial sealing processes (such as those used in mylar balloons), only a truncated discussion of the air-tight seal  550  is provided herein. Prior to activation, the balloon embodiment  500  is substantially flat and can be folded or rolled to occupy a smaller space. 
     In operation, the balloon embodiment  500  is activated by breaking the dye pack  530 , which releases the illuminable dye. A cross-section of the balloon embodiment along the broken line A-A is shown in  FIG.  5 B . The illuminable dye reacts chemically with the activators  520 . For some embodiments, the some of the activators  520  can be coated with a dissolvable coating, thereby allowing different activators  520  to be activated at different times after the release of the illuminable dye. In other words, by applying different time-release coatings to certain activators  520 , it is possible to cascade in time the luminescence from one set of activators  520  to another set of activators  520 , and so on, based on the rates at which the coatings dissolve. 
     Continuing, the chemical reaction produces two (2) results. First, the chemical reaction creates a luminescence at a given wavelength. Preferably, the wavelength is in the range of ultraviolet (UV) light, but it should be appreciated that the chemicals can be customized to emit at different wavelengths and for different durations. Second, the chemical reaction releases a gas, which inflates the balloon embodiment  500 . As noted above, both the activators  520  and the dye pack  530  are enclosed in the apparatus and sealed from external elements using an air-tight seal  550 . Thus, if a gas is released from the chemical reaction, then the released gas inflates the balloon embodiment  500  because the gas cannot escape through the seal  550 . By way of example, if the balloon embodiment  500  has a sixty centimeter (60 cm) diameter, then the dye pack  530  contains approximately one hundred milliliters (100 mL) of illuminable dye. Correspondingly, if the balloon embodiment  500  has a 1.5 meter (m) diameter, then approximately 200 mL of dye should suffice. Those having skill in the art can readily calculate the amount of illuminable dye that will be sufficient to react with the pattern of activators  520 . 
     By way of example, if the illuminable dye is an oil-based dye (e.g., dibutyl phthalate, dimethyl phthalate, dioctyl phthalate, butyl benzoate, ethyl benzoate, tert-butyl alcohol, tributyl citrate, triethyl citrate, dioctyl adipate, didecyl adipate, or ditridecyl adipate), and the activator  520  is a hydrogen-containing oxidant (e.g., sodium percarbonate, hydrogen peroxide, bromine, bromates, chlorinated isocyanurates, chlorates, chromates, dichromates, hydroperoxides, hypochlorites, inorganic peroxides, ketone peroxides, nitrates, nitric acid, nitrites, perborates, perchlorates, perchloric acid, periodates, permanganates, peroxides, peroxyacids, persulphates, or other oxidizers), then hydrogen gas is released from the reaction and fills the balloon embodiment  500 . 
     Because the balloon embodiment  500  has an air-tight seal  550 , the illuminable dye continues to wash over the activators  520  as the isolated apparatus undulates or jolts with the waves in the water. The continued washing of the activators  520  allows for unreacted activators  520  to be activated by the illuminable dye. In other words, continued movement of the illuminable dye within the balloon embodiment  500  results in a more complete reaction between the illuminable dye and all of the activators  520 . The air-tight seal  550  also prevents dissipation of the illuminable dye or the activators  520  in open water because neither the dye nor the activator  520  can escape the balloon embodiment  500 . Thus, the balloon embodiment  500  is visible for a longer period than the net embodiment of  FIGS.  1  through  4   , thereby providing visibility (at a twenty degree (20°) cone of view) from a distance of up to (or greater than) approximately 600 m for some embodiments and up to (or greater than) approximately 1.5 kilometers (km) for other embodiments, depending on the luminescent intensity. For some embodiments, once the balloon embodiment  500  begins to luminesce, it becomes detectable using drones, space-based assets (e.g., satellites), or other un-manned vehicles. 
     The balloon embodiment  500  can be securely attached to an individual (similar to how the net embodiment of  FIGS.  1  through  4    are attached to an individual) or, alternatively, the balloon embodiment  500  can be securely attached to a life raft using, for example, a clip or other type of harness. For such embodiments, it should be appreciated that the balloon embodiment  500  can include a tethering hole to which a tether is secured. Additionally, to prevent capsizing or overturning in turbulent waters, a weight or other know devices to keep the transparent top  540  facing upward (rather than facing toward the water). 
     In yet another embodiment, emissions from the luminescent materials can be collimated using a parabolic substrate. The parabolic geometry allows for more concentrated or focused emissions of light. The embodiment having a parabolic geometry is shown in greater detail with reference to  FIGS.  6 A,  6 B,  6 C, and  6 D  (collectively,  FIG.  6   ). 
       FIG.  6 A  shows one embodiment of the apparatus  600  having a parabolic geometry (designated herein as a parabolic embodiment  600  for convenience). The parabolic embodiment  600  comprises a reflective substrate  610  with a substrate perimeter (shown in  FIG.  6 A  as having a substrate geometry that is substantially square). When the parabolic embodiment  600  is deployed, the reflective substrate  610  forms a reflective parabolic surface or a reflective parabolic geometry with a focal point. 
     As shown in  FIG.  6 A , the number of parabolic surfaces can be increased by sub-dividing the reflective substrate  610  (e.g., four (4) separate parabolic surfaces are shown in  FIG.  6 A ). Unlike the balloon embodiment  500  of  FIG.  5   , the parabolic embodiment  600  comprises activators  620   a ,  620   b ,  620   c ,  620   d  (collectively,  620 ) that are placed at the center of each sub-divided parabolic reflective surface  610 , with each activator  620  being operatively coupled to its respective dye pack  630   a ,  630   b ,  630   c ,  630   d  (collectively,  630 ), each of which contains illuminable dye. A transparent cover  640  is placed atop the reflective substrate  610 . Similar to the reflective substrate  610 , the transparent cover comprises a cover geometry (also shown as being substantially square in  FIG.  6 A ) and a cover perimeter that corresponds substantially with the substrate perimeter. An air-tight seal  650  is formed to seal the substrate perimeter to the cover perimeter to create a sealed internal region. For some embodiments, an air-tight seal  650  also separates each of the parabolic reflector sub-divisions (as shown in  FIG.  6 A ). 
     Continuing to  FIG.  6 B , a cross section of the parabolic embodiment  600  (along the broken line B-B) prior to activation is shown. Unlike the balloon embodiment  500  of  FIG.  5   , the parabolic embodiment  600  affixes the activators  620  to the transparent cover  640  (using, for example, an adhesive or tape or other appropriate means), rather than to the reflective substrate  610 . In other words, each activator  620  is located approximately at the focal point. The activators  620  are each located within its respective sealed internal region. Dye packs  630  (or breakable vessels) are each operatively coupled to its respective activator  620  (and, thus, also located within the corresponding sealed internal region). Unlike the balloon embodiment  500 , which has a patterned array of activators  520  within the sealed area, each sealed internal region in the parabolic embodiment  600  comprises a single activator  620  that is located at the respective center of each of the sealed internal region. 
     Continuing,  FIG.  6 C  shows the parabolic embodiment  600  (along B-B) upon deployment. As noted above, each dye pack  630  is operatively coupled to its respective activator  620 . Thus, upon breaking of the dye pack  630 , the illuminable dye contained in each dye pack  630  is released and reacts promptly with its respective activator  620 . The reaction between the illuminable dye and the activator  620  releases a gas that inflates the parabolic embodiment  600 . Concurrent with the inflation, the combination of the activator  620  and the illuminable dye results in luminescence. 
     Turning to  FIG.  6 D , which shows an enlarged view of one of the parabolic sub-divisions of  FIG.  6 A , when the parabolic embodiment  600  is deployed, the luminescent combination of the activator  620  and the illuminable dye separates from the reflective substrate  610  approximately to a focal point. It should be appreciated that the precise location of the focal point is dependent on many factors, such as the geometric shape of the reflective substrate  610 , the geometric shape of the transparent cover  640 , the size of each parabolic sub-division, the degree to which each parabolic sub-division inflates, etc. However, how to position the activator  620  on the transparent cover  640  prior to deployment so that the activator  620  becomes affixed at the parabolic focal point after deployment is a determination that can be done readily by those having skill in the art and, thus, further discussion of the placement of the activator  620  is omitted herein. What is significant for  FIG.  6 D  is that the focal point be located on or near the transparent cover  640 . 
     Continuing with  FIG.  6 D , when the combination of the activator  620  with the illuminable dye luminesces approximately at the focal point, the emitted light  660   a  (whether visible or UV or otherwise) is reflected from the reflective substrate  610  and emerges as collimated light  660   b . The focused (and now collimated) light  660   b  has a greater concentrated intensity than the light from the balloon embodiment  500 . Consequently, the parabolic embodiment  600  provides visibility from a greater distance than the balloon embodiment  500 . 
     As shown in the embodiments of  FIGS.  1  through  6   , an individual is tethered to a deployable apparatus (through, for example, a tethering hole on the deployable apparatus). The deployable apparatus combines an illuminable dye with an activator, thereby increasing immensely the visibility of an individual in open water. The increased visibility facilitates maritime (or other open-water-based) search and rescue operations. 
     Although exemplary embodiments have been shown and described, it will be clear to those of ordinary skill in the art that a number of changes, modifications, or alterations to the disclosure as described may be made. For example, although an embodiment is shown in which the activator is located on the substrate and the illuminable dye is released from a breakable vessel, it should be appreciated that the illuminable dye can be located on the substrate, with the activator being released from the breakable vessel. Furthermore, although specific dimensions and chemical compositions are recited for clarity, it should be appreciated that the disclosed embodiments are not limited to only the recited dimensions or chemical compositions. Additionally, although the embodiments are described in the context of maritime search and rescue, those having skill in the art will understand that the increased visibility is beneficial in land-based operations or land-based environments. Also, those having skill in the art will appreciate that certain features of one embodiment can be implemented in other embodiments to realize advantages that are greater in combination than in isolation. All such changes, modifications, and alterations should therefore be seen as within the scope of the disclosure.