Patent Publication Number: US-9903545-B1

Title: Solar rechargeable multifunctional and transferable visual or audio safety display beacon device

Description:
CLAIM OF BENEFIT TO PRIOR APPLICATION 
     This application claims benefit to U.S. Provisional Patent Application 61/928,946, entitled “VISUAL SAFETY BEACON UNIT,” filed Jan. 17, 2014. The U.S. Provisional Patent Application 61/928,946 is incorporated herein by reference. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND 
     Embodiments of the invention described in this specification relate generally to visual indicators, and more particularly, to transferable visual indicators. 
     Individuals can be difficult to see in the dark, especially in stormy weather, wilderness settings, at sea, and in many other cases. Current devices provide only a visual indicator and are limited to being worn by an individual. They cannot be moved or transferred between individuals, and they cannot be placed on surfaces, animals, and so on. Current devices also fail to use a renewable energy source that is integrated with or attached to the device to self-recharge, such as a solar recharger. 
     Therefore, what is needed is a visual and audio safety indicator that can be transferred between people or otherwise placed somewhere to provide a visual and/or an audio indication, and which includes a solar recharger and secondary power source for other devices and/or electronics. 
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION 
     Some embodiments of the invention include a novel solar rechargeable multifunctional visual and audio safety display beacon device that is transferable from a person to other people or positionable at some other location. According to one embodiment, the visual and audio safety display beacon device increases the visibility and awareness of an individual or location during darkness or other adverse viewing conditions and is configured to be transferred between carriers and includes multiple modes of activation, such as solar recharging of the safety beacon device, or plugging a universal serial bus (USB) cable adapter into a power outlet and into a USB port on the safety beacon device. The device includes a base plate, a screen, a fastener, and a quick release thumb tab. The base plate includes a compartment configured to hold an inverter configured with a plurality of activation functions, such as a secondary power source device or solar charger device for other prefabricated electronics and devices. The screen is connected to the base plate and configured to be powered by the inverter. The fastener is configured to removably attach the device to a substrate or surface. The quick release thumb tab is connected to the base plate and is optionally configured to wrap around the inverter when it is placed in the compartment. The thumb tab includes a first tab configured to remove an optional compartment door and a second thumb tab configured to remove the device from the surface or substrate. 
     The preceding Summary is intended to serve as a brief introduction to some embodiments of the invention. It is not meant to be an introduction or overview of all inventive subject matter disclosed in this specification. The Detailed Description that follows and the Drawings that are referred to in the Detailed Description will further describe the embodiments described in the Summary as well as other embodiments. Accordingly, to understand all the embodiments described by this document, a full review of the Summary, Detailed Description, and Drawings is needed. Moreover, the claimed subject matters are not to be limited by the illustrative details in the Summary, Detailed Description, and Drawings, but rather are to be defined by the appended claims, because the claimed subject matter can be embodied in other specific forms without departing from the spirit of the subject matter. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       Having described the invention in general terms, reference is now made to the accompanying drawings, which are not necessarily drawn to scale, and wherein: 
         FIG. 1  conceptually illustrates a perspective view of a multifunctional safety beacon device in a transferable landing pad in some embodiments. 
         FIG. 2  conceptually illustrates a cutaway perspective view of the multifunctional safety beacon device during placement in a landing pad compartment in some embodiments. 
         FIG. 3  conceptually illustrates an exploded view of the visual safety beacon device in some embodiments. 
         FIG. 4  conceptually illustrates an exploded view of the beacon unit compartment in which the visual safety beacon device of some embodiments is placed. 
         FIG. 5  conceptually illustrates a perspective view of the beacon unit compartment being separated between upper and lower landing pads in some embodiments. 
         FIG. 6  conceptually illustrates a section view of the multifunctional safety beacon device in some embodiments taken along line  6 - 6  in  FIG. 2 . 
         FIG. 7  conceptually illustrates a section view of the multifunctional safety beacon device in some embodiments taken along line  7 - 7  in  FIG. 2 . 
         FIG. 8  conceptually illustrates a perspective view of a second type of beacon unit compartment in some embodiments. 
         FIG. 9  conceptually illustrates a perspective view of a third type of beacon unit compartment with an integral strap in some embodiments. 
         FIG. 10  conceptually illustrates a perspective view of a fourth type of beacon unit compartment in some embodiments. 
         FIG. 11  conceptually illustrates a perspective view of the third and fourth types of beacon unit compartments connected by a strap in some embodiments. 
         FIG. 12  conceptually illustrates a perspective view of another multifunctional safety beacon device in some embodiments. 
         FIG. 13  conceptually illustrates an exploded view of the multifunctional safety beacon device shown in  FIG. 12 . 
         FIG. 14  conceptually illustrates a section view of the multifunctional safety beacon device taken along line  14 - 14  in  FIG. 12 . 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     In the following detailed description of the invention, numerous details, examples, and embodiments of the invention are described. However, it will be clear and apparent to one skilled in the art that the invention is not limited to the embodiments set forth and that the invention can be adapted for any of several applications. 
     Some embodiments of the invention include a novel solar rechargeable multifunctional visual and audio safety display beacon device that is transferable from a person to other people or positionable at some other location. According to one embodiment, the visual and audio safety display beacon device increases the visibility and awareness of an individual or location during darkness or other adverse viewing conditions and is configured to be transferred between carriers and includes multiple modes of activation, such as solar recharging of the safety beacon device, or plugging a universal serial bus (USB) cable adapter into a power outlet and into a USB port on the safety beacon device. The device includes a base plate, a screen, a fastener, and a quick release thumb tab. The base plate includes a compartment configured to hold an inverter configured with a plurality of activation functions, such as a secondary power source device or solar charger device for other prefabricated electronics and devices. The screen is connected to the base plate and configured to be powered by the inverter. The fastener is configured to removably attach the device to a substrate or surface. The quick release thumb tab is connected to the base plate and is optionally configured to wrap around the inverter when it is placed in the compartment. The thumb tab includes a first tab configured to remove an optional compartment door and a second thumb tab configured to remove the device from the surface or substrate. 
     As stated above, individuals can be difficult to see in the dark, especially in stormy weather, wilderness settings, at sea, and in many other cases, but the existing devices provide only a visual indicator and are limited to being worn by an individual instead of being able to be moved or transferred between individuals, placed on surfaces, animals, or being self-rechargeable by a renewable and abundant energy source, such as solar energy, and by other secondary power sources, and being able to recharge other prefabricated electronic devices, and so on. 
     Embodiments of the invention described in this specification solve such problems by a solar rechargeable multifunctional visual and audio safety display beacon device that mounts and dismounts from a landing pad body strap and utility tote. The visual and audio safety beacon device provides a visual and audio safety indicator and can be shared between individuals as well as domestic pets and surfaces. 
     I. Multifunctional Safety Beacon 
     By way of example,  FIG. 1  conceptually illustrates a perspective view of a multifunctional safety beacon device  10  in a pair of transferable landing pads including an upper landing pad  12  and a lower landing pad  14 . As shown in this figure, the transferable landing pads  12  and  14  may be separably connected by a connector tab  46 . When the connector tab  46  is closed, the transferable landing pads  12  and  14  may be form a compartment to hold the beacon device  10 . The beacon device  10  may include a screen  16 , a corner inverter unit  18 , an outer housing  24 , and a thumb tab  32 . The upper landing pad  12  may include an upper pad  36 , which may include one or more closed cell foam materials, such as, e.g., silicon rubber, poly plastic, neoprene foam, or the like. The lower landing pad  14  may include a lower pad  54 . The transferable landing pads  12  and  14  may also include landing pad plates, such as upper landing pad plate  48  and lower landing pad plate  52 . 
     Referring to  FIG. 2 , which conceptually illustrates a cutaway perspective view of the multifunctional safety beacon device  10  during placement in a landing pad compartment, in some configurations, the transferable landing pads  12  and  14  may include additional plates, such as upper landing pad plate  40  and lower landing pad plate  44 . The multifunctional safety beacon device  10  shown in  FIG. 2  is further described by reference to  FIG. 6 , below, and the transferable landing pads  12  and  14  are further described by reference to  FIG. 7 , below. In some of these configurations, all four landing pad plates are used, such that upper landing pad plate  40  is a first landing pad plate  40 , lower landing pad plate  44  is a second landing pad plate  44 , upper landing pad plate  48  is a third landing pad plate  48 , and lower landing pad plate  52  is a fourth landing pad plate  52 . As shown in  FIG. 2 , the upper landing pad  12  may include upper landing pad fasteners  38  on the first landing pad plate  40 . A corresponding set of beacon unit fasteners  34  may be included along a backing plate  30  under the beacon device  10  (i.e., opposite the screen  16 ). Alternatively, or in conjunction with the upper landing pad fasteners  38  and the beacon unit fasteners  34 , the backing plate  30  may include an upper magnet  42  that magnetically connects the beacon device  10  to the first landing pad plate  40 . 
     Referring now to  FIGS. 6 and 7 , sectional views are shown which further describe features of the multifunctional safety beacon device  10  and the compartment formed by the landing pads  12  and  14 . Specifically,  FIG. 6  conceptually illustrates a section view of the multifunctional safety beacon device  10  taken along line  6 - 6  in  FIG. 2 . As shown in this figure, the multifunctional safety beacon device  10  includes the screen  16 , the electronics and device module  20 , the magnets  28 , the tethering quick release thumb tab  32 , the backing plate  30 , and the beacon unit fasteners  34 , all of which together specify configuration of the inner housing  22  and the outer housing  24 . 
     Similarly,  FIG. 7  conceptually illustrates a section view of the compartment formed by the upper and lower landing pads  12  and  14  of the multifunctional safety beacon device  10  taken along line  7 - 7  in  FIG. 2 . As shown in this figure, the upper landing pad  12  includes the cavity for the compartment into which the beacon device  10  is placed. Once in place, the beacon unit fasteners  34  of the beacon device  10  connect to the upper landing pad fasteners  38  which are bonded to or otherwise fastened to the first landing pad plate  40 . Under the first landing pad plate  40  is the upper magnet  42  and the second landing pad plate  44 . The upper magnet  42  secures the upper landing pad  12  to the lower landing pad  14  by connection to lower magnet  50 . Above the lower magnet  50  is the third landing pad plate  48 , and then the fourth landing pad plate  52 . The interior upper pad  36  and lower pad  54  of the upper and lower landing pads  12  and  14  may include neoprene or another suitable material. The upper and lower landing pads  12  and  14  are connected together by connector tab  46 . The lower landing pad fasteners  56  are bonded to or otherwise fastened to the bottom side of the bottom landing pad  14 , thereby allowing the beacon device  10  and compartment to be fastened to a movable or stationary object or thing. 
     Now referring to  FIGS. 3 and 4 , which conceptually illustrates exploded views of the multifunctional safety beacon device  10  and the compartment formed by the transferable landing pads  12  and  14 , the beacon device  10 , as shown in  FIG. 3 , includes the screen  16 , the corner inverter unit  18 , an electronics and device module  20 , an inverter housing unit  22 , the outer housing  24 , a set of magnet recesses  26  and a set of magnets  28  that are permanently attached to and concealed between the backing plate  30  and the bottom side of the beacon device  10 , and a tethering quick release thumb tab  32 . The screen  16  may include a light-emitting diode (LED) screen, an organic light-emitting diode (OLED) screen, a liquid crystal display (LCD) screen or touchscreen, or a dot matrix screen. The screen  16  may be configured to display the LEDs outward, or otherwise configure the display side of the screen  16  outward. One or more of the magnets may be bonded to a proximate plate. One or more of the configured display screens may be bonded to the inverter housing unit  22 . The outer housing unit  24  may fit into the compartment formed by the upper and lower landing pads  12  and  14  and may be retained by one or more magnets  28  or fasteners, which may include, e.g., hook-and-loop fasteners, snaps, buckles, Velcro®, or the like. The shape and size of the backing plate  30  may influence or determine the appropriate storage compartment size. A compartment door and access port  23  may serve to retain or access the inverter housing unit  22  in the compartment. The compartment formed by the upper and lower landing pads  12  and  14  may vary in size and shape to accommodate the inverter housing unit  22  and/or other electronics and devices options stored inside, such as electronics and device module  20 . 
     The tethering quick release thumb tab  32  may connect to the backing plate  30  through the compartment door  23 . The thumb tab  32  may be made from nylon or any other suitable material or combination of materials. In some embodiments, the beacon device  10  includes a plurality of tethering quick release thumb tabs  32  that connect to the backing plate  30  through each of a plurality of compartment doors  23 . In some embodiments, each thumb tab  32  may be connected to the backing plate  30  in a different manner. For instance, a first tab  32  may be attached to the backing plate  30  through a compartment door  23  with sewing, epoxy, etc., thereby allowing easy access to the compartment and the inverter housing unit  22 , while a second tab  30  may be permanently bonded to the backing plate  30 , in order to facilitate detaching or removing the beacon device  10  from a surface or article to which it is attached. 
     As shown in  FIG. 4 , the compartment formed by the transferable landing pads  12  and  14  includes the upper pad  36 , a set of upper pad fasteners  38 , the first landing pad plate  40 , the upper magnet  42 , the second landing pad plate  44 , the connector tab  46 , the third landing pad plate  48 , a lower magnet  50 , the fourth landing pad plate  52 , the lower pad  54 , and a set of lower landing pad fasteners  56 . 
     The safety beacon device  10  may be activated by one or more independent functions. For example, the corner inverter unit  18  may include three independent, self-contained inverter functions: sound, Wi-Fi, and ON/OFF button. Thus, the unit may be activated, for example, by sounds, Wi-Fi signal, and/or a switch. The screen  16  of the beacon device  10  may be fabricated into any shape and size. The corner inverter unit  18 , in conjunction with the electronics and device module  20  may be recharged and powered by a solar energy battery cell that is appropriate for the application at hand. For example, the corner inverter unit  18  and the electronics and device module  20  may be recharged also by a cable interface and wall plug outlet, etc. The corner inverter unit  18  may include a cable interface for connecting to the screen  16 . The screen  16  may be bonded to the close cell foam outer housing  24 , or the inverter housing unit  22  that together form a compartment and tether door access  23  cut out from the middle section to house the corner inverter unit  18 . 
     In some embodiments, the safety beacon device  10  may be compatible with a separable beacon unit compartment. By way of example,  FIG. 5  conceptually illustrates a perspective view of the beacon unit compartment being separated between upper and lower landing pads  12  and  14 . As shown in this figure, the lower magnet  50  is positioned proximate to the third landing pad plate  48  of the lower landing pad  14 , while the upper magnet  42  is positioned proximate to the second landing pad plate  44  (not shown), which is adjacent to and underneath the first landing pad plate  40  of the upper landing pad  12 . The curved arrow indicates that the upper and lower landing pads  12  and  14  can be separated and re-connected by flexing the connector tab  46  into an open configuration (as shown) and a closed configuration (when the upper and lower landing pads  12  and  14  are connected by upper and lower magnets  42  and  50 ). 
     In some embodiments, the transferable landing pad compartment formed by the upper and lower landing pads  12  does not include a connector tab  46 , as described by reference to  FIGS. 2 and 7 . In some embodiments, the compartment is a singular unit. By way of example,  FIG. 8  conceptually illustrates a perspective view of a second type of beacon unit compartment that demonstrates a singular landing pad compartment unit  58  for holding a multifunctional safety beacon device  10  of some embodiments. As shown in this figure, the singular landing pad compartment unit  58  includes an upper landing pad  60 , a middle plate  62 , a lower landing pad  64 , and a set of fasteners  66 , which may include hook-and-loop fasteners, snaps, buckles, Velcro®, and/or magnets, etc. 
     The safety beacon device  10  of some embodiments is compatible with a landing pad compartment with an integral strap. By way of example,  FIG. 9  conceptually illustrates a perspective view of a third type of beacon unit compartment  68  with an integral strap  78 . The landing pad compartment  68  may include an upper pad  70 , a middle plate  72 , and a lower pad  74 . The landing pad compartment  68  may include a set of fasteners  76 , along with the strap  78 , as well as a hooked strap fastener  80  and looped strap fastener  82 . The strap  78  may be made of neoprene or another suitable material. The upper pad  70  may include a cutout suitably shaped to receive a safety beacon device  10 . The fasteners  76  may include any suitable fastening device(s), such as, e.g., hook-and-loop fasteners, snaps, Velcro®, and so on, positioned to retain the beacon device  10  within the cutout area of the singular landing pad compartment  68 . The strap  78  may be a reinforced elastic strap  78  which may be placed between the second layer upper pad  70  and the lower pad  74 . The ends of the strap  78  may include one or more fasteners  80  and  82 , such as, e.g., buckle, clasp, snaps, and so on. The lower pad  74  may include neoprene or another suitable material. 
     The safety beacon device  10  of some embodiments is compatible with a tote sleeve landing pad configuration. By way of example,  FIG. 10  conceptually illustrates a perspective view of a fourth type of beacon unit compartment with a tote sleeve configuration. As shown in this figure, the beacon unit compartment of the landing pad  94  is positioned on a storage utility tote sleeve  84 . The tote sleeve  84  may be made from a strong, weather-resistant material. For example, the tote sleeve  84  may include an upper pad  86 , middle pad  88 , and lower pad  90 , which together are made from a sheet of neoprene and reinforced nylon fabric layered together, and both sheets may be sewn and permanently bonded. To form the tote sleeve  84 , the combined sheet may be folded in half with a protruding flap  100 . The flap  100  and tote sleeve  84  may include, for example, loop fasteners  104  and  106  or a water proof zipper (not shown) that is used as a door access to a storage compartment. The tote sleeve  84  may include one or more reinforced holes, such as strap holes  96  and  98 , which may receive a belt, strap, or other accessory. 
     In some embodiments, the strap may hold the tote sleeve  84  in a manner that may permit mounting a landing pad, such as, e.g., safety beacon landing pad  94  or landing pad  68 . By way of example,  FIG. 11  conceptually illustrates a perspective view of the two types of beacon unit compartments with different configurations being connected by a strap  78 . As shown in this figure, the strap  78  of the landing pad  68  may thread through the holes  96  and  98  of the storage utility tote sleeve  84  with landing pad  94  facing outward from upper pad  86  in order to provide an added storage and/or multifunctional safety beacon device  10 . The strap  78  is enclosed in a circle or oval such that beacon unit compartment  68  is opposite the tote sleeve  84  in connection with the strap  78 . Thus, a user of the strap  78  is able to include multiple safety beacon devices  10  at one time. 
     Additional configurations for beacon devices are possible for many different beacon unit compartments. For example,  FIG. 12  conceptually illustrates a perspective view of another multifunctional safety beacon device  108 . As shown in this figure, the safety beacon device  108  includes a screen  110 , a compartment pad  124 , and a lower plate  130 , along with a tethered quick release thumb tab  120 .  FIG. 13  conceptually illustrates an exploded view of the multifunctional safety beacon device  108  shown in  FIG. 12 . In this figure, the beacon device  108  is shown with the screen  110 , a screen plug  112 , a battery pack  114 , a pack plug  116 , an inverter  118 , the tethered quick release thumb tab  120 , a lower compartment door plate  122 , the compartment pad  124 , a set of magnet recesses  126 , a set of magnets  128 , the lower plate  130 , and a set of fasteners  132 . In another view,  FIG. 14  conceptually illustrates a section view of the multifunctional safety beacon device  108  taken along line  14 - 14  in  FIG. 12 . While the components are similarly configured as described by reference to  FIGS. 3 and 13 , in some embodiments, the multifunctional safety beacon device  108  includes other features and functions. For example, the electronics and device module  20  may be an all-in-one inverter unit  118 . The all-in-one inverter unit  118  may include, e.g., a solar panel (not shown), the battery pack  114  (e.g., rechargeable battery), a short format audio or video recorder and playback unit (not shown), a panic sound button (not shown), and/or a universal serial bus (USB) connection port (not shown). One or more of these functions may allow the all-in-one inverter  118  to act as a primary or secondary power source for other electronics, devices, or the like. 
     Persons of ordinary skill in the art may appreciate that numerous design configurations may be possible to enjoy the functional benefits of the inventive systems. Thus, given the wide variety of configurations and arrangements of embodiments of the present invention the scope of the present invention is reflected by the breadth of the claims below rather than narrowed by the embodiments described above.