Patent Publication Number: US-11050970-B1

Title: Decedent communication assembly

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     Not Applicable 
     STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT 
     Not Applicable 
     THE NAMES OF THE PARTIES TO A JOINT RESEARCH AGREEMENT 
     Not Applicable 
     INCORPORATION-BY-REFERENCE OF MATERIAL SUBMITTED ON A COMPACT DISC OR AS A TEXT FILE VIA THE OFFICE ELECTRONIC FILING SYSTEM 
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     STATEMENT REGARDING PRIOR DISCLOSURES BY THE INVENTOR OR JOINT INVENTOR 
     Not Applicable 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     (1) Field of the Invention 
     The disclosure relates to communication devices and more particularly pertains to a new communication device for playing audio and video in a casket. 
     (2) Description of Related Art Including Information Disclosed Under 37 CFR 1.97 and 1.98 
     The prior art relates to communication devices including a casket that has a display screen and speakers mounting inside the casket for displaying video and audio at a funeral. The prior art discloses a multimedia device that can be placed at a gravesite for displaying audio and video of the deceased. The prior art discloses a headstone and casket assembly that includes speakers in the headstone casket, which are wired together, for playing music at a gravesite. The prior art discloses a headstone that has a multimedia device coupled thereto for playing video and audio at a gravesite. The prior art discloses a multimedia device that is placed within a casket and that is in wireless communication with a remote storage unit. 
     BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     An embodiment of the disclosure meets the needs presented above by generally comprising a casket for containing a deceased person. A display is mounted to a lid of the casket such that the display faces into the casket when the lid is closed. A plurality of speakers is each mounted to the casket to emit audible sound into the casket. 
     A storage unit is coupled to the casket and the storage unit is in electrical communication with the display and each of the speakers. The storage unit stores video data and audio data. Moreover, the storage unit is in communication with an extrinsic electronic device for receiving the video data and the audio data from the extrinsic electronic device. 
     There has thus been outlined, rather broadly, the more important features of the disclosure in order that the detailed description thereof that follows may be better understood, and in order that the present contribution to the art may be better appreciated. There are additional features of the disclosure that will be described hereinafter and which will form the subject matter of the claims appended hereto. 
     The objects of the disclosure, along with the various features of novelty which characterize the disclosure, are pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed to and forming a part of this disclosure. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWING(S) 
       The disclosure will be better understood and objects other than those set forth above will become apparent when consideration is given to the following detailed description thereof. Such description makes reference to the annexed drawings wherein: 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a decedent communication assembly according to an embodiment of the disclosure. 
         FIG. 2  is a cross sectional view taken along line  2 - 2  of  FIG. 1  of an embodiment of the disclosure. 
         FIG. 3  is a front perspective view of a marker an embodiment of the disclosure. 
         FIG. 4  is a front perspective view of headstone an embodiment of the disclosure. 
         FIG. 5  is an exploded perspective view of a headstone of an embodiment of the disclosure. 
         FIG. 6  is a front phantom view of a headstone of an embodiment of the disclosure. 
         FIG. 7  is a schematic view of an embodiment of the disclosure. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     With reference now to the drawings, and in particular to  FIGS. 1 through 7  thereof, a new communication device embodying the principles and concepts of an embodiment of the disclosure and generally designated by the reference numeral  10  will be described. 
     As best illustrated in  FIGS. 1 through 7 , the decedent communication assembly  10  generally comprises a casket  12  for containing a deceased person. The casket  12  has a box portion  14  and a lid  16  that is hingedly coupled to the box portion  14 . The box portion  14  has an inside surface  18  and the lid  16  has a bottom surface  20 . The casket  12  may be a burial casket of any conventional design and structure. A display  22  is mounted to the lid  16  such that the display  22  faces into the box portion  14  of the casket  12  when the lid  16  is closed. The display  22  displays indicia which comprise imagery and the display  22  is positioned on the bottom surface  20  of the lid  16 . The display  22  may comprise a touch screen display, an LED or other type of electronic display. 
     A plurality of speakers  24  is each mounted to the casket  12  to emit audible sound into the casket  12 . Each of the speakers  24  is mounted to the inside surface  18  of the box portion  14  of the casket  12 . A storage unit  26  is coupled to the casket  12  and the storage unit  26  is in electrical communication with the display  22  and each of the speakers  24 . The storage unit  26  stores video data comprising digital video and digital imagery. In this way the display  22  can display  22  the digital video and digital imagery. Additionally, the storage unit  26  stores audio data comprising digital audio such that the plurality of speakers  24  can emit the digital audio. Additionally, the storage unit  26  is in communication with an extrinsic electronic device  28  for receiving the video data and the audio data from the extrinsic electronic device  28 . 
     The storage unit  26  comprises a control circuit  30  that is coupled to the casket  12 , and the control circuit  30  is electrically coupled to the display  22  and each of the speakers  24 . The storage unit  26  includes an electronic memory  32  that is coupled to the casket  12 . The electronic memory  32  is electrically coupled to the control circuit  30  and the electronic memory  32  stores the video data and the audio data. The electronic memory  32  may comprise miniaturized digital memory, such as RAM or ROM. 
     The storage unit  26  includes a transceiver  34  that is coupled to the casket  12  and the transceiver  34  is electrically coupled to the control circuit  30 . The transceiver  34  is in wireless communication with the extrinsic electronic device  28  for downloading the video data and the audio data into the electronic memory  32 . The transceiver  34  may comprise a radio frequency transceiver or the like and the transceiver  34  may employ Bluetooth communication protocols. Additionally, the extrinsic electronic device  28  may comprise a smart phone or other similar personal electronic device that has wireless communication capabilities. The storage unit  26  includes a power supply  36  that is coupled to the casket  12 , the power supply  36  is electrically coupled to the control circuit  30  and the power supply  36  comprises at least one battery. 
     A headstone  38  is provided that that can be positioned at a gravesite for memorial purposes. The headstone  38  has a forward face  40  and an outer surface  42 , and the headstone  38  may be manufactured from stone or any other resiliently material of which headstones are commonly comprised. A display  44  is coupled to the headstone  38  and the display  44  on the headstone  38  displays indicia comprising imagery. The display  44  on the headstone  38  is positioned on the forward face  40  of the headstone  38  to be visible to an observer viewing the gravesite. Additionally, the display  44  on the headstone  38  may comprise an LED or other type of electronic display. 
     A storage unit  46  is integrated into the headstone  38  and the storage unit  46  in the headstone  38  is in electrical communication with the display  44  on the headstone  38 . The storage unit  46  in the headstone  38  stores data comprising digital video and digital imagery. In this way the display  44  on the headstone  38  can display the digital video and the digital imagery. The storage unit  46  in the headstone  38  comprises a control circuit  48  that is integrated into the headstone  38 . 
     The storage unit  46  in the headstone  38  includes an electronic memory  50  that is integrated into the headstone  38 . The electronic memory  50  in the headstone  38  is electrically coupled to the control circuit  48  in the headstone  38  and the electronic memory  50  in the headstone  38  stores the data. The storage unit  46  in the headstone  38  includes a transceiver  52  that is integrated into the headstone  38 . The transceiver  52  in the headstone  38  is electrically coupled to the control circuit  48  in the headstone  38 . Additionally, the transceiver  52  in the headstone  38  is in wireless communication with the extrinsic electronic device  28  for downloading the data into the electronic memory  50  in the headstone  38 . The transceiver  52  in the headstone  38  may comprise a radio frequency transceiver or the like and the transceiver  52  in the headstone  38  may employ Bluetooth communication protocols. 
     The storage unit  46  in the headstone  38  includes a power supply  54  that is coupled to the headstone  38 . The power supply  54  on the headstone  38  is electrically coupled to the control circuit  48  in the headstone  38 . The power supply  54  on the headstone  38  comprises at least one battery  56  that is integrated into the headstone  38 . The at least one battery  56  in the headstone  38  is electrically coupled to the control circuit  48  in the headstone  38 . The power supply  54  on the headstone  38  also includes a solar panel  58  that is coupled to the outer surface  42  of the headstone  38  such that the solar panel  58  is exposed to sunlight. The solar panel  58  is electrically coupled to the at least one battery  56  in the headstone  38  for charging the at least one battery  56  in the headstone  38 . 
     As is most clearly shown in  FIG. 5 , a plurality of first wells  60  may each be recessed into the outer surface  42  of the headstone  38  and a plurality of second wells  62  may each be recessed into the forward face  40  of the headstone  38 . The solar panel  58  may engage each of the first wells  60  and the display  44  on the headstone  38  may engage each of the second wells  62  for removably attaching the solar panel  58  and the display  44  to the headstone  38 . As is most clearly shown in  FIG. 3 , a marker  64  may be provided that has top side  66 , a front side  68  and a plurality of spikes  70  extending downwardly therefrom. The spikes  70  are insertable into the ground at a gravesite for displaying the marker  64 . Additionally, a display  72  and solar panel  74  may each be coupled to a respective front side  66  and top side  66  of the marker  64 . The display  72  may display video and photos and the solar panel  74  may charge the display. 
     In use, the extrinsic electronic device  28  is synchronized with the transceiver  34  in the casket  12  to download the video data and the audio data into the electronic memory  32  in the casket  12 . In this way the display  22  in the casket  12  displays the video and images. Additionally, the speakers  24  emit the audible sounds. The extrinsic electronic device  28  can also be synchronized with the transceiver  52  in the headstone  38  to download the video data and the audio data into the electronic memory  50  in the headstone  38 . In this way the display  44  on the headstone  38  displays the video imagery stored in the electronic memory  50  in the headstone  38 . 
     With respect to the above description then, it is to be realized that the optimum dimensional relationships for the parts of an embodiment enabled by the disclosure, to include variations in size, materials, shape, form, function and manner of operation, assembly and use, are deemed readily apparent and obvious to one skilled in the art, and all equivalent relationships to those illustrated in the drawings and described in the specification are intended to be encompassed by an embodiment of the disclosure. 
     Therefore, the foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the disclosure. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the disclosure to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly, all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the disclosure. In this patent document, the word “comprising” is used in its non-limiting sense to mean that items following the word are included, but items not specifically mentioned are not excluded. A reference to an element by the indefinite article “a” does not exclude the possibility that more than one of the element is present, unless the context clearly requires that there be only one of the elements.