Patent ID: 7456754

Claim:
A programmable infrared beacon for individual combat identification, comprising: a transparent housing: an electronics circuit within said housing, said electronics circuit having a microprocessor with memory; a power source adapted to provide electrical power to said electronics circuit; a plurality of signaling infrared light emitting diodes within the housing and electrically connected to the microprocessor; a plurality of program indicator light emitting diodes within the housing and electrically connected to the microprocessor, said program indicator light emitting diodes being color coded; said housing having three pins electrically connected to said electronics circuit, one said pin being a program select pin, one said pin being a program input pin and the remaining pin being a common ground pin; an infrared receiver sub-circuit connected to said electronics circuit, said infrared receiver sub-circuit adapted to receive coded infrared commands from a source external to the housing; an external programming pin electrically connected to said electronics circuit; a programmer unit having a plurality of signaling programs and an infrared transmitter, said transmitter adapted for communicating with said infrared receiver sub-circuit, wherein said programmer unit is further comprised of: a housing having a beacon programmer control panel; a plurality of connectors on said control panel adapted to connect to said infrared beacon and provide power to said infrared beacon; a programming pin on said control panel for providing said signaling programs to said beacon; an infrared serial emitter link on said housing for communicating with said infrared beacon sub-circuit; a photo sensor on said control panel for detecting an infrared beacon infrared emission signaling pattern and converting said pattern to a color display visible to a naked eye; a plurality of momentary action push-button switches on said control panel for controlling a plurality of programmer unit functions; a plurality of light emitting diode indicators on said control panel; a universal serial bus connection for connection to an external electronic device selected from the group consisting of personal computers, laptop computers and hand-held computers.