Patent ID: 7577405

Claim:
A disposable radio communication device comprising: a body defining an enclosed chamber substantially spherical in configuration allowing said body to roll and bounce wherein said body is rugged enough to withstand impacts and other crushing forces, and wherein said body is weighted; a power source mounted in the chamber comprising at least one dry cell battery; a processor on-off switch mounted on said body and accessible from outside said body; a processor mounted in the chamber and powered by said power source; a transceiver mounted in the chamber and in communication with said processor; an antenna extending from said transceiver and disposed in the chamber for receiving a signal from a remote unit and for transmitting a sound signal to said remote unit; a speaker mounted in said body and in communication with said processor, wherein said speaker is a broadcast speaker having a face portion that is substantially co-extensive with the spherical surface of the body; a plurality of microphones mounted in said body and in communication with said processor; and wherein said transceiver is adapted to receive a broadcast sound signal from a remote unit via said antenna, wherein said transceiver transmits the broadcast sound signal by inputting the broadcast sound signal to said processor and thence to said speaker for broadcast, and wherein said microphones are adapted to receive any sound message from outside the body and input the received sound message to the processor for transmittal by the transceiver to the remote unit, whereby said processor and transceiver provides an indication as to which of said plurality of microphones has received any broadcast sound message; an orientation sensor in communication with said processor for providing an indication as to the direction of a sound message generated by an at least one person trapped in a rubble pile of a collapsed building.