U.S. patent application number 11/307039 was filed with the patent office on 2006-09-07 for recreational disc locator device.
Invention is credited to Adam M. Holms.
Application Number | 20060199682 11/307039 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 36944803 |
Filed Date | 2006-09-07 |
United States Patent
Application |
20060199682 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Holms; Adam M. |
September 7, 2006 |
Recreational Disc Locator Device
Abstract
A locator device for a recreational throwing disc such as golf
disc or Frisbee is disclosed. The locator device can be of a
visual, aural or electromagnetic nature depending on such factors
as the expense, size and weight limitations required by each.
Inventors: |
Holms; Adam M.; (Goleta,
CA) |
Correspondence
Address: |
LAURA N. TUNNELL
P.O. BOX 91929
SANTA BARBARA
CA
93190
US
|
Family ID: |
36944803 |
Appl. No.: |
11/307039 |
Filed: |
January 19, 2006 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
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60593740 |
Feb 9, 2005 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
473/570 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A63B 2024/0053 20130101;
A63B 24/0021 20130101; A63B 43/00 20130101; A63B 2071/0625
20130101; A63B 67/06 20130101; A63H 33/18 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
473/570 |
International
Class: |
A63B 43/06 20060101
A63B043/06 |
Claims
1. A locator system for a golf disc or Frisbee comprising:
Transmitting means operable for transmitting a locator signal,
wherein said transmitting means is physically located on said golf
disc or Frisbee, and Receiving means operable for receiving said
locator signal from said transmitting means.
2. A locator system as in claim 1 wherein said transmitting means
comprises a beeper and wherein said receiving means comprises a
mammalian ear.
3. A locator system as in claim 1 wherein said transmitting means
comprises a blinking light and wherein said receiving means
comprises a mammalian eye.
4. A locator system as in claim 1 wherein said transmitting means
comprises an electromagnetic emitter, wherein said electromagnetic
emitter is operable for generating an output signal, and wherein
said receiving means comprises a receiver operable for sensing said
output signal of said electromagnetic emitter.
5. A locator system as in claim 1 wherein said golf disc or Frisbee
has a center and wherein said transmitting means is located at said
center.
6. A locator system as in claim 1 wherein said golf disc or Frisbee
has a rim and wherein said transmitting means is located at said
rim.
7. A locator system as in claim 1 further comprising: Signal
transmission means operable for transmitting a prompting signal to
said golf disc or Frisbee, Signal receiving means for operable
receiving a prompting signal from said signal transmission means,
Signal initiation means operable for initiating said locator signal
in response to said prompting signal wherein both said signal
receiving means and said signal initiation means are physically
located on said golf disc or Frisbee.
8. A locator system as in claim 7 wherein said prompting signal is
electromagnetic and wherein said locator signal is a beeper.
9. A locator system as in claim 7 wherein said prompting signal is
electromagnetic and wherein said locator signal is a blinking
light.
10. A locator system as in claim 7 wherein said prompting signal is
electromagnetic and wherein said locator signal is electromagnetic.
Description
[0001] The present invention relates to a locator device for a
recreational throwing disc such as a golf disc or Frisbee.
BACKGROUND
[0002] The act of throwing discs has been with us in one form or
another since the beginning of time. Early man realized the
advantages of using flying objects to hunt from a distance in order
to avoid injury from an often formidable prey. The appearance of
items like the boomerang indicates that early man understood the
benefits of a flat spinning weapon. Such an object would travel
further than a round object. Moreover, the spinning motion could be
exploited by shaping and sharpening the edge to enhance its
lethality upon impact.
[0003] Since that time, games involving throwing discs have evolved
from man's instinctual competitive drive. However, as with any game
in which the game pieces are thrown, hit, or otherwise removed from
the immediate proximity of the player, the discs often get lost.
Consequently, the need has arisen for a device that effectively
locates the lost disc without interfering with its aero dynamical
properties.
SUMMARY
[0004] A locator system for a golf disc or Frisbee is disclosed.
The system comprises transmitting means operable for transmitting a
locator signal, wherein the transmitting means is physically
located on the golf disc or Frisbee, and receiving means operable
for receiving the locator signal from the transmitting means. In a
second embodiment the system further comprises signal transmission
means operable for transmitting a prompting signal to the golf disc
or Frisbee, signal receiving means for operable receiving a
prompting signal from the signal transmission means, and signal
initiation means operable for initiating the locator signal in
response to the prompting signal. Both the signal receiving means
and the signal initiation means are physically located on the golf
disc or Frisbee.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
[0005] The terms, "disc", "throwing disc", "golf disc" and
"Frisbee", as used interchangeably herein, are intended to denote a
flat circular disc that is thrown for recreational purposes.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES
[0006] FIG. 1 illustrates the operation of disc locator in passive
mode.
[0007] FIG. 2 illustrates the operation of disc locator in active
mode.
[0008] FIG. 3 shows a perspective view of a disc as seen from the
top.
[0009] FIG. 4 shows a perspective view of a disc as seen from the
bottom.
[0010] FIG. 5 shows a plan view of a disc as seen from the top.
[0011] FIG. 6 shows a plan view of a disc as seen from the
bottom.
[0012] Identification of Numbers used in the drawings
[0013] 10--disc, throwing disc, golf disc, or Frisbee
[0014] 11--locator signal
[0015] 12--receiver operable for receiving locator signal
[0016] 13--barrier between locator signal and receiver
[0017] 20--transmitter operable for prompting a signal from locator
device
[0018] 21--prompting signal
[0019] 30--top surface of disc
[0020] 40--bottom surface of disc
[0021] 41--rim of disc, candidate location for locator device or
for prompting signal receiver
[0022] 42--center of disc, also a candidate location for locator
device or for prompting signal receiver
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
[0023] Consider an individual playing disc golf on a standard
course. The disc (10) is thrown as part of the game. At times, it
will land in an area that is visually obscured from the player as
indicated in FIGS. 1 and 2. The barrier (13) responsible for the
obscurity may be vegetation, walls, or any other semi-opaque
objects situated on the line of sight between the disc (10) and the
player. If the disc (10) is equipped with a device location system
capable of communicating to the player, then it can be easily
found.
[0024] The location system can be either passive as shown in FIG. 1
or active as shown in FIG. 2. The locator device is a common
component of both. It is affixed or otherwise incorporated into the
disc (10), and is configured to emit a signal (11) capable of being
detected by a receiver (12). There are only two essential
characteristics of the receiver (12); it must be sensitive to the
signal (11) emitted by the locator device and it must be
communicable with the player or other person searching for the lost
disc (10).
[0025] The signal (11)/receiver (12) pair could be as simple as a
beeper emitting an audio signal (11). Here, the person's ear, or
the person's dog's ear, is the receiver (12). Another embodiment
could comprise a visual signal (11) such as a blinking light. Here,
the person's eye is the receiver (12). A more sophisticated
embodiment might involve the emission of an electromagnetic signal
(11) subsequently detected by a receiver (12) capable of sensing
the signal. Such a system is available from Electronic
Identification Systems, www.trovan.com.
[0026] A passive system is illustrated in FIG. 1. In passive mode,
the locator device emits the locator signal (11) without any
prompting. In contrast to this, the location process for an active
system as illustrated in FIG. 2, is initiated by a prompting signal
(21) emitted by a transmitter (20). The locator device senses the
prompting signal (21) and begins emitting its own signal in
response. The prompting signal (21) may be electromagnetic in
nature while the locator device may emit an electromagnetic, visual
or audio signal (11). The only requirement is that the prompting
signal (21) must be sensible to the locator device and result in
the onset of signal (11) emission. Weight and power requirements
for each type of transmit-receive link will serve to dictate the
optimum choice for a given system.
[0027] In the event that an electromagnetic signal is employed as
either the prompting signal (21) or the locator signal (11), one
must consider the capabilities and limitations of its frequency
content. A low frequency system, for example, emits a divergent
signal and has relatively low power requirements. On the other
hand, a high frequency system is more apt to penetrate dense
barriers such as heavy vegetation. The tradeoff is that power
requirements are often significant, thereby dictating heavier and
clumsier apparatus. Moreover, high frequency systems are
characterized by narrow angular ranges; the locator device and the
receiver (12) must be mutually faced. Components for an
electromagnetic signal for either system are available from
RF-ID.com.
[0028] FIG. 3 shows the top surface (30) of a standard disc (10).
FIG. 4 illustrates the bottom surface (40) including an optional
rimmed edge (41). A candidate spot for the location device is the
center of the disc (42) as shown in FIG. 4. Other embodiments of
the location device include a ring butted up against the rim (41)
also shown in the figure. The basic geometrical requirement of the
locator device is that it not interfere with the aero dynamical
characteristics of the disc. Because the disk spins about its
geometrical center, the configuration of device is constrained to
one of azimuthal symmetry. Moreover, it must be light so that the
added weight does not significantly interfere with the disc's
unadulterated flight characteristics. The locator device could be
incorporated into the disc (10) at the time of manufacture.
[0029] The above arguments focusing on the location device parallel
those for a device sensible to a prompting signal (21) of an active
system. One embodiment would be that the location device is
configured in the rim (41) while the sensing device for the
prompting signal (21) resides at the center (42) of the disc.
Another embodiment might have the two configurations reversed while
a third would have them both incorporated into the disc at the time
of manufacture. Yet another embodiment would have the locator
device for the locator signal (11) coincident with the sensing
device for the prompting signal (21).
[0030] While particular embodiments of the present invention have
been illustrated and described, it would be obvious to those
skilled in the art that various other changes and modifications can
be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the
invention. For instance, the emitting signal (11) can be actuated
by the user before the disc is thrown rather than being prompted
after the fact or being in a continuous state of emission. It is
therefore intended to cover in the appended claims all such changes
and modifications that are within the scope of this invention.
* * * * *
References