Chung Kwong Tong

US Patent:

8514095, Aug 20, 2013

Filed:

Feb 13, 2009

Appl. No.:

12/370732

Inventors:

Kerry L. Greer - Fort Lauderdale FL, US
Chung T. Tong - Boynton Beach FL, US
Kaiyu Wu - Parkland FL, US
Claudio Cassina - Hollywood FL, US
Francis M. Jaruszewski - Boynton Beach FL, US
Anthony Jackson-Pownall - Hollywood FL, US

Assignee:

ACR Electronics, Inc. - Fort Lauderdale FL

International Classification:

G08B 5/22

US Classification:

34081545, 342385, 701468

Abstract:

An Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacon (EPIRB) comprising an integrated wireless receiver, a graphical display device, capability to utilize both internal and external GPS coordinate sources, an infrared background lighting adjustment algorithm, and a multi-LED strobe light array. The receiver provides a return communications path back to the beacon, which is used to acknowledge the receipt of the beacon's outgoing emergency signal by Search and Rescue satellites. The display is used to visually display various operational status information as well as any received messages coming back into the receiver. The GPS receiver system switches between internally derived and/or externally supplied GPS coordinates. The present invention also incorporates an Automatic Background Light Adjustment (ABLA) algorithm to compensate for the maximum range of light intensity encountered by infrared communications LEDs during daytime and nighttime operation. Additionally, a multi-LED array is used to flash a signaling strobe in a universal hemispherical pattern.