Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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Personal Protective Device and Method of Using the Same
Technical Field
The present invention relates to a personal protective device for repelling
predators and more particularly pertains to driving away predators in an area
with a
sound generation device.
Background Art
Swimmers, scuba divers, hikers, hunters, and campers sometimes find
themselves in an environment containing land or marine animals that are known
to
prey on humans. Although noisemaking on land is often sufficient to repel some
land
to predators, the splashing and movement of waterborne activity tends to
attract some
marine predators, such as sharks.
Attempts have been made in the past to use acoustic devices to attempt to
control land and marine animals. Generally, the devices heretofore devised and
utilized for the purpose of repelling land and marine animals have consisted
of fixed
or ship-mounted devices for generating sound or vibration using a variety of
mechanisms, such sound or vibration being intended to repel or control the
behavior
of such land or marine animals, including the following:
U.S. Pat. No. 3,317,889, issued to Stanley Barrand, discloses an apparatus for
repelling sharks by vibrating a line at specified frequency that generates a
sound to
2o repel sharks.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,566,085, issued to Stanley Weinberg, discloses an ultrasonic
sound generator for producing bursts of sound to eradicate vermin and pests
from a
desired space.
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U.S. Pat. No. 5,570,322, issued to Michael T. Miller, discloses a barracuda-
repelling sound generation device that generates and transmits sounds and
light that
are purportedly irritating to.barracudas.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,610,76, issued to Robert K. Jeffers, discloses an acoustic
deterrent system and method for repelling marine mammals from a region of
water.
High frequency (7-10 kHz) acoustic signals starting at a low level are
gradually or
incrementally increased to a level beyond the mammals' pain threshold.
Notably, the prior art devices have comprised rather complex constructions,
often large in size making them unsuitable for use as a personal protection
device that
to a user may individually carry and actuate as they see is necessary.
Moreover, none of
the above-noted references disclose an easily transportable, personal
protective device
that can be worn on a person to repel an animal that is a predator to humans,
or that
uses piezoelectric speaker technology and prerecorded sounds of predators to
such
animals to repel such animals away from human beings.
Disclosure of Invention
The present invention provides a solution to the above and other problems by
enabling a simply designed, easy to construct, personally wearable, and
inexpensive
personal protective device that can selectively be worn either on a person's
wrist or
attached to any part of the human body or marine or land equipment, such as
2o surfboards, flotation devices, and camping gear.
It is, therefore, an object of the present invention to enable a personal
protective device for repelling predators, and method of using the same, that
avoids
the disadvantages of the prior art.
It is another object of the present invention to enable a personal protective
device that is compact and portable. A related object is to enable a personal
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protective device that can be worn by a person, such as in a manner similar to
a
wristwatch.
It is another object of the present invention to enable a personal protective
device for repelling predators having a simple design. It is a related object
of the
present invention to enable a personal protective device using piezo
technology that is
of durable and reliable construction.
It is another object of the present invention to enable a personal protective
device that may be easily and efficiently manufactured and marketed. A related
object of the present invention is to enable a personal protective device that
is
1o susceptible of a low cost of manufacture with regard to both materials and
labor, and
which accordingly is then susceptible of low prices of sale to the consuming
public,
thereby making such a personal protective device economically available to the
buying public.
It is another object of the present invention to enable a personal protective
device comprising a sound generator for reproducing a sound known to repel
predators; a piezoelectric speaker; and a power supply for supplying
electrical energy
to the sound generator and speaker.
In accordance with the above and other objects, a personal protective device
is
described for providing a marine and/or land transmission detraction and
deterrence
2o device designed to protect swimmers, scuba divers, surfers, hikers,
hunters, campers
and other individuals engaged in water and/or land activities from attacks by
marine
or land predators of human beings. With regard to a particularly preferred
embodiment of the invention, the device emits a high frequency pitch in
varying
sequential intervals that is easily heard, and more particularly is
recognized, by sharks
and/or by other targeted land and marine predators of humans. In the case of
sharks,
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for example, a high pitch sound emitted by the device either is of natural
sound
recordings or of computer generated replica sounds preferably of pods of
Filler
Whales. Optionally, other sounds known or discovered to be recognizable by and
effective in deternng sharks from menacing or attacking human beings may be
utilized. The sound emitted by the device can be selectively modified to
target other
marine and land predators.
Brief Description of the Drawings
The above and other features, aspects, and advantages of the present invention
are considered in more detail, in relation to the following description of
embodiments
1o thereof shown in the accompanying drawings, in which:
FIG. 1 illustrates a block diagram of device having circuitry according to one
embodiment of the present invention.
Best Mode(s~for Carrying Out the Invention
Referring to Figure 1, a personal protective device of the present invention
is
constructed preferably in a portable, waterproof container 10. A miniature
circuit
board 13 is disposed within the container 10, having a sound generator and
control
circuitry. In a first embodiment of the invention, the sound generator
produces
digitally synthesized sounds of one or more feeding killer whales. Killer
whale
feeding sounds are recorded in the wild and the recorded sounds are converted
to a
2o digital sound signal. The recorded killer whale sound is digitized, edited,
and
enhanced to produce digitally synthesized killer whale sounds. The sound
produced
by the sound generator preferably is a digitally remastered, man-made sound
recorded
on a computer chip that is virtually identical to the natural recording.
Approximately
5 to 10 seconds of sound is recorded on the computer chip.
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The control circuitry is responsive to an input switch 16 that energizes such
miniature circuit board 13. Switch 16 has an enabled orientation for allowing
the
circuit board 13 to be electrically energized and a disabled orientation for
preventing
the circuit board 13 from being electrically energized. When energized, the
control
circuitry directs the sound generator to produce the recorded sound. When the
sound
is finished playing, the control circuitry directs the sound generator to
replay the
recorded sound as long as the circuit board remains energized. In an alternate
embodiment, the computer chip can have multiple sounds from different
predators
recorded thereon. In such an embodiment, a means for selecting the desired
sound to
to be produced by the sound generator is provided.
A piezoelectric speaker 19 is electrically connected to the sound generator on
miniature circuit board 13. The piezoelectric speaker 19 projects the sound
output
from the sound generator. The projected sound should be of sufficient volume
to be
heard by a predator at a safe distance from the user. Such a safe distance
varies with
the predator being deterred. In a preferred embodiment, the speaker generates
a
sound in the range of 120 to 190 decibels. Greater or lesser volume sound can
be
used as required by a particular application. The piezoelectric speaker is
commercially available and allows the device to be built in a small, compact
container, and may be operated by a minimal power source, thus enabling the
speaker
2o to be incorporated in a personal protection device capable of being worn by
a user.
One such manufacturer of piezoelectric devices is Piezo Systems, Inc. of
Cambridge,
Massachusetts.
A battery 22, such as a standard wristwatch battery, is disposed within the
container 10. Battery 22 supplies electrical energy for operation of the
device. When
the device is activated, the battery power will travel through switch 16 and
energizes
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the miniature circuit board 13 that houses the sound generator containing the
sound
for broadcasting. The sound generator begins transmitting the prerecorded
sound
through the piezoelectric speaker 19. The battery is conventional in design
and
commercially available, such as Casio, Energizer, or Duracell wristwatch
batteries.
The battery may be replaced when its electrical energy has been expended.
Mounted on the exterior of the waterproof container 10 may be two
pushbuttons. A first pushbutton 25 turns the device on by placing switch 16 in
the
enabled orientation. A second pushbutton 26 turns the device off by placing
switch
16 in the disabled orientation.
1o In a preferred embodiment, the personal protective device of the present
invention is easily transportable, fully self contained, and small enough to
be worn by
the user. The device is constructed in a small, waterproof enclosure using
piezoelectric speaker technology, which is the same type of technology used in
small
speaker devices, such as talking wristwatches and small personal alarms. In
the
instance of protection from sharks, for example, the piezoelectric speaker
technology
used in the device may utilize a natural recording of a natural predator of
sharks. For
example, in one preferred embodiment, the natural recording may comprise the
sounds of a well-known pod of Killer Whales known as the R-Pod. By reproducing
the series of cries and clicks made by members of the R-Pod while feeding, the
device
2o may serve to alert any shark or marine predator that killer whales are
feeding neaxby,
causing the shark or marine predator to retreat.
In operation, a small watch battery powers the internal components of the
device. When activated, the protective device preferably emits a 4 to 10
kilowatt
chirp through a piezoelectric speaker preferably ranging between 120 and 190
decibels to scare away a potential predator. It has been found that such
decibel range
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is preferable for particularly transmitting the recordings of Killer Whales
described
above the desired distance of 30 to 100 meters. Notably, depending on the
desired
range of sound transmission and whether such transmission will be through
water or
through air, the power and volume transmitted can be varied, so long as an
overall
transmission range of preferably between 30 and 100 meters is maintained. The
emitted sounds preferably last approximately 3-5 seconds and will be
continuously
repeated as long as the device is energized. The amount of the recorded sound
may
be of any length provided it can be stored on a computer chip mounted on the
miniature circuit board contained in the device.
Once again, such transmission preferably causes the sound to be projected
underwater for a distance between 30 and 100 meters. The sound needs to be
powerful enough to travel a sufficient distance through the water to reach its
intended
target for deterrence. The length of travel of the sound in water is dependent
upon the
power of the transmission and the water conditions. In general, more power
'projected
into the water will travel a longer distance. Consequently, the further the
sound will
travel, the greater reaching the deterrent effect on a predator. Thus, it
should be noted
that the power of transmission may be adjusted depending upon the medium in
which
the sound must travel so as to maintain a transmission distance of preferably
between
30 and 100 meters.
2o The protective device is preferably constructed of a durable and waterproof
outer shell and may be worn as a wrist/diving watch, or in any manner that
will enable
it to be attached to any part of the human body or marine or land equipment,
such as
surfboards, flotation devices, and camping gear.
In an alternate embodiment, the device can be modified using other natural
sounds such as the sounds of bottle-nosed Dolphins, Sperm Whales, Humpback
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Whales and other like marine mammals and marine carnivores that are known to
attack sharks or other marine predators. It can also be modified to use other
sounds as
deterrents to other predators of human beings. Such modification may be
performed
either by use of a different computer chip having a different recording or by
using a
variable selectable sound stored on a single chip. Similar piezoelectric
speaker
technology and interval sound transmission, sequential or otherwise, may be
specifically designed to target other land and marine predators of human
beings.
Industrial Applicability
For the industrial application of a personal protective device, it is
desirable to
to provide a piece of equipment that emits a sound designed to repel land and
marine
predators and that can be conveniently carried or worn by a person. Herein
disclosed
is personal protective equipment for providing a marine and/or land
transmission
detraction and deterrence device designed to protect swimmers, scuba divers,
surfers,
hikers, hunters, campers and other individuals engaged in water andlor land
activities
from attacks by marine or land predators of human beings. The device emits a
high
frequency pitch in varying sequential intervals that is easily heard, and more
particularly is recognized, by sharks and/or by other targeted land and marine
predators of humans. The sound emitted by the device can be selectively
modified to
target a variety of marine and land predators.
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