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US 6,620,057 B1Granted
System for locating golf balls
AssigneeFlite Traxx, Inc.
InventorsAnthony J. Pirritano, Raymond Imblum, Thomas R. Pierce
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
The present invention provides a system for locating lost golf balls which includes a golf ball that incorporates an array of passive transponders and a radio frequency (“RF”) transmitter/receiver capable of energizing the passive transponder array and of detecting a signal emitted by the array. Each passive transponder functions as a tuned LC circuit that is charged by the RF transponder/receiver and emits an RF signal, detectable by the RF transmitter/receiver, for a finite period of time after the RF transmitter/receiver is turned off.
Claims11
A locator apparatus comprising:
- a retrievable object including a passive transponder device formed by a plurality of loop transponders oriented at an angle of 90 degrees to each other;
- said transponder device being configured to resonate at a selected radio frequency and to emit a radio frequency return signal upon being illuminated by a source RF signal at said selected frequency;
- an active RF transmitter/receiver including a circuit for illuminating said passive transponder with an RF signal at said selected frequency to excite said passive transponder and including a circuit for detecting said emitted return signal and further including a helical antenna for transmission of said selected source signal and detection of said return signal;
- and
- at least one indicator included within said RF transmitter/receiver, responsive to said return signal, to communicate a perceptible signal to a user.
2 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.