Sentry system with wireless interface for a docked boat
OwnerStephen Fosterinventor
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An electric sentry system provides utilities for the welfare of a docked boat. The sentry system serves as boat and lift control, and security, system that has a wireless interface for two-way communications with a mobile wireless device. The system is configured to receive commands sent from the mobile wireless device. The system is also configured to independently monitor conditions involving the boat, the lift, or the premises surrounding the docked boat slip, and provide notifications to the boat owner/relevant user upon the occurrence of certain report-worthy events. This includes having the system monitoring online sources for extreme weather and/or other climatic data.
Claims20
A method of utilizing an electronic sentry system proximate a docked boat for a remote user, comprising the steps of:
- docking a boat in a slip having a boat lift;
- configuring an electronic sentry system proximate the docked boat with operability to respond to communications sent from a cellular telephone of a remote user over a cellular telephone network;
- configuring an electronic operator of the boat lift and linking the electronic operator to the electronic sentry system such that the electronic sentry system can send control signals to the electronic operator and can change the status or state of the boat lift;
- linking a camera pointed at the slip to the electronic sentry system;
- said remote user querying the electronic sentry system from said remote user's cellular telephone for the status or state of the boat lift;
- and
- said electronic sentry system responding over the communications network with a response comprising both an indication of status or state of the boat lift, and, at least one current image from the camera.
A method of utilizing an electronic sentry system proximate a docked boat for a remote user, comprising the steps of:
- docking a boat in a slip;
- associating a chosen boat condition or system with either the boat or the slip, and which chosen boat condition or system has plural conditions or states that can be changed by an electronic operator therefor;
- configuring an electronic sentry system proximate the docked boat with operability to respond to communications sent from a cellular telephone of a remote user over a cellular telephone network;
- configuring the electronic operator of the chosen boat condition or system and linking the electronic operator to the electronic sentry system such that the electronic sentry system can send control signals to the electronic operator and change the condition or state of the chosen boat condition or system;
- said remote user querying the electronic sentry system with the remote user's cellular telephone for the condition or state of the chosen boat condition or system;
- said electronic sentry system responding to the remote user's cellular telephone with a response;
- if according to the response, said remote use want to change the condition or state of the chosen boat condition or system, said remote user sending an instruction from the remote user's cellular telephone and to the electronic sentry system to change such condition or state of the chosen boat condition or system;
- and
- the electronic sentry system outputting control signals to the electronic operator of the chosen boat condition or system in accordance with the instruction.
A method of utilizing an electronic sentry system proximate a docked boat for a remote user, comprising the steps of:
- docking a boat in a slip;
- associating a position detector relative the boat and slip for associating boat position relative to the slip while docked;
- configuring an electronic sentry system proximate the docked boat with operability to propagate communications to a cellular telephone of a remote user over a cellular telephone network;
- linking the position detector to the electronic sentry system;
- said electronic sentry system periodically sampling the output of the position detector;
- configuring said electronic sentry system with a trigger event relative the output of the position detector;
- when said output of the position detector constitutes the trigger event, said electronic sentry system propagating an alarm signal of such to the remote user's cellular telephone.
A method of utilizing an electronic sentry system proximate a docked boat for a remote user, comprising the steps of:
- docking a boat in a slip having a boat lift;
- configuring an electronic sentry system proximate the docked boat with operability to propagate messages to a cellular telephone of a remote user over a cellular telephone network;
- configuring an electronic operator of the boat lift and linking the electronic operator to the electronic sentry system such that the electronic sentry system can send control signals to the electronic operator and can change the status or state of the boat lift;
- the electronic sentry system periodically sampling (1) the status or state of at least one chosen condition of the docked boat and (2) data from at least one online source regarding some factor could prospectively impact the docked boat;
- processing the sampled status or state of the chosen condition of the docked boat and the sampled data from the at least one online source for determining if an alert condition has been met;
- and
- generating an alert communication and propagating the alert communication to the cellular telephone of the remote user.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.