Our RFID Clothing Used to Detect Human Presence in Boat Kill Switch Applications invention disclosure below was posted on 29 August 2011. It is one of five related Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) invention disclosures we posted today. We will make no changes to the invention disclosure that begins with text below the horizontal line following this paragraph except to correct misspellings, punctuation, and to update html/computer codes and links. Any updates to the invention will be posted below the horizontal line marking the end of the invention disclosure.

Passive RFID Fob Background Information

Rather than repeat it, we cite the “Passive RFID Fob Background Information” section of our Non-unique RFID Fob / RF Reflector Used to Detect Human Presence and/or Human Proximity and/or Human Location invention disclosure of this same date and include it here by reference.

Detecting the Presence of Humans

Rather than repeat it, we cite the “Detecting the Presence of Humans” section of our Implantable Non-Unique RFID Tag / RFID Chip / RF Reflector Used to Detect Human Presence and/or Human Proximity and/or Human Location Invention disclosure of this same date and include it here by reference.

Purpose of Boat Engine Kill Switch Systems

Rather than repeat it, we cite the “Purpose of Boat Engine Kill Switch Systems” section of our RFID Life Jacket / RF Reflector Life Jacket Used to Detect Human Presence in Boat Kill Switch Applications invention disclosure of this same date and include it here by reference.

RFID Clothing Used to Detect Human Presence in Boat Kill Switch Applications invention

Clothing incorporating an RFID tag such as an RFID laundry tag that is capable of being detected to determine boat operator presence at the helm. RFID Clothing Activated Kill Switches (RFIDCAKS), or CAKS for short, effectively integrate a virtual lanyard with clothing such as shorts, pants, jeans, t-shirts, polos, shirts, blouses, windbreakers, jackets, male and female swim suits, belts, caps, or other articles of clothing.

CAKS allow a boat operator to be sensed by the Human Presence Detection System portion of their Boat Kill Switch without having to attach a physical lanyard to their clothing or wear a clip on tag.

In addition, CAKS offer:

1. Greater freedom of movement than being tied to a lanyard.

2. Potential for greater range of movement (greater distance from helm) than a lanyard.

Also, the United States Coast Guard (USCG) has been discussing the possibility of making it mandatory to use kill switches on boats less than 26 feet if they are equipped with a kill switch. If that rule were to come to pass, a CAKS would be a good way to obey the rule with minimum hassle and maximum protection (a possible slogan for CAKS).

The RFID tag (or tags) utilized in the CAKS may be active, passive, semi-passive, or battery assisted passive (BAP).

Currently, lanyard kill switches, Virtual Lifeline and Cast (by MariTech), and Autotether are among the options to detect a boat operator falling overboard. Lanyard kill switches, also known as emergency engine cut-off switches, are often not worn due to the hassle of hooking them up.

When queried for additional information, the CAKS RFID tags could all broadcast the same alphanumeric response, such as “HUMAN” or “OPERATOR”.

Having the same serial number AND / OR broadcasting the same alphanumeric response, such as “HUMAN” or “OPERATOR” provides two alternative means of verifying the operator is at the helm.

RFID tags can be incorporated in a boat operator’s clothing as:

1. Attached fobs, as fobs contained within a closeable, sealable pouch in the clothing (sealable by sewing, zipper, snaps, buttons, or other means to retain the fob).

2. Washable RFID tags of the nature of those manufactured by Fujitsu, Linen Technology Tracking, the several manufacturers on Alibaba.com, and others.

3. Sew on patches or adhesive patches (possibly resembling military or scouting patches)

4. Many other ways

RFID tags can also be incorporated into clothing after the time of manufacture, such as by the retailer or end user. This can be done by:

1. The clothing manufacturer providing a pouch or other secure retaining method in which RFID tags could be later added.

2. Sew on or adhesive patches could be used to convert existing clothing to CAKS. These patches could be clearly marked with a logo, such as CAKS.

CAKCS could be designed so RFID tags could be temporarily removed from CAKS for service, replacement, washing, or drying.

In one embodiment, a passive washable UHF RFID tag is securely sewn into / sewn onto a pair of shorts at the time of manufacture. In another embodiment, a passive washable UHF RFID tag is securely sewn into / sewn onto a pair of male swim trunks at the time of manufacture. In yet another embodiment, a passive washable UHF RFID tags is sewn into / sewn onto a t-shirt.

CAKS could be plainly marked as incorporating kill switch RFID tags. For example they could bear a name or logo such as CAKS.

CAKS clothing would normally only be worn by the boat operator. CAKS clothing would not be worn in the water when the boat is running (not worn for water skiing, etc.). When the boat engine is off, the boat operator can enter the water wearing the clothing.

The CAKS RFID tags could be built by several different manufacturers. They would just have to all use the same agreed upon serial number on every single RFID tag and be capable of being read by the same RFID reader.

As an alternative, unique RFID tags (each with their own unique serial number) or non-unique RFID tags (all with the same serial number) could be programed to broadcast the same alphanumeric response, such as the words “HUMAN” or “OPERATOR” when queried for additional information.

CAKS can be used to determine the presence of the boat operator wearing it to the helm. CAKS can similarly be used to determine the proximity of the boat operator wearing it to the helm (distance from the helm).

Knowledge of location of the reader on the boat and the design of life jackets allows optimal design of the RFID tag for maximum signal and minimum noise. It also allows optimal placement of the RFID tag(s) in the clothing for maximum signal and minimum noise.

It is well known that some types of RFID tags have difficulties near fluids, metals, and humans (humans are mostly water). These problems can be overcome properly selecting the type of tag, selecting the proper frequencies, positioning the tag(s) on the CAKS, by the use of multiple RFID tags, by use of multiple antennas to saturate the tag(s), and by proper design and positioning of the reader(s) on the boat.

CAKS can be easily manufactured in the form of shorts, pants, jeans, tshirts, polos, shirts, blouses, windbreakers, jackets, male and female swim suits, caps, belts, and other articles of clothing.

CAKS can be used with multiple helms on the same boat.

Conventional lanyard kill switch systems can still be optionally used with CAKS.

A random generated numeric or alphanumeric code could be written to RFID tags in CAKS by the Boat Kill Switch System to identify the specific CAKS that is the operator at this time.

While we assume UHF washable RFID tags will be the primary mode of creating CAKS clothing, we also note CAKS clothing could be made from RF reflectors (chipless RFID) and that those reflectors could still send back a few bits of information such as a string of four 1’s.

Proper care must be taken in design of CAKS to assure the system does not interfere with wireless, radio, cell phone, video, television, gps, engine electronics, or other electronic systems on the vessel AND that those systems do not interfere with CAKS.

We recognize the optimal design for this system is to be reading passive RFID tags up to a few meters in distance in a boating environment. Reading a single passive RFID tag at those distances, considering the freedom of orientation of the operator, in the boating environment can be challenging today. New improved RFID tags and readers are coming out at a frenzied pace. The use of passive UHF RFID laundry tags in this system with minimal false positives is now possible or will be very soon. Their larger size, greater reading distances, and ease at which they could be sewn into / sewn onto clothing make them an excellent choice. See InvoTech Systems UHF RFID YouTube Demo in the references below as an example of their reading distances.

Reference

• Emergency Shut Off Devices. ABYC-A-33. A standard for emergency engine cut-off switches.
• Installation and Use of Engine Cut-Off Switches on Recreational Vessels. United States Coast Guard Advanced Notice of Proposed Rulemaking. Federal Register. June 8, 2011. Pages 33161-33166.
• Recreational Vessel Propeller Strike and Carbon Monoxide Poisoning Casualty Prevention. United States Coast Guard Advanced Notice of Proposed Rulemaking. Federal Register. August 26, 2011. Pages 53364-53369.
• U.S. Patent 6,450,845 Passive Occupant Sensing System for a Watercraft. Richard Snyder assigned to Brunswick. Infrared sensor used to detect boat operator presence in conjunction with a kill switch system.
• U.S. Patent 7,081,028 Portable Control Device Used as a Security and Safety Component of a Marine Propulsion System. John Crane assigned to Brunswick. Portable remote control allows starting the engine and functions as an operator presence system in conjunction with a kill switch system.
• U.S. Patent 7,083,482 Marine Engine Stopping Device invented by Keith Jackson and Harry Bouge of MariTech. A Virtual lifeline / CAST patent.
• U.S. Patent 7,109,851 Presence and Recognition System. Assigned to Teleflex. RFID tag is used for RKE (Remote Keyless Entry function) and as a vehicle kill switch. They teach of a circuit checking about every .2 seconds for its presence to conserve battery power. The tag is attached to a lanyard. The tag is physically slipped onto the kill switch and the other end of the lanyard is attached similarly to conventional lanyard kill switches.
• U.S. Patent 7,201,619 Safety Shut-Off System for a Powered Vehicle. Assigned to Autotether. One of several Autotether patents including U.S. Patent 7,448,925 and U.S. Patent 7,553,205.
• U.S. Patent 7,355,518 Cordless Lanyard System Using E-Field. Richard Staerzl assigned to Brunswick. Electronic field system placed under the operator’s seat detects changes in the electronic field between the seat and the helm to detect operator presence in conjunction with a kill switch system.
• WO 2008/074971 Marine Safety System. Applied for by Vision Engineering Ltd. of the U.K. System of transmitters is used to identify the number of people wearing them onboard and respond if one goes overboard by pulling out the “kill-switch”, sounding an alarm, or other actions. The system is fairly similar in operation to the Autotether system. The text of the patent does mention the possibility of using passive RFID tags but does not develop their use nor does it focus only on the operator’s station. The patent does not mention integrating RFID tags with clothing for use with kill switches.
• RFID Proximity Kill Switch. Half Baked Bakery. auto de. August 14, 2006.
• New Washable RFID Chips Track Hotel Towels and Bathrobes. Popular Science. April 14, 2011.
• Washable RFID Tags to Benefit Clothing Logistics. Gizmag. October 15, 2007. Reports Fijitsu is showing durable soft linen RFID tags for sewing into rental uniforms for tracking real time inventories.
• Fujitsu Washable UHF RFID Tag. WT-A511/A611 tag in product catalog.
• UHF RFID Laundry Tags @ Evertrend Tags. Read distance 3 to 8 meters.
• InvoTech Systems UHF RFID Demo 2010. Uploaded to YouTube May 3, 2011. Video of InvoTech Solutions RFID GIMS uniform system demonstration at HITEC trade show. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d25p4Cl3gPc
• Intelliflex FBT-8400 RFID tag. Example of a battery assisted passive UHF (Ultra High Frequency) RFID tag that operates well close to metals, fluids, and the human body, and provides long range reading capabilities.
• Circle of Death Propeller Accident Invention disclosure. Propeller Guard Information Center. June 17, 2010.
• MOJIX long range reading technologies for passive RFID tags.
• Autotether a wireless lanyard system.
• MariTech manufacturer of Virtual Lanyard and CAST wireless lanyard systems.
• All five RFID Invention Disclosures we made today.

It is clear that the present invention is well adapted to carry out the objects and attain the ends and advantages mentioned as well as those inherent therein. While some presently preferred embodiments of the invention have been described for purposes of this disclosure, numerous changes may be made which will readily suggest themselves to those skilled in the art and which are encompassed within the spirit of the invention disclosed and as defined in the appended claims.

Our Claims

We (Polson Enterprises, owner of the Propeller Guard Information Center) claim the the inventions described in this invention disclosure not previously legally claimed or patented by others and now make a public disclosure of them. At this time we retain all rights to these inventions. Any changes in that position will be placed in the Updates section below.

More specifically we claim:

Note: use of the term clothing below includes shorts, pants, jeans, t-shirts, polos, shirts, blouses, windbreakers, jackets, male and female swim suits, belts, caps, and other articles of clothing worn by boat operators.

1. Clothing containing, holding or attached to an RFID tag(s) for the purpose of being detected by a boat kill switch system (Emergency Engine Cut-Off Switch) as a means of detecting presence of the boat operator.

2. Clothing containing, holding or attached to RFID tag(s) for the purpose of being detected by a boat kill switch (Emergency Engine Cut-Off Switch) as a means of detecting presence of the boat operator in which the RFID tags are similar to the RFID fobs described in our “Non-Unique RFID Fob / RF Reflector Used to Detect Human Presence and/or Human Proximity and/or Human Location” invention disclosure of this same date. Note that includes unique RFID tags, non-unique RFID tags, and RF Reflector tags as a substitute for RFID tag(s) in this claim.

3. Clothing that serves as a virtual lanyard to the kill switch

4. Clothing described in Claims 1 though 3 in which the RFID tag (or tags) utilized in the CAKS (RFID Clothing Activated Kill Switch) may be active, passive, semi-passive, or battery assisted passive (BAP).

5. When queried for additional information, the RFID tag(s) of the CAKS in Claims 1 through 4 could all broadcast the same alphanumeric response, such as the word “HUMAN” or “OPERATOR”.

6. CAKS clothing in Claims 1 through 5 with rewritable RFID tags.

7. CAKS clothing in Claim 6 to which the RFID Boat Kill Switch System writes a random generated numeric or alphanumeric code to the boat operators RFID tag(s) to signify the specific item of CAKS clothing on the boat operator for this particular session.

8. CAKS clothing as described in Claims 1 though 7 with washable RFID tags of the nature of those manufactured by Fujitsu, Linen Technology Tracking, and several manufacturers on Alibaba.com built into them (sewn in, sewn onto, or otherwise affixed to the CAKS clothing).

9. CAKS clothing as described in Claims 1 through 8 with RFID tags attached as sew on patches or as adhesive patches (possibly resembling military or scouting patches).

10. CAKS clothing as described in Claims 1 through 7 with RFID tags attached for use with boat operator kill switches in any manner.

11. CAKS clothing with a pouch or other secure retaining method in which RFID tags could be added after manufacture.

12. Sew on or adhesive patches containing RFID tags for use in convert existing clothing to CAKS clothing.

13. CAKS clothing with temporarily removable RFID tags for the purpose of service, replacement, washing the CAKS clothing, drying the CAKS clothing, or other activities.

14. In one embodiment, a passive washable UHF RFID tag is securely sewn into / sewn onto the CAKS clothing at the time of manufacture.

15. CAKS clothing as described in Claims 1 through 14 in which the clothing is clearly marked as incorporating kill switch RFID tags (either by phrase, name, or logo).

16. CAKS clothing as described in Claims 1 through 15 in which each RFID tag has its own unique ID / serial number.

17. Large populations of CAKS clothing as described in Claims 1 through 16 that all utilize the same agreed upon ID / serial number on every single RFID tag and are capable of being read by the same RFID reader. For example, they could all use the 16 digit ID number of 1111111111111111.

18. CAKS clothing as described in Claims 1 though 16 utilizing unique RFID tags (each with their own unique serial number) or non-unique RFID tags (all with the same serial number) all programed to broadcast the same alphanumeric response, such as the words “HUMAN” or “OPERATOR” when queried for additional information.

19. CAKS clothing as described in Claims 1 though 18 that contain a sequence of numbers in their RFID tag ID number / serial number to indicate they are constructed from RFID tags bound for Boat Kill Switch System applications.

20. CAKS clothing as described in Claims 1 through 19 that utilize an RF reflector instead of an RFID tag.

21. CAKS clothing as described in Claim 20 in which all the RF reflectors are designed to send back the same few bits of data. For example they could be all send back four 1’s (1111).

22. CAKS clothing as described in Claims 1 through 21 that contain more than one RFID tag or RF reflector.

23. CAKS clothing as described in Claims 1 though 22 that contain both an RFID tag(s) and an RF reflector(s).

24. CAKS clothing as described in Claims 1 through 23 in which the placement of the RFID tag(s) and/or RF reflector(s) is selected for maximum signal, minimum noise, and minimum false positives.

25. CAKS clothing as described in Claims 1 though 24 for determining the presence of a boat operator at the helm.

26. CAKS clothing as described in Claims 1 though 24 for determining the proximity of a boat operator to the helm (distance from the helm).

27. CAKS clothing as described in Claims 1 though 26 capable of being energized by multiple antennas.

28. CAKS clothing as described in Claims 1 through 27 capable of being used with multiple helms on the same vessel.

29. CAKS clothing as described in Claims 1 through 28 capable of being used simultaneously or alternately with traditional lanyard kill switch systems.

30. CAKS clothing as described in Claims 1 through 29 utilized in conjunction with an RFID Boat Engine Kill Switch System and other sensors to minimize false positives.

31. CAKS clothing as described in Claims 1 through 30 designed to minimize interference from and with other electronic systems on a boat.

32. CAKS clothing as described in Claims 1 through 31 capable having its position in 2D or 3D space triangulated.

33. CAKS clothing as described in Claims 1 through 32 containing RFID tag(s) used in combination with a human presence detection system and a Boat Kill Switch System to kill the engine(s) of a boat if the operator is absent. Together they act as a replacement for conventional emergency engine cut-off switches (kill switches).

34. CAKS clothing as described in Claims 1 through 33 utilized by a boat RFID Kill Switch System utilizing RFID reading and/or RFID writing systems capable of variable detection ranges or multiple detection ranges.

35. CAKS clothing as described in Claims 1 through 32 that alert the boat operator when they are about to go out of of range (engine would be shut off) and/or are about to loose contact with the boat operator presence system portion of the Boat Kill Switch System due to orientation of the RFID tag (engine would be shut off). This alert could be a beeping sound and alert the boat operator they need to move closer to the helm or reorient the RFID tag.

36. An alert / alarm as described in Claim 35 triggered by a certain low signal strength of the signals returned from the RFID tag(s) or RF reflector(s) to the Human Presence Detection System portion of the Boat Kill Switch System.

37. Use of any of the CAKS systems above (Claims 1 through 36).

38. CAKS systems as described in Claims 1 through 37 utilized in a Personal Watercraft (PWC).

39. Use of any system described in Claims 1 through 38.

END OF INVENTION DISCLOSURE

Updates

Effective 29 August 2012 – We (Polson Enterprises and the Propeller Guard Information Center) now place all parts of the invention described above not previously patented by others in the public domain for use by all who wish to manufacture or use them. The world is certainly welcome to patent improvements to this invention but the basic concepts not previously patented by others are now open to all.

Comments

We encourage public comments about this invention disclosure, please leave them on the Summary Page of the Five RFID Invention Disclosures we made today.